CC)—The Enid Mayor and Board of Commissioners Tuesday night held public hearings on tax incentive agreements related to local wind energy operations (TP&L and Takkion). Enid city commissioners have three weeks to consider approving the two Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts. The first would extend the 10-year term on a current district, the second would create a new one for 14 years within the same area in the Enterprise Zone in eastern Enid. Under the proposed agreements, the city of Enid would spend roughly $2.4 million total to reconstruct the two roads in the districts leading to the pair of wind energy facilities. A final public hearing and consideration of approval will take place during the commission’s June 21 meeting. Also, on Tuesday commissioners addressed a number of other business items, including the rezoning of property at the southwest corner of Cleveland and Chestnut.
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CF)--A Republican primary candidate forum for Oklahoma state superintendent of public instruction and U.S. House District 3 will be held in Enid on Tuesday, June 21 at Stride Bank Center. My Country 103.1 KOFM, Enid News and Eagle, the city of Enid and Enid Public Schools will host the forum. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the forum will begin at 6:00 p.m. The state superintendent forum will begin at 6:00 and feature all four GOP candidates: April Grace, current superintendent of Shawnee Public Schools; John Cox, Peggs Schools superintendent; Ryan Walters, Oklahoma state secretary of education; and William Crozier, of Union City. The District 3 U.S. representative forum will begin at 7:15 p.m. and will feature candidate Wade Burleson, of Enid, and Evan Handy, campaign manager standing in for incumbent U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, who is not available due to voting duties in Washington, D.C. District 3 candidate Stephen Butler, of Yukon, is unavailable to attend the forum. KOFM will live-stream the forum on Facebook. The format for the forum is that each candidate will give an opening and closing statement. They also will be asked a series of questions from the Enid News & Eagle and KOFM Radio. The News & Eagle is inviting constituents to send in questions they would like answered from the candidates. Questions from the public should be submitted to callen@enidnews.com by 5:00 p.m. June 16. No questions will be taken from the floor during the forum. Primary elections for county, state and federal office are June 28.
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SB)--The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Healthy Living Program (HLP) in Garfield County is working with community partners to conduct tobacco retailer education visits soon at local stores in a strategic effort to keep more underage persons from ever starting tobacco use. Stephanie Pendergraft, lead coordinator of the TSET HLP in Garfield County, said vaping and tobacco use that leads to nicotine addiction often starts in adolescence and the teen years, so the program is working to reduce youth access to tobacco in response to feedback from recent community wellness surveys and listening sessions. The local group will work with youth volunteers to conduct the store visits during regular business hours. When a visit takes place, an underage person will enter a store and ask to buy a tobacco product but with no intent to purchase it. Tobacco sales are prohibited by federal and state laws to anyone under the age of 21. Pendergraft said the visits are not meant to entrap local retailers but rather to raise awareness of laws that prohibit tobacco and vape sales to underage persons.
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GT)--You still have time to sign up and join us for the Integris Health Oklahoma Men Count “Million Dollar Hole in One” Golf Tournament this Friday at Meadowlake Golf Course. Proceeds raised will benefit Integris Health Foundation and Proton Pals Foundation. Funding will aid research into cancers that afflict men, as well as provide Assistance to men undergoing cancer treatment. Registration will begin 10:45 Friday morning followed by lunch, with a shotgun start at 12 noon. The four-person scramble tournament will be followed by the $1 Million Hole-In-One challenge presented by Enid Superlube. Register now and find more information at kofm.com, or kgwanews.com.
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