Headlines

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill that would allow rest breaks for Department of Corrections’ employees passed unanimously in the House today.

OKLAHOMA CITY —  The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Oklahoma Tribal Conservation Advisory Council (OTCAC) is hosting a free webinar, “Importance of Flood Control Structures, Updates on USDA Programs, and information on the Locally-Led and NRCS Application Process” at 1 p.m. Wednesday via zoom.

NORTH WALES, Penn. — C. Loftis of Loftis Law Firm has been selected to the 2021 list as a member of the Nations’s Top One Percent by the National Association of distinguished Counsel (NADC).

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) announced today that starting the week of March 8, the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to the remaining priority groups in Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine distribution plan: Staff and residents in congregate locations, city and county elected officials and public health staff assisting on the front lines.

OKLAHOMA CITY —  The Oklahoma State Department of Health most current COVID-19 total case count is 429,162 across the state. 

WASHINGTON D.C. — The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is making an additional $35 million available this year in the Value-Added Producer Grant Program to support agricultural producers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is made possible through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. In total, $76 million is available.

The Department is extending the application deadline to May 4. USDA originally opened the application window on Dec. 21, 2020, with an application due date of March 22, 2021.

The amended notice published today also reduces the matching requirement for applicants seeking the $35 million in COVID-19 relief funding.

Applicants are encouraged to start the application process now. 

Before you apply:

• request a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number if your organization does not already have one; and
• register your organization with the System for Award Management (SAM) if you are not already registered.

Application tool kits are available on the Value-Added Producer Grant program webpage. Applicants must follow requirements in both the original notice and the amended notice. For additional information on the amended notice, see page 12905 of the March 5, 2021, Federal Register.

Value-Added Producer Grants may be used to develop new products from raw agricultural products or to promote new markets for established products. Veterans, socially disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers and ranchers, operators of small- and medium-sized family farms and ranches, and farmer and rancher cooperatives are given special priority.

If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber

OKLAHOMA CITY — The fifth week of session  went fast and saw us pass a large amount of bills over to the Senate. In total the House has passed 179 bills off the floor, with more to be heard this week.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Concerns over data privacy and data manipulation led to the Oklahoma House of Representatives passing one of the first opt-in data privacy bills in the country today with a bipartisan vote of 85 to 11. 

FAIRFAX — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports that a Fairfax resident was injured today in a one-vehicle accident that occurred  at 3:05 a.m. on County Road 5451, one mile east of S. 1st Street in Fairfax.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Medford and Perry are among 88 Oklahoma school districts to receive a portion of $49 million in that had received limited funds under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief.