NINE ON OETA SMART SCIENCE STORYTELLING ON NOVA, WEDNESDAY EVENINGS AT EIGHT ON OETA.

THE PROS AND CONS OF BUILDING AN ALUMINUM PLANT IN ENOLA THAT'S BEEN.

THE DEBATED ISSUE AT THIS POINT IS WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE TO THE TOWN?

CITY OWNED GROCERY STORES.

ELIMINATING FOOD DESERTS IN SMALL TOWN OKLAHOMA.

IT'S BEEN A HUGE UNDERTAKING.

CITIES DON'T NORMALLY GET INVOLVED IN PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

THAT'S CONTROVERSIAL.

IT IS CONTROVERSIAL.

TESTING THE WATER YOU DON'T SEE IN OKLAHOMA'S UNDERGROUND AQUIFERS.

THAT'S SELLING A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T TESTIFY WATER EITHER, BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALIZE THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES.

BREAKING GROUND ON THE LONG AWAITED CLARA LUPER CIVIL RIGHTS CENTER.

SHE WORKED DAY AND NIGHT TRYING TO MAKE OKLAHOMA CITY A BETTER PLACE.

WHEN SHE SAW WRONG.

SHE CALLED IT OUT AN IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON FEDERAL AND STATE EFFORTS TO DO AWAY WITH DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

WE WILL LOCK THE CLOCK.

WE WILL EITHER DO IT ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME, OR WE'LL DO IT ON THE DARK AGES ON STANDARD TIME.

THOSE STORIES, PLUS LAYING THE FOOTPRINT FOR OKLAHOMA CITY'S NEW BILLION DOLLAR COLISEUM.

NEXT ON THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

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

I'M TAYLOR JACKSON.

RICHLANDS WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK.

IT'S BECOME ONE OF SEVERAL CONTENTIOUS ISSUES SEPARATING THE CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR.

SHOULD THE CITY OF INOLA GREEN LIGHT THE FIRST NEW ALUMINUM PLANT TO BE BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1980.

RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A MORATORIUM ON THE PERMITTING PROCESS.

WHILE MORE INFORMATION IS GATHERED.

JASON DOYLE TRAVELED ALL THE WAY TO NEW INOLA THIS WEEK, AND HE JOINS US FROM THE NEWSROOM WITH MORE.

JASON.

TAYLOR, THIS PROPOSED $4 BILLION ALUMINUM SMELTER HAS CERTAINLY GRABBED THE LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT.

DESPITE THE TENSION AND THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT, SOME RESIDENTS IN INOLA ARE CONCERNED THAT IF THE SMELTER IS BUILT, IT COULD CHANGE THE WAY OF LIFE IN THEIR NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA TOWN.

IT IDENTIFIES YOUR BIRDS.

CHRISTINE ROMANS SHOWS US THE APP SHE USES TO IDENTIFY THE BIRDS AROUND HER PROPERTY IN ENOLA.

WE'VE HAD TWO CLUTCHES IN EACH OF MY BLUEBIRD HOUSES, WHICH I HAVE CAMERAS IN MY BLUEBIRD HOUSES.

SHE TAKES JOY IN THE BIRDS AND OTHER ASPECTS OF HER SURROUNDINGS.

I GO OUTSIDE EVERY DAY AND I JUST SEE THE BEAUTY BEAUTY HERE, YOU KNOW?

EVERY DAY I DISCOVER A NEW BIRD, A NEW INSECT, A NEW NATIVE PLANT.

AND SO I'M COMPLETELY ENCHANTED WITH THIS AREA, THE NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE NATURAL BEAUTY HERE.

AND SO WHEN I HEARD SUCH A LARGE INDUSTRIAL PROJECT, OBVIOUSLY IT RAISED SOME CONCERNS.

ROME FIRST HEARD ABOUT OKLAHOMA PRIMARY ALUMINUM SMELTER PROJECT IN JANUARY, JUST A MONTH AHEAD OF THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.

SHE STARTED LOOKING INTO IT BECAUSE SHE LIVES ABOUT A MILE FROM THE PROPOSED SMELTER SITE AT THE TULSA PORT OF ENOLA.

WHAT HAPPENED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PRESS RELEASES IN JANUARY IS A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORS.

WE STARTED TALKING, SHARING OUR CONCERNS, AND WE ORGANIZED A MEETING IN THE HOME OF ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS.

HE HAS A LARGE SHOP AND ABOUT 75 NEIGHBORS.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOWED UP TO THAT INITIAL MEETING.

THAT WAS THE START OF THE STOP THE ENOLA SMELTER MOVEMENT.

ROME HAS BEEN INVOLVED SINCE THEN, TRYING TO ENSURE THAT IF THE SMELTER DOES GET BUILT, THAT THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS.

ONE OF THOSE MAJOR CONCERNS IS THAT HYDROGEN FLUORIDE IS A WASTE BYPRODUCT OF ALUMINUM SMELTERS WHEN THEY REFINE ALUMINA.

THE BAD THING ABOUT FLUORIDE IS IT IS ABSOLUTELY TOXIC TO GRAZING ANIMALS.

IT WILL BE PICKED UP IN THE HAY.

AND IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ENOLA, WHERE THE SELF-PROCLAIMED HAY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, THE ALUMINUM SMELTER PROJECT, ALSO HAS BECOME AN ISSUE BETWEEN THE TWO REPUBLICANS STILL IN THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR THIS YEAR, FORMER STATE SENATOR MIKE MAZIE SUPPORTS THE PRESIDENT TRUMP BACKED PROJECT, SAYING IN A MAY 29TH FACEBOOK POST THAT PROJECTS LIKE THE ALUMINUM SMELTER IN OKLAHOMA ARE EXACTLY THE KIND OF PROJECT OUR STATE NEEDS MORE OF.

OKLAHOMA ATTORNEY GENERAL GENTNER DRUMMOND, WHO IS FACING MAZIE IN THE AUGUST 25TH RUNOFF FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION, HAS FILED A LAWSUIT TO STOP THE SMELTER PROJECT.

HE RECENTLY OUTLINED HIS CONCERNS ON HIS CAMPAIGN'S SOCIAL MEDIA.

WHAT IS TROUBLING TO ME IS THAT THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA IS GOING TO LET A COUNTRY FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, A COMPANY FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, BUY 350 ACRES ON THE VERDIGRIS RIVER IN ROGERS COUNTY.

AFTER HEARING FROM RESIDENTS, THE ENOLA TOWN COUNCIL RECENTLY PASSED A MORATORIUM ON ANY OF ITS PERMIT APPLICATIONS CONCERNING THE SMELTER.

WE'RE IN A 60 DAY MORATORIUM THAT WILL ACTUALLY START HERE IN ANOTHER WEEK OR SO, AND THAT PERIOD OF TIME.

THEN THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REVIEW EVERYTHING, GET MORE DETAILS AS FAR AS WHAT THE TRUE ENVIRONMENTAL EMISSIONS WILL LOOK LIKE.

THAT'S BEEN THE DEBATED ISSUE AT THIS POINT IS, WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE TO THE TOWN?

IF APPROVED, IT COULD PROVIDE A MAJOR ECONOMIC STIMULUS TO THE AREA.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BRING 1000 HIGH PAYING JOBS.

I SAY HIGH PAYING MEDIAN WAGE IS ABOUT 80,000 A YEAR PLUS BENEFITS.

THERE'LL BE QUITE A FEW MORE THAN THAT FOR CONSTRUCTION.

IT'S ABOUT A 2 TO 3 YEAR CONSTRUCTION WINDOW, SO IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST MAJOR INDUSTRIES THAT'S COME TO THIS COMMUNITY THAT BASICALLY GIVES OUR KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A JOB HERE, STAY HERE, LIVE HERE, VERSUS MOVING AWAY.

THOSE WHO ARE PART OF THE OKLAHOMA PRIMARY ALUMINUM PROJECT SAY THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS.

THEY WANT TO KNOW, WHAT DOES THIS FACILITY LOOK LIKE?

HOW LARGE IS IT?

IS IT NOISY?

I GOT ASKED, DOES IT SMELL BAD?

YOU KNOW, DO WE HEAR LOUD CRASHES?

HOW MANY TRUCKS COME IN EVERY DAY?

IS THERE A BIG SMOKE CLOUD HANGING OVER TOP?

SO THEY UNDERSTANDABLY, THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW MORE.

SO WE'VE TRIED TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT ON THE OKLAHOMA PRIMARY WEBSITE.

THERE IS A QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION, AND THE COMPANY HAS OPENED AN OFFICE IN TOWN WHERE WE HAVE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL TEAM THERE, AND THEY HAVE CERTAIN OPEN HOURS WHEN ANYBODY CAN JUST WANDER IN AND ASK QUESTIONS.

SO WE KNOW THAT TRANSPARENCY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE JUST TRYING TO GET MORE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT THIS IMPACT WOULD BE.

CENTURY ALUMINUM ALSO PROVIDED VIDEO TESTIMONY FROM AG PRODUCERS LIVING NEAR THE COMPANY'S OTHER SMELTER LOCATIONS AS A PIECE OF EVIDENCE THEY'RE TRYING TO KEEP FROM POLLUTING THE NEARBY ENVIRONMENT.

HAPPY BEES, HAPPY KEEPER THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IS CURRENTLY REVIEWING OKLAHOMA PRIMARY ALUMINUM'S AIR QUALITY PERMIT, WHICH ABOOD SAYS IS CAUSING SOME CONCERN FROM RESIDENTS.

YOU APPLY FOR WHAT IS THE FEDERALLY ALLOWED LIMIT?

THAT'S NOT WHERE WE INTEND TO OPERATE ON ANY OF THE PARAMETERS.

WITH TODAY'S MODERN, BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY, WE SHOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW ALL THOSE LIMITS, ABOOD SAYS.

WHILE THE DESIGN HAS NOT BEEN FINALIZED FOR THE ENOLA SMELTER, IT WILL BE BASED ON A NEWER DESIGN ALREADY IN PLACE FOR THE MAJORITY PARTNER, EMIRATES GLOBAL ALUMINUM.

IT IS GOING TO BE COMPARABLE, COMPARABLE TO A FACILITY THAT OUR PARTNER E G HAS IN IN ABU DHABI THAT WAS COMMISSIONED, I WANT TO SAY IN 2014.

SO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TEN, 12 YEARS AGO.

AND WE'RE BUILDING UPON THAT DESIGN AND WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKING THE NEXT GENERATION OF THEIR TECHNOLOGY, BOTH TOWN ADMINISTRATOR SCOTT DEAVERS AND CONCERNED RESIDENT CHRISTINE RHOME AGREE.

NO ONE WANTS THIS PROJECT TO CAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE TO THE AREA.

WE ALL WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO WAIT FOR DIC AND EPA TO DETERMINE.

THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A FACILITY THAT FOREVER CHANGES NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA.

ALSO THIS WEEK, AG DRUMMOND'S LAWSUIT, ORIGINALLY FILED IN ROGERS COUNTY, WAS TRANSFERRED TO FEDERAL COURT.

HOWEVER, THE AG'S OFFICE HAS FILED A MOTION TO RETURN IT BACK TO THE STATE COURT SYSTEM.

TAELYR.

JASON, THANKS.

THEY CALL IT THE BIGGEST LITTLE SHOW IN INDIAN GAMING.

AND THIS WEEK IT DREW NEARLY 3000 VENDORS TO THE OKLAHOMA CITY CONVENTION CENTER.

THE 31ST ANNUAL OKLAHOMA INDIAN GAMING ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW GIVES ATTENDEES A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT THE VERY LATEST GAMES AND TECHNOLOGY.

THERE ARE ALSO KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, SCHOLARSHIPS, PROGRAMS, AND INFORMATION ON PENDING LEGISLATION THAT MIGHT IMPACT THE INDUSTRY GOING FORWARD.

WE'RE ALWAYS MONITORING THINGS AT THE OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE.

WE'RE WATCHING THE INTERIM STUDIES THROUGH THE FALL, THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.

YOU KNOW WHO'S GOING TO BE HOLDING THOSE SEATS?

YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT ARE COMING OUT?

WE GOT A COUPLE OF BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED THIS LAST YEAR.

I THINK THAT WILL REALLY HELP OUR INDUSTRY.

OKLAHOMA TRIBES DO SUCH A GREAT JOB, NOT ONLY IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED, BUT ACROSS THE STATE.

YOU KNOW, THAT RIPPLE MULTIPLIER EFFECT THAT WE HAVE ACROSS ALL THE BUSINESSES, ALL OF THE GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES, THE PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS THAT THEY DO, I THINK REALLY IS FELT ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE STATE.

AND I DO THINK OUR GAMING INDUSTRY IS REALLY INDICATIVE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ACROSS ALL GAMUTS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

MORGAN ESTIMATES OKLAHOMA TRIBES EMPLOY MORE THAN 75,000 PEOPLE IN THEIR GAMING OPERATION.

THE CROSSROADS COUNTRY MARKET IN MEDFORD, OKLAHOMA, IS THE ONLY GROCERY STORE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND IT'S NOT PRIVATELY OWNED.

THE CITY OF MEDFORD BROUGHT BOUGHT THE MARKET.

AND STEVE SHAW JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN WHY STEVE TAELYR, THE TOWN OF MEDFORD, BOUGHT THE TOWN'S ONLY GROCERY STORE BACK IN 2019.

NOW, WITH OTHER SMALL TOWNS LOSING THEIR GROCERY STORES BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC FEARS, MEDFORD LEADERS ARE GRATEFUL THEY TOOK THAT LEAP.

THE TOWN OF MEDFORD, JUST WEST OF BLACKWELL, HAS A POPULATION OF JUST OVER 1000.

IT LOOKS LIKE MANY SMALL TOWNS IN THE SOONER STATE.

BACK IN 2019, THOUGH, TOWN LEADERS WERE IN A PICKLE.

THE COUPLE, WHO OWNED THE CROSSROADS COUNTRY MARKET, THE TOWN'S ONLY GROCERY STORE, RETIRED AND NOBODY WAS INTERESTED IN BUYING IT.

NO OFFERS CAME.

AFTER A WHILE, WE WERE.

THE COMMUNITY STARTED TO BE CONCERNED THAT THE GROCERY STORE WOULD SIMPLY CLOSE.

LINDA GARCIA IS MEDFORD'S CURRENT CITY MANAGER.

SHE SAYS THE CITY MANAGER SEVEN YEARS AGO DECIDED IT WASN'T WORTH THE RISK OF LOSING THE CROSSROADS COUNTRY MARKET, SO MEDFORD BOUGHT IT.

IT'S BEEN A HUGE UNDERTAKING.

CITIES DON'T NORMALLY GET INVOLVED IN PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

THAT'S CONTROVERSIAL.

IT IS CONTROVERSIAL.

SOME PEOPLE ARE VERY MUCH FOR IT.

I'D SAY THE GRAND MAJORITY ARE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF HAVING A GROCERY STORE.

THAT'S MY PRODUCE MANAGER.

IF YOU WANT TO GET HIM IN ON THE SHOT, OKAY.

IT'S ALSO MY BOY.

IT'S ALSO MY BOY.

YOU GOTTA GET THE BOY.

CLANCY DELANEY HAS BEEN THE MANAGER OF THE CROSSROADS SINCE 2010.

SOME MISTAKES.

MIKE.

HE WAS VERY GRATEFUL THE CITY STEPPED IN SEVEN YEARS AGO.

WELL, WE GOT TO KEEP OUR JOBS.

THAT'S ONE THING.

AND I FIGURED IT'D BE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY GOOD EMPLOYMENT.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WORKING FOR THE CITY.

YOU KNOW, DELANEY SAYS THE KEY TO ATTRACTING STEADY BUSINESS AS SMALL TOWN GROCERY STORES IS KEEPING THE INVENTORY FULLY STOCKED SEVEN DAYS A WEEK WITH THE GOOD STUFF.

YEAH.

AND WE'RE WE'RE KEEPING OUR PRICES DOWN, TRYING TO GET LOWER THAN THE BIG CHAIN STORES, WHICH, YOU KNOW, YET HERE'S THE RUB.

THE CROSSROADS COUNTRY MARKET CONSISTENTLY LOSES BETWEEN 1 AND $2000 A MONTH.

BUT AS A CITY, IT'S VERY NORMAL FOR A CITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO ITS.

I MEAN, POLICE DEPARTMENTS DON'T MAKE MONEY.

PARKS DON'T MAKE MONEY.

LIBRARIES DON'T MAKE MONEY.

WE.

I LOOK AT IT AS A SIMILAR SERVICE, BUT THE THE IMPORTANT THING IS, IS THAT WE CONTROL WHAT THOSE LOSSES ARE, HOW MUCH WE'RE INVESTING EACH MONTH.

DUANE THOMPSON IS MEDFORD'S DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I WOULD SAY FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN ACCEPTED REAL WELL IN THE COMMUNITY.

BUT OF COURSE, YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT THAT KIND OF LOOK AT IT FROM STRICTLY A BUSINESS STANDPOINT RATHER THAN A SERVICE STANDPOINT.

THEY SAY, WELL, IF YOU'RE LOSING MONEY, YOU NEED TO SHUT IT DOWN.

BUT IT'S IT'S FUNNY, SOMETIMES I THINK YOU SEE THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE SKEPTIC LIKE THAT, THEY'RE SKEPTICAL LIKE THAT.

THEY WILL STILL COME IN HERE AND SHOP BECAUSE IT'S CONVENIENT.

IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A RESOURCE.

IT'S A, IT'S A NECESSITY IN THIS COMMUNITY.

SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE MEDFORD BOUGHT THE CROSSROADS COUNTRY MARKET, IT ACTUALLY DID GO OUT OF BUSINESS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

WE'RE PROVIDING A VITAL SERVICE, I FEEL, TO THE COMMUNITY, PREVENTING IT FROM BECOMING A FOOD DESERT.

AUSTIN SMITH IS SHOPPED AT THE CROSSROADS COUNTRY MARKET FOR 25 YEARS.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THIS STORE WASN'T HERE?

I JUST TRAVEL OUT OF TOWN FOR MY FOR MY NEEDS.

HOW FAR WOULD YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL?

EITHER BLACKWELL OR ENID?

HALF AN HOUR OR TWO AN HOUR AT 3 TO $4 A GALLON OF GAS.

THAT'S QUITE A BIT.

YEAH.

VERY UNIQUE.

YEAH, I THINK I THINK THE RESIDENTS HERE REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS KIND OF PLACE.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S PAYING OFF.

AND, AND THE CITY REALLY ENJOYS IT.

75 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MEDFORD IS THE FOUR T'S FAMILY MARKET IN HENNESSEY IN GRANT COUNTY.

TIM TAYLOR AND HIS BROTHER TERRY HAVE OPERATED THE ONLY TRADITIONAL GROCERY STORE IN HENNESSEY FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS.

IT'S CALLED THE FOUR T'S FAMILY MARKET.

THEIR FATHER, JOHN, OPENED THE FIRST FOUR T'S IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION IN HENNESSEY IN 1963.

THE MAIN DIFFERENCE FOR US HERE IN HENNESSEY IS THAT THIS IS AN OIL TOWN, AND WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD ANY OIL BUSINESS PER SE, LIKE THE OLD DAYS SINCE REALLY 2014, TAYLOR SAYS.

SHOPPERS HERE USED TO BE MAINLY EASTERN EUROPEAN.

NOW, HE SAYS, MANY ARE MEXICAN OR HISPANIC AND THEY'RE ALL LOYAL CUSTOMERS.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET HELP FROM FRIENDS THAT LIVE RIGHT HERE IN TOWN THAT WILL COME AND SAY, HEY, YOU NEED THIS, YOU NEED THIS, YOU NEED THIS.

AND THEY'VE REALLY HELPED US SERVE THE COMMUNITY BETTER.

THAT'S WHAT THEY DO IN SMALL TOWNS.

THAT'S WHAT THEY DO IN SMALL TOWNS.

I THINK THE REASON WHY WE'RE HERE IS BECAUSE WE'VE LIVED HERE ALL OUR LIVES.

TERRY AND I HAVE GROWN UP IN THIS BUSINESS.

TAYLOR SAYS DONALD TRUMP'S TARIFFS HAVEN'T HURT THE FOUR T'S AS MUCH AS HE FEARED.

BUT BEEF PRICES HURT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BEEF DRIVES THE SALES IN OUR MEAT DEPARTMENT.

AND IT'S SO EXPENSIVE RIGHT NOW.

IT'S A DRAG.

BUT PEOPLE ARE STILL BUYING BEEF.

A LOT OF IT.

THE FOUR T'S BEEF SALES LAST WEEKEND, TAYLOR SAYS, WERE HUGE.

JOHN BRYSON STOPPED IN MONDAY TO PICK UP PORK CHOPS.

HE'S BEEN A FOUR T'S CUSTOMER FOR 35 YEARS.

THE FOOD PRICES ARE REASONABLE.

I MEAN, SOME OF IT IS A LITTLE HIGH, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO TAKE IN THE GAS PRICES.

IF YOU PUT $20 IN THE GAS TANK TO GO SOMEWHERE, THAT EXTRA DOLLAR HERE AIN'T GOING TO COUNT.

SO THE FOOD'S GOOD, TIM AND EM'S ALWAYS TREATED EVERYBODY REALLY GOOD.

I MEAN, BUT ALL IS NOT EXACTLY WELL.

ARE YOU WATCHING SMALL TOWN GROCERY STORES GO BY THE WAYSIDE?

OH, YES.

I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS IN THIS BUSINESS.

LIKE I SAY, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 45 YEARS.

THREE GROCERY STORES WITHIN 30 MILES OF US THAT ARE INDEPENDENT GROCERY STORES CLOSED IN THE LAST QUARTER OF LAST YEAR.

TAYLOR SAYS THOSE THREE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES THEY RECENTLY LOST GROCERY STORES WERE KINGFISHER, CANTON AND OKEENE TAELYR.

STEVE, THANKS.

PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON SIGNED THE STANDARD TIME ACT INTO LAW IN 1918 AS A EMERGENCY SAVING MEASURE DURING WORLD WAR ONE, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL 1966 THAT IT BECAME OFFICIAL NATIONWIDE.

ON JULY 14TH, THE U.S.

HOUSE PASSED THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT, ELIMINATING DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

HOWEVER, THE PASSAGE IN THE SENATE MAY PROVE MORE DIFFICULT.

THAT'S THE FOCUS OF OUR UPCOMING IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION.

HERE'S A PREVIEW.

THAT'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

WE'RE ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME TODAY.

OKAY, WE ACTUALLY HAVE 238 DAYS THAT WE'RE ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

BELIEVE THAT OR NOT, THAT'S EIGHT MONTHS OR THEREABOUTS, CLOSE TO EIGHT MONTHS.

WE ARE ONLY ON STANDARD TIME FOR 127 DAYS.

THAT'S A LITTLE OVER FOUR MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR.

WE'RE ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME MORE THAN WE ARE, ALMOST TWICE AS MUCH OR ACTUALLY, THAN WE ARE ON STANDARD TIME.

PEOPLE EARLY IN OKLAHOMA HISTORY DID NOT LIVE BY THE CLOCK.

THEY LIVED BY THE SUN.

YOU GET UP WHEN YOU GO OUT AND MILK THE COWS, YOU CAN.

YOU GO TO BED WHEN YOU CAN'T PLOW ANYMORE.

AND MORE.

AS OKLAHOMA BECAME MORE OF AN URBAN AND A SUBURBAN STATE, REALLY STARTING IN THE 1930S AND 40S AND ACCELERATING IN THE 50S AND 60S, WE STARTED LIVING BY THE CLOCK.

MODERATOR SUSAN CADOTTE WILL HAVE THE REST OF THAT CONVERSATION COMING UP LATER IN THE NEWSCAST.

LAST WEEK, WE TOOK A DEEP DIVE INTO OKLAHOMA LAKES TO FIND OUT WHY TWO OF THEM, TEXOMA AND EUFAULA, RANK IN THE TOP FIVE FOR THE MOST POLLUTED LAKES IN THE UNITED STATES.

THIS WEEK, WE'RE EXAMINING THE QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER YOU DON'T SEE.

HERE'S NOAH MACK WITH MORE ON THE CONDITIONS OF OKLAHOMA'S GROUNDWATER.

NOAH TAELYR RIGHT NOW, OKLAHOMA'S WATER RESOURCES BOARD IS ATTEMPTING TO CREATE A CLEARER PICTURE OF WHAT WATER QUALITY CHALLENGES IN OKLAHOMA'S AQUIFERS FACE.

BUT ADEQUATELY ASSESSING THESE AQUIFERS IS THE HARD PART.

AND WITHOUT AFFORDABLE TESTING, MANY RESIDENTS ARE LEFT IN THE DARK.

235FT DEEP, ROUGHLY FROM ABOUT 100 TO 300FT BELOW THE EARTH.

RESIDENTS IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WILL FIND GARBER WELLINGTON, ONE OF OKLAHOMA'S 23 MAJOR AQUIFERS.

GROUNDWATER IS A VITAL SOURCE FOR DRINKING WATER, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RECOMMENDS.

IF YOU HAVE A WELL ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU SHOULD TEST IT EVERY YEAR.

IS THAT PLAUSIBLE FOR YOU GUYS?

NO, NOT AT THAT RATE.

NOT AT $1,000 A TEST.

OKLAHOMA'S WATER RESOURCES BOARD TRAVELS THE STATE SAMPLING WELL WATER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND QUALITY CHALLENGES FACING CERTAIN AQUIFERS LIKE THE GARBER WELLINGTON.

I THINK THE METALS IS A BIG CONCERN IN THIS AQUIFER.

THE ARSENIC, CHROMIUM, URANIUM CHALLENGES THROUGHOUT THE AQUIFER.

SOME OF THESE CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE CANCER OR ISSUES WITH INTERNAL ORGANS.

WHILE HEAVY METALS MAY BE AN ISSUE HERE, EVERY AQUIFER IS DIFFERENT.

SOME MAY BE CONTAMINATED WITH FERTILIZERS OR OIL RUNOFF.

MANY ARE BATTLING WITH HIGH SALINITY, ALSO KNOWN AS DISSOLVED SOLIDS.

ONE OF OUR AIMS FOR THIS PROGRAM IS TO SAMPLE ENOUGH WELLS THAT WE CAN KIND OF MAP THOSE ISSUES OUT FOR PEOPLE.

THE PROBLEM IS THEY HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO THE AQUIFERS.

ACCORDING TO OKLAHOMA STATUTE, GROUNDWATER IS A PRIVATE PROPERTY, RIGHT?

SO THEY CAN'T TEST A DOMESTIC WELL UNLESS THEY'RE INVITED BECAUSE IT IS A PRIVATE RESOURCE.

WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO COME ONTO YOUR PROPERTY AND ANALYZE THE WATER OR SEE HOW MUCH WATER THERE IS.

AND THESE PRIVATE WELLS AREN'T REGULATED.

SO FOR ALL OF THOSE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, PEOPLE WITH DOMESTIC WELLS, WHETHER THEY'RE USING IT FOR DRINKING WATER, FOR IRRIGATION, FOR SHOWERING, FOR LIVESTOCK, WHATEVER IT IS, THERE'S NO REGULATIONS AROUND THE QUALITY OF THAT WATER.

PEOPLE ARE STILL DRINKING AND INGESTING THAT WATER.

AND WE HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE RECOMMEND PEOPLE SAMPLE THEIR WELLS AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR FOR FOR CERTAIN ANALYTES, AND CAN OFFER SOME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON THAT.

OUR LAB DOES PRIVATE WATER WELL SAMPLING.

IF YOU WANT TO BRING US SOME OF YOUR WATER UP HERE, DEQ HAS NO JURISDICTION OVER THE WATER RESIDING UNDER A PRIVATE RESIDENCE.

SO FOR WATER TESTING AND WATER TREATMENT, THE ONUS IS ON THE INDIVIDUAL.

SO WHY DOES THAT MATTER?

FOR THE WATER RESOURCES BOARD, THEY STILL HAVE SEVERAL ACCESS POINTS TO ALL THE STATE'S MAJOR AQUIFERS IN SOME AREAS.

THAT WORKS WELL BECAUSE THE GROUNDWATER DOESN'T CHANGE MUCH BETWEEN DIFFERENT AREAS.

IT CAN BE PRETTY SIMILAR IN OTHER AREAS.

YOU MIGHT GO A QUARTER OF A MILE AND IT COULD BE INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT.

SO AT THAT POINT, IF YOU'VE ONLY GOT A WELL EVERY 2 OR 5 MILES, THAT'S NOT GOING TO DO A GOOD JOB OF MAPPING THAT OUT.

AND YOU WILL MISS ISSUES ENTIRELY.

ESSENTIALLY, WATER RESOURCES IS PUTTING TOGETHER A PUZZLE IN THE DARK WITH MISSING PIECES, AND THAT LACK OF INFORMATION CAN PUT RESIDENTS AT SERIOUS HEALTH RISK.

AND ONE FAMILY IN ARCADIA LEARNED THAT THE HARD WAY.

IT'S PRETTY SAD WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHETHER YOU WANT TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH OR NOT.

SANDY AND MIKE THIEL, TWO BORN AND RAISED OKIES, LIVE IN THEIR DREAM HOME.

WE GOT MARRIED 30 YEARS AGO THIS LAST MONDAY.

WE GOT MARRIED ON THE FRONT PORCH OF THIS HOUSE IN THE 90S.

WHEN THEY MOVED IN THE WELL, WATER HAD A REPUTATION.

THE GENTLEMEN NORTH OF US WAS AN OLDER MAN, AND WHEN WE FIRST MOVED IN OVER HERE, HE TOLD US, DO NOT DRINK THE WATER.

IT WILL KILL YOU.

AND WE JUST KIND OF BLEW IT OFF BECAUSE HE WAS AN OLDER MAN.

HE OBVIOUSLY HAD A LOT OF HEALTH ISSUES, AND WE DIDN'T REALLY THINK TOO MUCH OF IT.

HAD THE WELL TESTED WHEN WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE, YOU KNOW, AND THEY SAID IT WAS GOOD.

WE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A STORY.

OUR WATER WAS GOOD.

WHY WOULD WE WORRY?

NOW?

WE'RE KIND OF WONDERING.

MIKE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STOMACH CANCER IN 2020, AND IT SEEMED HE WAS PART OF A COMMUNITY WIDE TREND.

A NEIGHBOR OF OURS HAD PASSED AWAY FROM THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF CANCER THAT HE HAS.

AND THEN OUR FEDEX DRIVER TOLD US THAT THERE'S FOUR PEOPLE ON OUR ROAD THAT HAD CANCER THAT GOT OUR ATTENTION AND SCARED US.

SANDY AND MIKE TESTED THEIR WATER FOR EVERYTHING AND FOUND HIGH TRACES OF ARSENIC, GROSS ALPHA RADIATION, AND TOTAL COLIFORMS I FOUND OUT WAS EITHER ANIMAL FECES OR DEAD ANIMAL.

THE COUPLE HAD TO TEST THEIR WATER OUT OF STATE TO CALIFORNIA.

AS FAR AS A BROAD SPECTRUM OF WATER TESTING, I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY PLACE IN OKLAHOMA THAT DOES THAT.

THE COUPLE BELIEVES IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME MIKE'S CANCER WAS FROM THE WELL WATER, SO THEY INSTALLED A $10,000 FILTRATION SYSTEM.

MANY OF THEIR CONTAMINANTS ORIGINATE FROM AN OIL AND GAS INJECTION WELL ACROSS THE STREET, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT BEING USED RIGHT NOW AND HASN'T BEEN USED IN YEARS.

HOW MUCH OF THOSE CHEMICALS ARE STILL IN THAT WELL, THAT ARE STILL BLEACHING INTO THE WATER AND INTO THE GROUND WITH A NEW OIL WELL BUILT JUST SOUTH OF THEIR HOUSE?

THEY BELIEVE THESE WATER QUALITY ISSUES AREN'T GOING AWAY.

AND THE REALITY IS CONSISTENT TESTING CAN BE TOO FINANCIALLY TAXING.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE OKLAHOMA HAVE A TESTING FACILITY TO WHERE YOU COULD SEND YOUR WATER IN AND HAVE IT COMPLETELY TESTED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, WITHOUT COSTING YOU QUITE SO MUCH MONEY.

THERE'S A LOT OF US THAT ARE RETIRED OR LOW INCOME THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER $1,000 TO HAVE IT TESTED ONCE A YEAR.

BUT WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING, IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE.

FORTUNATELY, MIKE'S CANCER IS GONE.

AND SANDY SAYS DESPITE THE COST, FIND SOMEPLACE TO TEST YOUR WATER.

DON'T TAKE THAT CHANCE.

THE HEALTH OF YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES IS THE MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE OF ALL.

IF YOU NEED TO TEST YOUR WELL WATER, THERE ARE SEVERAL SEVERAL AVENUES DEQ CAN SPOT TEST FOR CERTAIN METRICS, AND IF YOU CONTACT THE WATER RESOURCES BOARD, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO ADD YOUR WELL TO THEIR ROTATION.

THERE ARE ALSO MAIL AWAY PROGRAMS AND SOME AT HOME TESTS YOU CAN ORDER.

TAELYR.

VERY INTERESTING.

NOAH.

THANK YOU.

GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONIES WERE HELD ON WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE NEW $17 MILLION CLARA LUPER CIVIL RIGHTS CENTER IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

THE ALMOST 18,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY WILL INCLUDE EXHIBITS ON OKLAHOMA CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY IN ADDITION TO CLASSROOMS AND AN EVENT HALL.

THE CENTER IS BEING PAID FOR WITH THE MAPS FOR FUNDING.

THIS SITE, WHERE WE SIT AND STAND TODAY, WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE OF THE FREEDOM CENTER, A MODEST BUILDING BUILT OF CINDERBLOCK IN THE 1940S, BUT TRANSFORMED INTO SO MUCH MORE THROUGH THE WORK OF CLARA LUPER AND THE NAACP YOUTH COUNCIL.

AND BY CENTERING THIS HISTORIC LANDMARK.

WE ARE POSITIONED MIDWAY BETWEEN THE COWBOY TO OUR NORTH AND FIRST AMERICANS MUSEUM TO OUR SOUTH, ALL CONNECTED ALONG THE MARTIN LUTHER KING AVENUE CORRIDOR HERE IN THE HEART OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA CITY.

BUT THE CLARA LUPER CIVIL RIGHTS CENTER IS THE CROWN JEWEL OF OUR COMMUNITY.

IT IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR CONTRIBUTION TO BRINGING FREEDOM AND EQUALITY TO NOT JUST OKLAHOMA AND OKLAHOMA CITY, BUT TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

THE CENTER WAS DESIGNED BY LOS ANGELES BASED ARCHITECT CORY HENRY.

ABOUT 6 MILLION AMERICANS ARE TREATED FOR SKIN CANCER EACH YEAR.

THE MORTALITY RATE FOR FIREFIGHTERS IS 58% HIGHER THAN THOSE WHO AREN'T.

RESEARCHERS AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY ARE WORKING TO HELP PREVENT THE RISK.

IN OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.

EVERY DAY, FIREFIGHTERS RISKED THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT CITIZENS FROM FIRES.

BUT ONCE A FIRE IS SAFELY PUT OUT, A BURN NO LONGER BECOMES THE RISK.

IT'S THE LONG LASTING EFFECT FROM THE SMOKY ENVIRONMENT THAT LINGERS.

RESEARCHERS AT THE TEXTILE AND APPAREL SCIENCE LABORATORY AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY ARE WORKING TO PRODUCE A FABRIC THAT COULD PROTECT AGAINST SKIN CANCER.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WE SAW THAT WITH THE CONVENTIONAL GEAR THAT THEY ARE USING, THEY ARE NOT SAFE FROM THE PARTICLE EXPOSURE.

THEY ARE NOT SAFE.

THOSE CARCINOGENIC CARCINOGENIC PARTICLES, THEY GOES INTO THEIR CLOTHING AND SKIN DAILY.

FIREFIGHTERS ARE EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS AND SMOKE, ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY.

THE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT THAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS USE CAN ALSO CONTAIN CHEMICALS AND RELEASE CARCINOGENS.

SO WE ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR A BREATHABLE FABRICS TO MAKE OURSELVES COMFORTABLE IN ANY SCENARIO.

THAT IS SAME FOR FIREFIGHTERS.

FIREFIGHTERS WORK LONG DURATIONS IN THE DIFFERENT WILDFIRE SCENARIOS, AND THEY NEED A BREATHABLE, VERY COMFORTABLE CLOTHING.

BUT ONE OF THE TRADE OFFS IS THAT THE.

WHEN IT IS BREATHABLE, LOT OF CARCINOGENIC PARTICLES ARE GOING.

TRANSFER THROUGH THE FABRIC AND DEPOSITING ON THE SKIN, AND THAT IS CAUSING THE SKIN CANCER IN THE LONG TERM.

DOCTOR SAMET MIDDLE IS THE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF TEXTILE SCIENCE AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY.

HE SAYS THE GROUP WAS INSPIRED TO HELP FIREFIGHTERS AFTER SEVERAL WILDFIRES BURNED THROUGH THE STATE IN 2025.

SO YOU KNOW THAT IN THE LAST YEAR IN OKLAHOMA, THERE WAS A LOT OF WILDFIRE, AND IT BURNED QUITE A LOT OF HOUSES ON THAT TIME.

WE WERE THINKING THAT HOW TO GIVE THE PROTECTION TO THE FIREFIGHTERS.

THE TEAM BEGAN TO STUDY HOW THE CONDITIONS FIREFIGHTERS ENDURE IMPACT THEM.

FROM THERE, WE TRIED TO ANALYZE THAT, HOW THE SMOKE ACTUALLY GET DEPOSITED ON THE CLOTHING, HOW THEY COULD GET THE LESS EXPOSURE TO THOSE KIND OF SMOKE PARTICLES SO IT CAN REDUCE THEIR SKIN CANCER.

DOCTOR MENDEL SAYS THEY FOUND THAT 58% OF FIREFIGHTERS GET SKIN CANCER.

SO IT MOTIVATES US TO DEVELOP SOME KIND OF A NEW MATERIAL THAT CAN TRAP THOSE CARCINOGENIC PARTICLES AND GIVES THE BETTER PROTECTIONS TO THE FIREFIGHTERS THERE.

SO WE STARTED THIS RESEARCH.

FIREFIGHTER CLOTHING IS TYPICALLY MADE FROM HEAT RESISTANT FIBERS LIKE NOMEX OR KEVLAR.

BUT DOCTOR MENDEL SAYS USING NANOTECHNOLOGY COULD BETTER PROTECT FIREFIGHTERS.

THIS NANO MATERIALS CAN TRAP THOSE CARCINOGENIC PARTICLES, ESPECIALLY THE ULTRAFINE SOOT PARTICLES, VERY EFFECTIVELY ON THEIR SURFACE.

SO WE CAN MEASURE THOSE PERFORMANCE AND THEN HOW IT IS TRAPPING THEIR.

THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.

AND THAT IS WHY OUR FABRIC IS GOING TO BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS IN TERMS OF THAT, IT IS TRAPPING MORE CARCINOGENIC PARTICLES, AND FIREFIGHTERS ARE GETTING LESS EXPOSURE TO THOSE PARTICLES.

NANOTECHNOLOGY ALLOWS THEM TO ENGINEER FABRICS AT THE SCALE OF A BILLIONTH OF A METER.

GRADUATE RESEARCHER IMAM CHOWDHURY SAYS IT ALL STARTS WITH A LIQUID.

HERE WE ARE ACTUALLY MAKING THE SOLUTION.

SO FOR THAT SOLUTION TO MAKE, WE HAVE TO MAKE.

WE HAVE TO ADD SOME OTHER CHEMICALS, LIKE THREE FOUR CHEMICALS TO INTO IT.

AND TO HAVE THAT IN THIS KIND OF SOLUTION, SOME SORTS OF TRANSPARENT SOLUTION, THEN THE SOLUTION IS PLACED IN A SYRINGE.

AND WITH THE HELP OF ELECTRIC VOLTAGE, A FABRIC IS CREATED.

IT IS ACTUALLY GIVING A VERY FINE FIBER.

YOU CANNOT ACTUALLY SEE IT IN THE NAKED EYE, SO THAT IT IS ACTUALLY GIVING THAT IN THE NANO DIMENSION.

AND HERE IS THE FINISHED PRODUCT OF THE FIBER.

WE CAME TO KNOW THAT IF THE FABRIC SURFACE ROUGHNESS IS HIGH, IT CAN HELP TO TRAP THOSE PRODUCT.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP A MATERIAL THAT CAN BE LESS BREATHABLE, NOT LESS BREATHABLE, BUT IT COULD BE COMFORTABLE AS WELL AS IT COULD GIVE THE BETTER PROTECTION BY TRAPPING THOSE CARCINOGENIC.

AFTER PRODUCT IS DEVELOPED IN THE LAB, THEY ALWAYS CHECK THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MATERIAL.

SO WHENEVER WE START THIS MACHINE, THAT WILL MOVE DOWN, AND THEN AFTER THAT IT TAKES THAT ALL THE SURFACE FRICTIONAL COEFFICIENT SURFACE PROPERTIES, SO THAT IT WOULD HELP US TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE DIFFERENT CONTAMINANTS ARE GETTING DEPOSITED ON THE TOP OF THE SURFACE.

DOCTOR MENDEL HOPES THE PRODUCT WILL BE FULLY DEVELOPED WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

WE ARE EXPECTING THAT IN 4 TO 5 YEARS WE ARE DEVELOPING THESE FABRICS, AND THAT IS GOING TO BE DEVELOPED AS A FULL CLOTHING, AND THAT CLOTHING COULD BE USEFUL FOR THE FIRE SERVICES TO ADAPT, HE SAYS.

THE MATERIAL COULD EVEN BENEFIT WORKERS IN OTHER FIELDS.

IN THIS PROCESS, WE ARE GENERALLY DEVELOPING ON THE TEXTILE PRODUCT, TEXTILE PRODUCT PERFORMANCE.

AFTER THAT, THOSE PRODUCT HAS BEEN USED BY DIFFERENT CONSUMERS THAT CONSUMERS COULD BE A FIREFIGHTER, THAT COULD CONSUMERS COULD BE A REGULAR OFFICE WORKER.

SO THEY USE THAT.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE DESIGN THOSE PRODUCT BASED ON THAT.

ALL THE FABRICS AND PRODUCT WE DEVELOPED.

AFTER THAT, IT GOES TO THE MERCHANDIZING AND RETAILING SO THAT IT CAN REACH TO THE CONSUMERS.

THE CONTINENTAL COLISEUM IS SLOWLY BEGINNING TO RISE FROM THE SIDE OF THE OLD MYRIAD ARENA.

THIS WEEK, CONSTRUCTION CREWS BEGIN LAYING CEMENT FOR THE BUILDING SUBSTRUCTURE AND BURIED ALONG WITH IT IS A LEGACY CAPSULE CONTAINING ITEMS FROM THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE, INCLUDING A 1993 PENNY FROM THE YEAR VOTERS PASSED THE FIRST MAP INITIATIVE AND A 2023 PENNY, MARKING VOTER APPROVAL TO FUND AND BUILD THE NEW ARENA.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S ALSO A COPY OF THE ICONIC HOPE WINS PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN DURING THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE.

YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF THE DRILL RIGS IN THE AREA, DOING A LOT OF THE DEEP FOUNDATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS SITE.

THIS BEING, I MEAN, QUITE LITERALLY, A CORNER.

THE CORNER OF THE BUILDING.

THIS IS LAYING THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE ENTIRE PERIMETER FOUNDATION, AND EVERYTHING WITHIN THE EXTENTS OF THE ARENA IS BEING PLACED ON WHAT IS BEING POURED TODAY.

AND THEN EVENTUALLY WE'LL BE GOING VERTICAL WITH THE WALLS.

EACH SEGMENT HAS ITS OWN DIFFERENT MIX DESIGN, ITS OWN DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONCRETE.

THE 750 FOOT, THOUSAND FOOT SQUARE FOOT ARENA IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED AND OPENED IN THE SUMMER OF 2028.

A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL MANUFACTURER IS SHUTTING DOWN OPERATION IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA.

JASON DOYLE HAS THE DETAILS IN THIS WEEK'S OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

U.S.

GYPSUM HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CLOSE ITS PLANT IN BLAINE COUNTY IN NOVEMBER, WITH MORE THAN 250 EMPLOYEES EXPECTED TO LOSE THEIR JOBS.

USG SAYS ITS DECISION IS BASED ON THE INCREASING COST AND COMPLEXITY OF OPERATING THE PLANT.

THE COMPANY SAYS IT WILL OFFER SEVERANCE PACKAGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO RELOCATE TO OTHER U.S.

GYPSUM FACILITIES.

KANSAS BASED PARK AEROSPACE CORPORATION HAS SELECTED THE TULSA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AS THE SITE FOR ITS NEW ADVANCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS MANUFACTURING FACILITY.

THE COMPANY SAYS IT WILL INVEST AROUND $65 MILLION TO BUILD THE PLANT ON 18 ACRES OF AIRPORT PROPERTY.

THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO CREATE MORE THAN 100 NEW JOBS.

BANCFIRST CORPORATION REPORTS ITS SECOND QUARTER EARNINGS HAVE IMPROVED OVER LAST YEAR'S RESULTS.

THE OKLAHOMA CITY BASED BANKING COMPANY REPORTS NET INCOME OF $66.7 MILLION IN THE SECOND THREE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.

THAT'S COMPARED TO A PROFIT OF 62.3 MILLION DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2025.

TOTAL ASSETS GREW BY $243.4 MILLION TO $15.1 BILLION SINCE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.

BANCFIRST LEADERS SAY THE QUARTER WAS FUELED BY EXPANDING MARGINS AND EARNING ASSET GROWTH.

OKLAHOMA CITY BASED BANK SEVEN CORPORATION REPORTED SECOND QUARTER NET INCOME WAS $8.35 MILLION, COMPARED TO 11.11 MILLION IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF LAST YEAR.

THE COMPANY DID SEE AN INCREASE IN ITS TOTAL ASSETS TO $1.91 BILLION.

THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 4.25%.

THE COMPANY ALSO SAW A NEARLY 7% INCREASE IN ITS TOTAL LOANS TO $1.6 BILLION.

OKLAHOMA CITY BIOTECH COMPANY WHEELER BIO HAS NAMED A NEW CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER.

DOCTOR RAJESH BERI WILL BE TAKING OVER THE POSITION.

HIS JOB DUTIES INCLUDE LEADING WHEELER BIO'S DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION AND OVERSEEING SCIENTIFIC STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT ITS SIGNATURE PLATFORM.

THIS IS THE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

IT APPEARS THAT A BILL TO ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME THAT HAS ALREADY PASSED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS FAR LESS OF A CHANCE OF SUCCESS IN THE SENATE.

WHO'S IN FAVOR OF THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT AND WHO IS OPPOSED TO IT AND WHY?

THAT'S THE FOCUS OF THIS WEEK'S IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH MODERATOR SUSAN CADOTTE.

SUSAN.

THANK YOU.

WELL, JOINING US TODAY IS FORMER STATE SENATOR BLAKE STEPHENS AND STATE HISTORIAN DOCTOR BOB BLACKBURN.

I'D LIKE TO THANK BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING WITH US.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT.

I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A VERY CALM DISCUSSION.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME PERMANENT.

FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE EACH OF YOU TO EXPLAIN WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO.

COWBOY, WE'LL START WITH YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BECAME VERY IMPORTANT TO ME BACK ON THE FARM WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.

AND SO ONCE I WAS ELECTED INTO THE LEGISLATURE AS A SENATOR, I HAD TO START WORKING ON OUR WAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO START WORKING ON LEGISLATION.

THIS WAS ONE OF MY FIRST BILLS.

THE ACTUALLY THE FIRST BILL I STARTED WORKING ON.

I, I SAW THE VALUE IN IT AND I SAW THE OPPORTUNITY AND SAID, IF THE LORD EVER GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

SO WE, YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.

AND SO WE HAD AN INTERIM STUDY THERE AT THE CAPITOL WANTING TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.

OKAY.

WE'RE GOING TO AND WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THAT, INTO THE MECHANICS OF IT.

AND YOU AND I HAVE SOME THINGS TO DISCUSS.

COWBOY.

DOCTOR BLACKBURN, YOU'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF IT, RIGHT?

WELL, OF COURSE, MY CAREER HAS BEEN BUILT ON THE ABILITY TO CONNECT THE DOTS.

SO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME OR LACK OF AFFECTS EVERYONE.

SO WHEN YOU TAKE A TOPIC AND I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT SHARED MEMORY.

MEMORY IS ALL OF US HAVE AND I TRY TO FOCUS ON THAT PART OF HISTORY.

WHAT I CAN DO TODAY, RESPONDING TO THE SENATOR'S COMMENTS AND PROGRAM, IS HOW OKLAHOMA'S HAVE RESPONDED TO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IN THE PAST FIRST 1918, THEN IN THE 1940S, AGAIN IN THE 1960S, AND WHY IT'S BEEN DIFFERENT EACH TIME AND WHY IT'S DIFFERENT NOW.

ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

WELL, QUICKLY, THE OKLAHOMA SENATOR, U.S.

SENATOR JAMES LANKFORD, HAS BEEN A LONGTIME PROPONENT OF LOCKING THE CLOCK DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME.

IT'S CALLED THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT OF 2025.

HE'S BEEN SPONSORING THAT SINCE 2019.

AND THIS MORNING, HE SENT US THIS COMMENT ABOUT THIS TOPIC.

SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT SHOULD BE THE MOST COMMON SENSE, EASY THING TO DO, BUT IT'S REALLY A CHALLENGE OF AMERICAN PREFERENCE.

SOME PEOPLE LIKE THE TIME CHANGE PIECE.

I'M ONE OF THOSE FOLKS THAT DOES NOT.

SOME PEOPLE LIKE MORE TIME IN THE MORNINGS WITH SUNSHINE.

SOME PEOPLE LIKE MORE TIME IN THE EVENINGS WITH SUNSHINE.

THIS IS NOT A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT ISSUE.

THIS IS REALLY A NORTH VERSUS SOUTH ISSUE ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE THAT YOU HAVE, DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF DAY ON IT.

I'VE BEEN VERY OUTSPOKEN ON THIS FOR YEARS BECAUSE I'VE HAD SO MANY MOMS OF YOUNG CHILDREN THAT REACHED OUT TO ME PERSONALLY AND REACHED OUT TO MY TEAM AND SAID, THEY HATE TIME CHANGE BECAUSE IT'S SO HARD ON THEIR LITTLE ONES.

A LOT OF FOLKS IN AG, IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR THEM BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY ANIMALS DON'T CHANGE WITH THAT.

THEY WORK BASED ON THE SUN AS WELL.

AND SO THE CLOCK HAS TO SHIFT AROUND ON FARMS AND RANCHES AND SUCH AS WELL.

BUT IT IS A IT'S A WEIRD THING.

IT'S STILL HELD OVER FROM WORLD WAR ONE WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO SAVE LAMP OIL.

SO OUR COUNTRY HAS LOOKED AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

I THINK IT'S LONG PAST DUE.

GLAD THE HOUSE PASSED THIS IN A HUGE BIPARTISAN VOTE.

MORE THAN 300 VOTES IN THE HOUSE.

LOOKING FORWARD TO IT COMING TO THE SENATE SO WE CAN PASS IN THE SENATE, BUT WE'VE GOT TO GET 60 VOTES HERE IN AGREEMENT ON SHOULD WE HAVE TIME CHANGE OR SHOULD WE HAVE MORNING, OR SHOULD WE HAVE EVENING SUNSHINE MORE IN THE WINTER?

WE'LL GET THIS WORKED OUT.

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS WE'VE GOT TO DO AS WELL.

BUT FOR PEOPLE THAT REALLY HATE TIME CHANGE, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE IMPORTANT ISSUES THEY REALLY WANT RESOLVED NOW AND QUICKLY.

THIS BILL IS HELD UP IN THE SENATE.

IT HAS BEEN SENT TO THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION.

SO FOR NOW, EVERYTHING IS STILL THE SAME.

WE WILL HAVE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME QUICKLY.

DOCTOR BLACKBURN, LET'S GET INTO THE HISTORY.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT AND I SPOUTED WELL IT'S BECAUSE OF THE FARMERS.

THEY YOU KNOW THEY LIKE TO HAVE MORE DAYLIGHT BUT I GUESS IT DOESN'T REALLY CREATE MORE DAYLIGHT TO CHANGE THE HOURS.

NO.

IN FACT, OKLAHOMA ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND STILL IS IN MANY WAYS A RURAL STATE.

MOST OF US AROUND THIS TABLE, YOU KNOW, GO BACK ONE GENERATION AT LEAST, AND YOU'RE ON THE FARM.

AND SO THIS CULTURE GOES FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.

AND OF COURSE, OUR GRANDDAD'S GRANDMAS, YOU KNOW, WERE ON THE FARM AND THE CHICKENS AND THE CATTLE, THE CROPS DIDN'T CARE WHAT TIME OF DAY IT WAS.

AND PEOPLE EARLY IN OKLAHOMA HISTORY DID NOT LIVE BY THE CLOCK.

THEY LIVED BY THE SUN.

YOU GET UP WHEN YOU GO OUT AND MILK THE COWS, YOU CAN.

YOU GO TO BED WHEN YOU CAN'T PLOW ANYMORE.

AND MORE.

AS OKLAHOMA BECAME MORE OF AN URBAN AND A SUBURBAN STATE, REALLY STARTING IN THE 1930S AND 40S AND ACCELERATING IN THE 50S AND 60S, WE START LIVING BY THE CLOCK.

WHEN DO WE NEED TO BE TO WORK?

WHEN DO WE PICK UP THE KIDS?

WHAT TIME OF DAY IS MY FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOW COMING ON?

AND SO THE CLOCK BECOMES VERY MUCH MORE IMPORTANT AFTER WORLD WAR TWO.

BEFORE THAT, PROBABLY NOT AS MUCH CONTROVERSY, BUT TODAY, TRYING TO USE THE THE THE REASON BEING, SAVING ENERGY JUST DOES NOT PROVE ACCURATE.

IT DOES NOT PROVE ACCURATE.

IT'S MORE A CONVENIENCE, AS SENATOR LANKFORD SAID.

WELL, I'VE LOOKED UP AND COWBOY SENATOR, I A HOST OF DIFFERENT REASONS.

IF YOU LOOK ONLINE, WHY DO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME EVEN START?

ONE WAS AN ENTOMOLOGIST IN NEW ZEALAND ONE MORE TIME TO LOOK FOR BUGS.

BUT AGAIN, WHAT DOES THE TIME ON THE CLOCK MATTER?

AT THAT POINT, THERE WAS A THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT SAID BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MADE IT SO TO SAVE ON.

HE MADE A SATIRICAL JOKE ABOUT SWITCHING TO IT TO SAVE ON CANDLES.

RIGHT.

SO WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT NOW?

YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN LOCKING THE CLOCK.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, DOCTOR BLACKBURN, YOU'RE RIGHT ON TARGET.

SENATOR LANKFORD AS WELL.

THE THINGS HE SAID, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH LOCKING THE CLOCK ON DAYLIGHT SAVING, SAVING TIME IS WE'RE LITERALLY MANAGING THE CLOCK, JUST LIKE A COACH WOULD DO IN A BALL GAME.

AND BUT THE BALL GAME, WE ARE AT STAKE.

WE'RE THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE THINGS THAT IT CAN HELP US WITH OR HURT US IS, IS OUR LIVES.

THE FACT IS, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT CHANGING OUR CLOCKS.

AND WE'RE EITHER GOING TO GO ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME OR WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

FUNNY THING IS WE NEVER TALK ABOUT STANDARD TIME.

YEAH.

IS THAT TRUE?

YEAH.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU GO TO REALLY HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, YOU'LL FIND THAT OUT.

SO THERE'S A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION TO BEGIN WITH.

WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME, PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY EDUCATED, HIGHLY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ON TODAY.

WE'RE ON CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME HERE IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

OKAY.

WE'RE NOT ON STANDARD TIME.

AND IT REALLY TO, TO MOST PEOPLE, THEY DON'T REALLY DOESN'T MATTER.

THOSE ARE THAT'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

BUT WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT.

SO WE'RE ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME TODAY.

OKAY.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE 238 DAYS THAT WE'RE ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

BELIEVE THAT OR NOT, THAT'S EIGHT MONTHS OR THEREABOUTS, CLOSE TO EIGHT MONTHS.

WE ARE ONLY ON STANDARD TIME FOR 127 DAYS.

THAT'S A LITTLE OVER FOUR MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR.

WE'RE ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME MORE THAN WE ARE, ALMOST TWICE AS MUCH OR ACTUALLY THAN WE ARE ON STANDARD TIME.

THAT'S THAT'S A BIG FACTOR.

AND PEOPLE THINK IT'S HALF AND HALF AND THAT KIND OF THING.

WELL, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME ASK LET ME GET INTO THIS.

AND EITHER ONE OF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT THERE ARE SAFETY CONCERNS AND SCIENTIFIC CONCERNS ON BOTH ENDS.

RIGHT?

OKAY.

SO WHEN WE SPRING FORWARD, I HATE IT, I HATE IT, I HATE IT, RIGHT?

SPRINGING FORWARD THERE.

WHAT WAS THAT?

THERE IS HEALTH HAZARDS IS LINKED TO 6% INCREASE IN FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.

YES, MA'AM.

AND A SPIKE IN HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES DUE TO SLEEP LOSS 8% JUST IN STROKES AND 24%.

WE SEE A RISE IN JUST TWO DAYS AFTER THE TIME CHANGE.

WHETHER YOU'RE ADVANCING FORWARD OR YOU'RE FALLING BACK, THOSE ARE REAL NUMBERS.

AND SO THAT WILL ALLEVIATE THOSE CONDITIONS ON PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY ARE FATALITIES.

NOW HELP ME UNDERSTAND UP NORTH, RIGHT?

IF WE GO INTO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, THEN THERE KIDDOS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL IN THE DARK.

IS THAT RIGHT?

NOT ONLY WILL THEY BE GOING IN THE DARK, AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SAY THIS.

I'M A SCHOOL COUNSELOR AT 25 YEARS.

I DROVE A SCHOOL BUS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND I CAN SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE, NOT BY MY OPINION.

IN THE WINTER TIME, WHEN WE GO ON STANDARD TIME, I'M ACTUALLY PICKING KIDS UP IN THE DARK ALREADY.

FACT.

OKAY.

IN FACT, I DID AN INTERVIEW RIGHT HERE IN THE IN THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY WHEN I WAS A SENATOR ON THIS VERY SUBJECT.

AND ON THE WAY TO THE STUDIO, IT WAS DARK IN THE MORNING, EARLY MORNING, AND I PASSED BUSSES ON THE WAY TO THE INTERVIEW.

SO NOT ONLY IN RURAL OKLAHOMA, IT'S HAPPENING ALL ACROSS OKLAHOMA AND ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.

AND SO MORE OF THE TRUTH IS THAT SCHOOLS NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THEIR START TIMES IF THEY SO DESIRE.

WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT BUSSING, I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT HERE BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK, WELL, WHY CAN'T ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS JUST SHIFT THEIR TIMES AROUND DURING THE DAY?

A LOT OF THE SCHEDULES IN SCHOOLS ARE BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF BUSSES.

TO GO GET THE KIDS.

YOU GET CERTAIN GRADES IN THOSE SAME BUSSES CAN GET MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS, THEN THEY CAN GET.

AND SO A LOT OF TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS, THE SCHOOL BUSSES NEED TO BE FREE FOR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.

AND SO MUCH OF THE SCHEDULE THROUGH THE DAY MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR A SUPERINTENDENT TO SAY, OH, THAT'S A SIMPLE THING.

LET'S JUST CHANGE THE TIME.

YOU CAN'T DO IT.

THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONTROVERSIAL, AND AT THE BEGINNING YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME DIFFERENT TIMES WHERE THIS HAS BEEN ADDRESSED, TRIED AND DONE AWAY WITH.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE TIMES?

WELL, 1960S, IT WAS MANDATED WE WOULD GO TO FULL TIME DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, AND THERE WERE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT THEN.

BUT TIMES HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH SINCE THE 1960S.

A LOT OF RURAL FAMILIES WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE CLOCK IN THE 1940S AND 50S SUDDENLY ARE ON THE CLOCK BECAUSE THEY HAVE ELECTRICITY.

THEY LATER WOULD HAVE INTERNET CONNECTIONS.

THEY HAD TELEVISION, RECEPTION, CABLES AND TELEVISION.

IN THE 1960S, SUDDENLY, EVEN RURAL PEOPLE OUT IN THE COUNTRY, 20 MILES FROM A TOWN, ARE LIVING MORE BY THE CLOCK ALL THE TIME.

AND SO IN THE 1960S, THERE WAS A REACTION TO THAT.

PEOPLE COULD NOT SEE THE BENEFITS, AND THEY SAID, NO, LET'S GO BACK TO THE OLD WAY.

WE DON'T WANT OUR KIDS IN THE DARK.

BUT AS THE SENATOR SAID, A LOT OF KIDS WERE IN THE DARK ANYWAY.

IN RURAL DISTRICTS, SOMETIMES EVEN AFTER, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH CONSOLIDATION OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA, THERE ARE SOME KIDS WHO ARE ON THE BUS ALMOST AN HOUR EVERY MORNING, AN HOUR EVERY EVENING OR TWO.

IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA, NOT SO MUCH IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA, A LITTLE MORE DENSE POPULATION, BUT OUT THERE, THEY'RE GOING TO GET UP IN THE DARK NO MATTER WHAT TIME WE HAVE, JUST BECAUSE THOSE BUSSES HAVE TO GET TO SCHOOL.

DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS AND THE THE CHANGING TIMES AND THE WAY PEOPLE LIVE THEIR LIVES HAS REALLY HAD AN IMPACT ON THEIR REACTION TO IT.

I WONDER HOW MUCH YOU MENTIONED TELEVISION.

I BET THAT HAD A BIG IMPACT BECAUSE PEOPLE WANTED TO SEE SHOWS THAT STARTED AT SEVEN, YOU KNOW, HERE IN, IN OKLAHOMA.

AND THAT MAY SEEM TRIVIAL, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT HAS A BIG PULL.

WELL, EVEN FARMERS ON SOCIETY, FOR THOSE OF US WHO REMEMBER THE 1950S, YOU WOULDN'T, OF COURSE, BUT I DO.

IN THE MORNING YOU GET THE FARM AND RANCH REPORT ON RADIO, AND THEN IT TRANSFERS TO TELEVISION.

IN THE 1950S, THOSE RANCHERS WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE MARKET WAS DOING THAT DAY.

SO THEY'RE WAITING, LOOKING AT THEIR CLOCK.

WHAT TIME IS THAT FARM REPORT GOING TO COME ON?

AND AND SO IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM, EVEN ONCE YOU GET ELECTRICITY REALLY MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN RURAL OKLAHOMA IN THE 1930S.

I ONCE ASKED MY GRANDMA, GRANNY, BORN IN 1893, THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE.

SHE SAID, ELECTRICITY BECAUSE I COULD USE AN ELECTRIC IRON AND ELECTRICITY CHANGED THEIR LIVES SO MUCH.

FIRST RADIO AND THEN TELEVISION AND THEN THE INTERNET.

AND EVERY TIME YOU ADD ONE MORE LAYER OF THIS, YOU'RE ADDING MORE IMPORTANCE TO WATCHING THE TIME.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

EXACTLY.

AND I KNOW YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT I HAVE TO I'M GOING TO ASK DOCTOR BLACKBURN REAL QUICK WHAT YOUR PERSONAL PREFERENCE.

I LIKE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BECAUSE WELL YOU'RE BOTH WRONG.

YOU KNOW I, I LIKE IT TO GET DARK EARLY AND I REALIZE NO ONE ELSE I SPEAK TO LIKES IT.

RIGHT.

WELL AND THERE'S A LOT OF FEMALES, INCLUDING MY WIFE, WHERE WE'RE A HOUSE DIVIDED.

AND SO SHE'S FOR YOUR DEAL, SUSAN.

AND SHE THAT KIND OF PUSHES ME IN THE HOUSE EARLIER.

I STILL WORK AFTER DARK.

AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE.

WE ARE A CHANGING CULTURE.

SPEAKING OF AGRICULTURE, WE ARE NOW ONLY 4%.

THINK ABOUT THIS STATISTIC.

I'M FIXING TO GIVE YOU ONLY 4% OF OUR FARMS AND RANCHES TODAY DON'T HAVE TO DEPEND ON MONEY MADE OFF THE FARM TO STAY IN EXISTENCE.

SPEAKING OF AGRICULTURE.

THIS HELPS AGRIBUSINESS LOCKING THE CLOCK ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

IT ALSO HELPS OUR INDIVIDUAL PRODUCERS.

THE AVERAGE SIZE OF A RANCH ON CATTLE WE'RE SPEAKING OF CATTLE RIGHT NOW IS 25 HEAD OF MOMMA COWS.

BELIEVE THAT OR NOT, IT'S THE TRUTH.

SO THEY NEED SOME SOME SUPPORT AND SOME HELP.

THEY ARE WORKING OFF THE FARM.

THEY GET IN THERE, THEY PUT THEIR HEADLAMP ON, THEY GET IN THEIR WORK CLOTHES, THEY GO OUT AND DO THEIR CHORES BEFORE THEY GO OFF THE FARM.

TO MAKE THAT 8 HOUR OR 12 HOUR LIVING OR, YOU KNOW, 16 HOURS, COME BACK HOME, PUT THEIR HEADLIGHT BACK ON AND GO BACK TO WORK ON THE FARM.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF SAFETY THINGS I COULD BRING UP AND TALK ABOUT ON THIS AS WELL ON, ON THIS.

AND SO THEY'RE LITERALLY FARMING AND RANCHING IN THE DARK.

OKAY, SO THIS COMES UP, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE WILL HAVE THE GUTS TO ACTUALLY CHANGE IT.

THIS IS MORE CONTROVERSIAL THAN I EVER, EVER THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE.

SO AND THE PASSION BEHIND IT, I'M, THIS IS, THIS IS A BIGGER DEAL THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS.

AND THERE'S SO MUCH TO CONSIDER.

THERE IS.

WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT HEALTH OF YOUR CITIZENS.

WE HAVE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM.

WE DON'T WE HAVEN'T YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HUGE TOPIC.

AND SO THIS THIS HELPS US ALIGN IN THAT, IN THAT FASHION AS WELL.

LOCK IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

WE GOT TO LOCK IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

BUT NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH FOR A MINUTE.

YOU LOCK IT ON STANDARD TIME.

LOOK AT WHAT THIS DOES.

SEASONAL DEPRESSION.

IT AMPLIFIES IT.

OKAY, SO YOU LOCK THE CLOCK ON DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

IT ACTUALLY HELPS IT.

OKAY, SO IT'S A FACT, VITAMIN D, IT'S FREE.

IT'S IN THE SUNSHINE.

AND SO, AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS PROBABLY A HOTTER TOPIC THAN WHAT AMERICA IS EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW OUTSIDE WITH THESE TEMPERATURES, RIGHT.

AND 100 DEGREE TEMPERATURES, IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY HOT.

ALL RIGHT.

AND IT'S BEEN MOVING SINCE 2018.

DID YOU REALIZE THAT?

YEAH, YEAH, WE'VE DONE SOME OTHER SHOWS ON THAT.

SO THAT'S AMAZING.

I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF YOU.

WE COULD CLEARLY GO ON ANOTHER 15 MINUTES, BUT I'D LIKE TO THANK BOTH OF YOU FOR YOUR INSIGHT AND FOR ENLIGHTENING ME ABOUT THINGS I DID NOT KNOW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

GOOD TO BE HERE.

YEAH, YEAH, WE COULD DO THIS FOR ANOTHER TWO HOURS, ACTUALLY.

SO WE NEVER EVEN TALKED ABOUT WHO REALLY INVENTED THE REUBEN SANDWICH.

WELL, I KNOW YOU'RE DYING TO KNOW.

SO IN THIS WEEK'S NATIONAL VIEW, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A TRIP TO OMAHA, NEBRASKA TO FIND OUT WHO FIRST HAD THE IDEA TO PUT SAUERKRAUT, THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING, SWISS CHEESE, AND CORNED BEEF BETWEEN TWO SLICES OF PUMPERNICKEL RYE.

HERE'S ANDY HERMAN WITH NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL?

IT'S THE REUBEN.

REUBEN SANDWICH IS THE ONLY ENTIRELY INVENTED SANDWICH WON THE NATIONAL SANDWICH CONTEST TWO YEARS AGO.

THE REUBEN SANDWICH IS A SIGHT TO BEHOLD.

IT'S MORE THAN JUST A WORK OF ART.

IT'S AN ONLY IN AMERICA STORY DATING BACK NEARLY 100 YEARS.

BUT HISTORY AROUND EVENTS LIKE THIS CAN SOMETIMES BE OBSCURE.

A SALIENT POINT WHO INVENTED IT?

REUBEN KAYE AT A POKER GAME IN OMAHA.

THAT'S FROM THE 1994 FILM QUIZ SHOW.

THE MOVIE IS NOT ABOUT REUBENS, BUT THE SANDWICH IS CURIOUS.

ORIGINS HAVE BEEN DEBATED FOR DECADES.

CALL IT KULIKOVSKY VERSUS SHIMMEL.

THE REUBEN, I THINK, PROBABLY IS THE MOST FAMOUS STORY OF SOMETHING STARTING IN OMAHA.

THE POKER GAME IS KIND OF NOW LEGENDARY.

THAT'S LONGTIME FOOD WRITER SARAH BAKER HANSEN.

WE MET AT THE COTTONWOOD HOTEL, FORMERLY THE HOTEL BLACKSTONE, WHERE, AS IT'S TOLD, THE POKER GAME TOOK PLACE IN 1928.

SARAH CONSULTS A JUNIOR LEAGUE OF OMAHA COOKBOOK AND REPUBLISHED IN THAT COOKBOOK IS A MENU FROM THE SANDWICH SHOP INSIDE THE BLACKSTONE HOTEL, DATED 1934.

AND ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH, THAT IS THE EARLIEST MENTION OF THE REUBEN THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND IN PRINT.

CHARLES SCHIMMEL, PATRIARCH OF THE SCHIMMEL HOTELS IN THE MIDWEST, HELD A SUNDAY NIGHT POKER GAME AT THE BLACKSTONE.

REUBEN KAYE, AS THEY SAY, CAME TO PLAY.

BUT WAS REUBEN TRULY THE INVENTOR OF THE SANDWICH OR SIMPLY THE NAMESAKE?

MARY BERNSTEIN TELLS THIS STORY ABOUT HER FATHER, BERNARD SCHIMMEL, SON OF HOTELIER CHARLES, AND OF THE NIGHT THE REUBEN SANDWICH WAS BORN.

GRANDPA SCHIMMEL.

CHARLES WOULD ALWAYS HAVE SOMEBODY SEND UP SOME FOOD FOR THEM TO EAT DURING THE EVENING, AND THIS PARTICULAR NIGHT, HE ASKED MY FATHER TO PREPARE SANDWICHES.

THERE WAS ONE OF THE POKER PLAYERS WHOSE NAME WAS REUBEN KULIKOVSKY, AND HE OWNED THE CENTRAL MARKET.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY CARRIED IN THIS GROCERY STORE WERE BARRELS OF SAUERKRAUT.

AND SO GRANDPA SCHIMMEL SAID, MAKE SOME SANDWICHES WITH SAUERKRAUT BECAUSE REUBEN LOVES HIS SAUERKRAUT.

BERNARD GOT TO WORK.

DAD CONCOCTED THIS SANDWICH, WHICH WAS CORNED BEEF, SAUERKRAUT, SWISS CHEESE ON PUMPERNICKEL, RYE.

HE MIXED THE THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING AND THE SAUERKRAUT TOGETHER.

THEN HE BUTTERED THE OUTSIDE TWO SLICES SO THAT HE COULD GRILL THE SANDWICH.

MARY'S SISTERS, CONNIE SCHAPIRO AND JUDY WEIL, SING THE REUBEN'S PRAISES.

I MEAN, I THINK DAD WAS A GENIUS TO THINK ABOUT PUTTING THOSE THINGS TOGETHER.

SUCH SERENDIPITY OF THE INVENTION OF THE SANDWICH, AND THEN TO HAVE IT WIN THIS CONTEST SO THAT THE REAL RECIPE GOT DISTRIBUTED TO RESTAURANTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

REUBEN DID WIN A NATIONAL CONTEST IN 1956.

FERN SNYDER, A FORMER BLACKSTONE WAITRESS, SUBMITTED IT AND WON.

HOW MUCH OF THE REUBEN IS DUE TO THE KULACKOVSKIS?

HOW MUCH OF IT'S DUE TO THE SCHIMMEL, AND HOW MUCH OF IT'S DUE TO COLLABORATION THAT OCCURRED ALONG THE WAY?

THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT NEPHEW OF REUBEN KULIKOVSKY.

HE WAS TOLD THAT REUBEN HAD AN IDEA FOR THE SANDWICH THAT HE ORDERED AT THE POKER GAME.

SOMEHOW THE SANDWICH GOT MESSED UP AND IT WASN'T VERY GOOD, BUT THEY MODIFIED WHATEVER REUBEN ASKED FOR ORIGINALLY.

AND THEN WHEN IT CAME BACK UP, THEY ALL SAID IT WAS GREAT AND THEY SAID, I WANT TO PUT THIS ON THE MENU.

BERNARD SCHIMMEL WAS IN THE KITCHEN MAKING THE MODIFICATIONS AND HEATING UP THE SANDWICH.

J KULIKOVSKY, A GREAT, GREAT, GREAT NEPHEW OF REUBEN, HAS SIMILAR THOUGHTS.

ESSENTIALLY, WHAT I HAD BEEN TOLD WAS THAT REUBEN GOT BORED, STARTED PUTTING A FEW THINGS TOGETHER THAT AT THE TIME WAS NOT VERY COMMON.

REGARDLESS OF WHO ACTUALLY MADE THE SANDWICH.

STORIES LIKE THESE BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER.

J'S MOM, JANIE, AGREES.

WHEN I TELL THIS STORY, THE WAITERS SAY YOU'RE A CELEBRITY, AND THAT KIND OF TICKLES MY FANCY.

WHEREVER YOU MAY LAND ON THE ORIGINS OF THE REUBEN SANDWICH, WE CAN ALL AGREE IT'S AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL CREATED BY NEBRASKANS, AND THAT IS WORTH A BARREL OF SAUERKRAUT.

I'M ANDY HERMAN FOR CURIOUS OMAHA.

ON THE NEXT EDITION OF THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT, THE ONLINE ALPHA SCHOOL WILL SOON BE ACCEPTING STUDENTS IN OKLAHOMA.

THE COST OF TUITION $40,000 A YEAR.

NOAH MACK REPORTS ON WHAT YOU'LL GET FOR YOUR MONEY FRIDAY AT SEVEN, AND WE'LL SAY SO LONG FOR NOW WITH A LOOK AT THE EXPEDITION AFRICA EXHIBIT AT THE OKLAHOMA CITY ZOO, PUT TOGETHER FOR US BY OETA LEVI WILKERSON.

FOR ALL OF US WHO PLAY A ROLE IN PUTTING THIS NEWSCAST ON AIR EACH WEEK, I'M TAYLOR JACKSON.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

TARIFFS.

PUTTING YOUR BODY ON THE LINE LIVE.

DIDN'T YOU KNOW IT WAS A CHOICE?

IT'S NEVER YOURS, BUT SOMEONE ELSE'S VOICE.

IS CAUSING YOUR BODY TO THE STREET.

AND YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S THROUGH THE NIGHT.

SHE WEARING A JACKET MADE OF ME.

A CEILING, A LADDER MADE WITH MORE TO SEE.

AND NOW YOU'VE HEARD THAT WISDOM.

YOUR GREAT LIFE.

IN THE SAKE OF I CRY.

AND THAT'S WHY YOU SAY PLATINUM'S ON THE ROCK.

IN THE SKY.

I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB.

TO THE TAELYR.

PUTTING YOUR BODY ON THE LINE.

THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE MOST AUDACIOUS UNDERTAKING THAT MAN HAS EVER ATTEMPTED.

IT WAS A HARD MARCH.

IT WAS ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY.

THAT CATASTROPHIC FAIL