Category Archives: Business

Are Data Centers Betraying Citizens

By David Arnett

Private Fiber Lines Revealed in Public Right-of-ways

Are high speed commercial Fiber Optic Lines being installed illegally in Oklahoma to connect multiple data centers? Are public utility rights-of-way being used for private commercial installations without the knowledge or permitting approval of local and state officials? Are Oklahomans being bamboozled by the monied elite for billions of dollars over decades with no compensation provided to local property owners? Could this be happening within clusters of data centers nationwide?

Phyllis Fallen heard a construction crew approaching her property on 660 Road one mile south of the Mayes County-Wagoner County line in Oklahoma. When she stepped outside and asked what they were doing, the crew said they were laying a fiber optic line. No compensation was offered, and no documentation was initially produced.

Fiber Optic Lines in Wagoner County. Photo by Phyllis Fallen
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USDA: Small Meat/Poultry Plant Support

By Staff Report

Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins launched the Small Processors Action Plan (PDF, 2.3 MB), a new set of actions to better support small and very small meat and poultry processing plants, improve customer service, and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining strong food safety protections for consumers. Additionally, Secretary Rollins announced that USDA is accepting applications for the fourth round of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program to expand American meat and poultry processing.

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Veto Prohibits Solar, Battery Exemptions

By David Arnett

Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, commented Monday in a public release on the governor’s pocket veto of legislation to prohibit solar generation facilities and battery energy storage systems (BESS) from qualifying for the Five‑Year Ad Valorem Exemption for Manufacturers, beginning in January 2028.

Dobrinski is chairman of the House Utilities Committee and House author of Senate Bill 237. The governor had until midnight May 29 to take action on the bill. Because he did not sign it into law, and because the 2026 legislative session is adjourned sine die, the bill became pocket vetoed.

“I’m extremely disappointed the governor chose not to enact this legislation that had widespread support from constituents and legislators alike. He overruled the decision of more than 100 representatives and senators to protect taxpayer money from going to out-of-state developers taking advantage of a forty-year-old tax incentive originally designed to add quality jobs investment to our state,” Dobrinski said.

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New “Welcome to Tulsa” Sign

By David Arnett

Updated with additional photos: As Tulsa prepares to celebrate the Route 66 Centennial and its designation as the Capital of Route 66, City leaders, community partners, and residents gathered this week at the Route 66 Historical Village for the official lighting ceremony of the first new “Welcome to Tulsa” signage designed by the City Planning Office.

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Growing Demand for Skilled Workers

By David Arnett

A seismic shift from years past towards the trades is a clear sign that President Trump’s relentless push to restore the dignity of American labor is taking hold.

  • 60% of Gen Z Americans plan to pursue skilled trade work this year, up from less than 40% just one year ago.
  • Half of Gen Z college graduates are also pivoting to trades, signaling the end of the failed “college-for-all” experiment.
  • Median pay in skilled trades now matches or exceeds many four-year degrees, with trade workers enjoying greater employment stability than their white-collar peers for the first time in history.

Meanwhile, 94% of U.S. contractors report labor shortages, driving wages higher.

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