AM NewsBrief: June 7, 2023

The Oklahoma City Council passed its 2024 budget Tuesday with a 7-2 vote.

The city's budget is more than $900 million dollars. It includes money for over 100 new positions in several departments, including hires for public safety like the police and fire departments.

Council members JoBeth Hamon and Nikki Nice voted against it. Both say the budget lacks answers to resident and council concerns, with Hamon citing the lack of preventative measures toward homelessness and substance abuse.

"Those things are just sort of sitting, waiting for some attention and an investment. And, you know, we haven't even really begun that conversation as a city," said Hamon.

Nice requested the budget to have more funds for ward-specific needs.

Ultimately, though, the council voted for approval to allocate the funds. The new budget year starts July 1.

As temperatures continue to rise, officials are reminding parents and caregivers not to leave children in hot cars.

So far, the Oklahoma City Fire Department has responded to more than 100 calls of kids left in cars.

Fire department officials say it only takes 10 minutes for the inside of the car to overheat. They’re asking you to slow down and check your car before leaving it unattended.

Planning for the 2028 summer Olympics in L.A. is already underway. Oklahoma City is reportedly being considered to host the water games.

OKC is the home of the internationally recognized Riversport Rapids, along with the neighboring Olympic and para-Olympic training facility for rowing, kayak, and canoe athletes.

This makes Oklahoma one of two states capable of hosting water games that meet necessary Olympic standards. The other potential site is North Carolina.

Currently, the summer games are set to kick off in Los Angeles, but without an existing whitewater facility, the cost to host these river-based sports could amount to almost $100 million.

In 2019, the International Olympic Committee voted to allow multi-city and multi-country bids in order to mitigate costs, meaning OKC could host some of the competitions.

While no official announcement has been made, in a recent report, the International Canoe Federation specifically mentioned Oklahoma as a likely candidate.

Oklahoma City's culinary scene just got another major feather in its cap.

Chef Andrew Black of downtown OKC's Grey Sweater restaurant is getting the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southwest.

This is the second time - and the second year in a row - a James Beard award has been brought back to Oklahoma City.

Last year the American Classic award was given to Florence Jones Kemp who owns Florence's Restaurant, located east of the Capitol.

OKC's Jeff Chanchaleune from Ma Der Lao Kitchen, was also a finalist for the award. Black and Chanchaleune competed against three other chefs from Las Vegas and New Mexico.

The annual James Beard Foundation Award recognizes chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists in the United States. It is one of the most prestigious awards in the culinary and food media industries.