Truck driving school moves to MidAmerica Industrial Park

Heavy Metal Training Institute has relocated its main campus from Big Cabin to the MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor.

The main campus is open and training sessions began on Aug. 21, the truck-driving school announced.

The new campus includes a 2,800-square-foot building and a seven-acre lot behind the Google Data Center.

“The large lot offers adequate space for students to operate commercial trucks before they drive on the road in real-world conditions,” the school said.

The new building offers more classroom space, improved student spaces and upgraded administrative offices. The relocation also brings the school closer to Tulsa, Muskogee, Claremore and Tahlequah, shortening the drive for the many students who come from those areas.

“We are excited to welcome HMTI to MidAmerica Industrial Park. Truck driving is the backbone of our country’s transportation network and is a critical resource to our companies. We see the growing need for new drivers every day.

“They already provide CDL training services to a few of our companies, and more will take advantage of them being right here in our backyard. HMTI will be a great asset to our area,” said David Stewart, chief administrator and trustee of MidAmerica Industrial Park/Oklahoma Ordnance Works Authority.

Four Woodshed convenience stores have received $640,000 in federal grants to install solar electrical systems.

The stores are in Afton, Big Cabin, Langley and Vinita.

The systems will save the stores more than $90,500 combined in electrical costs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The grants are part of the USDA Rural Development Rural Energy for America Program.

Public Service Company of Oklahoma announced a total of $125,000 in grants from PSO and the American Electric Power Foundation to help those dealing with the impact of a massive windstorm that struck the Tulsa area in June.

The AEP Foundation made the lead donation of $75,000 to the Wind Storm Relief Fund, which was established in partnership between the Tulsa Area United Way and the Tulsa Community Foundation to fund local relief efforts related to hardships from the storms. With support from additional donors, the fund has grown to nearly $800,000.

The fund will make grants to area nonprofit organizations and service providers to cover unexpected storm operating costs and direct services to residents of Tulsa, Wagoner, Creek, Osage, Rogers and Okmulgee counties affected by the storm. The fund will emphasize aid to low-income, elderly, disabled and other special needs populations. In August, the first round of grants was distributed to six nonprofit organizations in Broken Arrow, Sand Springs and Tulsa.

The storm ripped trees from the ground and destroyed or damaged more than 1,000 buildings and homes. In the wake of the storm, more than 204,000 PSO customers were without power.

In response to the storm, the AEP Foundation also donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross. PSO donated an additional $25,000 to the Red Cross Tulsa Area Chapter, which opened an overnight shelter within two hours of the storm, supported 19 cooling stations and served more than 9,000 hot meals at locations throughout the city.

OGE Energy Corp., parent company of Oklahoma Gas and Electric, was recently recognized as Oklahoma’s top employer in Forbes’ 2023 America’s Best Employers by state list.

The company moved up to the No. 1 spot this year after being ranked No. 2 in Oklahoma in the magazine’s 2022 report.

“There are a lot of great Oklahoma companies on the Forbes list, and to be No. 1 shows that our employees are what make our company a special place to work. We are grateful for this national recognition that reflects the efforts of our team,” said Scott Briggs, vice president of human resources for OG&E.

OG&E’s 2,200-person workforce serves the Oklahoma City and Muskogee metro areas, along with some areas of the Tulsa metro, including parts of Bixby and Jenks, and Glenpool and Sapulpa, as well as other parts of the state.

ST. LOUIS — David Davis has been named the new director of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s St. Louis District, the federal agency announced.

Davis, who is currently acting district director for the St. Louis District, joined the EEOC as the deputy district director in August 2021. He started his new role on Monday.

“I am delighted that Mr. Davis has accepted this position,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. “He brings to the role of district director a wealth of knowledge and experience from his time in both the private and public sectors, and I am confident that he will continue to provide excellent leadership for the St. Louis District in service of our agency’s mission.”

The EEOC’s St. Louis District Office is responsible for receiving and investigating charges of employment discrimination and conducting agency litigation in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and a portion of southern Illinois, with area offices in Kansas City, Kansas, and Oklahoma City.