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ALERT

Weather Alert

...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM CDT FRIDAY...

The following statement was issued by the Oklahoma Department of
Environmental Quality from 10 AM to 10 PM CDT Friday.

An Air Quality Alert for Ozone has been issued for Friday, August 21
for the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area due to expected high
concentrations of ozone.

Public Health Recommendations: Persons with existing heart or
respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor
activity.

The general public is encouraged to help alleviate the problem by
reducing vehicle miles traveled by riding the bus, carpooling, or
avoiding unnecessary trips. The public is also asked to avoid
refueling during the morning and early afternoon hours, and to avoid
the use of two cycle engines such as lawn mowers, motorcycles, weed
trimmers, and outboard engines. It is also advised to limit outdoor
burning.

To view the latest air quality map, visit airnow.gov or the AirNow
app.

For hourly updates on concentrations and possible health warnings,
telephone the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality at
405-702-4100. For more information on health effects, call the
American Lung Association of Oklahoma at 405-748-4674

Weather Alert

...EXTREME HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 110
expected.

* WHERE...Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, McClain, Oklahoma,
Pottawatomie, Seminole, Hughes, Jefferson, and Stephens Counties.

* WHEN...Until 9 PM CDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Heat related illnesses increase significantly during
extreme heat and high humidity events.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of
the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

&&

Tom Love, Love’s Travel Stops founder, major OU donor, dies at 85

Love's Field background

Love's Field background during the groundbreaking ceremony of Love's Field on Sept. 23.

 Ray Bahner/OU Daily

Tom Love, the founder and executive chair of Love’s Travel Stops and major OU donor, died Tuesday morning at 85. 

Love was born in 1937 in Oklahoma City and attended St. Gregory's Preparatory School in Shawnee and St. John's University in Minnesota before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1954. In 1960, he married his wife, Judy. 

In 1964, Love leased an abandoned service station for $5,000 in Watonga. Nearly 60 years later, his company, Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores, has over 600 locations in the U.S. 

Love’s Travel Stops has donated millions of dollars to OU, including $9 million in 2021 to build Love’s Field, a new softball facility which began construction last September and is scheduled to finish in time for the 2024 season. 

OU also opened the Tom Love Innovation Hub in 2016, a facility dedicated to entrepreneurship and workforce development programs for students. 

Frank Keating, chair of OU’s Board of Regents and former governor of Oklahoma, wrote in a press release Love was a close friend of his, and he is heartbroken by the loss.

“He was a visionary, innovator, inspirational leader and compassionate person,” Keating wrote. “He was committed to his faith, and he gave generously, but often quietly, to support education, medical and other significant initiatives.”

OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. released a statement Tuesday evening, calling Love one of the nation's "most successful entrepreneurs." 

"At every turn, Tom remained unwavering in his dedication to building a better future for our state, and his impact can be felt across so many areas at the University of Oklahoma," Harroz wrote. 

Love is survived by his wife, Judy, his four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“While the grief we feel is unmeasurable, we celebrate his life and will continue his legacy of living a life filled with integrity, honesty and faith,” Love’s family wrote in the press release. 

This story was edited by Alexia Aston and Karoline Leonard.

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