What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is Thursday, August 14, and it’s great to lead with good news. Heck, this was great news we got on Wednesday.

Google announced a $9B investment in Oklahoma to enhance its Pryor campus and develop one in Stillwater with the mission to create an AI-ready workforce.

Keep an eye on Pryor’s growth over the next few years. Stillwater, too.

This was Gov. Stitt’s celebratory reaction on the X platform:

In the spirit of being an AI-ready newsletter operator myself, I took the local coverage and asked my friendly AI chatbot (paid so that it wouldn’t train on the content) to put together a little listicle with the 10 things to know about Google’s investment in Oklahoma.

The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ AI policy is simple: Be transparent. If I use it, I’ll let you know.

💻 10 Things to Know About Google’s $9 Billion Investment in Oklahoma

1. Google expanding data centers in Pryor and Stillwater.
Google will invest $9 billion over two years in Oklahoma, adding a new data center near Stillwater and expanding its existing Pryor campus to boost AI and cloud infrastructure capacity. The Oklahoman

2. $4.4B already invested in Pryor site.
The Pryor Google data center, opened in 2011, has received $4.4 billion in investment to date and supports core services like cloud storage and artificial intelligence operations. The Oklahoman

3. $2.2B economic impact in 2024 alone.
Google’s operations generated $2.2 billion in economic activity for Oklahoma businesses, nonprofits, and industries last year, underscoring its current role in the state economy. News 9

4. OU and OSU join AI for Education Accelerator.
The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University will provide students with free access to Google AI tools, training, and career certificates as part of the national AI for Education Accelerator program. The Keyword

5. Free AI Pro Plan for all Oklahoma college students.
All Oklahoma-based college students will get 12 months of free access to Google’s AI Pro Plan, offering personalized AI collaboration tools, AI training, and job search resources. KFOR

6. Electrical workforce expansion by 135%.
Google and the Electrical Training Alliance will integrate AI into electrical training programs and train over 160 apprentices in Oklahoma by 2030, addressing national labor shortages. Public Radio Tulsa

7. 700 megawatts of clean energy capacity added.
To power its expanded Oklahoma data centers, Google signed agreements to purchase more than 700 MW of solar energy capacity from Leeward Energy. The Oklahoman

8. $1.5M regenerative agriculture project.
A partnership with Indigo Ag will fund regenerative farming practices that replenish an estimated 200 million gallons of water annually in Oklahoma over seven years. Public Radio Tulsa

9. Sustainable data center operations for AI.
The Stillwater and Pryor Google campuses will join a global network of energy-efficient data centers powering AI, cloud storage, and other digital services. The Keyword

10. Jobs created across multiple sectors.
Google’s Oklahoma expansion will generate jobs in tech, engineering, security, and food service, while continuing support for schools and nonprofit organizations statewide. KFOR

If you live in Pryor or Stillwater, what’s your reaction to this news? Do you plan to try to get a job at Google?

You can message me anytime at [email protected].

Weather Update ☀️

Hot day ahead. Take your summer precautions!

🌡️ Thursday's high in OKC 94°
🌡️ Thursday’s high in Tulsa 93°

Oklahoma schools to continue charging meal fees, despite Walters’ demands

By Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice
Click here to read the story.
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Multiple Oklahoma school districts say they will continue to charge cafeteria fees despite demands from the state’s public education chief to provide all meals for free.

Serving free meals to all students, as state Superintendent Ryan Walters called for last month, isn’t financially feasible and would require dramatic cost cuts, district officials have said. Unlike other states that made school meals universally free, Oklahoma has not dedicated any extra funds to support the policy.

“At the present time, we’re going to continue operating the way we have done with lunches until we have further guidance in terms of what and how that’s going to look within our school and other school districts,” said Josh Delich, superintendent of Edmond Public Schools.

Walters threatened to penalize and audit schools that don’t comply, calling cafeteria fees an extra tax unfairly imposed on Oklahoma families. 

“If schools districts cannot, and will not, prioritize students, (the Oklahoma State Department of Education) will get involved and audit their budgets,” Walters said in a statement Wednesday. “Record amounts of funding are going to schools and it is completely unacceptable for administrators to continue failing our kids, and get rich doing it.”

No state law permits the state superintendent to punish or audit schools for not providing universal free meals, according to a memo from the Oklahoma State School Boards Association.

Speaking with reporters after a State of the Schools event Aug. 6, Delich said he’s not concerned about blowback from the state Department of Education.

Click here to finish the story.

Oklahoma lawmakers consider adding state oversight for homeless shelters

By Maddy Keyes, The Frontier
Click here to read the story.
Donate to The Frontier.

The Oklahoma lawmakers behind a controversial bill to restrict the locations of homeless shelters are now pushing for more state oversight. 

Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, and Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, will host an interim study at the Oklahoma Capitol this fall to outline potential state and local standards to regulate shelters, according to a proposal for the hearing. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert approved the interim study at the end of July. 

West said he decided to dive deeper into the issue after constituents voiced concerns about safety and cleanliness at homeless shelters. He and Standridge introduced Senate Bill 484 earlier this year, which would have banned new homeless shelters within 3,000 feet of any school or school property outside of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, with few exceptions. The measure drew sharp criticism from service providers and advocates who said it would create barriers to services and could push more people into Tulsa and Oklahoma City, where providers are already trying to stretch limited resources to meet the growing need. The measure failed in committee in April. 

“The overall purpose of the study is just to do some exploring and have some of those conversations as to where state-level oversight should come from, and if additional layers would be needed or not,” West said. “It’s really pretty open-ended.”

While no state agency has direct oversight of homeless shelters, they are still subject to federal and local rules and must adhere to various health and safety requirements, said Sabine Brown, senior housing policy analyst at the left-leaning think tank Oklahoma Policy Institute.

Click to finish the story.

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The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• After DOJ complaint, Oklahoma moves to end in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants (Oklahoma Watch)

• Human smuggling suspect wanted out of Texas arrested for rape, kidnapping, assault in Tulsa (Fox 23)

• ‘Waste of taxpayer money’: Concerns surround OSDE new assessment plan (KFOR)

• Attorneys for Richard Glossip file new brief outlining details of “agreement” with Attorney General Gentner Drummond (KFOR)

• Tulsa Area Emergency Management director resigns ahead of first court appearance (Tulsa World)

• Kay County Commissioner Shane Jones has ‘no comment’ on cattle theft indictment (NonDoc)

• Owasso superintendent addresses past bullying concerns at district (2 News Oklahoma)

• UCO ends print publication of student newspaper (Oklahoma Voice)

• Glencoe coach and families react to OSSAA's decision to uphold ineligibility due to 'linked rule' (News On 6)

• OCPD arrests man accused of committing lewd acts against 13-year-old softball player (KOCO)

• Before State Fair Arena roof implosion, demolition turns up an item missing for 17 years (The Oklahoman)

• Oklahoma lawmakers listen to municipal leaders' concerns over privately-owned unoccupied properties (KOSU)

• Allegations surface over eligibility of Team Oklahoma softball players (KTUL)

• Shawnee's new assistant superintendent faces scrutiny in two states (KOCO)

• Three Cherokee lawmakers say farewell (Cherokee Phoenix)

• These are the OKC bars, restaurants and breweries that closed in summer 2025 (The Oklahoman)

• Bond initiative a hot topic at McAlester PS school board meeting (McAlester News-Capital)

• Man dies after fall from scaffolding near I-35 and NE 50th in Oklahoma City (Fox 25)

• New proposed FAA rule announced that could change the way Drones are flown (KXII)

• Oklahoma’s Senators invited to a town hall hosted by Indivisible Oklahoma (KFOR)

• Rascal Flatts makes stop in Oklahoma City as part of 2026 ‘Life Is A Highway’ tour (KFOR)

• Sapulpa’s Thomas Blakemore to be featured at Circle Cinema this weekend (Sapulpa Times)

• Council allocates funds for new fire engine, advances key city projects (Atoka County Times)

• Goodwill to open Enid store in October (Enid News & Eagle)

• Recent music drops prove cross-genre creative power of OKC (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• Shot-in-Tulsa series 'The Lowdown' with Ethan Hawke debuting at Toronto Film Festival (Tulsa World)

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