THE Tarrant Regional Water District in north Texas has tried through a court fight to purchase unused water that spills out of southeastern Oklahoma into the Red River. We have supported the idea of such a sale because it would, over time, generate hundreds of millions of dollars for our state.

We also thought the sale of water to Oklahoma City from Sardis Lake made sense. The sale helps address future water needs in central Oklahoma and erases a longstanding debt owed by the state to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for constructing the lake.

Tarrant recently sent a letter to the Corps arguing that the Sardis-to-Oklahoma City sale was unconstitutional because Congress intended federally funded reservoirs to be used for all Americans, not just those in the state where the lakes were built.

The sale was approved by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board in June, after considerable squawking from some legislators and stakeholders. Where was this argument from Tarrant then?

The districtâ€™s belated entry into the case strikes a bad chord and could hurt its argument that it wants only our stateâ€™s excess water.

Remembering veterans

We salute a fledgling effort to remember Oklahoma servicemen and women killed since the Vietnam War. State Sen. Steve Russell, R-Oklahoma City, is among those leading the effort, which is called Pros for Vets. Russell is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in Iraq. Professional football players Tommie Harris and Roy Williams, and local attorneys are also involved. Pros for Vets plans to provide services such as legal aid, and eventually to erect a memorial to those killed in the line of duty. â€œFamilies need a place to go,â€ Russell said. â€œVeterans need a place to go to gather to remember the fallen.â€ Itâ€™s a worthwhile cause, to be sure.

Cheap shot

State Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, will return to the Legislature in February as a man badly out of sync with the voters. Not only did he lose a bid to become of mayor of Tulsa in 2009, but Adelson was also the loudest voice in the Legislature in support of State Question 744, the education funding measure. Adelson, an early and ardent supporter of Barack Obama (we all know how popular he is in Oklahoma!), tried to convince voters that special interests were sucking up taxpayer funds that could pay for SQ 744. Didnâ€™t work: Only 19 percent of voters supported 744. Adelsonâ€™s latest stunt was to take a cheap shot at outgoing Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, accusing Coffee of fostering a lack of civility. With the Republican gains, Adelson is more in the minority than ever â€” and in more ways than one.

Big week in Stillwater

Tonightâ€™s football game against Oklahoma caps a big week for Oklahoma State University athletics. The Cowboys won their second straight NCAA cross country title on Monday in Terre Haute, Ind., by the fourth-widest margin in meet history. It was the universityâ€™s 50th NCAA championship, the most by any Big 12 Conference school. On Friday, OSU played for the first time in the Elite Eight of the NCAA womenâ€™s soccer tournament. And a victory by the football Cowboys tonight would send them to the Big 12 championship game for the first time. As cross country coach David Smith said, â€œI think our whole athletic department is moving in the right direction.â€ Kudos.

Good deeds in Norman

Oklahoma defensive back Quinton Carter found time on Thanksgiving Day to help feed the disadvantaged in Norman. It was hosted by his own nonprofit foundation, one of the many good deeds he has performed during his time in college. Carter, a senior from Las Vegas, has served as a mentor to at-risk youngsters, has lent a hand to fathers in need and taken part in many other community service projects. He told our Jenni Carlson this summer that heâ€™s grateful to have come from a two-parent household and is simply following his parentsâ€™ lead. â€œThey were there supporting me,â€ he said. â€œAs I grow up and see a bigger picture, you start to appreciate things a whole lot more.â€ In September, Carter was named to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, which is sponsored by Allstate. Sooner fans should be proud.

Shaking things up

â€œPass the salt, pleaseâ€ was an oft-heard request on Thanksgiving Day. As winter approaches, some locales are having to take a pass on the salt. Budget shortages make it harder to stockpile the salt and sand needed to deal with icy roads and bridges. Tulsa, for example, will have problems if too many weather events affect that city this winter because money is tight to build up salt and sand supplies and pay for the overtime that drivers might rack up. Salt and sand are extremely common commodities, but it costs money to truck in the supplies and truck them out when bad weather hits. Last yearâ€™s Christmas Eve blizzard is a reminder that a single storm can stretch preparedness supplies to the limit before Jan. 1 arrives. A relatively mild winter is forecast, which is the best news that public works officials could get as November passes into December.

District challenges

Hereâ€™s hoping Oklahoma City officials wonâ€™t completely back off their tough-love approach toward the city school district. Recent comments from the mayor and some city council members didnâ€™t sit well with school officials, but they did nothing wrong in expressing frustration that the district isnâ€™t improving fast enough. Thereâ€™s also value in a comment this week from Ward 3 Councilman Larry McAtee that he doesnâ€™t want the entire focus just on the city district. All or part of more than 20 school districts are within city limits. That leaves many Oklahoma City children attending schools in other districts, including Putnam City and Western Heights, that also have challenges of concern to the entire community.