English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Tulsa, OK

TULSA, Okla. -

From long-awaited road reopenings in Sapulpa to increasing job numbers in Tulsa and legal battles over a mosque proposal in Broken Arrow, here is your “6 Things to Know” for Friday, Jan. 16, 2026:

1. Dewey Avenue reopens in Sapulpa after yearlong overhaul

After nearly a year of construction, Dewey Avenue in downtown Sapulpa reopens Friday with a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

The $8.5 million infrastructure project replaced century-old storm drains, water and gas lines, and added ADA-compliant parking. Businesses along Main Street are marking the occasion with deals. CTX Coffee is handing out free coffee from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

The Christmas Chute, canceled last year due to construction, is expected to return for the 2026 holiday season.

2. Burn bans in effect for 10 Oklahoma counties

Emergency management officials say burn bans are in place across 10 counties Friday morning, including Haskell County, due to dry conditions and strong winds.

The state’s emergency operations center will activate at 10 a.m., with fire risk expected to remain elevated into the weekend.

Firefighters rescued a man Thursday afternoon who was buried up to his neck in a backyard trench near 31st and Peoria.

It took crews about an hour to pull the man from the collapsed trench. He was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover.

Tulsa fire officials said the trench appeared to be about 10 feet deep. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.

The Islamic Society of Tulsa says it plans to challenge the Broken Arrow City Council’s denial of its proposal to build a mosque and retail center near Olive Avenue and the Creek Turnpike.

The council cited infrastructure concerns, but the group says public opposition was driven by “fear-mongering” and anti-Muslim sentiment on social media.

“IST intends to pursue all options to challenge and reverse this myopic and discriminatory decision,” the group said, citing protections under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

The City of Broken Arrow also released a statement, saying the council carefully considered the application, including input from the Planning Commission, City staff, and public comments, before reaching its decision based on the facts presented.

“The City of Broken Arrow emphatically rejects IST’s supposition that ‘Islamophobic frenzy on social media’ factored into the City Council’s decision. That is simply not true. It is irresponsible conjecture stated by IST to satisfy its interpretation of the City Council’s decision,” the statement said.

5. Tulsa continues rate of job growth

Tulsa’s job market is growing fast, adding about 2,000 jobs each quarter over the past five years, according to the Tulsa Regional Chamber.

Sectors fueling the growth include healthcare, manufacturing and education.

“There are quality jobs being created... jobs that create a wage that’s in excess of the county average,” said Michelle Barnett of PartnerTulsa.

City leaders credit affordable housing, local investments and workforce training as key factors driving the boom.

6. Christopher Bell wins at Chili Bowl Qualifier

Oklahoma’s Christopher Bell charged to a late-race victory Thursday night during the Hasty Bake Qualifying Night at the 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa.

“I didn’t think I was going to get there,” Bell said. “When the yellow came out... I knew I was going to have to do something different.”

Bell, who was born in Norman, is already a three time Chili Bowl champion, winning it back to back to back from 2017 through 2019.

The racing event continues through Jan. 17 at the SageNet Center.

Jeremy Woods & Tiffany Thomas, Tulsa, OK couple arrested stealing dementia mom’s life savings of $150K & spending it on gambling at casinos.

A Tulsa, couple are alleged to have the stolen the life savings of an elderly female relative in their care, suffering from .

Jeremy C. Woods and Tiffany A. Thomas were arrested at their Tulsa residence on Wednesday and charged with exploitation by caretaker.

According to investigators, the pair are accused of taking as much as $150,000 from Woods’ 86-year-old mother, who authorities say is mentally impaired.

Investigators say the victim’s own son, Jeremy Woods, and his partner, Tiffany Thomas, were trusted with the victim’s finances but instead spent the money on shopping, entertainment and.

Deputies say the victim lives in a retirement home. The investigation began after her check for care bounced, prompting a review of her bank account.

The alleged theft came to light late last year when a bank employee noticed suspicious activity on the woman’s account and alerted Adult Protective Services, reported.

Records showed an unusually high number of withdrawals, including nearly 80 ATM transactions over a six-month period. Investigators say about half of those transactions were made at .

After months of investigation, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office detectives determined that Woods and Thomas allegedly drained up to $150,000 from the victim’s accounts. Authorities believe most of the money was, along with purchases at retail stores and through

‘This entire situation is heartbreaking,’ said Cpl. Richie Gonzales with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. ‘The bank statements show a clear pattern of waste and abuse.’

A judge ordered the two to have no contact with the victim and to .

TULSA, Okla. -

How about overnight?

A broken cloud deck may bring a few sprinkles or snow flurries across southern Kansas and parts of northern Oklahoma over the next several hours as colder air surges into the area. No impacts are expected with any precipitation.

Strong northwest winds of 20–30 mph will occur as the colder air moves into the region.

Wind chills will drop into the upper teens and lower 20s Saturday morning and will fall even further by early Sunday morning. Here is the projection for the minimum expected wind chills for the Tulsa metro area over the next few mornings.

What does the rest of the weekend look like?

Saturday will be a cold day as the secondary surge of colder settles across the region. Morning lows will drop into the mid-20s along with a steady northwest wind.

Afternoon highs will only reach the upper 30s to lower 40s across most of Green Country, with highs slightly above freezing near the Oklahoma/Kansas state line. Continued strong northwest winds of 15 to 30 mph will increase the fire spread rate again on Saturday. Please use caution and avoid any activity that could spark a fire.

With the strong north winds, afternoon wind chills will still be in the 20s in many locations.

Sunday morning temperatures will drop into the mid-teens near the metro area and even lower in some outlying locations. Mostly clear skies and light winds will allow for a bitterly cold morning.

Sunday afternoon, a surface ridge of high pressure will bring southwest winds of 10 to 15 mph and highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s under mostly sunny skies.

Another front will move across the Central Plains Sunday night, bringing colder conditions for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. Morning temperatures will start in the mid-20s, with afternoon highs staying in the upper 30s across the metro and lower 40s in southern Oklahoma. North winds of 10 to 20 mph will be likely, with wind chill values in the upper teens to lower 20s during the morning hours.

The shallow cold air will gradually moderate through the middle to latter part of next week, with temperatures climbing slightly above seasonal averages. Overall pattern trends suggest a more active weather pattern returning next weekend, including a few chances for precipitation.

Fire danger will remain elevated on almost a daily basis as our drought conditions continue to worsen. Vegetation is dormant and soil conditions are dry, even despite some recent rains.

Several Oklahoma counties have active burn bans:

Follow NewsOn6 on X/Twitter for automated severe weather alert posts: @NewsOn6

Jewish leaders say they weren’t consulted about the school and don’t need it

(JTA) — Leaders of Tulsa’s Jewish community are publicly pushing back against a proposal to open a publicly funded Jewish charter school in Oklahoma, saying the plan was developed without meaningful local input and could destabilize existing Jewish institutions.

In a joint statement released this week, senior figures from Tulsa’s synagogues, Jewish day school and community organizations said they opposed efforts by an outside group to create what would become the only religious school in the country entirely funded by taxpayers — an arrangement whose constitutionality is contested.

“We are deeply concerned that an external Jewish organization would pursue such an initiative in Oklahoma without first engaging in meaningful consultation with the established Oklahoma Jewish community,” the statement said. “To bypass community consultation in favor of an externally driven initiative is a serious error.”

The statement was signed by leaders from across Tulsa’s Jewish community, including the executive director of the Mizel Jewish Community Day School, rabbis from two Tulsa synagogues, and the head of Jewish Tulsa, the local federation.

The response follows an application by the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation to open a statewide online charter school that would combine Oklahoma academic standards with daily Jewish religious instruction.

Ben Gamla was founded by former U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch, who told the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board on Monday that many families in the state are looking for a religious education option.

“There are a lot of parents that are looking for a sort of a faith-based, rigorous academic program,” Deutsch said.

Tulsa Jewish leaders rejected that claim. In their statement, they said Oklahoma already has Jewish schools and synagogue programs and that they were never consulted about any unmet need.

“Our local boards, organizations and donors have invested heavily in our local Jewish educational system through a dedication to learning,” the statement said, citing the day school and other community programs.

The application also raises a larger legal issue that board members openly acknowledged.

At Monday’s meeting, board chairman Brian Shellem said there was an “elephant in the room” given the board’s recent approval of another religious charter school — the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School — which was later ruled unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court and left unresolved after a 4-4 split at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ben Gamla’s lawyers say that split leaves the door open.

“The exclusion of religious charters based on faith violates [U.S.] Supreme Court precedents that ensure equal access to public education for everyone, regardless of religion,” Eric Baxter, a senior lawyer at Becket, the religious-liberty firm representing Ben Gamla, said in a statement.

Baxter said Peter Deutsch consulted with local rabbis and parents during visits to Oklahoma in 2023.

“Contrary to claims of no engagement, Peter Deutsch consulted with local rabbis and parents during exploratory visits in 2023,” Baxter said. “Far from bypassing the community, Peter’s proposal builds on those consultations to expand faith-based choices for families, and we urge the Board to assess it on its merits.”

When asked who specifically Deutsch consulted with and whether here has been any consultation since then, Becket did not provide details. Instead, a firm spokesperson accused local Jewish institutions of trying to block competition.

“Sometimes, institutions that see potential new competitors will attempt to keep those competitors out of the market for educational providers,” said Ryan Colby, a spokesperson for Becket. He added, “While the Jewish Federation is entitled to its own opinions, it does not speak for all Jews.”

Colby added that Deutsch has spoken with Jews who support the proposal and said he expects non-Jewish families would also enroll.

The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board is expected to vote on the application as early as soon as its next monthly meeting on Feb. 19.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

6-4, 1-2 Away

58

Final

Oklahoma State Cowgirls

11-2, 8-0 Home

90

Game Leaders

TLSAOKST

14R. Grays#23/6 FG, 7/8 FTPoints20M. Gray#37/11 FG, 5/5 FT6A. Peavy#53 DREB, 3 OREBRebounds6A. Whiting#13 DREB, 3 OREB5J. Clack#155 TO, 28 MINAssists7J. Wooten#65 TO, 29 MIN

Full Box Score

Team Stats

TLSAOKST

41% (18-44)

Field Goal %

49% (30-61)

47% (7-15)

Three Point %

35% (8-23)

88% (15-17)

Free Throw %

73% (22-30)

31

Turnovers

15

28

Rebounds

32

0%

Percent Led

97%

0

Largest Lead

35

Full Team Stats

Game Information

4:30 PM, December 15, 2025

Gallagher-Iba Arena

Stillwater, OK

Attendance: 2,021

Where to Watch

ESPN+

Officiating Crew

Referee:Mark Berger

Referee:Bill Larance

Referee:Nicole Leon

All Highlights

Win ProbabilityGame Flow

0%

--TLSA

100%

--OKST

End of Game

0:00 - 4th

58

TLSA

90

OKST

According to ESPN Analytics

All QuartersAll Play TypesAll Players

Shot Made

Shot Missed

Shot Made

Shot Missed

Full Play-By-Play

Game Odds

Odds by

OpenSpreadTotalML

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

(6-4)

o145.5

-110

+27.5

-110

o146.5

-110

+4000

Oklahoma State Cowgirls

(11-2)

-24.5

-110

-27.5

-110

u146.5

-110

-50000

See More Odds

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