Tulsa Local Pulse: Budget Approved, Storms Expected, Juneteenth Celebrations Begin

Good morning, this is Tulsa Local Pulse for Thursday, June eighteenth. We wake up today with warm, muggy air over Tulsa and the chance for thunderstorms building as we move into late morning and afternoon, especially along the Broken Arrow Expressway and up toward Owasso. According to News On 6 meteorologists, we stay in the upper 80s with pockets of heavy rain and lightning that could briefly slow traffic on Highway 169 and I 44. We will want the umbrella handy, but storms look scattered, so many of us still get some sun between showers. From City Hall, our big story is money. During its June seventeenth meeting, the Tulsa City Council approved a roughly one point two billion dollar city budget for the upcoming year, as reported by 2 News Oklahoma. Councilors say the plan keeps police and fire staffing stable, boosts street repairs, and puts more funding into housing and homelessness services. That means we should see more road work along major arteries like Yale, Peoria, and Admiral, and some additional support for shelter beds near downtown. On the real estate front, local agents report that the median home price in the metro is sitting just under two hundred fifty thousand dollars, with homes near Cherry Street, Brookside, and midtown still moving in under a month on average. Rents for a basic two bedroom apartment hover around one thousand two hundred dollars on our south side, slightly less near west Tulsa. In the job market, staffing firms here in town say health care, manufacturing, and logistics remain the hottest sectors, with several dozen openings at local hospitals and distribution centers near the Port of Catoosa and along Highway 75. Culturally, we are right in the heart of Juneteenth week. The Tulsa Juneteenth Festival on Greenwood kicks into high gear this afternoon with a celebration kickoff at the Rudisill Regional Library and live music later near ONEOK Field, according to the festival’s event schedule. Expect food trucks, local vendors, and road closures around Greenwood Avenue this evening if storms hold off. Sports wise, the Drillers continue their homestand at ONEOK Field tonight, with first pitch set for early evening if the weather cooperates. For schools, CAP Tulsa shared that its Learning At Home preschoolers celebrated graduation this month, a nice milestone for families across north and east Tulsa. On the crime front, Tulsa Police overnight report several vehicle break ins near 31st and Memorial and a domestic disturbance call near 61st and Peoria. No life threatening injuries are reported, but officers remind us to lock cars, remove valuables from view, and check on neighbors if something feels off. We stay alert but avoid spreading rumors on social media. Our feel good note today comes from volunteers along the Arkansas River Trail, where neighborhood groups spent last weekend picking up trash from River Parks to Turkey Mountain, helping keep our shared spaces clean just in time for summer walks and bike rides. Thank you for tuning in, and make sure to subscribe so you never miss our local check in. This has been Tulsa Local Pulse. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta