From The Norman Transcript:

“It just broke my heart,” says Tony Gray, speaking of a trip to the river bridge south of Norman where he saw the make-shift shelters of homeless residents. He left with a nagging feeling to do something, a feeling that he couldn’t ignore.

What has grown out of that feeling is a ministry to Norman’s “invisible” population, the men, women and children who are homeless. “I didn’t have the heart to not do anything. It touched me in a way … I will never be the same.”

With $500 in seed money, $250 from his men’s prayer group at Crosspointe Church and $250 from his employer, Westpoint Homes, Gray founded Bridge Norman (www.bridgenorman.org). The word “bridge” refers both to the site and to the hope of spanning the gaps of food, shelter and jobs for the homeless.

Read the rest.

From The Norman Transcript:

The Norman Transcript has learned the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the City of Norman for allegedly violating the Open Meeting Act.

“We’re in the initial stages of the investigation, and I really can’t comment on it,” said OSBI Inspector Steve Neuman.

Asked if council members and/or staff have been interviewed by OSBI investigators, Neuman replied: “We haven’t got that far. We just got the request from the (Cleveland County) district attorney (Greg Mashburn) to look into the matter.

by Callie Campbell

Oklahoma is one of the most car-dependent states in the U.S. In times of prosperity fueled by a booming oil and gas industry, we built highways, bought cars, and neglected mass transit. Last year, Tulsa and Oklahoma City were ranked dead last in public transit use out of the 50 largest American cities.

Now a combination of rising gas prices, environmental concerns, and the financial crisis are causing Oklahomans to give public transportation another look…

by Gene Perry

A crowd has gathered on the streets of Norman. Maybe it’s the Norman Music Festival or the 2nd Friday Art Circuit. Everyone is enjoying the music, art, and food. But then the sound of approaching drums heralds a more unorthodox entertainment…

The second Friday of every month is a time for art in Norman, as galleries all over town host receptions for new exhibits and the CART bus system offers a special route connecting the galleries. These photos of the most recent 2nd Friday Circuit of Art were taken by Ajit Bhand.