SUNDAY MORNING AT 830 ON OETA HEIRLOOMS, SURPRISES AND STORIES ON ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, MONDAY EVENINGS AT SEVEN.

IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL.

AND FOR SOME OKLAHOMA CITY STUDENTS, IT'S A BRAND NEW SCHOOL.

AS THEY COME THROUGH AND WATCHING THEIR FACES ACTUALLY TELLS THE STORY.

THEIR JAW DROPS AND THEY JUST ARE LOOKING AROUND.

A REAL ESTATE SCAM THAT IS COSTING PROPERTY OWNERS AND RENTERS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT'S JUST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TEND TO TO JUMP ON IT.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A STATE GRANT PROGRAM THAT PAYS TO PLANT TREES.

YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGETS GET A LITTLE TIGHTER EVERY YEAR.

SO WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS COMES ALONG, MAN, IT JUST HELPS US TREMENDOUSLY.

DON'T BE A KRABBY PATTY.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OKLAHOMAN WHO CREATED SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS.

YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY THINK THIS IS THE GUY THAT'S GOING TO CREATE ONE OF THE BIGGEST, MOST WELL-KNOWN CHARACTERS IN MAINSTREAM ANIMATION.

AN IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION ON HOW HEAT AND DROUGHT ARE HURTING ALREADY VULNERABLE FARMERS AND RANCHERS.

FLASH DROUGHT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.

IT'S LIKE A FLASH FLOOD.

IT'S JUST A DROUGHT THAT DEVELOPS MUCH MORE RAPIDLY.

PLUS TICKET TO RIDE.

YOU DON'T NEED ONE ANYMORE.

DETAILS.

NEXT ON THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

I'M RICH LENZ.

IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL FOR OKLAHOMA'S SECOND LARGEST DISTRICT, WITH ROUGHLY 33,000 OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL KIDS SAYING SO LONG TO SUMMER BREAK THIS WEEK, WITH THE STATE'S LARGEST DISTRICT, TULSA, RETURNING TO CLASS NEXT WEDNESDAY.

WHAT'S NEW AND DIFFERENT THIS YEAR?

EDUCATION REPORTER TAELYR JACKSON JOINS US NOW WITH THE ANSWERS.

TAELYR.

WELL, RICH, THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WAS EXTRA SPECIAL FOR THE OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AS THEY OPENED THE DOORS OF THREE NEW FACILITIES.

THE START OF A NEW SCHOOL YEAR BRINGS NEW BEGINNINGS AND FOR STUDENTS AT ADELAIDE LEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, IT MEANS WALKING INTO A BRAND NEW SCHOOL BUILDING AS THEY COME THROUGH AND WATCHING THEIR FACES ACTUALLY TELLS THE STORY.

THEIR JAW DROPS AND THEY JUST ARE LOOKING AROUND.

THE THREE STORY SCHOOL SPANS A LITTLE OVER 91,000FT!S.

OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT DR.

JAMIE POLK SAYS IT WAS A PART OF THE DISTRICT'S $955 MILLION BOND PACKAGE THAT WAS PASSED IN 2022.

THIS FEELS LIKE THE PROMISE BEING KEPT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

THIS WE ACTUALLY FOR THE BOND 2022, THE PEOPLE ENTRUSTED OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO ACTUALLY INVEST IN THE FACILITIES.

TODAY, AS WE WALK THROUGH AUGUST 11TH, THE VERY FIRST DAY, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS OUR PROMISE KEPT IN REGARDS OF OUR STUDENTS HAVING ACCESS TO FACILITIES THAT ARE DESERVING OF THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY.

ADELAIDE LEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL MICHELLE DOMINGUEZ IS A PRODUCT OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT HERSELF.

VERY EXCITED TO BE IN A BRAND NEW BUILDING FOR FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR AND WITH OUR BRAND NEW PROGRAM HERE AT ADELAIDE LEE.

AND JUST WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE CITY.

AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO ALL THE VOTERS THAT VOTED TO PASS THE BOND.

ADELAIDE LEE OFFERS A DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM FOR ITS STUDENTS.

WE HAVE A PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC COMMUNITY THAT ATTENDS OUR SCHOOL, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT HAVEN'T REALLY DOMINATED BOTH LANGUAGES YET.

SO BY BEING ABLE TO LEARN FIRST IN SPANISH, WHICH FOR MANY OF OUR STUDENTS IS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE, WILL HELP THEM ELIMINATE JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE GAPS AS THEY MOVE UP IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, BECAUSE THEY'RE LEARNING AS SOON AS THEY'RE WALKING INTO OUR CLASSROOMS.

OKC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY DOMINIC BARONE SAYS THE DISTRICT HAS EXPERIMENTED WITH DUAL LANGUAGE BEFORE, WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL PARTNERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION THIS TIME AROUND.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT, THOUGH, IS THAT WE'RE BUILDING THIS OURSELVES, SO IT'S ALL DEPENDENT ON US AND OUR RESOURCES, AND THE EXPERTS IN THE SPACES ARE OUR STAFF.

THERE ARE OUR TEACHERS.

SO WHAT WE HOPE TO LEARN BY DOING IT THIS WAY, THIS TIME AROUND, IS THAT WE'RE NOT DEPENDENT ON AN OUTSIDE AGENCY TO ENSURE THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL.

OUR SUCCESS WILL BE BUILT ON THE STEPS THAT WE TAKE AND THE COLLABORATIONS THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR STAFF.

THE SCHOOL IS FOLLOWING A 50/50 LEARNING MODEL FOR ALL STUDENTS.

THE FIRST ROUND OF STUDENTS WILL BE PRE-K.

WE'RE GOING TO GET ABOUT HALF OF THEIR LITERACY INSTRUCTION IN SPANISH, AS WELL AS HALF OF IT IN ENGLISH.

IT IS NOT DESIGNED FOR YOU BEING DOMINANT IN ONE OR THE OTHER.

WE WANT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR HOME LANGUAGE IS OR YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE, WE WANT EVERYBODY IN THAT SPACE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, BARONE SAYS THEY WILL LAYER IN A NEW GRADE EACH YEAR.

AFTER THAT.

NEXT YEAR, WE'LL LAYER IN FIRST GRADE SO THAT KINDERGARTEN GROUP WILL MOVE ON UP, AND THEY'LL HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE IN FIRST GRADE.

SO OVER THE NEXT 4 TO 5 YEARS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE US ADDING A NEW GRADE LEVEL EACH YEAR, WHICH WILL THEN HOPEFULLY GET US TO WHERE WE ARE FULLY IMMERSED AS A BUILDING.

WHEN IT COMES TO DUAL LANGUAGE IN ALL GRADE LEVELS.

SO IT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP OUR STUDENTS JUST CONTINUE WITH THEIR LEARNING AND HELPING THEM GROW.

WE HAD A LOT OF PARENTS THAT WERE REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE THEY WANTED THEIR CHILDREN, OF COURSE, TO, AT THE END OF THE DAY, BE BILINGUAL.

AND SO THEY WERE VERY HAPPY THAT THEIR CHILD WOULD HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

AND WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF PARENTS THAT WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT BILINGUAL, WHO ALSO WANTED THEIR CHILD TO LEARN SPANISH AND BE BILINGUAL IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

OTHER PROJECTS IN THE 2022 BOND PACKAGE INCLUDE AN ENTIRELY NEW BELLE ISLE HIGH SCHOOL, FLEXIBLE SPACES, AND SEVERAL OF THE SCHOOLS TO USE FOR VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND A NEW CAPITOL HILL HIGH SCHOOL AND SCISSORTAIL SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL.

NOW WE GOT TO TOUR SKYLINE BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON.

WE'RE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON.

WE'LL BE CLEANING ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

OKC CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER DEBORAH DECK SAYS SHE'S GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY'S SUPPORT.

WE HAD THE SUPPORT AND THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR BOARD, AND THEY DID THE OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY, AND I WILL NOT BE STANDING HERE TODAY.

IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE VOTERS THEY WERE ABLE TO APPROVE OR BOND WITH ABOUT 64%, AND IT'S A $955 MILLION.

IT INCLUDES FACILITIES, BUT IT ALSO HAS ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS, ATHLETICS, MEDIA CENTERS.

AND IT SO WE HAVE A GREAT SPECTRUM OF POSSIBILITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.

STUDENTS WHO ATTEND ADELAIDE LEA ELEMENTARY WILL ALSO ATTEND THE NEW SCISSORTAIL SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND GRADUATE FROM CAPITOL HILL.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, SINCE 2022 TO TODAY, WE HAVE OPENED OTHER PROJECTS.

WE HAVE HAD TRACKS, PARKING LOTS, CLASSROOM RENOVATIONS, SHELTERS FOR THE FULL CAPACITY OF THE SCHOOLS.

SO WE HAVE BEEN OPENING PROJECTS TO THIS MOMENT.

AND IN ADDITION, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THE PROJECTS NEXT YEAR.

THE DISTRICT PLANS TO OPEN BELLE ISLE HIGH SCHOOL DURING THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

YOU ALSO SEE TAFT MIDDLE SCHOOL.

THAT IS A PHASE PROJECT THAT YOU WILL BE SEEING THE COMPLETE IN 2028, BUT LATER THIS FALL, YOU WILL BE SEEING SOME PART OF THAT BUILDING OPENING.

OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT KATIE HAYDEN SAYS NEW COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS CENTERS OPENED THIS WEEK.

PARTNERS LIKE MERCY AND OU HEALTH, INTEGRIS, SSM HEALTH ARE PROVIDING AUTHENTIC CAREER PREPARATION EXPERIENCES TO OPEN DOORS TO THE WORLD OF HEALTHCARE.

OVERALL, THE SECOND LARGEST DISTRICT IN THE STATE SAYS THEY'RE READY TO SUCCEED DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT MATTERS MOST, AND THAT IS OUR STUDENTS.

AND AS THE KIDS HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL, BE SURE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE SCHOOL ZONES AND WATCH FOR CHILDREN CROSSING THE ROAD.

RICH.

ABSOLUTELY.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

TAYLOR.

NOW, ONE OBSTACLE TO LEARNING RIGHT NOW, OPPRESSIVE HEAT THAT REFUSES TO GO AWAY.

AND IT'S NOT ONLY IMPACTING KIDS IN THE PLAYGROUND, IT'S ALSO TAKING A TOLL ON CROPS AND LIVESTOCK.

AND OUR WATER SUPPLY.

LAST FRIDAY, 60% OF OUR STATE WAS EXPERIENCING DROUGHT CONDITIONS.

SEVEN DAYS LATER, THAT NUMBER HAS GROWN TO 93%.

WE'LL DISCUSS ALL OF THAT IN OUR UPCOMING IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION.

HERE'S A PREVIEW WITH MODERATOR JASON DOYLE AND HIS PANEL OF GUESTS.

SO THE GOOD NEWS IS, I DON'T THINK THIS HEAT IS GOING TO HARM OUR CORN CROP TOO MUCH, BUT OUR SOYBEAN CROP IS BURNING UP PRETTY MUCH STATEWIDE.

AND IF WE DON'T GET A CHANGE IN THIS WEATHER PATTERN VERY, VERY SOON, AND I'M LIKE, IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WE'RE ALREADY SEEING FARMERS THAT ARE DESTROYING THE CROP, TRYING TO PUT IT UP FOR HAY OR DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET SOME KIND OF VALUE OUT OF IT.

WE'RE ABOUT 60% OF THE STATE'S IN DROUGHT RIGHT NOW.

WE HAD AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 16% IN ONE WEEK.

AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY PART OF THE STATE IS NOW GETTING HIT HARD.

BUT THE WORST PART IS, NO DOUBT WESTERN OKLAHOMA, SOUTHWEST UP THROUGH NORTHWEST, OVER INTO CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND THEN UP INTO THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE.

SO WHILE THE REST OF THE STATE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT, THAT AREA IS CONSIDERED EXTREME TO EXCEPTIONAL.

THE REST OF THAT CONVERSATION COMING UP LATER IN THIS NEWSCAST, ONE WAY TO HELP BEAT THE HEAT.

FIND A NICE SHADY TREE TO STAND UNDER, AND THERE'S STILL TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A STATE GRANT PROGRAM THAT REWARDS THE PLANTING OF NEW TREES AND SHRUBBERY.

THE BENEFITS ARE PLENTIFUL, THEY LOOK GOOD, AND IT'S GREAT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

STEVE SHAW JOINS US NOW WITH ALL THE DETAILS.

STEVE.

RICH OKLAHOMA FORESTRY SERVICES IS STILL AWARDING GRANT MONEY IN 5 TO $50,000 INCREMENTS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, NONPROFIT GROUPS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND TRIBES TO PLANT NATIVE TO OKLAHOMA TREES.

SO THESE ARE OUR OUR WESTERN SOAPBERRIES.

AND THEY PRODUCE, OBVIOUSLY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE ONE OF OUR SHORTER TREES, BUT THEY'RE A FRUITING TREE.

BRAD JENNINGS OPERATES JENNINGS TREE SERVICE IN ENID.

SEVEN MONTHS AGO, JENNINGS PLANTED 29 TREES AT DON HASKINS PARK NEAR DOWNTOWN ENID.

SO THIS WILL BE THE BIG, YOU KNOW, OAK TREE.

THIS WILL PROBABLY BE THIS IN THE KENTUCKY COFFEE THAT WE PLANTED.

ON THE OTHER SIDE WILL BE THE TWO TALLEST TREES THAT WE'LL PULL OUT OF THIS LOCATION OVER TIME.

HOW TALL DO THEY GET YOU?

I MEAN, 65 FOOT ON A TREE LIKE THIS.

NO PROBLEM.

ENID APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A $20,000 GRANT FROM OKLAHOMA FORESTRY SERVICES TO PLANT CYPRESS, SOAPBERRY, MAPLE, PINE AND OAK TREES.

THE OTHER THING, ALL OF THESE TREES ARE GOING TO BE NATIVE OR OR VERY SUBSISTENT IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA, WHICH IS DIFFERENT.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE OKLAHOMA IS SO FASCINATING.

WE HAVE LIKE SIX ECO ZONES, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING DEAL.

YOU'VE GOT TO TRY TO TREE THAT'LL GROW IN IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA IS NOT GOING TO GROW SUPER WELL HERE.

SO ALL OF THESE TREES ARE NATIVE TO WESTERN OKLAHOMA OR THEIR ARID ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS FROM NOW, THESE THESE ARE GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL TREES.

COREY BOWLER IS PARKS SUPERVISOR FOR ENID.

YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGETS GET A LITTLE TIGHTER EVERY YEAR.

SO WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS COMES ALONG, MAN, IT JUST HELPS US TREMENDOUSLY.

$20,000, $20,000 IS $20,000.

YES, THEY HELP PRODUCE OXYGEN.

OBVIOUSLY, GROUND CONTROL, EROSION CONTROL.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PARKS AND TREES GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE PROPERTY VALUES, FOR SURE.

HISTORICALLY, WE USE TREES IN COMMUNITIES MORE AS AN ESTHETIC, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER OBJECTIVES TO USING TREES, PLANTING TREES.

RILEY COY IS URBAN FORESTRY COORDINATOR FOR OKLAHOMA FORESTRY SERVICES.

WHO'S AWARDING THE GIFTS?

THE MAIN GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY CANOPIES.

SO PLANTING NATIVE TREES, WE WANT IT TO BE RESILIENT.

WE WANT MORE TREES.

WE WANT TO USE THE TREES SO THAT THE COMMUNITIES CAN REAP THE BENEFITS OF THE TREES THAT THEY'RE PLANTING.

WE'RE CONNECTING NATURAL SPACES WITH GREEN SPACES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS, AND THAT GIVES YOU A GREEN CORRIDOR ACROSS URBAN ENVIRONMENTS FOR WILDLIFE, WATER QUALITY, HEAT, ISLAND MITIGATION, ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES.

ON JULY 29TH, COREY TOOK TEMPERATURE READINGS, ONE OUTSIDE THE OTHER IN THE SHADE.

THERE'S A 44 DEGREE DIFFERENCE FROM THE SHADE TO THE SUN ABOUT FIVE FEET AWAY, JUST RIGHT OUT HERE IN THIS FRONT PARKING LOT.

YEAH, THE PROGRAM STARTED WITH JUST OVER $1.3 MILLION, RILEY SAYS.

SO FAR, 20 TO 25 APPLICANTS HAVE RECEIVED GRANTS.

HALF $1 MILLION REMAINS, AND THEY'LL ACCEPT GRANT REQUESTS UNTIL OCTOBER 23RD.

COREY SAYS PROJECTS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS MONEY INCLUDE STORM READINESS, EXTREME HEAT MITIGATION, COMMUNITY FRUIT ORCHARDS TO COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY AND GREENWAY DEVELOPMENT.

PLANNING TREES HELP HUMAN HEALTH.

THERE ARE STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT STUDENTS HAVE BETTER ATTENTION SPANS AND MAKE HIGHER GRADES IF THEY HAVE ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES CLOSE TO THEIR SCHOOL, OR IF THEY CAN SEE A TREE OR GREEN SPACE OUTSIDE OF THEIR WINDOW.

TEST SCORES IMPROVE.

COY ALSO SAYS PEOPLE WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED WITH SERIOUS INJURIES RECOVER FASTER IF THEY HAVE ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES.

THE NONPROFIT OKC BEAUTIFUL USED THEIR GRANT ALLOCATION TO PLANT 13 SUGAR MAPLE TREES ALONG THIS FRISBEE GOLF FIELD.

YEAH, SO WE GOT $50,000.

WE PARTNERED THROUGH THE OKLAHOMA FORESTRY SERVICE TO GET THIS GRANT.

WE GOT 400 SHADE TREES FOR THE NORTHEAST OKC AREA, SPECIFICALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE ALWAYS KIND OF LACKED RESOURCES TO GET SHADE TREES.

OH, THESE ONES SPECIFICALLY, I THINK WILL GET ABOUT 60FT HIGH, PROBABLY ABOUT 40FT WIDE.

CHICKASAW NATION WAS ALSO AWARDED A $50,000 GRANT LAST FALL TO PLANT 25 NATIVE PECAN, COTTONWOOD, BURR, OAK AND SYCAMORE TREES ON 400 ACRES OF LAND AT THE OAK PRESERVE NEXT TO THE BLUE RIVER IN JOHNSTON COUNTY.

CHICKASAW NATION SPOKESPERSON JENNY MOSELEY SAYS THE TRIBE PARTNERED WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY NONPROFIT GROUP WHO MANAGED THE PRESERVE.

WITH OUR PROJECT, WE DIDN'T ONLY PLANT TREES, WE ALSO HAD A BIG EDUCATIONAL PIECE.

SO AROUND EACH TREE IS GOING TO BE A PLAQUE WITH THE CHICKASAW NAME ON IT, AND THE DAY OF THE PLANTING, WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE CHICKASAW NATION TISHOMINGO HEAD START.

SO THEY BROUGHT ABOUT 20 KIDS OUT HERE.

THEY HELPED US PLANT.

THEY PLAYED IN THE DIRT.

THEY PLAYED WITH THE WORMS.

SO WE USED IT AS AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR YOUTH.

WITH THESE 25 TREES PLANTED, WE ARE BASICALLY ENHANCING THE SOIL STRUCTURE, MITIGATING SOIL EROSION, AND THEN ALSO CAPTURING CARBON IN A WAY, AND THEN ALSO TO THE ECOLOGICAL BENEFIT UTILIZATION FOR DEPENDENT BIRD SPECIES THAT WANT TO NEST IN THESE TREES.

AIR QUALITY.

IF WE'RE PLANTING THE RIGHT TREES IN THE RIGHT LOCATIONS, THEN THEY'RE RELATIVELY LOW MAINTENANCE TREES AND THEY'LL LAST FOR GENERATIONS.

THEY'RE GOING TO LAST LONGER THAN YOU OR I WILL EVER BE ALIVE.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO HELP ACHIEVE ALL OF THESE OBJECTIVES FOR WAY LONGER THAN OUR LIVES.

YOU'RE PLANTING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.

YOU'RE NOT JUST PLANTING FOR TODAY.

YOU CAN'T.

WE AS AMERICANS, WE WANT A 70 FOOT TREE IN THE GROUND TODAY.

WELL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PATIENCE AND TIME TO GET IT THERE ON A NATIONAL SCALE.

THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IS ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY ON A $39 MILLION PROJECT THAT COMPENSATES FARMERS AND RANCHERS IN MANY STATES, INCLUDING OKLAHOMA, FOR PLANTING TREES AND USING GOOD CONSERVATION PRACTICES.

RICH, STEVE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AT HIS CLEMENCY HEARING ON JULY 13TH, CONVICTED KILLER CARLOS CUESTA RODRIGUEZ TOLD THE PARDON AND PAROLE BOARD HE NEITHER WANTED OR DESERVED TO HAVE HIS DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED FOR KILLING HIS GIRLFRIEND, OLYMPIA FISHER, IN 2003.

THE BOARD AGREED, AND ON THURSDAY, CUESTA RODRIGUEZ WAS PUT TO DEATH BY LETHAL INJECTION AT THE STATE PENITENTIARY IN MCALESTER.

THE ROBERT RAVITZ CRISIS CENTER IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN OKLAHOMA CITY SOMETIME NEXT YEAR.

ON MONDAY, CITY LEADERS GATHERING TO BREAK GROUND ON THE $15 MILLION FACILITY THAT WILL PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE CARE.

THE CENTER IS NAMED AFTER THE LATE OKLAHOMA CITY CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER BOB RAVITZ, AND WILL INCLUDE 25 OBSERVATION ROOMS AND 32 BEDS FOR PATIENTS.

THERE'S AN OLD SAYING THAT EVERY GENERATION LEAVES ITS MARK NOT ONLY BY WHAT IT SAYS, BUT WHAT IT WHAT BY WHAT IT CHOOSES TO BUILD.

SOME INVESTMENTS MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES MORE PROSPEROUS.

SOME INVESTMENTS MAKE THEM MORE CONNECTED.

SOME INVESTMENTS MAKE THEM MORE BEAUTIFUL AND REMIND US OF OUR SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE INVESTMENTS.

THESE CRISIS CENTERS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR REDIRECTING PEOPLE FROM EMERGENCY ROOMS AND FROM JAILS AND FROM VIOLENCE.

I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF CHALLENGES WHEN FOLKS END UP IN DEEP CRISIS, AND THIS GIVES PEOPLE A CHANCE TO DIVERT FROM THAT.

AND SO EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND ON PREVENTATIVE CARE AND CRISIS CARE IS GOING TO SAVE US DOWN THE ROAD, NOT TO MENTION SAVING SUFFERING PEOPLE, BEING ABLE TO ACCESS TREATMENT QUICKLY AND EASILY.

THE RABBIT CENTER IS BEING PAID FOR WITH $12 MILLION IN MAPS FOR FUNDING, PLUS A $3 MILLION PRIVATE CONTRIBUTION FROM THE ARNOLD FAMILY FOUNDATION IN OKLAHOMA, A REALTOR ASSOCIATION IS SOUNDING THE ALARM ON A RENTAL SCAM THEY SAY IS COSTING CONSUMERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR AROUND THE COUNTRY TO EXPLAIN HOW IT WORKS AND WHAT'S BEING DONE TO CATCH THE FRAUDSTERS, WE'RE JOINED NOW BY JASON DOYLE.

JASON RICH.

TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN LOST ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO THIS RENTAL SCAM.

OKLAHOMA REALTORS AND EVEN A FEDERAL AGENCY ARE GETTING THE WORD OUT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

RENTER, BEWARE.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AROUND.

THIS SPACE IS AVAILABLE FOR RENT.

IT IS A TWO BED, ONE BATH.

LAUREN TOPPIN'S WITH CHERRYWOOD REAL ESTATE SHOWS ME AROUND THIS RENTAL HOME IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA CITY, READY FOR ITS NEXT OCCUPANT.

TOPPIN'S HAS BEEN ON THE REAL ESTATE SCENE IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA FOR NEARLY SEVEN YEARS NOW.

SHE SAYS.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE CLIENTS WHO FELL VICTIM TO A RENTAL SCAM BEFORE THEY FOUND HER FOR HELP.

ONE OF OUR TENANTS THAT WE HAD FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, SHE TALKED ABOUT THERE WAS A HOUSE IN NICHOLS HILLS.

IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A SOLDIER OVERSEAS.

AND SHE THEY ASKED HER TO SEND HER DEPOSIT VIA VIA BITCOIN.

AND LO AND BEHOLD, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE THAT HAPPENED.

THOMPSON SAYS.

LUCKILY, HER AGENCY WAS ABLE TO HELP THE CLIENT AND AVOID THAT SCAM.

IT SHOWS SCAM ARTISTS ARE GETTING CREATIVE AND TRICKING PEOPLE INTO GIVING THEM MONEY TO MOVE INTO WHAT THEY THINK IS AN OPEN RENTAL PROPERTY.

WE FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, BY VIRTUE OF SOME OF OUR SOURCES, THAT IT IS A IT'S A MASSIVE PROBLEM NOT ONLY HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY, BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THE FTC ESTIMATES IN THE LAST SIX YEARS, MAYBE $65 MILLION WORTH OF REAL ESTATE RENTAL REAL ESTATE SCAMS.

BARRY WHITTINGTON IS THE PRESIDENT OF MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE OKLAHOMA OR MLSOK.

THAT ORGANIZATION HELPS WITH LISTING OF REAL ESTATE, HE SAYS THE PROBLEM WITH RENTAL SCAMS IS PROBABLY BIGGER THAN WHAT THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION HAS UNCOVERED.

WE HONESTLY THINK THAT THAT DATA SHOULD BE HIGHER, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OF THEM THAT PROBABLY GO UNREPORTED.

THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION RECENTLY STUDIED THE ISSUE OF RENTAL SCAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND CONFIRMS WHAT WHITTINGTON CONTENDS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN STOLEN THROUGH THESE SCHEMES.

WE FOUND 65 MILLION IN REPORTED LOSSES FROM 2020 TO ABOUT MID 2025, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF INCIDENTS, RIGHT, 65,000 REPORTS AND 65 MILLION IN REPORTED LOSSES TO RENTAL SCAMS.

EMMA FLETCHER WITH THE FTC SAYS MANY OF THE RENTAL SCAMS THEY'VE DISCOVERED START ONLINE.

THESE SCAMS TYPICALLY START ON SITES LIKE FACEBOOK AND CRAIGSLIST.

IN FACT, JUST OVER HALF THE REPORTS INVOLVE PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT THE SCAM STARTED WITH AN AD OR LISTING ON FACEBOOK.

THAT'S WHERE YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE FALLING FOR THE RENTAL SCAM.

WE FOUND THAT RENTAL SCAMS ARE REALLY A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE.

PEOPLE AGES 18 TO 29 WERE THREE TIMES AS LIKELY AS OLDER ADULTS TO LOSE MONEY TO A RENTAL SCAM.

RIP OFF ARTISTS ARE USING PRESSURE TACTICS TO ENTICE A VICTIM INTO A GOOD DEAL.

THE PERSON PLACING THE ADVERTISEMENT WILL WILL ESSENTIALLY REQUIRE THEM TO.

IT'S SUCH A GOOD DEAL.

THEY PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON THE PROSPECT THAT THEY REQUIRE THAT PERSON TO SEND A FEE TO HOLD THE PROPERTY BEFORE LEASES ARE SIGNED AND BEFORE VIEWINGS ARE MADE.

AND THAT'S BASICALLY HOW THE SCAM WORKS.

THE SCAMMERS USE THAT TACTIC BECAUSE THE HIGH PRESSURE WORKS.

YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE GET REALLY DESPERATE BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE SUCH A GOOD DEAL THAT THEY JUST FIRE OFF SOME MONEY AND AND IT'S GONE BEFORE.

BY THE TIME THEY PUSH THE BUTTON, IT'S GONE AND NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.

IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO TOUR A RENTAL HOME YOURSELF AND SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN EYES.

BUT IF YOU DON'T GET THAT OPPORTUNITY, OUR EXPERTS SAY THERE'S A SIMPLE SOLUTION.

IT'S CALLED LIVE STREAMING.

YOU CAN DO IT FROM YOUR PHONE.

REQUEST, A LIVE VIDEO FEED FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE PROPERTY.

AND IF THAT PERSON IS NOT WILLING TO DO THAT, THAT SHOULD BE CLUE NUMBER ONE.

THERE ARE OTHER THINGS PROSPECTS CAN DO.

THEY CAN GO ONLINE.

THEY CAN CHECK OTHER RELIABLE SITES TO SEE IF THAT PROPERTY IS ADVERTISED ON ANOTHER SITE AT A DIFFERENT PRICE.

IN THIS CASE, IT'S OKAY TO PLAY SOCIAL MEDIA DETECTIVE.

ONE PIECE OF ADVICE IS THAT IF YOU SEE SOMETHING ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE, YOU CAN USUALLY SEE WHO IS POSTING IT AND THEN WORK YOUR WAY BACK TO FIND OUT IF THAT PERSON IS A LICENSED AGENT.

AND IF NOT, MAYBE THEY'RE THE PROPERTY OWNER.

BUT THAT IS.

THOSE ARE VERY REASONABLE QUESTIONS TO ASK.

THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA HAS A LAW WHICH COULD HELP ENSURE SOMEONE IS DEALING WITH A REPUTABLE LANDLORD OR MANAGEMENT COMPANY, ASK FOR A COPY OF THEIR REAL ESTATE LICENSE BECAUSE IF UNLESS YOU OWN THE PROPERTY, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDING PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SERVICES UNLESS YOU HAVE AN OKLAHOMA REAL ESTATE LICENSE.

THE FTC'S EMMA FLETCHER SUGGESTS COMPARING PRICES TO SIMILAR HOMES OR APARTMENTS IN THAT AREA.

COMPARE PRICES, BUT ALSO SEARCH THE ADDRESS.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU FIND THE SAME PROPERTY WITH A DIFFERENT PRICE OR, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IF YOU FIND THE SAME PROPERTY LISTED FOR SALE RATHER THAN RENT, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD SIGN.

IT'S A SCAM.

SOME SCAMS PUT A TWIST ON FAKE RENTALS TOO, LIKE TRYING TO OBTAIN PERSONAL INFORMATION, WHICH CAN BE USED TO STEAL A PERSON'S IDENTITY.

WHEN YOU RENT A PLACE, IT MAY SEEM NATURAL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME PERSONAL INFORMATION, BUT THESE SCAMMERS ARE, AFTER THAT INFORMATION, EARLY AND AGGRESSIVELY.

THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER BEFORE YOU'VE EVEN DECIDED ON THE PLACE.

THEY MIGHT WANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS, THAT KIND OF THING.

SO BEWARE OF THAT.

SINCE THE PANDEMIC, RENTAL PRICES HAVE INCREASED IN OKLAHOMA AND MUCH OF THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, WHICH MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO SEARCH FOR THE BEST DEAL THEY CAN FIND, WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT'S JUST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TEND TO TO JUMP ON IT, UNFORTUNATELY.

AND SO YEAH, THAT'S IT HAS IT HAS TO DO WITH DESPERATION, MAYBE MAKING A GOOD DEAL.

AND ALSO JUST THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS THAT WE'RE SEEING BOTH WITH RENTALS AND WITH HOME SALES.

IF YOU FIND A RENTAL AD WHICH IS MISLEADING, LAUREN THOMPSON SAYS IT'S BEST TO REPORT IT SO OTHERS DON'T FALL VICTIM.

IF WE RUN ACROSS ONE OF OUR LISTINGS, THAT IS NOT BEING POSTED BY ANOTHER CHERRYWOOD AGENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT IS NOT AUTHORIZED.

WE DO REPORT THEM INTO FACEBOOK OR TO WHATEVER SOURCE THAT OR WEBSITE THAT IT IS PUT ON.

IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF A RENTAL SCAN, MAKE A REPORT WITH YOUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THE THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU AS WELL TO REPORT THIS OR ANY KIND OF SCAM AT THEIR WEBSITE.

REPORT FRAUD.FTC.GOV.

RICH, JASON.

GREAT INFORMATION.

THANK YOU.

AFTER 18 SEASONS WITH SEVEN DIFFERENT TEAMS, FORMER THUNDER GUARD RUSSELL WESTBROOK HAS ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE NBA.

WESTBROOK SPENT 11 OF THOSE SEASONS IN OKLAHOMA CITY AND AS THE FRANCHISE LEADER IN POINTS SCORED, ASSISTS, REBOUNDING AND STEALS.

THE 37 YEAR OLD WESTBROOK PLAYED IN NINE ALL-STAR GAMES AND WAS NAMED MVP IN TWO OF THEM.

BUT YOU'LL STILL BE SEEING HIM AROUND BECAUSE HE IS A MAJOR INVESTOR IN OKC UNITED, A PROFESSIONAL USL SOCCER TEAM THAT WILL BEGIN PLAYING A NEW OUTDOOR STADIUM IN 2028.

IT'S HARD TO FATHOM THAT THE MAN WHO CREATED THE UNDERWATER WORLD OF SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS WAS ACTUALLY BORN IN LANDLOCKED LAWTON, OKLAHOMA.

BUT IT'S TRUE.

AND NOW HIS INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL CREATION IS INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION OF GRAPHIC ARTISTS AND ANIMATORS.

NOAH MACK JOINS US NOW WITH THE DETAILS ON THAT.

NOAH.

YEAH.

RICH.

THE OKAY POP MUSEUM HAS SEVERAL SPONGEBOB MEMORABILIA ITEMS TO HONOR THE WORK OF STEPHEN HILLENBURG, WHO DIED IN 2018.

RECENTLY.

VOICE OF SPONGEBOB, TOM KENNY AND ARTIST DEREK DRYMON PAID A VISIT TO TULSA, OKLAHOMA TO SPEAK TO CROWDS OF OKIES LOOKING TO SOAK UP THEIR WISDOM WISDOM OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS.

FOR SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN A PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS IS CLOSER TO OKLAHOMA THAN YOU MIGHT THINK.

I KNOW HE'S HEARD OF TEXAS.

WHAT AM I NOW?

OH, STUPID.

NO.

I'M TEXAS.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

SPONGEBOB IS MOST DEFINITELY HEARD OF OKLAHOMA BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BORDERED BY THE STATE THAT SANDY CHEEKS IS FROM.

WISH I WAS BACK IN TEXAS, SO.

OH, YEAH, HE'S HE'S ALL ABOUT.

HE'S ALL ABOUT THE WHOLE REGION.

SPONGEBOB IS VERY REGIONALLY MINDED.

THE CREATOR OF THE SQUAREPANTS WEARING ICON WAS BORN IN LAWTON, OKLAHOMA.

ALTHOUGH HIS FAMILY MOVED TO CALIFORNIA WHEN HE WAS YOUNG.

STEPHEN HILLENBURG'S OKIE TIES GOT THE ATTENTION OF THE OKLAHOMA MUSEUM OF POPULAR CULTURE.

SO THIS IS KIND OF THE COLLECTION THAT WE'VE BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER.

WE HAVE SOME OF THE WORKS OF STEPHEN HILLENBURG HIMSELF, SOME SKETCHES AND SOME SOME ANIMATION CELS FROM SOME OF THE PRODUCTIONS.

TIME FOR BUNS.

AND THE DISPLAY FEATURES AN OKLAHOMA CONNECTION CROSSOVER, A HOT PINK FUR COAT AND DOUBLE NECK GUITAR PROP USED IN A FLAMING LIPS MUSIC VIDEO.

FOR THE OKLAHOMA BAND'S ORIGINAL SONG, WRITTEN FOR THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE TITLED SPONGEBOB AND PATRICK CONFRONT THE PSYCHIC WALL OF ENERGY, SOME KIND OF WALL OF PSYCHIC ENERGY.

SPONGEBOB BEING A MAN, IT WAS A TOUGH JOB.

OKAY, POP HAS BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT FOR OVER A DECADE.

AFTER HITTING A FUNDRAISING MILESTONE LAST YEAR.

THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON CONSTRUCTING EXHIBITS AIMING TO OPEN MARCH 2028.

AS WE START TO BUILD AND DESIGN THE EXHIBITS THAT WILL BE UPSTAIRS, A LOT OF THESE PIECES WILL BE FEATURED WITHIN THOSE EXHIBITS AS WE TELL STEPHEN HILLENBURG STORY.

OH MY GOD, BRO.

I'M JUST LIKE SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW.

I'M SORRY.

LOCAL FANS OF SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS WERE INVITED TO SEE THE TEMPORARY SHOWCASE.

I LOVE ANIMATION CELS SO MUCH.

LIKE I SAW THAT ONLINE.

YOU CAN GET THEM, BUT THEY'RE LIKE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS.

IT'S JUST SO WONDERFUL, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO SEE MY FAVORITE CARTOON RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

BUT TICKETS WERE LIMITED BECAUSE ALONGSIDE THE ANIMATION TROVE WERE TWO ANIMATION VETERANS, TOM KENNY, VOICE OF SPONGEBOB, AND DEREK DRYMON, WRITER AND ANIMATOR.

ON THE SHOW, THE TWO CLOSE FRIENDS OF HILLENBURG HOSTED A PANEL TO SHARE THE INNER MACHINATIONS OF HIS MIND.

STEVE CAME OUT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL DEPARTMENT.

ABSTRACT, TRIPPY STUFF.

MORE FINE ART, YOU KNOW, MORE.

MORE ARTSY.

LIKE IF YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN HIS WORK WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER AND STARTING OUT IN THE FIELD, YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY THINK THIS IS THE GUY THAT'S GOING TO CREATE ONE OF THE BIGGEST, MOST WELL-KNOWN CHARACTERS IN MAINSTREAM ANIMATION WHO'S A BIG YELLOW CUBE WITH HOLES.

I AM WHO'S READY?

I'M READY.

ALTHOUGH ALWAYS AN ARTIST, HILLENBURG'S FIRST CAREER WAS MARINE BIOLOGY, AND DRYMON SAYS HILLENBURG POSSESSED THE UNIQUE ABILITY TO FUZE HIS LOVE FOR ANIMATION AND SEA LIFE INTO A MARKETABLE WORK OF ART.

HE SAID, A LOT OF TIMES HE'S A REAL ARTIST.

WILL CHANNEL HIS OBSESSIONS AND GET THE THE VIEWING PUBLIC TO ENJOY THE THINGS THAT THAT PERSON'S OBSESSED WITH, YOU KNOW, AND SO, SO HE WAS VERY OBSESSED WITH THE OCEAN AND ALL SEA LIFE AND ALL THINGS MARINE AND TIKI AND JUST KIND OF THE WHOLE WORLD OF, OF THE OCEAN, YOU KNOW, POP CULTURE WISE AND SCIENTIFICALLY.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A NEMATODE WAS BEFORE I RECORDED THAT SCRIPT.

I WAS LIKE, WOW, NEMATODES ARE REAL.

THAT'S A REAL THING.

HE'S LIKE, YEAH, HERE.

WOW, LOOK AT THIS.

YOU KNOW, LET ME PULL SOMETHING UP ON MY COMPUTER THERE.

TOTALLY FREAKY, YOU KNOW, AND OKAY, POPS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JACOB KRUMWIEDE EMPHASIZES, THE GOAL OF THIS EVENT IS TO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR OKLAHOMA CREATIVES TO SPONGE UP INDUSTRY ADVICE.

WRITE THAT DOWN, WRITE THAT DOWN.

PEOPLE LIKE STEPHEN ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN USE YOUR CREATIVITY ON A DAILY BASIS, AND WE WANT TO INSPIRE THAT NEXT GENERATION OF CREATIVES.

THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WERE BORN AND GREW UP AND, YOU KNOW, OKLAHOMA TOWNS ALL ACROSS THE STATE.

THIS MUSEUM WILL BE FILLED WITH PEOPLE LIKE THAT AND EVERYONE THAT VISITS.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT CONNECTION AND REALIZE THAT THEY DID IT.

I CAN DO THAT TOO.

AND ALL THE FANS I SPOKE TO SAY SPONGEBOB FORGED THEIR HUMOR AND IMAGINATION.

LIKE MARLEY COX.

THEY REALLY SHAPED MY CHILDHOOD AND LIKE THEY SAID EARLIER, LIKE SHAPED HUMOR FOR PEOPLE.

AND THEY ALSO GOT ME INTO LIKE ANIMATING TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I LIKE DRAWING CARTOONS.

CHASE VENOM'S WAS INSPIRED BY THE PANEL.

I WANT TO GO INTO LIKE FILMMAKING.

AND I'VE ALWAYS FOUND IT HARD, YOU KNOW, AS BEING SOMEONE FROM OKLAHOMA, LIKE FINDING YOUR FOOTING.

SHE IS ENAMORED BY THE SUCCESS OF OKLAHOMA CREATORS.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME IS CALLED HOODWINKED, AND THE BROTHERS WHO MADE THAT STARTED IN TULSA.

THEY MADE A MOVIE ABOUT TULSA TO GET THEIR FOOTING, AND THEN EVENTUALLY THEY GOT THE RESOURCES TO LITERALLY WORK FROM THE GROUND UP.

THEY USED ALL THE MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS TO MAKE THAT AND STORIES LIKE THAT, AND STORIES ABOUT STEPHEN HILLENBURG.

THEY MAKE ME VERY HAPPY.

TO KNOW SOMEONE FROM A SMALL PLACE LIKE THIS CAN ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING GREAT AND MAKE SOMETHING GREAT.

TOM KENNY, WHO HAS GIVEN VOICE TO HUNDREDS OF CHARACTERS, OFFERS UP AND COMING OKLAHOMA CREATORS ADVICE FOR THE FUTURE.

FUTURE.

I THINK I WOULD SAY TO PEOPLE THAT THAT HAVE THAT CREATIVITY IN THEM, YOU KNOW, FIND LIKE MINDED PEOPLE TO CREATE THINGS WITH YOU.

THAT'S YOUR TRIBE.

THAT'S YOUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT CAN BE A LONELY WORLD.

AND SO YOU BOND WITH THOSE PEOPLE AND JUST HANG OUT AND HAVE FUN AND ENJOY LIFE AND HAVE GOOD TIMES WITH EACH OTHER, GET EACH OTHER THROUGH THE NOT SO GOOD TIMES, HELP EACH OTHER.

AND STEVE, STEVE WOULD HAVE LOVED THAT.

THAT'S HIS LEGACY WITH SPONGEBOB.

TOM KENNY AND DEREK DRYMON ALSO MADE AN APPEARANCE AT OKLAHOMA COMIC-CON THIS PAST WEEKEND.

RICH, YEAH, THAT'S A FUN STORY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WELL, YOU CANNOT BEAT THE PRICE TO RIDE ONE OF OKLAHOMA CITY'S SEVEN MODERN STREETCARS AS OF AUGUST 7TH.

IT'S FREE.

PRIOR TO THAT, A SINGLE RIDE COST A BUCK 75 PER TRIP, AND AN ALL DAY PASS WOULD SET YOU BACK $4.

THE STREETCARS OPERATE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, RUNNING ON TWO LOOPS THROUGH THE CITY, WITH 22 STOPS IN ALL, OKLAHOMA ATTORNEY GENERAL AND REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR GENTNER DRUMMOND IS TAKING LEGAL ACTION TO BLOCK A CONSTRUCTION OF A CONTROVERSIAL ALUMINUM SMELTER PLANT IN ENOLA.

THAT STORY TOPS THIS WEEK'S STATEWIDE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

OKLAHOMA ATTORNEY GENERAL GENTNER DRUMMOND IS ASKING A FEDERAL JUDGE FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION TO BLOCK CONSTRUCTION OF AN ALUMINUM SMELTER IN ENOLA.

DRUMMOND IS ASKING FOR CONSTRUCTION TO BE ON HOLD AS THE COURTS DECIDE THE FATE OF THE LAWSUIT.

ADDITIONALLY, DRUMMOND FILED A BRIEF FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT WHO SAYS THE SMELTER WOULD EMIT A WIDE RANGE OF POLLUTANTS.

THE AG ALSO WANTS THE CASE TO BE SENT BACK TO ROGERS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT, INSTEAD OF THE U.S.

FEDERAL COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA.

NATIONAL STANDARD IS CLOSING ITS STILLWATER WIRE MANUFACTURING FACILITY THIS FALL.

KOSU REPORTS THAT MORE THAN 90 EMPLOYEES WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE CLOSURE.

THE COMPANY SAYS IT'S IN S ARC WELDING WIRE BUSINESS WILL CONTINUE SERVING CUSTOMERS.

THE EMPLOYEES ARE BEING OFFERED SEVERANCE BENEFITS AND OUTPLACEMENT SERVICES, GENERAL MANAGER MARK HICKS SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT CLOSING THE PLANT WAS A HARD DECISION AND IS NOT A REFLECTION OF THEIR PEOPLE.

THE OKLAHOMA HEART INSTITUTE IN TULSA IS THE FIRST IN THE U.S.

TO USE A NEXT GENERATION HEART DEVICE IN CLINICAL TRIALS.

THE DEVICE IS CALLED PVAD AND HELPS THE PART OF THE HEART THAT MOVES BLOOD THROUGH IT.

WHILE A PATIENT IS UNDERGOING A HIGH RISK STENTING PROCEDURE, ITS SMALLER DESIGN IS MEANT TO HELP MORE PATIENTS WHO NEED A STENT BUT WERE LIMITED IN GETTING ONE.

THE SECOND QUARTER WAS STRONG FOR TULSA BASED AON, THE COMMERCIAL HVAC MANUFACTURER REPORTS.

NET SALES INCREASED MORE THAN 101% TO A RECORD $627 MILLION.

STRONG DEMAND IS POWERING THE INCREASED SALES.

GROSS PROFIT FOR THE COMPANY WAS $152.5 MILLION, MORE THAN 84% HIGHER THAN THE GROSS PROFIT FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2025.

THIS IS THE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

STEVE SHAW, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THE RELENTLESS HEAT AND DROUGHT IS TAKING ITS TOLL ON THE CROPS AND LIVESTOCK OF OKLAHOMA FARMERS AND RANCHERS.

CORN AND COTTON ARE UNDER STRESS AND SUPPLIES ARE DETERIORATING AS WELL.

AND SUMMER DOESN'T OFFICIALLY END UNTIL SEPTEMBER 22ND.

TO PUT ALL OF THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, HERE'S MODERATOR JASON DOYLE AND HIS PANEL OF GUESTS WITH THIS WEEK'S IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION.

THANK YOU, RICH, JOINING ME FOR OUR DISCUSSION TODAY.

SCOTT BLUBAUGH, HE'S THE PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND THE OKLAHOMA FARMERS UNION.

AND JOINING US VIA ZOOM IS GARY MCMANUS WITH THE OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL SURVEY.

GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON IN-DEPTH THIS WEEK.

ABSOLUTELY.

GREAT TO BE HERE.

THANKS FOR HAVING US.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, LET'S START OFF WITH TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATIONS.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT, SCOTT, ABOUT AMERICA'S FARMERS AND RANCHERS.

SURE.

WE'RE THE STATE'S OLDEST AG ORGANIZATION.

WE, WE, WE ADVOCATE FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE.

ABOUT 60,000 HOUSEHOLDS BELONG TO OUR ORGANIZATION STATEWIDE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND GARY, LET'S TURN TO YOU.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL SURVEY.

WELL, THAT'S KIND OF A COMPLICATED NAME.

WE'RE REALLY JUST THE STATE CLIMATE OFFICE.

WE OPERATE THE OKLAHOMA MESONET, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, FAMOUS IN OKLAHOMA FOR HAVING THE WEATHER STATIONS IN EVERY COUNTY, 120 ACROSS THE STATE.

WE TRACK DROUGHT, WE KEEP ALL THE RECORDS.

WE BASICALLY REPRESENT THE STATE IN ALL MATTERS METEOROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL.

WELL, GENTLEMEN, AS YOU BOTH KNOW, WE'RE GOING THROUGH A HEAT WAVE RIGHT NOW.

IN FACT, IT'S INTERESTING.

OKLAHOMA CITY USUALLY AVERAGES ABOUT 13 DAYS ABOVE 100 DEGREES.

WE'VE ALREADY SURPASSED THAT LEVEL HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY THIS YEAR.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE FOR A WEEK OR TWO.

SO SCOTT, LET'S START WITH YOU.

WHAT KIND OF CROPS DO WE HAVE IN THE FIELD RIGHT NOW AND HOW IS THIS HEAT IMPACTING THEM?

WELL, THE CORN CROP IS PRETTY MUCH FINISHED OUT.

AND SO THE GOOD NEWS IS I DON'T THINK THIS HEAT IS GOING TO HARM OUR CORN CROP TOO MUCH.

BUT OUR SOYBEAN CROP IS BURNING UP PRETTY MUCH STATEWIDE.

AND IF WE DON'T GET A CHANGE IN THIS WEATHER PATTERN VERY, VERY SOON, AND I'M LIKE, IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WE'RE ALREADY SEEING FARMERS THAT ARE DESTROYING THE CROP, TRYING TO PUT IT UP FOR HAY OR DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET SOME KIND OF VALUE OUT OF IT, BECAUSE THAT'S, IT REALLY, REALLY LOOKS BAD IN ALL, ALL 77 COUNTIES, REALLY FOR OUR SUMMER CROP PRODUCTION, COTTON, SOYBEANS, GRAIN, SORGHUM, THEY'RE ALL AT TREMENDOUS RISK RIGHT NOW.

INTERESTING.

WELL, NOT SO MUCH.

INTERESTING IS LIKE, AS SOMEBODY THAT WAS RAISED IN RURAL OKLAHOMA, I UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU SEE THOSE CROPS START TO TURN BROWN THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO START THINKING OF ALTERNATIVES.

GARY, LET'S TURN TO YOU.

IT APPEARS THAT OKLAHOMA IS IN A FLASH DROUGHT.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

WELL, YOU KNOW, USUALLY WHEN YOU THINK OF DROUGHT, YOU THINK IT TAKES MONTHS TO EVEN SEASONS TO IN SOME CASES, YEARS TO DEVELOP.

BUT A FLASH DROUGHT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.

IT'S LIKE A FLASH FLOOD.

IT'S JUST A DROUGHT THAT DEVELOPS MUCH MORE RAPIDLY.

SO YOU HAVE A IF YOU LOOK ON, SAY, THE U.S.

DROUGHT MONITOR, IF IT INCREASES IN INTENSITY ONE TO 2 TO 3 STEPS OVER A MATTER OF WEEKS TO A COUPLE OF MONTHS, WELL, THEN YOU'RE IN WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER A FLASH DROUGHT.

AND THAT'S CERTAINLY WHERE WE ARE JUST OVER THE LAST 2 OR 3 WEEKS, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE DROUGHT GO FROM ABOUT 4,050% OF THE STATE TO PROBABLY ALL OF THE STATE, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO THE U.S.

DROUGHT MONITOR, WHICH I PROVIDE INPUT TO.

SCOTT, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE CROPS, BUT OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT OUR FRIENDS, THE FARMERS AND RANCHERS GOT TO BE FRIENDS, RIGHT?

SO HOW IS THIS IMPACTING THE RANCHERS AND OUR LIVESTOCK AG PRODUCERS OUT THERE?

HOW IS THIS HEAT WAVE IMPACTING THEM?

WELL, IN MULTIPLE WAYS.

ONE, IT JUST THE GRASS JUST STOPS, ABSOLUTELY STOPS GROWING IN THIS HEAT.

AND IT'S TURNED BROWN PRETTY MUCH ALL OVER THE STATE.

AND SO WE HAVE THAT PROBLEM.

YOU HAVE WHATEVER HAY PRODUCTION THAT WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR.

THAT'S PROBABLY ALL WE'RE GOING TO GET.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO WINTER THAT THAT COULD BE AN ISSUE.

WE ALSO HAVE THIS THIS EXTREME HEAT IS REALLY HARD ON OUR CATTLE OUT THERE.

SO THEY ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE ADEQUATE SHADE AND OR SOME PONDS TO THAT THEY CAN COOL OFF IN OR SOME WATER SOMEWHERE.

BUT IT ALL, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY STOPS OUR CYCLING PROCESS OF OUR COWS AS WELL.

AND THEY WILL NOT BREED IN THIS HEAT BREED BACK.

SO THERE'S, THERE'S MULTIPLE PROBLEMS.

WE'VE HAD SOME DEATH LOSS IN THE FEEDLOTS WITH THE CATTLE THAT ARE ALMOST FINISHED, READY TO BE HARVESTED, AND THEY'RE DYING IN THE FEEDLOT BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME HEAT.

BUT WE'RE SEEING COWS THAT LAY UNDER THE TREES ALL DAY AND DON'T GO OUT AND EVEN TRY TO EAT UNTIL AT NIGHT, TRYING TO AVOID THE HEAT.

AND THEN THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE IS IT'S NOT COOLING DOWN AT NIGHT.

AND SO WE STILL HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES AT NIGHT.

THAT IS BOTH HARD ON THE LIVESTOCK AND OUR CROPS AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T RECOVER AT NIGHT.

SO, GARY, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 40 TO 50% OF THE STATE RIGHT NOW IS UNDER DROUGHT CONDITIONS.

WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE BEING HIT HARDEST AROUND THE STATE?

OH, IT'S DEFINITELY WE'RE ABOUT 60% OF THE STATE'S IN DROUGHT RIGHT NOW.

WE HAD AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 16% IN ONE WEEK.

AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY PART OF THE STATE IS NOW GETTING HIT HARD.

BUT THE WORST PART IS NO DOUBT WESTERN OKLAHOMA, SOUTHWEST UP THROUGH NORTHWEST, OVER INTO CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND THEN UP INTO THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE.

SO WHILE THE REST OF THE STATE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT, THAT AREA IS CONSIDERED EXTREME TO EXCEPTIONAL.

AND THOSE ARE THE TWO WORST CATEGORIES ON THE U.S.

DROUGHT MONITOR.

AND WHILE EASTERN OKLAHOMA HAD MUCH OF THEIR DROUGHT RELIEVED, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST APRIL, JUNE INTO APRIL, MAY, JUNE, INTO THAT PERIOD, WESTERN OKLAHOMA CONTINUED TO MISS OUT ON THOSE RAINS.

AND DURING THIS TIME, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER EVER SINCE, ABOUT BACK LAST JULY THROUGH MARCH, MARCH OR APRIL, IT WAS THE WARMEST SUCH PERIOD ON RECORD IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

WE WERE THE WARMEST THAT WE HAD SEEN DATING ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1895.

SO IT'S NOT JUST THE LACK OF RAINFALL, IT'S ALSO THAT HEAT.

AND THAT HEAT HAS OBVIOUSLY CONTINUED A LITTLE BIT MILDER JUNE, BUT JULY HAS RAMPED IT UP AND IN AUGUST IS JUST OUT OF CONTROL.

SO IT JUST MAKES EVERY PLACE THAT WAS IN DIRE STRAITS ALREADY THAT MUCH WORSE.

SO WESTERN OKLAHOMA, UNFORTUNATELY, IS A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF THE REST OF THE STATE.

AND SCOTT, WHEN IT COMES TO SEEING OUR LIVESTOCK IS SUFFERING, OUR CROPS LOOK LIKE WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE.

IS THERE HELP AVAILABLE FOR OKLAHOMA AG PRODUCERS?

AND DOES THE DELAY OF THE FARM BILL IN CONGRESS PLAY INTO THIS REALLY TWO TAILS OF A STORY HERE?

SO THERE ARE SOME PROGRAMS FOR OUR LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS.

THERE'S A FEED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN EXTREME DROUGHT THAT THAT'LL THAT'LL KICK IN SOON.

THERE'S SOME INDEMNITY PROGRAMS OUT THERE.

IF YOU HAVE SOME EXTREME DEATH LOSSES BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER.

SO WE DO HAVE A FEW AND THERE ARE SOME GUARANTEED GOVERNMENT LOANS AVAILABLE THERE ON OUR LIVESTOCK SIDE AS WELL.

BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CROPS, IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.

AND, AND BECAUSE OF WE HAVE ASKED CONGRESS FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS NOW TO HAVE A PERMANENT DISASTER PROGRAM IN PLACE, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THESE DROUGHTS AND THIS EXTREME WEATHER, WHATEVER THE IT MAY BE, WHETHER IT'S HURRICANES OR FLOODING OR DROUGHTS OR WILDFIRES, WHATEVER.

BUT WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN SOMEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

IT'S WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE EVERY YEAR.

AND SO WE'VE ASKED FOR THAT PERMANENT LEGISLATION.

WE WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THAT PASSED.

SO EACH YEAR, THEN WE HAVE TO GO TO CONGRESS AND, AND BEG FOR AN AD HOC PROGRAM TO, TO SUPPLEMENT THAT IN THERE, BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A PERMANENT DISASTER PROGRAM FOR OUR, OUR CROP FARMERS LIKE THERE IS FOR OUR LIVESTOCK FARMERS.

SO ONCE AGAIN, WE WILL BE GOING BACK TO CONGRESS AND ASKING THEM FOR ANOTHER AD HOC DISASTER PROGRAM.

ONCE AGAIN, GARY, KIND OF TAKING A BIGGER PICTURE AROUND THE COUNTRY AS FAR AS THE WEATHER PATTERNS ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE NATION, ARE GOING THROUGH A TYPE OF MONSOON SEASON RIGHT NOW.

WHAT'S KEEPING ALL THAT RAIN FROM GETTING HERE TO OKLAHOMA?

WELL, THE MONSOON SEASON, WHICH WE SEE IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR, SOMETIMES IT'S IT'S MORE RAIN, SOMETIMES IT'S LESS RAIN, BUT IT'S THEIR ANNUAL RAINY PERIOD.

THAT'S GENERALLY SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T REACH OKLAHOMA EXCEPT FOR THE HIGH PLAINS OF OKLAHOMA.

SO THE PANHANDLE, FAR WESTERN OKLAHOMA.

NOW, IT'S NOT REACHING US, BUT EXCEPT MAYBE EXTREME PART OF THE WESTERN PANHANDLE IS SEEING A LITTLE OF THAT MONSOONAL FLOW.

BUT IT'S IT'S REALLY NOT PART OF OUR NORMAL CLIMATE.

WHAT WHAT'S STOPPING US FROM SEEING RAINFALL, WHICH NORMALLY WE SEE FROM MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO, NOT THE NOT THE CALIFORNIA GULF OR THE GULF OF AMERICA, WHICH IS NOW CALLED BASICALLY, IT'S THAT UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT'S SITTING OVER THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE UNITED STATES, THE UPPER LEVEL HEAT DOME THAT HAS SINKING AIR, LOTS OF SUNSHINE, LOTS OF HEAT BEING CAUSED BY THAT HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM.

SO THAT THAT HEAT DOME THAT'S SITTING OVER US IS WHAT'S EXACERBATING THE, THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS.

AND, AND SO ONCE YOU START SEEING THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS START TO INCREASE, YOU START TO LOSE THAT SOIL MOISTURE.

WELL, THEN THAT MAKES THE HEAT WORSE.

THAT MAKES THE SOIL MOISTURE LOSS MORE RAPID.

THAT MAKES THE HEAT WORSE.

AND THEN WE GET INTO THIS ENDLESS CYCLE WHERE THAT STARTS TO FEED IN ON ITSELF.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SEEN THIS SUMMER, AT LEAST AS WE'VE GOTTEN INTO JULY AND THEN INTO AUGUST, OF COURSE.

SO IT'S REALLY A FEEDBACK EFFECT THAT WE DON'T LIKE TO SEE, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN THIS HERE IN THE STATE.

IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY TYPE OF RELIEF, YOU KNOW, INTERSPERSED WITHIN THIS PERIOD OF HOT WEATHER.

WELL, LET'S TAKE THAT FROM FROM GARY TO SCOTT AND SCOTT.

IF THIS DROUGHT CONDITIONS THIS HEAT WAVE PERSISTS, WHAT'S THAT GOING TO BE LIKE WHEN WE GET UP TO FALL HARVEST FOR OUR CROPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT?

WE'LL HAVE KIND OF A BETTER PICTURE AT THAT POINT.

WELL, I THINK WE'RE GETTING A PRETTY GOOD PICTURE RIGHT NOW.

AND LIKE, I THINK THE CORN CROP IS PROBABLY MADE MOST OF THE CORN WON'T BE AFFECTED BY BY THIS TOO MUCH.

BUT ALL THE REST OF THE SUMMER CROPS THAT WE PLANT IN OKLAHOMA, THERE MAY NOT EVEN BE A HARVEST FOR THEM.

AND IF THERE IS, IT WILL BE AT GREATLY REDUCED YIELDS.

AND WE JUST WENT THROUGH A WHEAT HARVEST THAT OUR YIELDS WERE VERY POOR STATEWIDE BECAUSE OF THE DROUGHT THAT WE WENT THROUGH ALL LAST FALL, ALL ALL WINTER, AND THEN MOST OF THE STATE EVEN IN THE SPRING.

AND SO IT DOESN'T LOOK VERY GOOD FOR FALL HARVEST RIGHT NOW.

WELL, GARY RETURNED TO YOU FOR ONE MORE LITTLE QUESTION FOR YOU.

I KNOW WHEN WE GET THESE HEAT WAVES AND THESE DROUGHTS OR WILDFIRES TEND TO TICK UP A LITTLE BIT, HOW IS OUR WILDFIRE WEATHER BEHAVING SO FAR?

WELL, IT'S CERTAINLY NOT GOOD.

WE'VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN WILDFIRES OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS ACROSS THE STATE, ESPECIALLY ONCE AGAIN ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA.

BUT EVEN IN PARTS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA, WHERE THAT VEGETATION IS STARTING TO YELLOW AND GO DORMANT OR EVEN DIE.

SO ANYTIME WE SEE WIND, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE WILDFIRES AT TIMES.

AND IT'S NOT AS BAD AS WHAT WE SAW, YOU KNOW, EARLIER IN THE IN THE LATE WINTER, EARLY SPRING, BECAUSE THE RELATIVE RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS UP THERE A LITTLE BIT MORE.

SO THAT DOESN'T THAT THAT THAT HELPS AT LEAST KEEP THE WILDFIRES FROM GETTING TOO OUT OF CONTROL.

BUT OF COURSE, ONCE THOSE COLD FRONTS START TO DIP BACK DOWN THIS WAY, WHEN WE START TO GET A LITTLE BIT LATER INTO AUGUST, INTO SEPTEMBER, AND THE AIR STARTS TO DRY OUT, THAT WILL LEAD US TO MORE SEVERE WILDFIRES.

SO WE ARE SET UP FOR A FOR UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE AGAIN, I KEEP USING THAT WORD, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, A PRETTY SEVERE SUMMER WILDFIRE SEASON.

AGAIN, IF WE DON'T SEE RAINFALL, IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO TURN THIS AROUND.

IF WE CAN START GETTING SOME RAINFALL, WE STILL HAVE TIME TO GREEN UP SOME OF THAT VEGETATION ONCE AGAIN, BUT IT'S IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD.

UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN AS WE GO OUT THROUGH THE REST OF AUGUST.

AND SCOTT, LET'S WRAP THINGS UP WITH YOU BY SIMPLY ASKING IF THE HAY YIELDS ARE BEING AFFECTED.

NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR OUR RANCHERS COME THIS WINTER?

WELL, LIKE I SAY, I THINK THE THE HAY THAT'S BEEN BALED UP IS PROBABLY ALL WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.

AND FORTUNATELY, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT LEFT OVER FROM LAST YEAR AND IN SOME PARTS OF THE STATE.

BUT YEAH, IT'S HAY PRICES WILL GO UP OR, OR PRODUCERS WILL BE FORCED TO SELL THEIR CATTLE AND LIQUIDATE.

AND BOY, WE'VE BEEN HAVING TO DO THAT FOR, FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS NOW IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND THAT'S WHY BEEF PRICES ARE SO HIGH.

AND, AND THE GROCERY STORE PRICES ARE SO HIGH IS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD TO LIQUIDATE CATTLE THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE OF THESE DROUGHTS.

AND THAT'S JUST THE EXTREME WEATHER CONTINUES.

THE THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY WOULD BE, WHILE WE'RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT OUR CROPS AND OUR AND OUR LIVESTOCK AND EVERYTHING, WE HAVE A LOT OF SENIOR FARMERS WORKING IN THE FIELDS AND ALL.

AND I JUST THEY HAVE.

WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.

THIS DANGEROUS.

THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS HEAT.

WHEN YOU'RE OVER 100 DEGREES EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND I JUST CAUTION OUR ELDERLY FARMERS, TAKE IT EASY.

GO TO THE HOUSE IN THE AFTERNOON AND STAY IN THE AIR CONDITIONING.

AND DON'T BE OUT THERE WORKING IN THIS HEAT, BECAUSE WE SEE IT EVERY YEAR WHERE WE HAVE FARMERS THAT ACTUALLY DIE OUT TRYING TO DO THEIR FARM WORK IN THIS EXTREME HEAT.

LET'S HOPE WE DON'T GET ANY REPORTS OF THAT.

AND LET'S ALSO TURN TO THE THE ONE THING WE KNOW WE CAN DO.

LET'S PRAY FOR SOME RAIN.

WE CAN PRAY FOR RAIN.

WE.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

AND BOY, IF IT JUST A NICE COLD FRONT WOULD BE WOULD BE GREAT AT THIS POINT.

ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.

WELL, SCOTT AND GARY, WE'RE OUT OF TIME.

THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN, FOR SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE ON IN DEPTH THIS WEEK.

ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU.

YOU BET.

THANKS.

AND JASON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IN THIS WEEK'S NATIONAL REVIEW, WE'RE GOING TO VISIT A FORMERLY FAMILY OWNED FARM OUTSIDE OF DENVER, COLORADO.

FOR DECADES, THE FARM GREW HIGHLY PRIZED PRODUCE UNTIL IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE WATER THEY IRRIGATED THEIR CROPS WITH WAS CONTAMINATED WITH FOREVER CHEMICALS.

WELL, TODAY, NEW CROPS ARE BEING GROWN ON THAT SAME LAND WITH ONE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.

THAT STORY, COURTESY OF OUR PARTNERS AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS.

IN 2016, WE ESSENTIALLY GOT A LETTER FROM THE AIR FORCE AND THE CDPHE SAYING THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR CONTAMINATION IN THE WIDEFIELD AQUIFER.

THAT IS WHERE WE DRAW ALL OF THE WATER FOR THIS PROPERTY.

AND WE HAVE BEEN WATERING THIS FARM WITH THAT WATER FOR DECADES WITH THIS PFAS CONTAMINATION IN IT.

SO IT MEANS THAT OUR WATER HAS PFAS, OUR PLANTS HAVE PFAS, OUR SOILS HAVE PFAS, AND PFAS IS WHAT THEY CALL A FOREVER CHEMICAL.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO ERADICATE.

AND WHEN WE WATERED PLANTS WITH THAT WATER, THAT PFAS STAYED IN THOSE PLANTS.

AND SO IT CONCENTRATED AND THINGS LIKE POULTRY AND EGGS AND SPINACH AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD EAT.

IT MEANT THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAD A LOT OF FEAR.

I MEAN, NOT ONLY WAS THIS AFFECTING THE FARM, IT WAS AFFECTING THE ENTIRE FOUNTAIN VALLEY.

PEOPLE FOUND OUT THEIR DRINKING WATER WAS CONTAMINATED.

THAT'S A REALLY BAD DAY.

BUT IT ALSO MEANT THAT PEOPLE HAD A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY WHAT THE IMPACTS ON THE FARM WOULD BE.

AND IT, IT FELT LIKE THAT THIS THING THAT PEOPLE CHERISH, THAT REALLY TOLD THE STORY OF WHO WE ARE WAS UNDER THREAT.

IT MEANT THAT WE COULDN'T SELL ORGANIC VEGETABLES BECAUSE THE PFAS WOULD CONCENTRATE IN THOSE VEGETABLES.

AS WE WATERED THOSE PLANTS WITH THAT WATER, IT WAS KIND OF A TOTAL FAUCET TURN OFF IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD, FROM FINANCES TO THE USE OF THE WATER.

WE ARE AT GATHER MOUNTAIN BLOOMS AND WE ARE ON THE FARM.

MY ORIGIN WITH VENITUCCI FARMS IS THAT SIX YEARS AGO WE STARTED LEASING THE PROPERTY.

IT HAD JUST GONE THROUGH THE WATER CONTAMINATION AND THEY WERE LOOKING FOR NEW LIFE ON THE FARM.

SO KNOWING THAT FOOD COULD NO LONGER BE GROWN ON VENITUCCI FARM, WE WERE A CUT FLOWER FARM.

SO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE GROWING WOULD NOT BE EDIBLE.

WE REACHED OUT TO PIKES PEAK REAL ESTATE FOUNDATION AND JUST ASKED IF THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY FOR US PARTNERING UP AND BRINGING A VISION OF FLOWERS TO THE FARM.

A BIG PART OF OUR VISION FOR GATHER MOUNTAIN BLOOMS WAS GROWING COMMUNITY AND INVITING PEOPLE BACK TO THE FARM.

VENITUCCI HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND IT HAS SUCH A LEGACY OF PEOPLE AND FAMILIES COMING TO VISIT, AND THAT WAS WHAT WE REALLY WANTED TO SEE AS WELL.

WE WANTED PEOPLE TO COME AND EXPERIENCE THE FARM THROUGH A DIFFERENT LIGHT, THROUGH FLOWERS, BUT WE WANTED THEM TO HAVE MEMORIES AND MAKE NEW EXPERIENCES.

AND I THINK THAT THAT REALLY GAVE PIKES PEAK REAL ESTATE FOUNDATION THE CONFIDENCE TO SAY, YEAH, I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GREAT FUTURE FOR WHAT THE FARM CAN BECOME.

IT TOOK A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, LEARNING, UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE, UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY, IMPACT, UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY TO REIMAGINE HOW DO WE MAKE GOOD ON THE LEGACY IN A WAY THAT SPEAKS TO WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY?

WE'VE SORT OF REJUVENATED THIS PLACE WITH FLOWERS.

IT SHOWS THAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT AND TREASURE COMMUNITY ASSETS, AND THEY'LL KEEP COMING BACK.

IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY ATTRACTIVE AND FEELS LIKE IT'S FOR BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND WE'VE BEEN LUCKY TO JUST HAVE A PLACE THAT'S THRIVED SINCE THEN.

IT'S BEEN REALLY HARD.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT.

WE CONTINUE TO MAKE IT A PLACE WHERE KIDS GET TO COME AND LEARN, AND WHERE PEOPLE GET TO COME AND CELEBRATE EACH OTHER, AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE GET TO STEWARD.

OETA IS POPULAR LIVE PLEDGE PROGRAMING RETURN THIS WEEK, AND WE'LL WRAP IT UP THIS SUNDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 16TH.

IT'S AN EFFORT THAT UTILIZES DOZENS OF VOLUNTEERS IN TANDEM WITH MOST OF THE STAFF HERE AT OETA, INCLUDING OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SEAN BLACK.

OETA RAISED ABOUT $4,000 FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU ON THURSDAY NIGHT, AND SO FAR, THE TOTAL STANDS AT ABOUT $100,000.

THE STATION GOAL IS $150,000.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE PAST 70 YEARS.

ON THE NEXT EDITION OF THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT, OKLAHOMA BIO WEEK CONVENES IN OKLAHOMA CITY'S INNOVATION DISTRICT FOR FIVE DAYS OF INDUSTRY NETWORKING.

WHAT ARE THE NEW FRONTIERS?

JASON DOYLE REPORTS.

FRIDAY AT SEVEN.

AND WE'LL SAY SO LONG FOR NOW WITH A LOOK AT THE NORTHEAST LIONS PARK DISC GOLF COURSE IN NORMAN, PUT TOGETHER FOR US BY OETA JASON STEWART.

FOR ALL OF US WHO PLAY A ROLE IN PUTTING THIS NEWSCAST ON THE AIR EACH WEEK.

I'M RICH LENZ.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

I'M BACK MY CAR INTO A COP CAR THE OTHER DAY WHERE HE JUST DROVE OFF SOMETIMES.

I RAN MY MOUTH OFF A BIT TOO MUCH.

OH, WHAT DID I SAY?

WELL, YOU JUST LAUGHED IT OFF.

IT WAS ALL OKAY.

AND, WELL, ON THE PHONE ON THE KINGS.

AND WE'LL ALL FLOAT ON, OKAY?

AND WE'LL ALL FLOAT ON A KING.

AND WE'LL ALL FLOAT ON ANYWAY.

WELL, JOIN ME, RICK STEVES, AS WE EXPLORE GERMANY, OLD AND NEW.

WE'LL GO ON A HARBOR TOUR IN HAMBURG, EXPLORE THE TREASURE TROVES OF THE HISTORIC GREEN VAULT IN DRESDEN,