EDMOND — Walgreens sponsors diabetes wellness event

The Walgreens at 301 S. Santa Fe Ave. will sponsor a Diabetes Wellness Event from 1-7 p.m. today in recognition of National Diabetes Month. The event offers free blood glucose (for patients without diabetes) or A1C tests (for patients with diabetes as noted on the consent form) as well as pharmacist consultations. The testing takes about 5 minutes and is available to all customers older than the age of 18 (no children, even with a parent’s consent).



Hawes joins PSI

Thomas Hawes has accepted the position of special project manager for the PSI’s Devon Energy Headquarters special project. Hawes is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering technology.

Professional Service Industries Inc. is a leading independent engineering and testing firm and one of the largest consulting engineering firms in North America, with about $250 million in annual revenues. PSI provides a wide range of environmental engineering and testing services, including environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and engineering, industrial hygiene services, facilities and roof consulting, and specialty engineering and testing services. PSI, headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., a Chicago suburb, operates from 125 offices in North America, with more than 2,500 employees.



AAA projects Thanksgiving travel to increase 1.4 percent

AAA projects 38.39 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, a 1.4 percent increase above last year, when 37.84 million traveled nationwide.

According to AAA’s survey, the number of auto travelers is expected to total 33.2 million this year compared to the 32.5 million who traveled over Thanksgiving 2008, an increase of 2.1 percent. The number of travelers who will be flying is expected to be 2.33 million compared to 2.5 million last year, a decline of 6.8 percent. The number of those traveling by other means, including trains, watercraft, buses and multiple modes of transportation, is expected to reach 2.9 million, an increase of 1.2 percent, AAA said.

Fewer Oklahomans will be flying to Thanksgiving destinations this year compared to last year, AAA says, but more will be traveling the highways. The auto club’s projections show 46,500 Oklahomans will fly, a 2.1 percent dip this year, and 475,000 will be driving, an 8.1 percent jump from last year. Overall, Thanksgiving travel among Oklahomans is expected to be 7.5 percent above Thanksgiving 2008 levels.

Nationwide last year, Thanksgiving travel dropped a whopping 25.2 percent in the wake of the ongoing housing and financial crisis. AAA believes this year’s expected increase in travel reflects improved consumer confidence from one year ago, better financial market performance and a growing sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is behind us.

Across the country, 86 percent of Thanksgiving vacationers are expected to travel by automobile, AAA says, while only 6 percent say they will go by air.



Oklahoma City University School of Law considers plan to move downtown

Oklahoma City University is considering a plan to join the development downtown and move its law school into one of the city’s historic buildings, President Tom McDaniel announced this week.

Fred Hall, chairman, president and CEO of the Fred Jones Companies, said the school could create an anchor for the western side of downtown Oklahoma City, forming a legal district much like the medical district that anchors downtown’s eastern edge.

McDaniel said the new space would bring OCU’s law school and law library under one roof and create new opportunities for students.

“Downtown Oklahoma City provides an excellent environment for our law school,” McDaniel said. “Private legal offices and the county courthouse will be in close proximity and ongoing improvements downtown fit seamlessly with our future plans for OCU Law. This is an exciting time to be a part of our great city and we are proud to be Oklahoma City’s university.”

The school has signed a letter of intent to lease more than 180,000 square feet in a renovated Fred Jones Building. Transportation initiatives included in the MAPS 3 proposal are vital to the project, McDaniel said. If the proposal passes, the law school could relocate in about three years.