News Brief: Star Wars, Back to the Future Day and penny sales tax

News headlines from Oct. 18-23:

• Popular OKC food truck festival scales down (NewsOK)

The H&8th food truck event in Midtown Oklahoma City will discontinue its monthly run. The event become a yearly festival.  The event has attracted crowds of up to 45,000 people in the past.

• New trailer released, tickets go on sale for upcoming ‘Star Wars’ film (Wired)

A new trailer went viral and ticket pre-sales soared Monday for the highly anticipated “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” By Tuesday the Internet was buzzed on Star Wars talk.

• Presidential candidate Ben Carson signs books in Edmond (NewsOK)

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson signed copies of his book “A More Perfect Union” at the Mardel bookstore in Edmond. Nearly 2,000 people attended the Wednesday event.

• Nostalgic science fiction fans celebrate ‘Back to the Future’ Day (Newsweek)

In 1989’s “Back to the Future Part II,” Marty McFly visits a time with hoverboards, Pepsi Perfect and “Jaws 19” – the future day of Oct. 21, 2015. Fans of the film celebrated the day with theatrical re-screenings, special products, and TV appearances of the film’s stars.

• Oklahoma Education Department releases public school report cards (News9)

As required by law, the Oklahoma State Department of Education released the 2015 A-F grades on all public schools in the state. There were 212 A’s, 497 B’s, 536 C’s, 333 D’s and 183 F’s. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister has said the system behind the grading is faulted.

• OU President David Boren proposes penny sales tax (KOSU)

University of Oklahoma President David Boren is asking voters to support a one-cent sales tax to help fund education in the state. If enough signatures are acquired on the filed petition, the sales tax will go to a vote on the general election ballot in November 2016.

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