Week in Review
BY LAURIE WINSLOW World Staff Writer
Sunday, February 10, 2013
2/10/13 at 3:40 AM
Tulsa's Future nets record 907 jobs last month
The Tulsa's Future program announced a near-record 907 jobs in January, the Tulsa Regional Chamber and regional partners announced Monday morning.
"We absolutely did start off 2013 in a terrific manner. We had 907 jobs announced by companies who are either expanding in this area or who are new to this area," said Stuart Solomon, chair of the Tulsa's Future oversight committee and chief operating officer of AEP-PSO.
"Many of you have been present for some of those announcements. The economic development team and the larger team has worked on those projects in some cases months and in some cases years, and they finally culminated at this particular time."
Among recent job announcements have been those made by Verizon, SWEP and Borets-Weatherford.
- LAURIE WINSLOW, World Staff Writer
Clean Line project sparks questions in Muskogee
A proposed 700-mile project to transmit wind power from Oklahoma to Tennessee may seem like a win-win for clean energy, but it's not yet clear for many Oklahomans who will be directly affected by the Plains and Eastern Clean Line.
The U.S. Department of Energy guided a public scoping meeting Monday night to bring potential stakeholders together with Clean Line officials. The meeting, focused on environmental impacts of the Plains and Eastern project, was one of six scheduled statewide through this week.
The $2 billion construction will start in the Panhandle's Texas County and extend a high-voltage, direct-current line across Oklahoma and Arkansas to a Tennessee Valley Authority substation. Clean Line officials hope to complete the transmission line by late 2015 or early 2016.
Many of those attending Monday's scoping meeting seem to worry more about visual impacts, health concerns and financial arrangements.
"The worst-case scenario would be it going on the front or back edge of our property," Okmulgee County resident Jim Wood said outside the meeting, citing the visual concerns and possible impact on resale value of his land. "We might want to sell it and move back into town someday."
- ROD WALTON, World Staff Writer
Trader Joe's pop-up shop gets Tulsans' attention
More than 200 Facebook pages are dedicated to begging Trader Joe's to put a grocery in particular cities, no matter how big or small.
From the 6,200 residents of Lionville, Pa., to Vallejo, Calif., where consumers see a Trader Joe's operating in a neighboring city 15 minutes away, the grocer known for cheap wines and delicious snack foods has people everywhere wishing for a location nearby.
So when Tulsa's Young Professionals floated the idea of starting a campaign to attract a national retailer to the often-overlooked area, it's no surprise that Trader Joe's was near the top of the civic group's list.
"I should say that I lived in a city with Trader Joe's, and the appeal is their price and their quality," said Brian Paschal, executive director of TYPros. "I've seen people debate the fact that we don't need another high-end grocery store, but their products are extremely competitive."
- KYLE ARNOLD, World Staff Writer
Oklahoma CD rates top national average
The average certificate of deposit and savings account rates in Oklahoma are higher than nearly all other U.S. states, according to a study by GoBankingRates.com.
Continuing its "Best Rates in Every State" series, Go Banking Rates focused its survey on interest rates offered by local banks and credit unions in Oklahoma.
Some might contend that the rates are still low, regardless of how the state compares to the nation. Even so, the average percentage yield on a one-year CD in Oklahoma was 0.64 percent compared to 0.46 percent for the nation.
- LAURIE WINSLOW, World Staff Writer
Associated Images:
Sam Warren works on a new vacuum-powered pipe lifter at Vacuworx. The Tulsa company that specializes in heavy-lifting machines employs 48 people at its office, 10105 E. 55th Place, and is poised for "phenomenal" growth over the next 10 years, owner Bill Solomon said. STEPHEN PINGRY / Tulsa World
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