I’m starting to get the hang of a quicker podcast workflow for the Oklahoma Memo podcast, and this is both good and bad. It’s good because I’m improving daily at using the latest production tools like Descript and Adobe’s podcast audio enhancer, and my favorite, Adobe Audition.

It’s bad because now I want to interview everybody.

I really enjoy the long-form interview process, and I want and need more reps at interviewing, recording, producing and promoting. If you’re a subscriber, and you’ve got something that’s news-ish or news worthy that you’d like to promote, message me at [email protected].

Here’s your Wednesday list:

‘Oklahoma Memo’ is on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. There is also a YouTube channel — and it’s all growing day by day.

Enjoy the upper 70s before we inch warmer to end the week.

🌡️ Wednesday's high in OKC 78°
🌡️ Wednesday’s high in Tulsa 78°

By Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s newly sworn-in state superintendent said he intends his brief 15 months in office to be “more than just a stopgap.”

The coming days and weeks for Lindel Fields, who took the oath of office Tuesday, will center on rebuilding communication and relationships across the state, particularly with educators, families, news media and state officials, including his own employees at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. That will involve a listening tour across Oklahoma, he said.

Fields, a former CareerTech center administrator, aims to move the needle on student outcomes, too, despite his short term in office, he said. During a press briefing Tuesday afternoon at the Education Department, he said he believes his administration “can make a difference in 15 months” and reminded news reporters that New York City’s Empire State Building was built in 14 months. 

“No matter who comes after me in this role, I want to leave them with a strong foundation on which to build,” he said.

A cornerstone of that foundation is bringing in a “turnaround team” to help stabilize the Education Department after former state Superintendent Ryan Walters’ turbulent tenure ended with an early exit. 

Over the coming weeks, Fields and that team will review all agency finances, vendor contracts, pending lawsuits, “organizational misalignments” and more, he said.

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By Anna Pope, KOSU
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The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved an updated highway plan during its monthly meeting on Monday. But funding questions throw in a layer of uncertainty during the federal shutdown.

The Eight-Year Construction Work Plan is statewide and totals about $8 billion.

It identifies transportation infrastructure needs for Oklahomans and is updated annually for approval. The money for the plans comes from both state and federal sources.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s wish list includes plans for 460 bridges to be rehabilitated or replaced, 675 miles of two-lane highways with faulty shoulders and more than 2,800 lane miles for improving payment conditions.

This comes as the federal government is shut down.

At the meeting, Tim Gatz, the department’s executive director, said the state has been through this before and the shutdown will have a minimal impact on ongoing operations.

“Where it will impact us is as we get further into federal fiscal (year) ‘26, the things like the construction contract lettings that have federal participation,” Gatz said. “Without access to (a) new year's worth of appropriations, we will have to very carefully consider those future lettings as to which projects we can have on which projects we can't.”

Even if Congress passed a short-term resolution to fund the government, Gatz said it does not provide access for a full year’s worth of federal funding.

This is also the final year for the state to receive money from the National Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Gatz said Congress is working on a new bill to sustain federal funding levels, but it’s challenging because it only covers about 50 to 60% of all expenses. The rest is made up with funding Congress deposits into the trust fund under the act, he said.

“Whether or not that is a sustainable trend for the next highway bill is to be determined, I think it will be challenging,” Gatz said. “So again, that's something we're going to want (to) monitor very closely. I call that to your attention because we are trying to project our federal funding availability with some uncertainty, but we're doing the best we can.”

Gatz said another factor is wrestling with an inflationary trend. He said the Federal Highway Administration’s National Highway Construction Cost Index has increased by about 63% since 2020.

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

• Oklahoma Supreme Court finds ‘business courts’ bill unconstitutional (NonDoc)

• Oklahoma Ethics Commission investigating Ryan Walters again over possible ethics violations (The Oklahoman)

• Stricter scoring causes major drop in Oklahoma math, reading test results (Oklahoma Voice)

• SCOTUS declines to hear case involving Gov. Stitt's brother, tribal jurisdiction in Oklahoma (KOSU)

• Oklahoma State University separates from $200 milllion foundation created by opioid settlement (KOSU)

• The biggest municipal bond in Oklahoma history is up for a vote. Here's how it works (KOSU)

• ‘Critical’ GO bond election highlights OKC housing needs (NonDoc)

• Indigenous environmental advocates say data centers risk water, culture and informed consent (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Judge hears evidence regarding city of Henryetta ticketing tribal members (Tulsa World)

• New report pinpoints the missing middle between poverty and stability in Oklahoma (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• Explosion at ONEOK Texas plant injures three workers (The Journal Record)

• Former Oklahoma Senate leader files lawsuit over son's crash on I-40 (KOCO)

• Oklahoma judge denies woman's request for reduced sentence under Survivors Act despite abuse claims (KOCO)

• Cyclist killed in Edmond identified by police, former Deer Creek school bus driver (News 9)

• Lawton Public Schools begins search for new superintendent, after accepting Hime's resignation (The Lawton Constitution)

• After fatal accident, speed limit lowered on Glenpool highway (Tulsa World)

• Stillwater community comes together for Barktoberfest celebration at Stonecloud (KOSU)

• Sapulpa police identify suspect in Snapchat threat against middle school, say it’s “not credible” (Sapulpa Times)

• Bryan County pursuit ends with arrest of Tulsa man (KTEN)

• Luke Combs to play at Owen Field on May 9 (News 9)

The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ mission is simple: Reignite the daily news habit by connecting Oklahomans and those who love Oklahoma to quality sources of news and vetted information.

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