Opinion

Oklahoma has a rough road ahead of us but together we’ll get through this difficult time just as we have in the past. The State Equalization Board met on Monday and certified the nearly $417 million revenue failure for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. The legislature has already taken steps to fill in that budget gap with state emergency funds so we can focus on the upcoming budget.

Due to its massive scale and severity, the COVID-19 pandemic is a natural disaster unlike any other our nation has encountered in modern history. While the unprecedented disruptions have been felt across the whole of society, small businesses have undoubtedly taken some of the hardest, fastest and most damaging economic hits. In doing their part to heed social distancing guidance and help slow the spread of this coronavirus, many businesses on Main Street have been forced to rethink their daily operations or close their doors completely, jeopardizing millions of American jobs.

The greatest flood ever known to vest itself upon Platt National Park occurred at 1:00 A. M. on the night of January 21st, 1916. It was greater than any of the old timers could ever remember and none has occurred since to match it. The following account is from the 1916 Annual Report of the Park Superintendent.