LATEST NEWS From The Oklahoman

With the same spirit of the pioneers who settled Oklahoma City and created one of the most dynamic young towns of the early century, today's Oklahoma City has been reinvented. It is a city experiencing a rebirth. It is progressive, positive and proactive. It is a capital city in many ways - a western capital, technology capital, medical capital, multicultural capital and jazz capital.

A billion-dollar renaissance has seen sweeping changes and improvements across nearly every sector. Landmark projects such as the mile-long Bricktown Canal have infused a new life and vibrancy into the Southwest's fastest-growing entertainment district. Neighborhood programs citywide have helped restore historic homes and buildings to their original luster. And, significant downtown business development has accompanied the renovation of convention, cultural and educational sites.

Gov. Brad Henry

In February 2006, Gov. Brad Henry proposed significant new investments in state research in an effort to prepare Oklahoma's economy for the future. The Invest in the Future initiatives will be funded with a mix of surplus revenue and bond money.

"To be a prosperous a state in the decades to come, we must have the vision to invest in our future today," said Henry. "All the economic experts tell us that research-related ventures will drive the economy of the future. With the right kind of investments, the state can help establish Oklahoma as a research capital and reap the economic dividends that go along with it."

Henry asked lawmakers to approve a $180 million bond issue that will help fund research-based capital projects at the state's two comprehensive universities and a number of non-profit research organizations. The Invest in the Future initiative will include funds for a diabetes research center at the University of Oklahoma and a sensor research and certification facility at Oklahoma State University, among other things.

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IAMC future site, the Colcord Hotel.

By Mark Arend

When the youngster in the Dr. Seuss classic "Green Eggs and Ham" finally gives in and tries the colorful dish, he soon realizes Sam I Am was right. Executive after executive in Oklahoma's key industries are telling the same story to job candidates they are recruiting from elsewhere, industry peers mulling an Oklahoma location and the merely curious where the nation's 46th state is concerned. Having made the transition themselves in many cases, senior executives in the aerospace, logistics, energy, life sciences and other industries are eager to set the record straight.

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