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Oklahoma Baby Names

Sunday May 20, 2012

Every year for more than 90 years, the Social Security Administration tracks the top given names for male and female births. The 2011 state by state data for was released on Friday, and in Oklahoma, there are a couple of changes from last year. For example, William jumped from 7th in 2010 to the top of the list for boys while Emma returned as the top girl name for the first time in a few years. A couple of new names appeared on the lists as well, Wyatt for boys and Brooklyn for girls. See how the list of Oklahoma baby names compared to national trends and get information on how to search names by year and/or state.

Here are the top boys names in Oklahoma:

  1. William
  2. Jacob
  3. Mason
  4. Noah
  5. Elijah
  6. Ethan
  7. Aiden
  8. Michael
  9. James
  10. Wyatt

And for the Oklahoma girls:

  1. Emma
  2. Sophia
  3. Isabella
  4. Olivia
  5. Ava
  6. Addison
  7. Emily
  8. Abigail
  9. Brooklyn
  10. Chloe

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Weekend Highlights: 5/18-5/20

Friday May 18, 2012

There have been a flurry of festivals of late in the metro, and here's a debut event sure to become an annual favorite. The inaugural Made in Oklahoma Festival takes place Saturday at the Sheraton Midwest City Hotel & Reed Conference Center and features "Oklahoma's finest foods, heartiest hops and award winning wines." Enjoy a car, truck and motorcycle show, several culinary presentations, the great grilled cheese challenge, children's area and live entertainment. Admission is free, but if you want to enjoy the tastings, you can purchase 10 wine and beer tasting tokens and a commemorative festival wine or beer glass for $15. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House of Oklahoma City. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and you can get a schedule and more information at visitmidwestcity.com.

Elsewhere, this weekend...

  • Another highlight event is the 25th Annual OKC Pride Week, a seven day celebration and the largest annual LGBT Pride event in the state. The Saturday block party downtown includes live entertainment, art, gifts, food and more, and Sunday is the OKC Pride Parade.
  • Visit Better Block OKC at NW 7th and Hudson in MidTown Saturday and Sunday. The "popup" community revitalization event includes shopping, art displays, sidewalk dining, a dog park and more.
  • Local craft beer is the feature, along with music, food and more downtown... Read More...

OKC Outlet Mall Expansion

Thursday May 17, 2012

Outlet mall shoppers will have a few new holiday options this year at The Outlet Shoppes at Oklahoma City on I-40 and Council Road. The mall, immensely successful after opening just last August, will be expanded with a 28,000 square foot "phase two" on the southwest end. Expected to open in November, the addition will include Ann Taylor LOFT, Colombia Sports, Kenneth Cole, Lucky Brand, Waterford Crystal and two other retailers not yet announced.

Plus, according to mall co-developer Horizon Group Properties, Inc., there's room for even more expansion beyond phase two, another 31,700 square feet. That seems likely considering the occupancy (the mall just added Naartjie Kids, White House Black Market and American Eagle Outfitters this spring) as well as the early returns. City officials estimate the mall will top $100 million in sales in its first year.

Photo © Adam Knapp


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METRO Transit Offering Free Bus Rides

Tuesday May 15, 2012

To help citizens reduce their fuel bill and carbon footprint, OKC's METRO Transit will offer free bus rides during this ozone alert season. Rather than implementing the free rides only on ozone alert days, this year they are again set for the third Friday of each month from May through September. The first free ride day is this Friday, May 18th.

With the "Free Fare Fridays," city officials look to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and therefore better air quality and the health of the community. "Ridership demand is growing. The more people decide to ride, the more money they save, the cleaner the environment, and the more robust the system can become," says Michael Scroggins, public information manager for METRO Transit. Last year, the free days saw a ridership increase of 10-22 percent.

Here are some ozone alert season tips from area officials:

  • Ride the bus: Each METRO Transit bus has the potential to take 35 cars off the road.
  • Carpool: Carpooling can cut the number of cars on the road by at least half.
  • Combine trips: Before running errands, plan ahead and try to combine as many errands into one trip as possible.
  • Take your lunch to work: Packing a lunch cuts out a trip during the hottest time of the day.
  • Dine-In or Walk-through: Avoid idling your engine in line at the drive-through.
  • Teleconference: Instead of driving to meetings, consider teleconferences.
  • Fill up your tank in the evening: Refueling in the evening can prevent gas fumes from heating up and evaporating into the atmosphere. And don't top off your tank to prevent releasing fumes into the air.
  • Avoid mowing or mow in the evening: According to the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, older two-cycle gasoline-powered lawn mowers running for one hour emit as many pollutants as a car driven from Oklahoma City to Houston.

Photo © Adam Knapp


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