City Council approves permits for two new Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

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The Sand Springs City Council unanimously approved four Special Use Permits for medical marijuana facilities at their Monday evening meeting.

Council approved permits for a Cultivation Facility, a Processing Facility, and a Dispensary at 200 East Morrow Road. LightHeart Farms plans to open sometime in April in the building that formerly housed the historic Morrow Gill lumber yard.

Council also approved a permit for Oklahoma Harvest Health to open a Medical Marijuana Dispensary in the Wellston Park industrial center at 1104 West Wekiwa Road. In November Council approved a growing facility at the same location.

Council previously approved a slate of marijuana-related SUPs at their January meeting. Dr. Cannabis, LLC was approved for a cultivation facility and a dispensary at 3417 S. 113th W. Ave., Suite B3. Therapeutic Herbal Care, LLC was approved to open a dispensary at 1126 E. Charles Page Blvd. The Herbin’ Joint was approved to open a dispensary at 3417 S. 113th W. Ave., Suite A2.

Sand Springs Salvation Army celebrates 40 years of doing the most good

Sand Springs Mayor Mike Burdge and the Sand Springs City Council presented the Sand Springs Salvation Army Corps with a Mayoral Proclamation Monday evening, recognizing their forty year anniversary at their current location. Read the full text of the proclamation below. 

 “Whereas, the mission of the Salvation Army is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination; and

“Whereas, the Salvation Army helped found the Sand Springs Home and the Widow’s Colony in 1911; and

“Whereas, the Salvation Army opened a Home and Hospital for Unwed Mothers in Sand Springs in 1928; and

“Whereas, in 1930, a Salvation Army Corps opened in Sand Springs with the generous assistance of founder, Charles Page, and former Salvation Army pioneer Captain B. F. Breeding; and

“Whereas, the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging, and influence; and

“Whereas, in the 1970’s the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs began to flourish and grow in Sand Springs and

“Whereas, on September 24, 1978, the Sand Springs Salvation Army Corps Community Center, in memory of Charles Page, opened its doors for the first time; and

“Whereas, the Salvation Army in Sand Springs is now celebrating 40 years in its present location on 129th W. Ave; and

“Now, therefore, I, Mike Burdge, as Mayor of the City of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, and on behalf of the City Council of the City of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, do hereby recognize and celebrate a long history of meeting the needs of our children and citizens in partnership together with the Salvation Army.

“Dated this 24th day of September, 2018.”

Ray Brown Park renovation is complete

Sand Springs, OK- The City of Sand Springs recently completed improvements to Ray Brown Park including new playground features, artificial grass play areas and custom concrete. The improvements were made with $37,000 in privately funded gifts to Sand Springs Park Friends and the City of Sand Springs.

“The updates include two distinct play sets for children ages five to 12 and toddlers ages two to five,” said Jeff Edwards, Parks Facilities Manager. “This makes Ray Brown Park the only park in Sand Springs with such features.”

An anonymous donor provided $32,000 and community leader, Montie Box, provided $5,000 for the project. City staff contributed over $20,000 in labor and materials over a span of several months to complete the project totaling $59,819

“It was important to update this neighborhood park to meet new maintenance standards,” said Edwards. “The artificial grass areas provide a safe play surface and new custom concrete offers multi-tiered seating.”

Updates in Ray Brown Park follow a recent trail addition and split rail fencing completed in 2014 with community volunteers and staff during a Helping Your Park Environment (HYPE) cleanup event.

For more information on Ray Brown Park, or other Parks facilities, visit the City’s Web site www.sandspringsok.org.

Oklahoma DOC Population Surpasses 61,000 Individuals for First Time in Agency History

OKLAHOMA CITY – For the first time in the 49 year history of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, the population of individuals who are incarcerated, on supervision or are currently in a county jail awaiting transfer has surpassed 61,000 this week.

Today’s system wide count is 61,012.

There are 26,619 inmates being housed in state-run and private prisons or halfway houses; 32,564 being supervised on GPS monitors, community supervision or by probation and parole officers; and 1,829 in county jail backup.

Corrections Director Joe M. Allbaugh calls the numbers a sobering reminder of how overpopulated and dangerous the state's prison system continues to become.  

“We are beyond the tipping point,” Allbaugh said. “The staff and the public are at risk every day when we operate at this capacity. We are critically understaffed in facilities that weren’t built to house inmates. Some of these places are over a century old, causing the agency to hemorrhage money. Statewide, our prisons are in need of more than $2 billion in infrastructure repairs.

“We have individuals working in the agency who qualify for food stamps and an astronomical turnover rate close to 40 percent, which is leading to money spent on perpetual officer academies and training for new employees. The inefficient practices inundating the agency for decades must end."

Allbaugh is a member of Gov. Mary Fallin’s Oklahoma Justice Reform Task Force, which recently had its deadline for recommendations of proposed legislation extended.

“I am encouraged by some of the recommendations being discussed by the task force,” Allbaugh said. “However, we need to stop nibbling around the edges and pass substantive reforms that will have an immediate impact on the population.”

The Crime and Justice Institute and the Pew Charitable Trusts have been providing assistance to the task force. The organizations have concluded if no action is taken Oklahoma’s prison population will increase by 25 percent over the next 10 years and the state will need three additional prisons to handle the increased population.

The total cost to Oklahoma taxpayers is an estimated $1.2 billion in capital needs with an additional $700 million in operating costs.  

“The department has operated the same way for more than 30 years and it's unacceptable," said Corrections Board Chairman Michael Roach. “It’s hard to imagine the situation getting worse. We have seen the numbers. If we don’t take immediate action the system will continue to erode to a point of disrepair forcing the taxpayers to foot an even larger bill.

“We need to get more individuals on board with meaningful reform to right this ship.”

Roach said the current state of the agency is the reason behind the $1.648 billion budget request the corrections board members unanimously approved at the last board meeting.