Published: July 04, 2008 03:46 pm            

7-5 OKC briefs

Ozone alert issued for Oklahoma City metro

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The first ozone alert of the year for the Oklahoma City metropolitan area has been issued.

The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments declared the alert for Friday.

Local residents are being encouraged to reduce air pollution by riding in car pools or taking public transportation, to fill up motor vehicle gas tanks in the evening, avoid gas-powered lawn mowers or other equipment and to avoid or combine trips.

Also known as smog, ozone forms on still, warm days when sunlight combines with pollutants like vehicle exhaust.



Lawmakers criticize Regier hiring

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The hiring of Jerry Regier as interim administrator of the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board has drawn criticism from two state lawmakers.

Sen. Debbe Leftwich, an Oklahoma City Democrat, and Sen. Harry Coates, a Seminole Republican, issued a news release Thursday saying it made no sense to hire Regier on an interim basis.

Regier, a former cabinet secretary under Republican Gov. Frank Keating, resigned a state post in Florida two years ago after he was accused of ethical problems.

Leftwich and Coates said the CIB is unnecessarily delaying the hiring of a permanent director. They said the agency has been accepting applications for the position for at least four months.

The two senators are co-chairmen of the Senate Business and Labor Committee.

“The Board has had months to fill this position and it makes no sense for them to hire an interim director when they’ve had so many good applicants,” Leftwich said.

“It’s my understanding that they were looking at applicants from out-of-state when there are qualified candidates that live in Oklahoma,” she said.

Leftwich said the CIB is “acting like a typical bureaucracy, which has lost its focus and is becoming derelict in performing its duties.”

Coates questioned the wisdom of hiring Regier after his problems in Florida. “Taxpayers are fed up with agency directors who are not operating in an ethical manner,” Coates said.

Larry Shea, chairman of the board that oversees the agency, confirmed the hiring of Regier on Wednesday. He said Regier was a “good fit” until a permanent director could be hired. Regier previously headed the agency.

Shea was not available at his electrical contracting business Thursday afternoon and did not immediately return telephone calls to his residence.

        

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