Oklahoma

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to choose Tom Vilsack as the new U.S. secretary of agriculture.

Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, previously served in the position for eight years during the Obama administration. He’s the longest-serving person in the position since Orville Freeman left in 1969.

Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, likes Vilsack’s years of experience.

Thousands of Oklahomans were left without power for nearly two weeks following a late October ice storm. While most OG&E customers have since had their power restored, some are still in the dark.

There are still more than 300,000 power outages following a severe ice storm that passed through Oklahoma this week. Between restoring power and debris cleanup, recovery could take a long time.

Tree clean-up is on the minds of many Oklahomans following an early-season ice storm that affected a large portion of the state.

Keith Reed, the horticulture educator for Oklahoma State University Payne County Extension Office, said when this storm was being talked about last week, the first thought was that all the leaves were still on the trees.

“Timing really hurt us one this one,” Reed said. “The trees didn’t have a chance.”

Algal blooms in bodies of water often caused by runoff of manure and fertilizer on crop lands have a high price tag. 

An economic analysis by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group found that 22 states have spent more than $1 billion altogether since 2010. Kansas, Iowa and Texas are among the states that have spent millions clearing the algae. Of the Midwestern states in the study, Iowa has spent the most — more than $40 million across six sites since 2010. 

A growing demand for more locally-sourced food options has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on large meat processing hubs throughout the country. Oklahoma ranchers want to increase the state’s cattle processing and packing capacity to provide more local beef options for Oklahoma consumers.