I LOVE IT.

THAT AND MORE ON THE NEXT GALLERY.

AMERICA THURSDAY EVENING AT SEVEN ON OETA.

THE STILLWATER CONNECTION TO NASA'S FIRST MANNED TRIP TO THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.

WE HAD A BIG LAUNCH PARTY.

WE CLEARED THE BREAK ROOM.

WE PUT IT UP ON THE BIG SCREEN TV.

AFTER AN ALLEGED HAZING INCIDENT, THE FAMILY OF YOUNG BASKETBALL PLAYER IN KINGSTON IS SPEAKING OUT.

IT WAS A VERY DARK TIME FOR HER.

AFTER THIS HAPPENED, IT TOOK A TOLL ON HER MENTAL HEALTH.

THE LATEST ON LEGISLATION THAT WOULD EMPOWER PARENTS TO DECIDE HOW AI WILL BE USED IN K THROUGH 12 CLASSROOMS.

AI CANNOT REPLACE A TEACHER, BUT AI CAN HELP A TEACHER BE EVEN A BETTER TEACHER THAN THEY ARE.

THE VITAL ROLE THAT TRAINS PLAYED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OKLAHOMA.

SO RAILROADS ARE A PRODUCT OF RECONSTRUCTION, SPECIFICALLY, THE RECONSTRUCTION TREATIES THAT WERE SIGNED BETWEEN THE FIVE TRIBES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR.

AN IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF OKLAHOMA'S FILM INDUSTRY.

I THINK WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE NEED TO KEEP GROWING.

WE'RE READY.

WE'RE READY FOR THE NEXT STEP, FOR SURE.

THOSE STORIES, PLUS WE HONOR THE MEMORY OF THE MAN WHO WAS SIMPLY KNOWN AS MR.

OETA.

NEXT ON THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

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

I'M RICH LENZ MORE THAN 2700 DIFFERENT GLOBAL COMPANIES PROVIDED PARTS AND SYSTEMS TO THE ARTEMIS ROCKET.

RETURNING FROM ITS MISSION TO THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON THAT ACCORDING TO SUPPLY CHAIN DIGITAL AND ONE OF THOSE COMPANIES IS LOCATED IN STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA.

JASON DOYLE JOINS US NOW WITH MORE ON THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE MISSION SUCCESS.

JASON RICH, THAT STILLWATER COMPANY IS CALLED FRONTIER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS, WHICH HAS BEEN A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS SINCE 1973.

THAT COMPANY CRAFTED NECESSARY COMPONENTS TO MAKE THE VOYAGE TO THE MOON AND BACK POSSIBLE.

THREE.

TWO.

ONE BOOSTER IGNITION AND LIFTOFF.

THE CREW OF ARTEMIS TWO NOW BOUND FOR THE MOON.

ARTEMIS TWO, SENDING HUMANS TO ORBIT THE MOON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN FIVE DECADES.

SO AFTER A BRIEF 54 YEAR INTERMISSION, NASA IS BACK IN THE BUSINESS OF SENDING ASTRONAUTS TO THE MOON.

WE ARRIVED AT THIS POINT THROUGH A SUSTAINED EFFORT AND NATIONAL COMMITMENT AND THE WORK OF THOUSANDS ACROSS THE AGENCY, OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS, AND OUR INTERNATIONAL ALLIES.

ONE OF THOSE INDUSTRY PARTNERS IS STILLWATER BASED FRONTIER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS.

WE ARE A MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, AND WE PRIMARILY DEAL WITH PRODUCTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR AND NASA.

DARYL SMITH IS THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR FRONTIER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS.

HE SAYS THE ARTEMIS TWO LAUNCH WAS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION LAST WEEK.

WE HAD A BIG LAUNCH PARTY.

WE CLEARED THE BREAK ROOM, WE PUT IT UP ON THE BIG SCREEN TV, AND WE ALL ANTICIPATED THE LAUNCH AND WERE REALLY EXCITED AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN AND AND SHOUTING WHENEVER IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH.

IT WAS A CELEBRATION OF YEARS OF WORK FOR FRONTIER.

THESE FOLKS BEHIND ME HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THESE PRODUCTS FOR YEARS AND YEARS, AND TO FINALLY SEE SOME OF OUR, SOME OF OUR EFFORT AND SOME OF THE PRODUCTS THAT WE BUILD BE LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY IN THE SPACE AND WORK AND BRING AND HELP BRING THE THE ASTRONAUTS HOME SAFELY ON FRIDAY IS EXTREMELY EXCITING.

THE CREW AT FRONTIER AREN'T THE ONLY OKLAHOMANS PROUD OF THE RETURN TO THE MOON.

THIS IS A PROUD MOMENT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.

IT SHOULD BE A REALLY PROUD MOMENT FOR ALL OF AMERICA.

AND IN FACT, THE WHOLE WORLD IS GOING TO GET TO SEE AMERICA DO SOMETHING STUNNING YET AGAIN.

FORMER NASA ADMINISTRATOR AND CURRENT MANAGING PARTNER FOR THE ARTEMIS GROUP, JIM BRIDENSTINE, IS FAMILIAR WITH THE WORK DONE IN STILLWATER, THE HAND CONTROLLER FOR THE ORION CREW CAPSULE.

SO THE ACTUAL DEVICE THAT THE ASTRONAUTS USE TO FLY THE ORION AROUND THE MOON WAS BUILT HERE IN OKLAHOMA AT FRONTIER ELECTRONICS SYSTEMS IN STILLWATER.

WE GOT A CLOSE UP LOOK AT THAT CONTROLLER WHEN WE VISITED FRONTIER.

SO IT'S PITCH GOING BACK AND FORWARD, ROTATING THIS WAY AND THIS WAY AND THEN ROLL, SMITH SAYS.

THEY EVEN GOT WORDS OF APPROVAL FROM ARTEMIS TWO PILOT VICTOR GLOVER ON THE HAND CONTROLS FOR THE CAPSULE.

THE TEAMS ARE MANEUVERING THE SPACECRAFT IN THE SOLAR ARRAY WINGS AS THEY WERE MANIPULATING THE.

THE SPACECRAFT WITH THE HAND CONTROLLERS, AND THEY WERE DESCRIBING HOW WELL IT WAS WORKING.

SO THAT'S THAT'S DIRECT FEEDBACK TO US, DIRECT FEEDBACK TO OUR ASSEMBLERS WHO PUT THOSE THINGS TOGETHER, THAT THINGS ARE WORKING WELL, THAT'S THAT'S JOY TO OUR EARS.

THE STILLWATER COMPANY ALSO BUILT A SAFETY DEVICE THAT WOULD PROTECT ASTRONAUTS IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG ON THE LAUNCH PAD.

THE LAUNCH ABORT SYSTEM IS ATTACHED TO THE CAPSULE WHERE THE ASTRONAUTS ARE ARE SITTING.

AND IF IT IF IF FOR SOME REASON THEY HAD TO ABORT, IT WOULD PULL THE ASTRONAUTS AWAY FROM THE FROM THE LAUNCH, FROM A SAFETY FACTOR AND GET THEM AWAY FROM IF IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THESE SWITCHES ARE BASICALLY EVERYTHING THAT THE ASTRONAUT NEEDS TO DO DURING THE WHOLE MISSION.

THESE PANELS ARE ALSO DESIGNED AND BUILT BY FRONTIER.

THEY ALLOW THE ASTRONAUTS TO PERFORM VARIOUS TASKS IN THE SPACESHIP.

SEVERAL OF THEM LINE THE ORION CAPSULE CONTROLS.

FRONTIER'S MISSION DOESN'T END WHEN ARTEMIS TWO RETURNS TO EARTH.

IMPORTANT WORK GOING ON RIGHT NOW AT FRONTIER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS.

AS THE FOLKS BEHIND ME ARE PUTTING TOGETHER COMPONENTS THAT WILL BE ON FUTURE ARTEMIS MISSIONS TO THE MOON.

ON ARTEMIS TWO, WE OBVIOUSLY HAD A LOT OF PRODUCTS AND THEY WERE VERY ACTIVELY USED, BUT WE DELIVERED THOSE PRODUCTS TO TO NASA FOR INTEGRATION OVER A YEAR AGO.

SO WE'VE CONTINUED TO BUILD MORE PRODUCTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE USED ON FUTURE MISSIONS ARTEMIS THREE, FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX.

AND SOME OF THE PRODUCTS WE STILL HAVE HERE IN HOUSE ARE GOING TO BE USED ON THOSE MISSIONS.

NASA'S RENEWED FOCUS ON THE MOON IS PEOPLE GOING TO THE STATE'S SCIENCE MUSEUMS TO FIND OUT MORE.

WE'VE SEEN IN OUR PLANETARIUM AND UPTICK IN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MISSIONS AND THE GOALS OF THESE MISSIONS.

WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO?

WHAT ARE WE HOPING FOR THE FUTURE?

WHY ARE WE GOING BACK IN THE FIRST PLACE?

AND IT'S BEEN AN EXCELLENT TIME TO ALSO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SPACE EXPLORATION AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

WAYLON TROYER WITH THE SCIENCE MUSEUM OKLAHOMA, SAYS THE LOVES PLANETARIUM CAN SHOW THE PREVIOUS PASS OF THE APOLLO MISSIONS.

IT'S KIND OF FUN TO TALK ABOUT THE APOLLO MISSIONS AND THEN SEE THEIR TRAJECTORY IN THE PLANETARIUM AS IT GOES AROUND THE MOON AS THOSE DIFFERENT MISSIONS, YOU KNOW, MADE THEIR WAY TO THE MOON AND BACK.

BUT WE COULD DO THE SAME THING GOING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE.

WE CAN LOOK AT VISUALIZATIONS OF ARTEMIS MISSIONS AND THEIR TRIPS AND WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTING TO SEE.

TROYER ADDS THAT THEY CAN EVEN PEER INTO THE FUTURE OF THE ARTEMIS MOON MISSIONS.

WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE POTENTIAL LANDING SITES ARE FOR MISSIONS LIKE ARTEMIS FOUR, AND TALK ABOUT WHY WE'RE PLANNING ON GOING THERE.

JIM BRIDENSTINE ADDS THAT MOMENTS LIKE THIS GIVE OKLAHOMANS A CONNECTION TO SPACE, CONTINUING A LONG HISTORY.

WHEN OKLAHOMANS GET INVOLVED IN THE AMERICAN SPACE ENTERPRISE, YOU'RE GETTING INVOLVED IN THE AMERICAN SPACE ECONOMY THAT WILL SET US APART FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

DAVID SMITH IS PROUD OF THE WORK THEY DO AT FRONTIER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS, AND IS HAPPY TO BE PART OF SPACE HISTORY THAT SUPPORTS OKLAHOMA.

AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS REALLY EXCITING TO HAVE A COMPANY HERE IN STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA, OFFERING VERY HIGH QUALITY JOBS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SPACE INDUSTRY AND STAY RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY IN STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA, NASA EXPECTS TO DO A CREWED DOCKING TEST IN ORBIT IN 2027 WITH ARTEMIS THREE.

ARTEMIS FOUR WILL CARRY THE FIRST HUMANS TO TOUCH THE SURFACE OF THE MOON IN 54 YEARS.

THAT MISSION IS EXPECTED IN EARLY 2028.

RICH, EXCITING STUFF.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

PAULS VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL KIRK MOORE IS BEING HAILED AS A HERO AS HE CONTINUES TO RECOVER FROM BEING SHOT IN THE LEG BY A FORMER STUDENT INSIDE THE HIGH SCHOOL ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON, KIRK AND OTHERS WERE ABLE TO SUBDUE 20 YEAR OLD VICTOR HAWKINS AND HE WAS ARRESTED.

KIRK WAS THE ONLY PERSON INJURED IN THE SHOOTING.

THE FAMILY OF A FORMER FRESHMAN BASKETBALL PLAYER IN KINGSTON, OKLAHOMA, IS SUING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, ALLEGING THAT THEIR DAUGHTER WAS ASSAULTED DURING A HAZING INCIDENT DURING A TEAM ROAD TRIP.

STEVE SHAW JOINS US NOW WITH MORE ON THESE DISTURBING ALLEGATIONS.

STEVE RICH, THE GIRL'S PARENTS TELL ME THEY FILED THIS LAWSUIT BECAUSE THE KINGSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT BETRAYED THEIR DAUGHTER.

IT'S AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, BUT THE WOUNDS ARE CLEARLY STILL FRESH.

IT WAS A VERY DARK TIME FOR HER AFTER THIS HAPPENED.

IT TOOK A TOLL ON HER MENTAL HEALTH.

I DON'T WISH THAT ON ANY PARENT.

HAS SHE GOTTEN HELP?

SHE HAS.

THE DAY AFTER WE FOUND OUT.

THANK YOU.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

WE IMMEDIATELY GOT HER IN TO SEE A THERAPIST.

KRYSTAL AND BRANDON BELLER ARE 16 YEAR OLD CARA BELLA'S PARENTS.

THIS WAS CARA AND HER TEAMMATES ON THE KINGSTON REDSKINS EIGHTH GRADE BASKETBALL TEAM JUST OVER TWO YEARS AGO.

SHE WANTS ACCOUNTABILITY THAT.

SHE WANTS PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TWO SUMMERS AGO, IN JUNE OF 2024, CARA AND FOUR OTHER FRESHMEN TO BE TRAVELED WITH KINGSTON'S VARSITY SQUAD TO A BASKETBALL CAMP 230 MILES AWAY AT VINITA HIGH SCHOOL IN CRAIG COUNTY.

THE PLAYERS SPENT A COUPLE OF OVERNIGHTS IN CLASSROOMS IN THE SCHOOL ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 17TH, 2024.

CARA'S PARENTS SAY THEIR DAUGHTER AND THE FOUR OTHER FRESHMEN TO BE WERE FORCED TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING OLDER TEAMMATES TOLD THEM WAS FRESHMAN INITIATION, ACCORDING TO A VINITA CAMPUS POLICE REPORT.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ALLEGEDLY WENT ON.

ONE OF THE SENIOR GIRLS GAVE THEM A LAP DANCE.

THE SENIOR GIRL WAS TOPLESS AT THE TIME AND WAS SITTING ON THEIR LAPS AND HITTING THEM IN THE FACE WITH HER BREASTS.

SOME OF THE OTHER GIRLS WERE MADE TO EAT CHEESE CRACKERS FROM THE BELLY BUTTON OF THE OTHER GIRLS, AS WELL AS COOKIES FROM THEIR TOES.

KRYSTAL BELLER SAYS HER DAUGHTER WAS SHOCKED BY IT ALL AND ALL FIVE FRESHMEN TO BE GOT THE SAME TREATMENT.

SHE SAID THAT A GIRL GOT ON TOP OF HER AND THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE A TOP ON, AND THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN, AND THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

AND SHE TRIED TO GET THEM TO STOP.

BELLER SAYS HER DAUGHTER WAS ALSO FORCED TO FISH A GRAPE OUT OF A TOPLESS UPPERCLASSMEN BREASTS.

SHE SAYS WHILE NONE OF THE COACHES WERE IN THAT ROOM, SHE BELIEVES THE COACHES KNEW.

YOU FEEL BETRAYED.

YES, LIKE WE TRUSTED THE SAFETY OF OUR DAUGHTER TO THE HEAD COACH AND THE ASSISTANT COACH, WHO HAVE STRICT RULES ON WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM THEIR TEAM, FROM WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM THEIR PARENTS.

WHEN CARA'S DAD, BRANDON BELLER, LEARNED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, HE SAYS HE CALLED CHEROKEE NATION POLICE BECAUSE THE ALLEGED SEXUAL ASSAULTS OCCURRED ON CHEROKEE NATION LAND.

HE SAYS THEY THEN FORWARDED THEIR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION TO THE OKLAHOMA STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SHOCK.

IT WAS FULL EMOTION.

A LOT OF ANGER OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYTHING.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT ANGER?

JUST BY TRYING TO REMAIN CALM.

BELLER ADMITS HE DIDN'T STAY CALM.

HE SAYS THE KINGSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ATHLETIC STAFF STONEWALLED HIM AND FAILED TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.

THERE WAS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH WHAT HAPPENED, LIKE, WHY DO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LAWSUIT?

WHY ON EARTH DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PARENT CALLING YOU, CUSSING AND EVERYTHING ELSE GETTING ANGRY FOR YOU TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE GIRLS?

LIKE HOW LIKE DISENGAGED CAN YOU BE?

MCALLISTER ATTORNEY TODD MERCER REPRESENTS THE BELLERS IN THEIR LAWSUIT.

WE GOT TO LOOKING AT IT AND REALIZED, WOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING AGAIN, MERCER SAYS.

LAST MAY 30TH, HE NOTIFIED KINGSTON SCHOOLS OF HIS INTENTION TO SUE.

KINGSTON DIDN'T RESPOND.

THREE MONTHS AGO, MERCER FILED THIS LAWSUIT IN CIVIL COURT.

THE SCHOOL DID DO A. THEY DID DO SOME DISCIPLINING THAT WERE AWARE OF.

DO WE KNOW IF THE HEAD COACH IS STILL THERE?

THE ASSISTANT COACH.

YOU.

YEAH, THE COACH IS STILL THERE.

THERE'S NOT BEEN ANY ACCOUNTABILITY ON THAT PART.

AND YOU KNOW.

THEY'RE DENYING RESPONSIBILITY TO THIS DAY, THE O S B. I TOLD ME LAST WEEK THEY HAD FORWARDED THEIR FINDINGS IN THIS INVESTIGATION ONTO THE CRAIG COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY HERE IN VINITA.

IT'S IN VINITA BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE ALLEGED ASSAULTS TOOK PLACE.

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE YESTERDAY TOLD ME THEY'RE NOT READY TO TALK.

KINGSTON SUPERINTENDENT BRIAN BRISTER THIS PAST TUESDAY SENT ME THIS STATEMENT.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT STRONGLY CONDEMNS HAZING IN ALL FORMS AND DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS THAT IT KNEW ABOUT AND PERMITTED SUCH ACTIVITIES.

THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF ITS STUDENTS IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S TOP PRIORITY, AND ANY ACCUSATIONS THAT IT KNOWINGLY PERMITTED A STUDENT TO BE SUBJECTED TO RITUALISTIC HAZING ARE FALSE.

AS THE LITIGATION IS ONGOING, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS UNABLE TO COMMENT FURTHER.

NOT ONE OF THEM KNOWS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH YOUR DAUGHTER THROWING UP BECAUSE SHE'S TAKING TOO MANY PILLS BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T WANT TO LIVE ANYMORE.

DID THAT HAPPEN?

YES.

WITH YOUR DAUGHTER?

OKAY.

NOVEMBER THAT YEAR.

SO AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, NOT ONE OF THEM DESERVED TO PLAY.

EVERY ONE OF THEM DESERVED TO SIT OUT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THEIR PRIORITY WAS.

THEIR PRIORITY WAS TRYING TO WIN.

AND THAT'S.

IT JUST PLAIN OUT.

THE BELLERS TELL ME THEIR DAUGHTER HAS MOVED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT, ANOTHER SCHOOL WHERE SHE CONTINUES TO COMPETE IN SOFTBALL BUT IS DONE PLAYING BASKETBALL BECAUSE OF THAT ORDEAL.

RICH STEVE, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.

OKLAHOMA FILM AND MUSIC DAY WAS CELEBRATED AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON TUESDAY, WITH ALL THOSE CREATIVES AND MEETING IN ONE PLACE, WE DECIDED TO TAKE OUR UPCOMING IN-DEPTH SEGMENT ON THE ROAD THIS WEEK, MODERATOR CASSIDY MUDD WILL BE SITTING DOWN WITH JANETTE STANTON OF THE STATE'S FILM AND MUSIC OFFICE, AND JENNIFER LAWRENCE, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CHEROKEE FILM, TO DISCUSS MOVIE MAKING IN THE SOONER STATE.

HERE'S A PREVIEW.

LEADERSHIP SUPPORT.

SO STATE SUPPORT, COMMUNITY SUPPORT, TRIBAL SUPPORT.

I MEAN REALLY TAKES A VILLAGE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

BUT THIS HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING.

I MEAN, HONESTLY, I MEAN, THE INCENTIVE HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2001, SO A REALLY LONG TIME.

SO THERE'S BEEN SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE JUST LED THE CHARGE, AND I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION, QUITE HONESTLY.

BUT THE INDUSTRY JUST RALLIES, THEY RALLY AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT EDUCATION AND EDUCATING LEGISLATORS AND JUST COMMUNITIES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDUSTRY IS VITAL.

WHEN YOU BUILD THE INDUSTRY IN OKLAHOMA, IT GIVES YOU THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE ABLE TO TELL WHATEVER STORY YOU WANT.

WELL, WE WANT TO TELL OUR STORIES WE WANT IN OKLAHOMA HAS SO MANY STORIES TO TELL, AND TRIBES HAVE SO MANY STORIES TO TELL THAT IF WE CAN HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE INDUSTRY HERE, AND THEN WE USE OUR CREATIVE PEOPLE AND RAISE THOSE PEOPLE UP, THEN YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO TO GET OUR STORIES OUT INTO MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

AND WE WANT TO SUPPORT THAT AND SUPPORT THE CREATION OF THE JOBS AND THE ABILITY TO TELL OUR STORIES AND SEE OURSELVES ON SCREEN.

THE REST OF THAT CREATIVE CONVERSATION COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.

OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS ONE OF FIVE SCHOOLS IN THE NATION SERVING AS A REGIONAL HUB FOR AI WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AMAZON, THE INITIATIVE PROVIDES STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS WITH HANDS ON TRAINING AND ACCESS TO THE LATEST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MACHINE LEARNING TOOLS CURRENTLY BEING USED BY THE LEADING TECH COMPANIES.

WE GOT OUR POLICY SET IN PLACE FOR ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, AND AT THAT POINT, WE'RE REALLY ABLE TO HAVE EVEN BIGGER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT FOR THE WORKFORCE PREPAREDNESS OF OUR STUDENTS.

WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING BEING THE NEW FRONTIER, REALLY FOR OUR SOCIETY IN CURRENT AGE, WE DECIDED THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF, AS WELL AS OUR FACULTY AND STAFF.

THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR THAT OC HAS PARTNERED WITH AMAZON, WHICH HAS PROVEN TO BE A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.

LAWMAKERS ARE GRAPPLING WITH HOW AI SHOULD BE UTILIZED IN K THROUGH 12 CLASSROOMS, AND WHO SHOULD HAVE THE FINAL SAY WHEN IT IS.

NOAH MACK JOINS US NOW FROM THE STATE CAPITOL ROTUNDA TO EXPLAIN.

NOAH.

WELL, RICH, ONE OF THE BILL'S PROVISIONS BRINGS PARENTS INTO THE CONVERSATION AROUND HOW AI IS UTILIZED IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE QUESTIONS CIRCLING THESE DISCUSSIONS ARE HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THEIR FUTURE, AND HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

WITHIN MY FAMILY, WE USE TECHNOLOGY VERY LITTLE.

THE TV IS NOT ON, AS A GENERAL RULE.

YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT ONCE A MONTH, BUT MY KIDS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IPADS DURING THE WEEK AT ALL.

THEY DON'T HAVE AN IPAD THAT'S THEIRS THAT THEY CAN GO AND OPEN AND LOOK AT.

ATTORNEY LINDSAY SHERWOOD, A MOTHER OF ELEMENTARY AGE KIDS, IS DEDICATED TO LEARNING WHAT IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF EXPOSURE HER KIDS SHOULD GET TO MEDIA AND DEVICES.

I'VE DONE QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH, READING BOOKS AND LISTENING TO EXPERTS ON THE TOPIC.

AND IN HER ASSESSMENT, THE ANSWER IS VERY LITTLE.

I AM OF THE OPINION THAT WE SHOULD BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHAT TECHNOLOGY WE'RE INCLUDING IN THE CLASSROOM, AND SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO AI FOR STUDENT FACING DEVICES.

I DON'T THINK THAT IT HAS A PLACE IN THE CLASSROOM, AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE IN THERE.

AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ADVANCES, THE TECHNOLOGY IS ALREADY SEEPING INTO EDUCATION.

TEACHERS ARE VITAL TO THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS AND A. I CANNOT REPLACE A TEACHER, BUT AI CAN HELP A TEACHER BE EVEN A BETTER TEACHER THAN THEY ARE TEACHERS WITH.

OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE AUTHORIZED TO USE GENERATIVE AI TO ASSIST WITH ASSIGNMENT CREATION OR GRADING.

FOR EXAMPLE, A TEACHER CAN PLUG IN A STUDENT'S ESSAY OR MATH WORKSHEET INTO GOOGLE GEMINI AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK ALMOST INSTANTLY.

OR THEY CAN CREATE ASSIGNMENTS ON BLANK OR MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS, AND IT CAN CREATE THOSE SO FAST AND AMAZINGLY ACCURATE.

OKAY.

CPS DOES NOT ALLOW STUDENTS TO USE AI TOOLS YET.

THAT IS WHY THE OKLAHOMA SENATE ADVANCED LEGISLATION THAT SEEKS TO GET AHEAD OF THAT.

SO WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THE BILL IS IT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK.

SENATOR ALI AUTHORED THIS BILL THAT PASSED THE SENATE UNANIMOUSLY.

IT IS A CONTINUATION OF TECHNOLOGY REGULATION AFTER THE LEGISLATURE BANNED CELL PHONES IN SCHOOLS.

YOU KNOW, WE PASSED THAT LAST YEAR, AND THAT REALLY GOT THE CONVERSATION STARTED AROUND LAPTOPS AND CHROMEBOOKS BECAUSE I HAD PARENTS SAYING, YES, PLEASE REMOVE CELL PHONES FROM CLASSROOMS, BUT DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE LAPTOPS, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS VERY INTERESTING.

THE BILL, TITLED THE OKLAHOMA RESPONSIBLE TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS ACT, FOCUSES ON THE IDEA THAT AI SHOULD BE USED IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT REPLACE HUMAN INTERACTION AND INSTRUCTION.

IT REQUIRES DISTRICTS TO OUTLINE APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONAL USES AND PROHIBITED USES, AND CREATE AN OVERALL POLICY AROUND AI IN THE CLASSROOM.

OKAY, CPS ALREADY HAS SUCH A POLICY CONCOCTED BY A TASK FORCE MADE UP OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT DISTRICT WIDE STAKEHOLDERS LIKE ERIC HEILMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF I.T.

AT OKC.

WE DO HAVE GENERATIVE AI TOOLS BLOCKED FOR KIDS CURRENTLY, BUT WE CERTAINLY HOPE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE THAT WE OPEN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES UP FOR STUDENTS TO USE THOSE TOOLS IN A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE MANNER.

AND THERE WAS EVEN A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE ON THE TASK FORCE, SENIOR, ASHA SAMARA VERA.

I WAS SO GRATEFUL TO BE IN THAT SPACE.

AND AT FIRST IT WAS A LITTLE INTIMIDATING BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY STUDENT THERE.

MASHA HAS TAKEN A SPECIAL INTEREST IN THIS ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY AND IS AN ADVOCATE FOR INTRODUCING AI CURRICULUM.

I THINK STUDENTS SHOULD START LEARNING IT NOW.

LIKE I MENTIONED, IN THE NEXT 5 TO 10 YEARS, IT'S GOING TO TAKE OVER A HUGE PART OF THE WORKFORCE, AND IT'S GOING TO VASTLY CHANGE WHAT JOBS ARE AVAILABLE.

THIS MAKES CAREER NAVIGATING MURKY AND UNPREDICTABLE.

AND MASHA SAYS FOR STUDENTS, THAT GENERATES ANXIETY.

BUT IF STUDENTS KNOW THE BASICS OF HOW TO PROMPT ENGINEER EFFECTIVELY HOW TO SPOT BIASES AND HALLUCINATIONS WITHIN AI CONTENT, AND HOW TO UTILIZE THAT TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE OUTPUT, NO MATTER WHAT JOB THEY GO INTO, THEY'LL HAVE SO MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY AND ABILITY TO ADAPT TO CHANGES THAT ARE COMING IN THE NEXT 5 TO 10 YEARS.

MASHA AND ERIC BELIEVE BECOMING LITERATE IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES EARLY IS IMPERATIVE BECAUSE ENCOUNTERING THEM IS INEVITABLE.

THAT'S THE EXACT REASONS WHY WE HAVE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE FIRST PLACE.

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES TO HELP PREPARE KIDS FOR THEIR FUTURE.

AND THAT FUTURE WILL BE HERE IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

AND WE NEED TO GIVE THOSE KIDS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES.

MASHA SEES SEVERAL POTENTIAL WAYS OF INTRODUCING AI TO STUDENTS.

I THINK HAVING EITHER A CLASS DEDICATED TO IT OR IN ONE OF THE REQUIRED CLASSES, LIKE A TECHNOLOGY COURSE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVING A UNIT WITHIN THAT, AND ALSO MAYBE EVEN INTEGRATING AI RELATED SOFTWARE INTO OTHER ASSIGNMENTS AND OTHER CLASSES.

SENATOR SEIFRIED, HOWEVER, FINDS THAT LEARNING OTHER SUBJECTS IN TANDEM WITH TECHNOLOGY CAN BE DETRIMENTAL, AND THAT SCHOOLS MAY HAVE AN OVERSATURATION OF TECHNOLOGY.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP AI, WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP TECHNOLOGY.

WE DON'T WANT TO STOP PROGRESS, BUT WE DO WANT TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE LEARN.

AND I THINK FOR ME, EVEN TODAY AS WE'RE READING BILLS, I ABSORB THE MATERIAL MUCH BETTER WHEN I'M READING THE BILL, WHEN IT'S PRINTED OUT PHYSICALLY.

AND I THINK STUDENTS ARE THE SAME.

A MAJOR PROVISION IN THE BILL READS THE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF A STUDENT ENROLLED IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE, OPTING THE STUDENT OUT OF PARTICIPATING IN STUDENT FACING AI TOOLS AT ANY TIME, LINDSAY WILL BE OPTING OUT AND WANTS TO SEE SCHOOLS PRIORITIZE THE TRADITIONAL PHYSICALITY OF LEARNING, THE ACT OF WRITING, AND USING YOUR HAND AND PLACING IT ON PEN AND PAPER.

THAT CAUSES FRICTION, THAT HELPS THAT INFORMATION BE DEEPLY RETAINED.

HER KIDS ARE CURRENTLY OPTED OUT OF OTHER TECH PROGRAMS IN SCHOOL.

LINDSAY PREFERS ETCHING OTHER HABITS INTO HER CHILDREN'S LIVES.

IN OUR HOME, WE GO PLAY OUTSIDE EVERY NIGHT.

WHEN THEY GET HOME FROM SCHOOL, THEY GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY.

NOW, DO THEY SAY THEY'RE BORED?

CERTAINLY.

AND DO THEY GRIPE ABOUT BEING DIFFERENT AT TIMES?

YOU KNOW THAT THEY DON'T GET TO USE THE IPAD AT SCHOOL, CERTAINLY.

BUT YOU KNOW, WE TALK THROUGH IT AND AND THEY DO REALIZE THAT THE OTHER THINGS ARE MORE FUN IF PASSED INTO LAW SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE UNTIL FALL 2027 TO GET THESE GUIDELINES INTO PLACE.

RICH NOAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OKAY, LET'S KEEP IT AT THE CAPITOL NOW FOR OUR WEEKLY CONVERSATION WITH THE JOURNALIST WHO'S WORKED THERE FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, QUORUM CALL PUBLISHER SHAWN ASHLEY, JOINING US FROM OUR OETA STUDIO ON THE GROUND FLOOR.

AND SHAWN, BASED ON THE THREE DAY FILING PERIOD THAT ENDED A WEEK AGO FRIDAY, A LOT OF OKLAHOMANS ARE INTERESTED IN HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE.

THEY CERTAINLY ARE.

ACCORDING TO THE STATE ELECTION BOARD, 611 OKLAHOMANS FILED FOR FEDERAL STATEWIDE LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL OFFICES DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.

NOW, THAT'S THE SECOND LARGEST NUMBER IN THE PAST 25 YEARS, ACCORDING TO THE STATE ELECTION BOARD.

THE LARGEST OCCURRED IN 2018, WHEN 794 CANDIDATES FILED, AND NOW THERE ARE FOUR PROPOSED STATE QUESTIONS THE DEMOCRATS SAY ARE BAD NEWS FOR OKLAHOMANS RUN DOWN THOSE FOR US.

TWO PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE STATE'S MEDICAID EXPANSION PROGRAM, WHICH WAS PUT IN THE OKLAHOMA CONSTITUTION BY VOTERS.

ONE WOULD REMOVE MEDICAID EXPANSION FROM THE CONSTITUTION AND PUT IT IN STATUTE, GIVING THE LEGISLATURE GREATER CONTROL OVER THE PROGRAM.

THE SECOND PROPOSED STATE QUESTION WOULD ALLOW THE LEGISLATURE TO REDUCE ITS FUNDING TO MEDICAID EXPANSION.

IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REDUCES ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO HAPPEN IN COMING YEARS.

TWO OTHER PROPOSED STATE QUESTIONS WOULD AFFECT THE PROPERTY TAX, WHICH IS USED TO FUND SCHOOLS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

DEMOCRATS ARE CONCERNED A REDUCTION IN THESE REVENUES WOULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT SCHOOLS AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS.

SEAN, THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE MOVING ON THE BUDGET DEAL AGREED TO LAST WEEK.

TALK ABOUT THEIR PROGRESS.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THE BUDGET AGREEMENT WAS ANNOUNCED ON APRIL 1ST, AND IT HAS ALREADY PASSED THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE IN BOTH CHAMBERS.

WE SAW SOME SIMILARITIES IN THE DEBATE.

DEMOCRATS, WHO HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE BILL AND THE JOINT COMMITTEES ON APPROPRIATION AND BUDGET WERE JOINED BY SOME REPUBLICANS ON THE HOUSE AND SENATE FLOORS TO EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OF THE EXPENDITURES PROPOSED BY THE BUDGET.

ULTIMATELY, HOWEVER, IT PASSED BOTH CHAMBERS AND MOVES ON TO GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT FOR HIS CONSIDERATION.

THE GOVERNOR, OF COURSE, WAS ONE OF THE PARTIES IN THE BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS, AND SINCE THE BILL WAS PASSED, HE IS EXPECTED TO SIGN IT.

SEAN, TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT THE STRONG READERS ACT WILL DO.

THIS IS THE PLAN THE LEGISLATURE HAS TO IMPLEMENT THE LITERACY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THROUGH MUCH OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

IT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE LITERACY LEVEL OF STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY AS THEY REACH THE THIRD GRADE, BUT AT THE THIRD GRADE, IF THEY ARE READING BELOW GRADE LEVEL, THERE IS THE CHANCE THAT THEY WILL BE RETAINED.

NOW, THERE ARE SOME EXEMPTIONS PROVIDED FOR THAT.

IT ALSO PROVIDES ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR TEACHERS TO PROVIDE LITERACY TRAINING IN LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND IT REQUIRES THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LITERACY COACHES IT HAS THAT ARE DEPLOYED ON A REGIONAL BASIS FROM 5 TO 20, INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT CAN BE PUT OUT TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

NOW, FINALLY, SEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE BEN MAY WIND UP WITH A JOB THAT HE SAID WASN'T ON HIS BINGO CARD WHEN HE FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THE PAC WAS APPOINTED IN OCTOBER AFTER GOVERNOR STITT'S ORIGINAL PICK FOR THE OFFICE FOUND OUT SHE WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO SERVE.

LEGACY HAS BEEN A SENIOR ADVISOR AND GENERAL COUNSEL TO THE GOVERNOR FOR SOME TIME.

HE TOLD THE SENATE RETIREMENT AND GOVERNMENT RESOURCES COMMITTEE THAT HE SPENT HIS FIRST FEW MONTHS IN OFFICE TALKING TO THE CAREER EMPLOYEES IN THAT AGENCY WHO PROVIDE BUSINESS REGISTRATION SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATIVE RULES, OVERSIGHT AND INITIATIVE PETITION OVERSIGHT AS WELL, SEEING HOW THEY DO THEIR JOBS AND HOW WELL THEY DO THEM.

HE DESCRIBED THEM AS A VERY DILIGENT STAFF.

OKAY, SEAN ASHLEY, BUSY AS ALWAYS THERE AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.

WELL, MANY OKLAHOMA COMMUNITIES THAT THRIVE WHEN A RAILROAD WENT THROUGH THEIR TOWN STRUGGLED ONCE THOSE TRAINS STOPPED RUNNING.

THE HISTORY OF TRAIN TRAVEL IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR STATE'S HISTORY.

AND NOW YOU CAN RIDE THE RAILS AGAIN IN A UNIQUE WAY.

TAELYR JACKSON JOINS US NOW WITH THOSE DETAILS.

TAELYR.

WELL, RICH TRAINS WERE A VITAL PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE IN AMERICA DURING THE 19TH CENTURY AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

HERE IN OKLAHOMA, RAILROADS RAN NEARLY PARALLEL TO ROUTE 66.

FOR YEARS, FOLKS ACROSS AMERICA HAVE BEEN ENAMORED WITH TRAINS, SO LAST YEAR, ONE ENTHUSIAST OPENED AN ATTRACTION IN OKLAHOMA CITY THAT RAILWAY LOVERS CAN ENJOY RIGHT HERE.

ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, MY FAMILY AND I, MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN.

WE WENT TO ONE OF THESE RAIL BIKE EVENTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

I NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE.

AND SO WE WENT DOWN.

IT WAS IN CONCORD.

IT WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF RIDE, WENT THROUGH THE WOODS, WENT THROUGH A DAIRY FARM, AND IT WAS JUST A BEAUTIFUL RIDE AND WE HAD A TON OF FUN.

OWNER BENJAMIN MOWATT LOVED IT SO MUCH HE DECIDED TO START HIS OWN COMPANY CALLED JOY RAILS.

SO WE START OFF RIGHT HERE AT THE OKLAHOMA RAILWAY MUSEUM, AND WE GO ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF GOING SOUTH.

WE GO ALONG A BICYCLE TRAIL, SO IT'S GREEN THE WHOLE WAY.

AS YOU PEDAL THROUGH THE SIX MILE EXCURSION, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER HOW MANY TRAINS HAVE PASSED THROUGH AND WHERE WERE THEY HEADED?

RAILROADS ARE A PRODUCT OF RECONSTRUCTION, SPECIFICALLY THE RECONSTRUCTION TREATIES THAT WERE SIGNED BETWEEN THE FIVE TRIBES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR.

PART OF THE TERMS OF THOSE TREATIES BASICALLY MANDATED THAT THE TRIBES PROVIDE.

AND SO FOR THAT REASON, WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT THE BIG TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROADS THAT HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CIVIL WAR IS FOR THAT REASON, THAT RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION WAS SOMEWHAT DELAYED IN INDIAN TERRITORY.

HISTORIAN MATTHEW PIERCE SAYS RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN THE INDIAN TERRITORY IN THE 1870S, AND THEY SERVED AS A VITAL LIFELINE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF GOODS.

THIS WAS A REGION THAT'S RICH IN NATURAL RESOURCES TIMBER, COAL, ESPECIALLY IN THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

SO RAILROADS PROVIDED A MEANS TO EXTRACT THOSE MATERIALS OUT OF OKLAHOMA.

AND ON THE OTHER, ON THE FLIP SIDE, IT PROVIDED A MEANS FOR PEOPLE IN INDIAN TERRITORY IN OKLAHOMA TO ACCESS TO MARKETS.

SO THEY WERE ABLE TO THEN HAVE GOODS AND FINISHED GOODS PRODUCTS SHIPPED FROM OUT OF STATE, OUT OF THE TERRITORY INTO OKLAHOMA.

45,000 MILES OF RAILROADS WERE BUILT IN THE U.S.

PRIOR TO THE 1870S.

BY THE 1900S, 170,000 MILES WERE ADDED.

RAILROADS BUILT IN THE TERRITORY ALSO LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MANY TOWNS.

WELL, THERE WOULDN'T BE A TOWN IF THERE WASN'T A TRAIN OR A RAILROAD.

BRISTOW, OKLAHOMA IS ONE OF THOSE TOWNS LOCATED IN CREEK COUNTY ON HISTORIC ROUTE 66.

BRISTOW WAS CREATED AFTER 1898, WHEN THE SAINT LOUIS AND SAN FRANCISCO RAILWAY BUILT A LINE FROM SAPULPA TO OKLAHOMA CITY.

BRISTOW HISTORICAL SOCIETY SECRETARY PAULA ATWELL SAYS A TRADING POST EXISTED AT THE SITE BEFORE THE SETTLEMENT EVEN BEGAN.

THERE WERE NO ROADS.

IT WAS STRICTLY TRAILS OR WAGON ROADS, OF COURSE, NO VEHICLES AT THE TIME, SO THE TRAIN BROUGHT EVERYTHING INTO TOWN AND ANYTHING THAT WAS GROWN OR NEEDED TO BE SHIPPED OUT WENT BY TRAIN.

JUST EVERYTHING WENT BY TRAIN.

A LOT OF TOWNS LIVED AND DIED BY WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD GET A STATION, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF THEY COULD BE PLACED ON THE RAILROAD.

AND THEN ON THE FLIP SIDE TOO, YOU HAD TOWNS THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED ON A WELL-ESTABLISHED ROAD, SAY THE TEXAS ROAD.

BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART, RAILROADS TENDED TO FOLLOW, YOU KNOW, ALREADY WELL-TRAVELED PATHS.

BUT THERE WERE SOME CASES WHERE THE RAILROAD WOULD ESTABLISH A STATION, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF WHERE THERE WAS ALREADY A PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED TOWN.

AND SO YOU HAD CASES WHERE THE TOWN WOULD KIND OF MOVE TO WHERE THE RAILROAD WAS GOING AS SOME SETTLEMENTS DIED DUE TO THE CLOSURE OR MIGRATION OF RAILROADS, BRISTOW CONTINUED TO THRIVE.

THIS THIS AREA WAS LOTS OF COTTON, MOSTLY COTTON LATER ON WAS PEANUTS.

AND THEN IN THE 20S, THE OIL BOOM.

SO THE TOWN REALLY GREW AT THAT TIME.

LOTS OF COTTON.

THE TRAIN WAS REALLY BUSY WITH BALES OF COTTON.

THE TOWN'S FIRST TRAIN DEPOT WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY 1900S.

IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF SIXTH STREET, RIGHT BEHIND ME.

BECAUSE THE DEPOT, THE THE PROPERTY THAT THE DEPOT WAS GOING TO BE BUILT ON WAS ALREADY DECIDED BY THE RAILROAD COMPANY WHEN THE TOWN WAS PLATTED.

AND SO IT WOUND UP THE DEPOT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.

SO AT 1924 THIS DEPOT WAS BUILT.

AND THE OTHER ONE WAS ACTUALLY PART OF IT WAS USED FOR THIS BUILDING AND ANOTHER PART FOR STORAGE.

FRISCO DEPOT WAS ALSO THE PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT FOR AMERICA'S SINGING COWBOY, GENE AUTRY.

HE WORKED AS A TICKET AGENT AND TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AT WELL SAYS AUTRY WOULD OFTEN PERFORM IN TOWN AFTER WORK.

BRISTOW WAS HIS MOST WELL.

HIS FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE, HE SAID.

IT WAS.

HIS FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE EVER WAS HERE.

THE DEPOT ALSO PLAYED A SMALL ROLE DURING THE WORLD WARS.

THE TROOPS COME THROUGH HERE.

IN 1917, THEY ESTIMATED 40,000 TROOPS STOPPED HERE ON THEIR WAY TO TO THE WAR, WHEREVER THEY WERE GOING AND AND GOT WATER.

BRISTOW MADE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GOT A DRINK OF 99.9% PURE WATER.

SINCE THEN, THE DEPOT HAS BEEN RENOVATED AND NOW SERVES AS A HISTORICAL MUSEUM.

SO THE NEXT TIME YOU DRIVE PAST TRAIN TRACKS, KNOW THAT THESE RAILS HAVE A STORY TO TELL.

WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT RAILROADS, AS THAT WAS ONE OF THE PRIMARY WAYS IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES COULD INVEST CAPITAL.

AND SO YOU HAD WIDESPREAD SPECULATION GOING ON IN RAILROAD COMPANIES AND AND NOT JUST IN THE COMPANY ITSELF, BUT IN EVERYTHING THAT THE RAILROAD WAS DOING.

THEY WERE INVESTING IN LAND.

THEY WERE INVESTING IN, IN MINES AND TIMBER COMPANIES AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO CHECK OUT THE JOY RAILS EXCURSION THIS SEASON, YOU CAN VISIT THEIR WEBSITE, JOY RAILS.COM RICH TAELYR.

I LEARNED A LOT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELL, ACCORDING TO A STUDY DONE AT OSU, WORKFORCE RETENTION REMAINS A PERSISTENT CHALLENGE FOR OKLAHOMA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH.

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

IF EMPLOYERS IN OKLAHOMA WANT TO BETTER RETAIN THEIR EMPLOYEES, THEY MUST ADDRESS A LACK OF ADVANCEMENT, SCHEDULE INFLEXIBILITY, AND BURNOUT.

ACCORDING TO THE OSU CENTER FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK'S ANNUAL REPORT CALLED OKLAHOMA WORK TRENDS.

MORE THAN 60% OF OKLAHOMA WORKERS IDENTIFY ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AS A KEY FACTOR IN KEEPING THEM ON THE JOB.

OVERALL, IT SEEMS MOST WORKERS ARE HAPPY WITH THEIR WORKPLACE, AS NEARLY 60% OF THOSE SURVEYED SAY THEY FEEL ALIGNED WITH AND FIT WITHIN THEIR ORGANIZATION.

51% OF EMPLOYEES SAY THEIR WORKPLACE FOSTERS TRUST, SUPPORT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY.

BUT JUST ABOUT HALF OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID THEY STILL MAY LEAVE THEIR ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.

STILLWATER BASED USA RARE EARTH IS TEAMING UP WITH PARIS BASED VILLA TO EACH HOLD INTEREST IN CHARACTER S A S. THE MOVE IS MEANT TO PROVIDE MORE ACCESS TO RARE EARTH MINERALS.

USA RARE EARTH WILL HAVE ACCESS TO CHARACTERS, ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES AND RELATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FOR SEPARATION, PROCESSING AND RECYCLING OF RARE EARTHS.

CHARACTER WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE STILLWATER COMPANY'S HEAVY RARE EARTH FEEDSTOCK FROM ITS DEPOSIT IN TEXAS.

THE GROUP OF COMPANIES ALSO WILL DEVELOP AN INDUSTRIAL PLATFORM TO CREATE AN INTEGRATED CHAIN FOR RARE EARTH PROCESSING, METAL AND ALLOY PRODUCTION AND MAGNET MANUFACTURING IN FRANCE.

DOBSON FIBER IS BROUGHT PATRICIA MARTIN ON BOARD AS ITS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

MARTIN HAS MORE THAN 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY.

SHE'LL LEAD THE COMPANY'S CONTINUED EXPANSION IN OKLAHOMA, ARKANSAS AND TEXAS.

OKLAHOMA CITY BASED LSP INDUSTRIES HAS APPOINTED JONATHAN ACKERMAN AS AN INDEPENDENT MEMBER OF ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

HIS APPOINTMENT TOOK EFFECT ON APRIL 2ND, AND SHAREHOLDERS WILL GET THEIR SAY WHEN ACKERMAN STANDS FOR ELECTION FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING THE COMPANY'S ANNUAL MEETING ON MAY 21ST.

ACKERMAN IS THE CO-FOUNDER, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF MERIDIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.

HE'S TAKING THE PLACE OF FORMER DIRECTOR STEVE BUSH, WHO RESIGNED FROM THE BOARD IN LATE MARCH.

SPRING BREAK WAS GOOD FOR THE OKLAHOMA CITY ZOO, AS IT RECORDED ITS BEST MARCH FOR ATTENDANCE AT THE PARK.

160,420 GUESTS VISITED DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, BEATING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 155,200 GUESTS SET IN MARCH OF 2024.

THE ZOO HAD SEVERAL EVENTS DURING MARCH, INCLUDING SPRING BREAK AT THE ZOO AND THE DINOSAUR EXPEDITION.

THIS IS THE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

JASON.

THANK YOU.

THIS WEEK WE'RE TAKING OUR IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION ON THE ROAD TO THE STATE CAPITOL, THE SCENE OF THE ANNUAL OKLAHOMA FILM AND MUSIC DAY ON TUESDAY.

THIS WEEK, MODERATOR CASSIDY MUDD SAT DOWN WITH LEADERS IN OKLAHOMA'S GROWING FILM INDUSTRY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO KEEP THE CAMERAS ROLLING IN THE SOONER STATE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

RICH, WE'RE JOINED HERE WITH JANETTE STANTON, THE DIRECTOR OF THE OKLAHOMA FILM AND MUSIC OFFICE.

AND WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY JENNIFER LOREN, SENIOR DIRECTOR WITH CHEROKEE FILM AND HOST OF OSIYO TV.

SO IT IS BOOMING OUTSIDE.

WE'RE HERE WITH FILMMAKERS, CREATIVES.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST SUCH A BUSTLE OUT THERE.

WHAT IS DRIVING THIS GROWTH HERE IN OKLAHOMA?

JANETTE.

OH, WOW, SO MANY THINGS.

OBVIOUSLY, I WANT TO START WITH LEADERSHIP SUPPORT.

SO STATE SUPPORT, COMMUNITY SUPPORT, TRIBAL SUPPORT.

I MEAN REALLY TAKES A VILLAGE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

BUT THIS HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING.

I MEAN, HONESTLY, I MEAN, THE INCENTIVE HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2001, SO A REALLY LONG TIME.

SO THERE'S BEEN SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE JUST LED THE CHARGE, AND I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION, QUITE HONESTLY.

BUT THE INDUSTRY JUST RALLIES, THEY RALLY AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT EDUCATION AND EDUCATING LEGISLATORS AND JUST COMMUNITIES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDUSTRY IS VITAL.

YOU BROUGHT A LOT OF REALLY GREAT POINTS UP, JENNIFER, IF YOU WANTED TO ADD TO THAT.

YEAH, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I THINK IN OKLAHOMA, WE ALL SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDUSTRY, WE SEE THE JOBS THAT IT'S CREATING.

IT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO TELL OUR OWN STORIES.

AND SO I THINK AN EVENT LIKE TODAY IS A GREAT ILLUSTRATION OF HOW WE ALL LOCK ARMS AND WE COME TOGETHER AND WE LIFT ONE ANOTHER UP AND WE REALLY CHEERLEAD THIS INDUSTRY, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT LEADERSHIP SUPPORT THAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

AND WE'VE SEEN PROJECTS LIKE KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, TULSA KING, NEW FILMS COMING IN.

I HEARD SNOOP DOGG IS GOING TO BE COMING TO OKLAHOMA AS WELL.

WHAT'S HAPPENED TO MAKE THAT LEVEL OF PRODUCTION COME HERE.

JEANETTE.

WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK BECAUSE OF WHAT THE STATE HAS, YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF PUT THEIR THEY PUT A LOT OF THEY DID IT.

THEY SAID THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT AND THEY DID IT.

AND I THINK THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.

AND WHAT THAT DID IS IT KIND OF OPENED UP THE DOOR.

RIGHT.

AND JUST TALKING ABOUT THE INCENTIVES SPECIFICALLY, IT OPENED UP THE DOOR.

IT KIND OF SAID, HEY, WE'RE HERE AND WE MEAN BUSINESS, AND WE WANT FILM PRODUCTIONS.

AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY SAW THAT, WHICH LED TO PEOPLE MOVING HERE.

IT LED TO LOCALS BEING ABLE TO TAP INTO MORE RESOURCES.

AND SO AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S ABOUT IS GROWING THE BUSINESS HERE, GROWING THE FILM BUSINESS HERE.

BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS A BUSINESS.

IT IS A BUSINESS.

YEAH, YEAH.

I WOULD SAY IT'S LIKE A, YOU KNOW, THE INDUSTRY BUILDING AN INDUSTRY, ANY INDUSTRY, BUT YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY FILM AND TELEVISION, IT'S A LONG GAME.

AND LIKE SHE SAID, OKLAHOMA'S BEEN AT IT FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE SEEN THE YEARS GO BY AND THE STATE LEGISLATORS, YOU KNOW, THANKFULLY INCREASED THE FILM REBATES IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA A FEW YEARS AGO.

YOU'VE SEEN MORE ACTIVITY HERE.

SO YOU'RE BRINGING PRODUCTIONS IN, BUT PEOPLE JUST LOVE ONCE THEY'RE HERE.

THEY MAY COME BECAUSE OF THE REBATES, BUT THEY COME HERE AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH MY GOSH, THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN WHEREVER THEY CAME FROM.

AND SO THEY'RE MOVING THEIR COMPANIES HERE, OR THEY'RE COMING BACK TO FILM HERE AGAIN BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE HERE.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T SAY IN EVERY STATE.

LIKE IT'S A REALLY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR CREWS.

AND OUR PEOPLE ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, SECOND TO NONE.

THEY'RE JUST AWESOME.

YEAH.

GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD.

I COULD NOT AGREE MORE.

I MEAN, REPEAT CLIENTS IS ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY FOR US.

WE HAVE A LOT OF REPEAT CLIENTS.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE A CLIENT MIGHT HAVE A SMALL PROJECT, YOU NEVER KNOW IN FIVE YEARS THEY MIGHT HAVE A GIANT PROJECT.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHY CLIENT DEVELOPMENT, CLIENT SUPPORT IS SO IMPORTANT.

I THINK ALL OF OUR OFFICES.

I KNOW CHEROKEE FILM THINKS THAT'S IMPORTANT.

WE THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.

TULSA THINKS THAT'S IMPORTANT.

OKLAHOMA CITY.

AND YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE INCENTIVES AS WELL.

THEY ALL VALUE THAT.

AND AND I HEAR THAT WE'RE OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.

I HEAR THAT FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES AS WELL AS OKLAHOMA'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND WE'RE READY TO HELP.

AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WORKING ACROSS THE STATE IN THIS INDUSTRY, AND WHAT DOES THAT INDUSTRY BRING TO OKLAHOMA IN TERMS OF BUSINESS?

YEAH.

SO THOUSANDS, QUITE HONESTLY.

SO WE HAVE A PRODUCTION DIRECTORY.

IT'S A FREE DATABASE.

AND WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND THAT BUSINESSES GET REGISTERED IN OUR DATABASE FOR SUPPORT SERVICES FOR FILM.

SO ANYONE, ANYONE CAN DO IT.

IT'S FREE.

IF YOU HAVE A FURNITURE BUSINESS, YOU NEVER KNOW.

PEOPLE MIGHT NEED FILMS, MAY NEED TO RENT FURNITURE FROM YOU FOR STAGING YOU.

I MEAN, IT REALLY TWISTERS CAME IN AND THEY NEEDED ALL KINDS OF STUFF BECAUSE THEY HAD TO CREATE TORNADO SCENES.

SO THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE WHEN KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON NEEDED THOSE CARS.

THOSE.

SO GO OUT AND BUY THAT STUFF, RIGHT?

AND THEN USE IT ON SET.

OKAY.

AND SO I MEAN, IT IS HUGE, HUGE.

AND THEN WE HAVE A PRODUCTION DIRECTORY FOR CREW AS WELL.

AND THEN FOR REALLY QUICKLY HERE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET INVOLVED, ASKING FOR A FRIEND, HOW DO THEY GET INVOLVED?

YEAH, SO THERE'S SO MANY WAYS WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, REGISTER TO OUR NEWSLETTER BECAUSE IT GIVES US KIND OF A SNAPSHOT OF THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP OR THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED.

REGISTER IN THE GUIDE IF YOU CAN, BUT ALSO ATTEND THINGS LIKE THE OKLAHOMA MOTION PICTURE ALLIANCE.

AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF NETWORK GROUPS.

THAT'S A GREAT ONE TO START WITH.

THEY HAVE COFFEE AND CREW EVERY FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH, ONE IN TULSA, ONE IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

BUT THEN WE ALSO GIVE THEM RESOURCES TO THE OTHER FILM OFFICES, RIGHT?

DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY LIVE, IF THEY LIVE IN TULSA, REACH OUT TO THE TULSA FILM OFFICE.

THEY'D LOVE TO MEET YOU, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO CHEROKEE FILM.

THEY'D LOVE TO MEET YOU.

WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE THAT BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT COLLABORATION.

I THINK PEOPLE HERE LOVE NETWORKING WITH EACH OTHER, AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MIGHT GIVE YOU YOUR NEXT BIG GIG.

TRULY.

WELL, JENNIFER, ON THE COMMUNITY SIDE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY SEE THEMSELVES REFLECTED IN THESE STORIES?

IT MEANS SO MUCH.

SO, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON BEHALF OF CHEROKEE FILM, THAT IS OUR MAIN FOCUS IS, YOU KNOW, INCREASING NATIVE AMERICAN REPRESENTATION IN FILM AND MEDIA BECAUSE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE A TINY BIT, BUT NOT VERY MUCH.

WE'RE STILL REPRESENTED IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA AT A RATE OF LESS THAN 0.1%.

AND SO EVERYTHING WE DO AT CHEROKEE FILM IS TO HELP INCREASE THAT REPRESENTATION IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, BEHIND THE CAMERA, IN THE WRITERS ROOM, ACTORS, YOU NAME IT.

AND SO WE'VE BUILT A WHOLE ECOSYSTEM SURROUNDING THAT, BUT ALSO TO, YOU KNOW, HELP THE INDUSTRY TO, TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, LOCK ARMS WITH THE INDUSTRY AND ALL OF THE KEY PLAYERS AND BOOST THE INDUSTRY WHERE WE CAN.

AND THE THING ABOUT BEING A CHEROKEE FILM IN OKLAHOMA IS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

WE ARE PART OF THIS STATE.

IT'S WE'RE HERE FOREVER.

AND SO WE HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN SEEING PEOPLE STAY IN OKLAHOMA AND SEEING THE INDUSTRY GROW HERE.

AND WE WANT TO SUPPORT THAT AND SUPPORT THE CREATION OF THE JOBS AND THE ABILITY TO TELL OUR STORIES AND SEE OURSELVES ON SCREEN WELL.

AND WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FILMING IN OKLAHOMA AND ACTUALLY TELLING AN OKLAHOMA STORY?

BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE YOU CAN HAVE PEOPLE COME IN FROM ALL OVER.

WE'RE HAVING WHAT IS THAT?

TELL US ABOUT THAT.

YEAH.

SO THERE'S A BENEFIT TO BOTH, RIGHT?

IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE BRING PRODUCTIONS INTO OKLAHOMA AND THE CHEROKEE NATION FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IT PROVIDES.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STAYING IN OUR HOTELS AND THEY'RE BUYING THINGS FROM OUR BUSINESSES.

AND SO IT'S SUPPORTING OUR STATE AND OUR LOCAL ECONOMIES IN THAT WAY.

SO THAT'S GREAT.

BUT IT'S ALSO ALLOWING PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND WORK HERE TO HAVE JOBS AND WORK ON THOSE PROJECTS WHEN THEY COME HERE.

BUT YOU CAN LOOK AT IT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND SAY, WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT, WE ALSO WANT TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF LOCAL TALENT BECAUSE WE THIS IS WHEN YOU BUILD THE INDUSTRY IN OKLAHOMA, IT GIVES YOU THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE ABLE TO TELL WHATEVER STORY YOU WANT.

WELL, WE WANT TO TELL OUR STORIES.

WE WANT IN.

OKLAHOMA HAS SO MANY STORIES TO TELL AND TRIBES HAVE SO MANY STORIES TO TELL THAT IF WE CAN HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE INDUSTRY HERE, AND THEN WE USE OUR CREATIVE PEOPLE AND RAISE THOSE PEOPLE UP, THEN YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO TO GET OUR STORIES OUT INTO MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

AND IT'S TIME.

JEANETTE, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO ADD?

NO, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

YEAH, YEAH, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOCALS.

THAT IS REALLY, THAT'S REALLY SPECIAL.

AND WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS IS, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN SOME, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LOCAL FILMMAKERS, YOU KNOW, BARELY MAKING IT THEIR FIRST FILM, YOU KNOW, 12 YEARS AGO.

AND NOW, YOU KNOW, DOING A FILM THAT'S 5 MILLION OR 6 MILLION.

AND WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THAT IS A, THEY'RE GOING TO GET THE STORY RIGHT, AND B, THEY'RE GOING TO HIRE LOCAL, RIGHT?

THEY WANT TO BE HERE.

THEY WANT TO DO IT HERE.

THEY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE TO GO DO IT.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL TO OKLAHOMA BECAUSE WE'VE YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN A LOT LIKE UP AND DOWN, RIGHT.

AND IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT WORK AND PEOPLE JUST STICK WITH IT AND THEY DO IT.

AND AS EVIDENT BY TODAY, WE HAVE ARRIVED.

AND SO THIS IS A QUESTION FOR BOTH OF YOU.

BUT WHAT PROJECTS ARE IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW?

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE BE GETTING EXCITED ABOUT?

JENNIFER.

WELL, WE HAVE OUR OWN PRODUCTION COMPANY, CHEROKEE FILM PRODUCTIONS, AND WE JUST RELEASED A FIRST LOOK TRAILER FOR OUR FIRST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY ABOUT CHEROKEE FREEDMEN.

AND SO THAT WILL BE PREMIERING THIS FALL.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, BUT ALSO CHEROKEE FILM STUDIOS.

WE HAVE A PURPOSE BUILT STUDIO IN OWASSO, OKLAHOMA.

YOU'LL GET EVERYTHING THERE THAT YOU GET IN HOLLYWOOD.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A VIRTUAL PRODUCTION SOUNDSTAGE IN OWASSO.

AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT A WHOLE HOST OF PROJECTS THAT ARE SLATED TO FILM IN THERE THIS SUMMER AND FALL.

WOW.

JEANETTE.

YEAH.

WELL, I'M ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE PROJECTS WE LIST, ALL THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR THE INCENTIVE ON OUR WEBSITE.

I'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE TELL ME THEY WANT TO MEET SNOOP DOGG.

I KNOW.

NO SHOCK THERE.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

SO I MEAN, WE'RE ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE PROJECTS, BUT WE'RE ANTICIPATING BASICALLY FROM NOW AT LEAST TILL MID-FALL WILL BE VERY, VERY BUSY, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.

IT'S SO EXCITING.

THERE'S SO MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

WELL, THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION, BUT IF WE CAME BACK MAYBE IN FIVE YEARS, HAD A DISCUSSION LIKE THIS, WHAT WOULD WE SEE AND DEFINE AS SUCCESS FOR OKLAHOMA'S FILM INDUSTRY?

BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY SEEING IT TODAY.

WE'RE ALREADY SEEING IT TODAY.

SO I'M A BIG LIKE SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE TYPE OF PERSON.

I'VE SEEN SOME STATES, YOU KNOW, SKYROCKET TO WHERE MAYBE THEY HAVE $100 MILLION INCENTIVE OR ABOVE, AND THEN THINGS COME CRASHING DOWN.

AND THEN IT'S YEARS, YEARS LATER THAT THEY SLOWLY COME BACK UP.

AND THEN WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT REALLY AFFECTS THE WORKFORCE, RIGHT?

IT'S A NOMADIC INDUSTRY.

THEY WANT TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

THEY WANT TO CREATE.

THEY WANT TO WORK IN FILM.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO GO WHERE THE BUSINESS IS.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO LEAVE.

THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE.

I REALLY THINK THAT OKLAHOMA HAS DONE IT RIGHT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME, A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME.

YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO PROVE THAT WE'RE HERE.

THERE'S THERE'S PEOPLE TO WORK ON FILMS HERE.

WE JUST KEEP GROWING.

AND I THINK WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE NEED TO KEEP GROWING.

WE'RE READY.

WE'RE READY FOR THE NEXT STEP FOR SURE.

YEAH.

AND I THINK THAT REALLY STABILIZES THE INDUSTRY, RIGHT?

SO WE'VE TAKEN A LOT OF TIME TO REALLY EXPLAIN THE INDUSTRY.

AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES, SPEAKS VOLUMES.

I MEAN, WE'RE IN THIS ROOM BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME.

SO I JUST I LOVE THAT.

JENNIFER.

FINAL THOUGHTS.

YEAH, I THINK IN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, I AGREE SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE.

BUT I THINK WE REALLY, HONESTLY, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF LEADERSHIP.

YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, CHIEF CHUCK HOSKIN JR OF THE CHEROKEE NATION SAID THIS IS A FOREVER INDUSTRY.

THERE ARE OTHER CHIEFS AND OTHER LEADERS OF OTHER TRIBES WHO HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN INDUSTRY THAT THEY BELIEVE IN AND KEEPING IT HERE IN OKLAHOMA AND CONTINUING TO BUILD IT.

AND SO IF WE COULD CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF SUPPORT FROM THE TRIBAL LEADERSHIP, BUT ALSO FROM STATE LEGISLATORS, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY KEY BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD THING GOING HERE AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO SEE WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE TODAY.

BUT WE NEED TO REALLY JUST KEEP PUSHING TO HAVE THAT LEADERSHIP SUPPORT.

I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

I'M SO EXCITED.

WELL, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

AND CASSIDY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELL, THANKS TO OGE AND A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE BOUND STUDENT AT PUTNAM CITY HIGH SCHOOL WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND HIS UNIVERSITY OF CHOICE AT VERY LITTLE COST.

AND BEST OF ALL, IT WAS ALL A SURPRISE ON MONDAY.

RISHI PATEL THOUGHT HE WAS ATTENDING A ROUTINE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY, BUT HE WAS ACTUALLY THE GUEST OF HONOR, RECEIVING $60,000 FROM OG AND HIS POSITIVE ENERGY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

IT WAS REALLY SURPRISING, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY FOR THE MONEY THAT I'M GOING TO RECEIVE AND EXCITED THAT I CAN PAY FOR COLLEGE WELL, BUT IT WAS JUST REALLY OVERWHELMING BECAUSE IT WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE ON STAGE, A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND, AND I JUST GOT TOLD THAT I WON A LOT OF MONEY FOR COLLEGE.

IF I HAD TO WORK A JOB, I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORK AS MANY HOURS.

I COULD SPEND MORE TIME FOCUSING ON MY STUDIES AND ATTENDING MORE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT COULD BE IN MORE CLUBS, WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND MY TIME TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE I'M GOING TO PAY FOR COLLEGE NEXT.

RICCI PLANS TO STUDY BUSINESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA.

BEFORE WE GO, WE'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND HONOR THE MAN WHO CAME TO BE KNOWN AS MR.

OETA.

HIS NAME IS BOB ALLEN.

HE TOOK OVER THIS, LED, AND HE TURNED IT INTO ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED AND MOST WATCHED PBS NETWORKS IN THE NATION.

MR.

ALLEN PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 86 ON WEDNESDAY.

OETA ROBERT BIRCH HAS MORE ON HIS REMARKABLE LEGACY.

ROBERT LEE ALLEN'S LIFE BEGAN IN EL RENO.

HIS PARENTS WERE IN THE DAIRY BUSINESS, BUT AT AN EARLY AGE, HE KNEW HE WANTED TO BE IN SHOW BUSINESS.

AS THE COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT LESLIE FISHER, HE BECAME SO ESSENTIAL THAT WHEN THE RELATIVELY NEW OKLAHOMA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION AUTHORITY, KNOWN AS OETA, NEEDED A NEW DIRECTOR, BOB WAS LOANED TO THE STATION.

BUT FOR ONLY ONE YEAR.

ONE THING THAT WAS AGAINST ME IN BEING NAMED DIRECTOR WAS I WASN'T A BROADCASTER.

WELL, I JUST DECIDED I'M GOING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BROADCASTING THAN ANY OF MY FELLOW GENERAL MANAGERS.

AND I DID, AND IT WAS JUST A PASSION THAT CAME OUT IN THE BASEMENT OF A BUILDING ON THE OU CAMPUS.

OETA CONSISTED OF AN OLD CAMERA AND TWO MAMMOTH TAPE MACHINES, ONE IN NORMAN AND THE OTHER IN NORTH OKLAHOMA CITY.

WELL AS LOOKING AROUND AND ANALYZING THE SITUATION, WHEN WE WENT BACK UPSTAIRS, I TOOK TWO STEPS AT A TIME AND HE SAID, YOU TOOK TWO STEPS AT A TIME.

I SAID, YEAH, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.

HE KNEW WHAT HE WANTED AND HE KNEW WHAT HAD A REALLY GOOD CHANCE OF WORKING.

HE REALLY HAD GREAT DREAMS.

FOR WHAT OETA COULD BECOME AT THAT TIME.

HELLO THERE AND WELCOME TO EINS ZWEI DREI, THE PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN LEARN SOME GERMAN.

IN THE EARLY DAYS OF EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION, THE.

THEY WERE JUST SIMPLY SHOW A TEACHER IN FRONT OF A BLACKBOARD AND.

OBVIOUSLY THAT DIDN'T ENGENDER A BIG AUDIENCE.

ARE YOU READY?

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT, HERE IT IS.

BOB ALLEN WAS A TEACHER, AND HIS EASY MANNER IN SPEAKING TO AN AUDIENCE MADE HIM A MASTER FUNDRAISER.

$1,001,285.

ONE TIME WHEN OETA NEEDED AN EXPENSIVE CABLE FOR THE TRANSMITTER, BOB CLIMBED THE TOWER AND SHOWED THE VIEWERS WHERE THE CABLE WOULD BE INSTALLED.

THE PITCH WORKED AND OETA GOT THE PART.

BOB ALLEN, COME ON IN HERE.

YOU'VE GOT A SATISFIED LOOK ON YOUR FACE, AND I KNOW I HAVE.

I'M GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR BECAUSE THOSE PHONES ARE OVER THERE.

THEY'RE GOING WILD.

GREAT.

I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THE KIND OF PROGRAMING THAT MOST OKLAHOMANS LIKE.

AND OF COURSE, WHEN YOU HAVE THE BOSTON POPS ON, IT'S ALWAYS THIS WAY.

BOB BUILT THAT BASEMENT OPERATION INTO A NETWORK THAT REACHES EVERY CORNER OF THE STATE.

IN ORDER TO FINANCE HIS VISION, HE HAD THE IDEA TO SYNDICATE THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW TO PBS STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BOB ALLEN SERVED AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OETA AND AS THE OETA FOUNDATION PRESIDENT DURING HIS 42 YEAR TENURE, AND IS KNOWN AS MR.

O. E T A. BOB ALLEN WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT PUBLIC TELEVISION.

HE WAS AN EXPERIENCED EDUCATOR, COMMUNICATOR, WRITER.

HE HAD THE SKILL SETS TO REALLY BE A PIONEER, TO TAKE AN IDEA, A CONCEPT FOR SOMETHING.

PUBLIC TELEVISION, EACH AND EVERY ONE.

BOB ALLEN BUILT A REPUTATION, A LEGACY THAT WILL LIVE ON IN THE HEARTS OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

HE HAD IDEAS BY THE DOZENS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE HAD A VISION FOR CARRYING THEM OUT, WHICH WAS PRETTY SPECTACULAR.

SOME PEOPLE SAY, WHY IS HE DOING THAT?

WHY SPEND THOSE RESOURCES THERE?

BUT IT WAS PART OF THIS MASTER PLAN TO BUILD OETA INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY.

I LOVED OETA, I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT ALMOST THE FIRST DAY I WENT TO WORK.

ON THE NEXT EDITION OF THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

A $600 MILLION BOND ISSUE PASSING FOR TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

EDUCATION REPORTER TAELYR JACKSON TELLS US HOW THE MONEY WILL BE USED TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC RESULTS.

FRIDAY AT SEVEN.

WE'LL LEAVE YOU THIS WEEK WITH A LOOK AT SOME OF THE OUTDOOR ART WORK IN OKLAHOMA CITY, PUT TOGETHER FOR US BY OETA CASEY FERGUSON.

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.

PATIENCE FEELS LIKE I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A LIFETIME FOR LIGHTNING TO STRIKE ME.

DAYDREAMS.

FEELS LIKE I'LL BE SENDING OUT THE SIGNALS.

HOPING THAT YOU'LL FIND ME.

I DON'T NEED THE DETAILS.

YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL ME.

IT'S LIKE I ALREADY KNOW WHERE YOU'LL BE.

YOU AND ME, WE WERE LOVERS IN A PAST LIFE.

SLOW DANCING IN THE MIDNIGHT GLOW.

I WANT TO HOLD YOU FOR A LIFETIME.

FOR ALL WE KNOW.

THESE ARE FAMILIAR PLACES.

AND MAYBE WE'RE NOT JUST STRANGERS.

YOU AND ME.

WE WERE LOVERS IN A PAST LIFE.

FOR ALL WE KNOW.

DISTANCE.

ALL WE EVER MAKES THE HEART GROW STRONGER.

LATE AT NIGHT.

I WONDER WHAT YOU THINKING OF ME.

SOMEONE ELSE'S ARMS.

I FEEL LIKE IT'S MEANT TO BE.

YOU AND ME.

OKLAHOMA.

AGRICULTURE STARTS AT SUNUP.

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