Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK) articles from September 2000, page 2

Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK) archives from September 2000

Oklahoma Officials File 'Friendly' Environmental Lawsuit against Phillips.
September 13, 2000... Byline: Gregory Potts Sep. 13--The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has filed what one staffer calls a "friendly suit" against Phillips Petroleum and the state attorney general in order to clarify an environmental cleanup law. The...

Oklahoma City Shoppers Are Still Slow to Adopt New Gold Dollar Coin.
September 13, 2000... Byline: Brian Brus Sep. 13--Sacagawea is still struggling for acceptance in the Oklahoma City metro area, business managers said Monday. The golden-hued dollar coin, released this year by the U.S. Treasury, has been slow to enter...

Construction of Housing in Oklahoma City Declines; Market Remains Strong.
September 13, 2000... Byline: Richard Mize Sep. 13--Home construction in the Oklahoma City area is down more than a third compared to this time last year, but sales of existing homes are up. The extremes are explained by two factors that are old news to...

Oklahoma City-Based Mexican Restaurant Chain to Close Two Locations.
September 13, 2000... Byline: Jon Denton Sep. 13--Citing a lack of profit, the operator of Oklahoma City-based Atomic Burrito has closed two restaurants and stepped up his efforts to dispose of his remaining three restaurants. The cutback is the latest...

Oklahoma Oil, Gas Companies Search Heavily as Prices Increase.
September 13, 2000... Byline: Rick Robinson Sep. 13--The hum of activity keeps getting louder in the oil and gas patch. With the price of oil and natural gas at near-record levels, numerous smaller companies and independents are increasing efforts to...

Bartlesville, Okla., Residents Take Rumors about Phillips Petroleum Lightly.
September 13, 2000... Byline: Bobby Ross Jr. Sep. 13--BARTLESVILLE, Okla.--Been there. Done that. In recent years, this northeastern Oklahoma community synonymous with Phillips Petroleum Co. has seen the oil giant cut thousands of jobs. Oil busts,...

Longtime Stillwater, Okla., Department Store Conquers E-Commerce.
September 12, 2000... Byline: Sonya Colberg Sep. 12--STILLWATER, Okla.--Murphy's department store used to see a lot of local Model T traffic. Today, there's lots of Internet traffic. And the store has picked up some international travelers along the way....

Edmond, Okla., Restaurant Firm Adds Franchiser in Tampa, Fla.
September 12, 2000... Byline: Jon Denton Sep. 12--Eateries Inc. of Edmond is adding Phil Mook Enterprises of Florida as a franchise operation, an Eateries corporate spokesman said Monday. A brother and sister restaurant team, Chris and Jennifer Mook, will...

Author of Oklahoma Electric Deregulation Bill Says Panel Is Ill-Formed.
September 12, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 12--The Senate author of an ill-fated electric deregulation bill in the 2000 Legislature is again voicing his displeasure with the state Corporation Commission. Sen. Kevin Easley, D-Broken Arrow, said the...

Oklahoma Electric Restructuring Seminar Set.
September 12, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 12--The Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers will host an electric restructuring symposium in Tulsa on Tuesday. Among the speakers will be Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin, state Corporation Commissioner Denise Bode,...

Court Rules Against Former Owner of Land Near Oklahoma City Lucent Plant.
September 12, 2000... Byline: Robert Boczkiewicz Sep. 12--DENVER, Colo.--An appeals court has ruled against the former owner of 71 acres near the Lucent Technologies plant in Oklahoma City who had sued over the $1.1 million sale of the property. The 10th...

Oklahoma City Propane Business to Focus on Outdoor Cooking Line after Fire.
September 12, 2000... Byline: Jon Denton Sep. 12--The fire-blasted ruins of his warehouse were smoldering at his feet when Jim Grigsby asked himself, "Should I rebuild?" That was almost two months ago. American Propane Gas Co. was the site of the largest...

SBC Questions Eligibility of Some Oklahomans Who May Receive $1 Phone Plan.
September 12, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 12--SBC Communications is calling for federal officials to reconsider whether many of Oklahoma's low-income people should be eligible for telephone service at $1 a month. SBC filed its request with the...

Paying Taxes with Plastic Has Its Price, Norman, Okla., Accountant Says.
September 12, 2000... Byline: Melissa Davis Sep. 12--Robert Castleberry is a Norman accountant with about 500 small-business clients -- none of whom will pay federal estimated taxes by credit card Friday. A few of Castleberry's clients already have tried...

Austin, Texas-Based Firm Brings Biotech Jobs to Oklahoma.
September 10, 2000... Byline: Jon Denton Sep. 10--Hylauronic acid is a biological polymer in your body that makes eyeballs elastic and helps scars heal. University of Oklahoma researchers have found a way to clone it. Now Rick Hodgins is talking with...

Stock of Dollar Thrifty Car Rental Falls on Bad News from Hertz.
September 10, 2000... Byline: Melissa Davis Sep. 10--Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group is trying to recover from what company officials call a "knee-jerk reaction" to recent bad news from Hertz Corporation. After scaling back its earnings projections late...

The Daily Oklahoman Charles Crumpley Column.
September 10, 2000... Byline: Charles Crumpley Sep. 10--Why do consumers complain about one price hike, but not another? Take the two kinds of gas, for example. Consumers wailed about gasoline price hikes but not natural gas increases. Gasoline...

Many Oklahoma Workers, Employers Misunderstand Family Leave Act.
September 10, 2000... Byline: Gregory Potts Sep. 10--When the doctor told Diantha Smith she had breast cancer on April 29, 1997, he told her they would have to remove a tumor the next day. When she told her boss at a local car dealership, she says his...

Payday Loans Often Initiate Cycle of Debt, Oklahoma Finance Counselor Says.
September 10, 2000... Byline: Melissa Davis Sep. 10--Robert Arbuckle makes his living accepting post-dated checks from people who are broke. He operates three Oklahoma City "payday loan companies" that provide up to $300 in fast, easy cash to anyone with...

Oklahoma Scientists Cheer Girls' Interest in Science, Technology, Math.
September 10, 2000... Byline: Sonya Colberg Sep. 10--Charlotte Ownby was a graduate student working on an electron microscope worth thousands upon thousands of dollars when the filament burned out. She was faced with the spooky job of changing it. "I was...

Woman Engineer at Oklahoma City Tech Firm Handles Family, School, Athletics.
September 10, 2000... Byline: Sonya Colberg Sep. 10--Somewhere around Catbert Avenue and Dilbert Drive, you can find Terri Douglas. She'll be talking a million miles per hour. She'll be tossing around geek phrases like "flip chip on flex." Her long...

Contents of Norman, Okla., Restaurant to Be Sold Next Week.
September 9, 2000... Byline: Jon Denton Sep. 9--The contents of Oskies Roadhouse restaurant in Norman will be sold next week, owner Robert Ross said Friday. Ross is selling the building to Norman's Firehouse Art Center. Edward Adwon, the art center's...

SBC Communications Gets Go-Ahead for DSL Internet Service in Oklahoma City.
September 9, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 9--The Federal Communications Commission decided Friday to allow SBC Communications Inc. to begin providing DSL, high-speed Internet service through neighborhood broadband gateways. SBC, parent of...

Former Oklahoma City Clothing-Store Owner Returns To Retail with Kids' Store.
September 9, 2000... Byline: Brian Brus Sep. 9--God grants many gifts, Guy Madison said. He believes dealing with people, making them comfortable and selling more than just merchandise are such special attributes. After several years of forging a career...

The Daily Oklahoman Richard Mize Real Estate Column.
September 9, 2000... Byline: Richard Mize Sep. 9--GRAPEVINE, Texas--Maybe it was the prompting of the headlines in the Dallas paper. The day before, Philadelphia had boxed the Cowboys' ears, like a couple of old-time lunchroom monitors herding a passel...

Texans Buy Oklahoma City's Old 'White House'.
September 9, 2000... Byline: Richard Mize Sep. 9--Texans have bought Oklahoma City's Everest Mansion, which is known as the "White House" for reasons apparent to anyone who's ever seen it: The building at 900 NE 63 resembles the White House. Greg and...

Bellevue, Wash.-Based Coinstar Brings Coin-Counting Kiosks to Oklahoma Stores.
September 8, 2000... Byline: Brian Brus Sep. 8--While every company's bottom line deals with fine-tuning its cash flow, Coinstar is literally counting pennies for its profit. And the company is counting on Oklahomans to help. Coinstar has entered the...

Oklahoma Energy Industry Concerned That Price Hikes Will Lead to Regulation.
September 8, 2000... Byline: Rick Robinson Sep. 8--You might expect this week's spike in oil and gas prices to create jubilation locally. Instead, a dominant emotion seems to be jitters. "It's a little scary because of possible government intervention...

Securities Commission Sues Broken Arrow, Okla.-Based Software Company.
September 8, 2000... Byline: Sonya Colberg Sep. 8--An Oklahoma business that began in a dorm room wound up trapped in a nationwide Internet fraud sweep this week. Broken Arrow-based Heartsoft Inc. is the third Oklahoma technology company sued for...

Williams Cos. Building Travel Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
September 8, 2000... Byline: Richard Mize Sep. 8--For all its billions in assets and all its years of history in Oklahoma, Williams Cos. isn't exactly a household name in most of the state. Its image, where it has one, is one of busy, stern executives in...

SEC Says Head of Edmond, Okla., Tech Firm Fled Stock Fraud Charges.
September 8, 2000... Byline: Sonya Colberg Sep. 8--The investigation into Broadband Wireless International has twisted onto a new path. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday that an Edmond man who controlled Broadband, Donald L....

Oklahoma Board Reduces Workers' Compensation Premiums.
September 8, 2000... Byline: Gregory Potts and Paul English Sep. 8--The State Board for Property and Casualty Rates voted unanimously Thursday to reduce a major component of workers' compensation premiums by 2 percent. Last year, the board raised the...

Growth Comes for Commercial Banks in Oklahoma's Loan Market.
September 7, 2000... Byline: Mike Strain Sep. 7--The growth has come from different sources, but the bottom line is that growth has come for commercial banks in Oklahoma's loan market. The total loans made by Oklahoma's commercial banks grew 17 percent...

Sizzling Summer Puts Heat on Oklahoma Cattle Industry.
September 7, 2000... Byline: Sonya Colberg Sep. 7--Oklahoma's record heat wave threatens to take a toll on the state's $2 billion cattle industry. But agriculture experts say producers can take measures to help cut losses. Ranchers need to remember that...

Oklahoma City-Based Chemical Firm Acquires Missouri, Alabama Fertilizer Plants.
September 7, 2000... Byline: Rick Robinson Sep. 7--LSB Industries, a diverse Oklahoma City-based company with a major focus in chemical manufacturing, said Thursday it is acquiring nitrogen fertilizer plants in Missouri and Alabama. Terms were not...

Clear Channel Communications Media Unit Expands Presence in Oklahoma City.
September 7, 2000... Sep. 7--A Clear Channel Communications unit has bought all the outdoor advertising properties of competitor Donrey Media Group. Spokesmen for Eller Media Co., based in Phoenix, Ariz., said the Donrey Outdoor Advertising acquisition will...

Blocked Oklahoma Electric Deregulation Bill Is Similar to California Law.
September 7, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 7--An electric deregulation bill rejected by Oklahoma lawmakers in May has a lot of similarities to a California law some blame for a 700 percent hike in electric prices in San Diego, the Oklahoma Corporation...

Speculators' Effect Seen on Natural Gas Futures, Oklahoma Analyst Says.
September 7, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 7--Natural gas futures reached their highest closing price in history Friday, amid fears of gas shortages this winter. Then on Tuesday, they went up 2.2 percent more. The leader of an Oklahoma energy group...

Oklahoma City Chamber Calls Roofing Firm Fastest Growing Private Business.
September 7, 2000... Byline: Brian Brus Sep. 7--All American Roofing Inc. was recognized as Oklahoma City's fastest growing, privately owned business Wednesday night, boasting a huge 2,441 percent growth in revenue over the last three years. The Greater...

Oklahoma City Xerox Manufacturing Plant Isn't Part Inkjet Printer Campaign.
September 7, 2000... Byline: Jon Denton Sep. 7--Oklahoma City's Xerox Manufacturing Plant will not be part of the company's Blue Dog campaign to sell more inkjet printers, spokeswoman Christa Carone said Wednesday. The business machine maker is...

Oklahoma Governor to Join Oil, Gas Commission Summit in Ohio.
September 6, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 6--The 30 governors who are members of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission are playing host to a national natural gas summit Sept. 20 in Ohio. Oklahoma Energy Secretary Carl Michael Smith said...

Medical Leader Named for Oklahoma University Health System.
September 6, 2000... Byline: Gregory Potts Sep. 6--Gerald J. Maier, who has been appointed as chief executive of University Health Partners, brings to a culmination a two-and-a-half year process of bringing three hospitals together into a joint venture. ...

Oklahoma Seniors Urged to Hold onto HMO Coverage.
September 6, 2000... Byline: Melissa Davis Sep. 6--Oklahoma senior citizens, affected by the exit of two HMO companies, should not cancel their Medicare HMO coverage just yet. That coverage is still good for almost four months, state Insurance...

Oklahoma Retail Sales Increase 3.4 Percent in August.
September 6, 2000... Byline: Brian Brus Sep. 6--Oklahoma's retail sales grew by 3.4 percent in August as consumers filled stores for back-to-school shopping, according to figures released Tuesday by Telecheck Services Inc. However, that number pales in...

Women Win Top Roles at Many Oklahoma Banks.
September 6, 2000... Byline: Melissa Davis Sep. 6--On "career day" at her Putnam City kindergarten, little Alyssa Hand dressed up like a banker. More specifically, she went to school as senior vice president/director of finance for Local Oklahoma Bank....

Wireless Technology Catches On; Producers Say Costs Will Drop over Time.
September 5, 2000... Byline: Sonya Colberg Sep. 5--Roxie Ramirez grabbed the laptop she'd been using to surf the Web, stood up and whirled around. She wasn't tripped up by the usual wire connecting the laptop and phone service delivering Internet content....

The Daily Oklahoman Charles Crumpley Column.
September 3, 2000... Byline: Charles Crumpley Sep. 3--You probably hear friends and co-workers complain about their jobs. Too much stress. Not enough people. Suffocating bureaucracy. Pay's too low. Next time I hear these kinds of complaints, I'll try...

The Daily Oklahoman Executive Interview Column.
September 3, 2000... Byline: Sonya Colberg Sep. 3--If white rodents are taking over St. Louis streets and alleys, Randy Goldsmith is prepared to make a confession. When Goldsmith, the president of the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center, was a...

401 (k) Day Hails Power of Investment, Urges Americans to Put More Away.
September 3, 2000... Byline: Mike Strain Sep. 3--The numbers can be hard to believe. Numbers like $4.81 a week turning into $100,000. But the power of compounding can make something like that happen after years of investing in a 401(k). With that in...

Oklahoma's Natural Gas Bills Expected to Rise as Much as 60 Percent.
September 3, 2000... Byline: Mike Strain Sep. 3--Oil prices are high, and people have felt the pain at the gasoline pump. Natural gas prices are high, and people don't seem to notice. That might change soon. Experts say consumers' natural gas bills...

Nasdaq's August Warmth Helps Broken Arrow, Okla., Tech Firm Rebound.
September 3, 2000... Byline: Mike Strain Sep. 3--The moves were subtle -- a 20-point rise here and 15 points there. But put it all together and suddenly the Nasdaq Composite Index was as hot as the August weather. The tech-laden index that has labored...

Pool of Oklahoma Millionaires Draws Wealth Managers.
September 3, 2000... Byline: Mike Strain Sep. 3--The millionaire pool is getting deeper, and financial institutions are swimming in like never before as they try to convince the wealthy to use their services. The competition has grown especially strong...

Oklahoma Farmers Plan Trip to Washington to Seek Heat, Drought Aid.
September 2, 2000... Byline: Sonya Colberg Sep. 2--Oklahoma farmers will leave their dusty, drought-stricken fields next week to travel to Washington to plead for help. They said they expect to meet with national lawmakers to explain how some farmers are...

Oklahoma Extends Natural Gas Production Limits through March.
September 2, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 2--Oklahoma's natural gas producers now have the green light to continue producing as much natural gas as possible from a large category of gas wells through March. The state Corporation Commission, which...

Oklahoma's $1-a-Month Phone Service Program Is a Bit Closer for Poor.
September 2, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 2--The Federal Communications Commission has put Oklahoma's qualified poor people nearer the prospect of getting basic telephone service for $1 a month, beginning Oct. 1. Oklahoma officials were informed...

The Daily Oklahoman Richard Mize Retail Column.
September 2, 2000... Byline: Richard Mize Sep. 2--Penny candy in a brown paper bag from Frank and Emma Farmer -- that was my first solo retail shopping experience. The Farmers had an honest- to-goodness five-and-dime store in downtown Muldrow. Grade-...

Hot Weather Brings More Business to Oklahoma City Snow Cone Stands.
September 2, 2000... Byline: Brian Brus Sep. 2--Temperatures in the 100s. No rain clouds in sight. People sweating and uncomfortable. Business is looking better every day to Jeremy Norman. Norman owns Summer Snow, 5911 NW 16, a snow cone stand in its second...

Oklahoma State Chamber Discloses Findings on Business Exodus.
September 2, 2000... Byline: Mike Strain Sep. 2--The State Chamber released results Friday of a survey that revealed three main reasons that some of Oklahoma's businesses are leaving for Texas -- the right- to-work issue, workers' compensation and the lack...

Stock of Dallas-Based B2B Firm Rises on News of Pepsi Agreement.
September 1, 2000... Byline: Mike Strain Sep. 1--The viaLink Co. announced agreements Thursday with a pair of industry leaders that will use the company's e- commerce services. The news sent viaLink's stock price up $1.19 a share, or 14.3 percent....

Top 50 Fast-Growing Oklahoma City Firms to Be Honored.
September 1, 2000... Byline: Brian Brus Sep. 1--The Oklahoma City metro area's 50 fastest growing, privately owned businesses will be recognized next week at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. The Oklahoma City Metro 50 is a program of the Greater...

Funding Questions Delay Oklahoma's $1 Telephone Program.
September 1, 2000... Byline: Paul English Sep. 1--Hundreds of thousands of low-income Oklahomans may be eligible to receive basic telephone service for $1 a month under an expanded federal program, the chairman of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission said...

Oklahoma Tire Recyclers See Opportunity from Recall.
September 1, 2000... Byline: Jon Denton Sep. 1--While Firestone struggles with one of the biggest tire recalls ever, operators of Oklahoma's tire recycling plants see an opportunity ahead. The state's biggest waste tire recycler, Safe Tire Disposal...

High Gas Prices Won't Keep Oklahomans at Home over Labor Day, AAA says.
September 1, 2000... Byline: Gregory Potts Sep. 1--Oklahomans are not going to let sweltering heat and higher gasoline prices keep them at home this Labor Day weekend. "We're expecting Labor Day to be a blockbuster," said Chuck Mai, an Oklahoma spokesman...