Metro

Zealous defender

Clay Curtis earned the Clarence Darrow Award in June.

Clay Curtis found law school much easier than high school or college.

By Miguel Rios Jul 11, 2019

Clayburn Curtis Clay Curtis Overman Legal Group Climb Collective Clarence Darrow Award Clarence Darrow Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association OCDLA Lawyer Attorney Criminal Defense University of Oklahoma college of Law Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office J. Blake Johnson Blake Johnson

Cover: Paper cuts

The Oklahoman faces diminishing returns and logistical nightmares after its purchase by GateHouse Media.

The sound of folded copies of The Oklahoman slapping concrete in the pre-dawn hours was once familiar, but repeated cuts to the size, coverage, advertising and distribution have left many wondering not only if they will receive their newspaper that day but whether there soon will no longer be a daily newspaper at all.

By Mollie Bryant, Matt Dinger, George Lang and Miguel Rios Jul 8, 2019

The Oklahoman Mary Mendus newspaper newspaper delivery Shelly Scovill The Village Nichols Hills GateHouse Media newspaper subscription Gaylord The Oklahoma Publishing Company OPUBCO Kelly Dyer Fry BigWing Chris Reen Wimgo Philip Anschutz David Thompson Scott Briggs Century Mall GateHouse Brianna Bailey Griffin Communications News9 NewsOK New Media Investment Group Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gannett Co. Inc. Ken Doctor Daily Guide Natalie Sanders St. James Leader-Journal Lubbock Avalanche Journal Jon Mark Beilue journalism Oklahoma Watch BrandInsight sponsored content newspaper industry

Strong STEM

The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools wants to place science, technology, engineering and mathematics centers in all 33 elementary schools.

The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools (FOKCPS) is seeking community partners to help place science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) centers in all of the district’s elementary schools before classes start Aug. 14.

By Miguel Rios Jul 5, 2019

The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools FOKCPS STEM Centers STEM education STEM science technology engineering mathematics Oklahoma City Public Schools OKCPS Steve Salem Cal Ripken Sr Foundation Ripken Foundation Cal Ripken Mary Mélon Pathway to Greatness Sean McDaniel Tinker Air Force Base Chesapeake Energy Devon Energy Inasmuch Foundation Boeing

Summer recreation

Jabee hosts a concert to raise money for Douglass Recreation Center.

Jabee Williams feels called to use his platform to stand up for issues when others might not be able to speak out.

By Miguel Rios Jul 3, 2019

Jabee Jabee Williams Nikki Nice Douglass Recreation Center Douglass Center We Got This: A Fundraiser for Kids at the Douglass Center Tower Theatre Stacey Hamm Jabee Poetry & Chill Tony Foster Jr. L.T.Z. Trip G NO_DNA Malorey Rose K 2 E U C E Grand Gentlemen Malcolm Tubbs J Poe David Holt Parks Recreation Parks & Recreation summer recreation

Boulevard crossroads

An Oklahoma City Boulevard intersection is being moved, and city officials are seeking the most efficient way to reconfigure streets.

The Oklahoma City Boulevard intersection in lower Bricktown is being moved.

By Miguel Rios Jul 2, 2019

Oklahoma City Boulevard OKC Boulevard U-Haul Bricktown Oklahoma City street reconstruction landscaping street reconfiguration general obligation bond go bond Debbie Miller Public Works Oklahoma Avenue Reno Avenue Smith Roberts Baldischwiler Centennial Lofts Centennial Lofts Owners Association Eric Groves

Park money

Oklahoma City voters could decide whether to pass a new excise tax to fund the city’s Parks & Recreation department.

An initiative petition to establish a dedicated fund for neighborhood parks was filed last week.

By Miguel Rios Jun 27, 2019

Ed Shadid Eric Groves MAPS 1/8th cent tax excise tax initiative petition city parks Doug Kupper Parks & Recreation parks trails recreation programming Love’s Travel Stops Scissortail Park Myriad Botanical Gardens SoonerPoll neighborhood parks special election public transit

Meeting agendas

A series of presentations and public discussions on potential MAPS 4 meetings are scheduled for July and August.

By Miguel Rios Jun 27, 2019

MAPS 4 Oklahoma City Council City Council Mayor Holt David Holt City Hall Palomar sidewalks bike lanes trails streetlights Freedom Center youth centers beautification State Fair coliseum senior wellness centers animal shelter transit homelessness Chesapeake Energy Arena diversion hub mental health multipurpose stadium soccer stadium innovation district James Cooper JoBeth Hamon Leonard Benton Clara Luper Civil Rights Center Jim Norick Arena Project Animal Welfare Shelter PAWS for MAPS 4 State of Homelessness Carrie Blumert county jail special meetings MAPS presentations

Open hearts

An Oklahoma City church is the latest to affirm its support for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Crown Heights United Methodist Church is the latest Oklahoma church to join Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN).

By Miguel Rios Jun 25, 2019

Crown Heights Crown Heights United Methodist Church United Methodist Church UMC Reconciling Ministries Network Mosaic United Methodist Church Mosaic St. Stephens United Methodist Church St. Stephens St. Paul’s United Methodist Church St. Paul’s General Conference Traditional Plan LGBTQ+ Trina Bose North Lane Neal Methodism Methodist affirming church Pride Oklahoma City Pride

PRIDE Building pride

Community members pooled resources to build Oklahoma City Pride Alliance and its events from the ground up.

Oklahoma City’s Pride events were hosted by Pride, Inc. for decades, but an embezzlement scandal crippled the organization.

By Miguel Rios Jun 21, 2019

Pride OKC Pride Oklahoma City Pride Pride Week Pride Month Oklahoma City Pride Alliance LGBTQ+ Pride Parade 39th St. District Alison Scott Lori Honeycutt Pride Inc. felony embezzlement Lauren Zuniga 39th St. District Association Brandon Odom Alex Bliss Jeri Holmes Nonprofit Solutions nonprofit Nominee Wreck Room Urbane Home & Lifestyle Bret Streetman Mr. Leather Rachael Leonhart Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma 84 Hospitality Group Luis Miguel Barajas AC Facci Urban Pride Topatío Wreck Room

PRIDE Rainbow uprising

Oklahoma City’s LGBTQ+ community reckons with its past while dealing with modern concerns.

Much of the history of the LGBTQ+ community centers on its relationship with law enforcement.

By Nikita Lewchuk Jun 19, 2019

Oklahoma City LGBTQ+ history Stonewall Inn New York Tessa White Lauren Zuniga Randolph Hubach Aaron Banchhofer Angles LGBTQ+ health care Pride OKC Pride Oklahoma City Pride Pride Week Pride Month Oklahoma City Pride Alliance LGBTQ+ Pride Parade 39th St. District

PRIDE Legends & Rebels

Pride Week opening ceremonies made history while honoring members of the community working to advance LGBTQ+ rights.

Oklahoma City Pride Alliance made history with its opening ceremonies Monday.

By Miguel Rios Jun 18, 2019

Pride OKC Pride Oklahoma City Pride Pride Week Pride Month Oklahoma City Pride Alliance LGBTQ+ Luis Miguel Barajas Topatío Lauren Zuniga David Holt Shauna Lawlis Rainbow Awards OU Medicine Adolescent Medicine Roy G. Biv Legends & Rebels Don Little Margaret Cox Harvey Milk Maria Mancebo Oklahoma City-County Health Department Michael Moss Sara Cunningham Free Mom Hugs Jamie Lee Curtis Matt Salcido Maria Isabel Armando Cruz Ortiz Q Space James Cooper Freedom Oklahoma

Jail choice

The city council is set to decide whether to demolish three municipal buildings that have gone without use for years.

Oklahoma City Council deferred a resolution to demolish the old city jail, police headquarters and municipal court buildings.

By Miguel Rios Jun 14, 2019

JoBeth Hamon Oklahoma City Council city council Ward 6 private redevelopment private development old jail Oklahoma City jail police headquarters municipal court buildings National Register of Historic Places Marva Ellard Civic Center Music Hall Oklahoma City Hall Oklahoma County Courthouse demolition preservation James Cooper Nikki Nice

Street life

Armed with statistics and trend analyses, various organizations are collaborating to tackle issues surrounding homelessness in Oklahoma.

Oklahomans in a packed Tower Theatre got a detailed look at homelessness statistics in Oklahoma City.

By Miguel Rios Jun 12, 2019

Homeless Alliance Tower Theatre homelessness Jerod Shadid Dan Straughan Homeless Management Information System VI-SPDAT Oklahoma City University Sean Spencer Christin Bivens United Way Housing First Housing Readiness Deborah Jenkins Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency affordable housing truly affordable housing area median income AMI City Care Pivot Mental Health Association ION Intensive Outreach & Navigation state of homelessness

Public input

OKC residents favor voting for individual MAPS projects and allocating part of the penny tax for operations and maintenance.

A recent poll of likely Oklahoma City special elections voters shows many would like to see the MAPS vote done slightly differently moving forward.

By Miguel Rios Jun 7, 2019

MAPS 4 SoonerPool Ward 2 Ward 6 Ward 1 James Cooper JoBeth Hamon James Greiner Oklahoma City Council city council mayor MAPS Ed Shadid

Revitalizing Freedom

A new board of directors for Freedom Center has a long-term plan to restore the building and revitalize the civil rights landmark.

Efforts are underway to revitalize and repair one of Oklahoma’s most important civil rights landmarks into a community hub.

By Miguel Rios Jun 6, 2019

Freedom Center NAACP Youth Council NAACP NAACPOK Katz Drug Store Clara Luper desegregation sit-ins sit-in movement Marilyn Luper Hildreth Willa Johnson Michael Washington Historic Preservation Commission Leonard Benton Clara Luper Civil Rights Center Civil Rights black history MAPS 4

Food emergency

Councilwoman Nikki Nice aims to remedy northeast OKC’s lack of access to affordable, healthy foods.

Oklahoma City Council passed a 180-day moratorium on “small box discount stores” in the 73111 ZIP code.

By Miguel Rios Jun 5, 2019

Ward 7 Nikki Nice Oklahoma City Council City Council food insecurity food desert grocery store dollar store convenience store discount store fresh food Dollar Tree Save-A-Lot 73111 Oklahoma City-County Health Department Institute for Local Self Reliance ILSR healthy neighborhood overlay district Vanessa Hall-Harper Tulsa Willa Johnson

Pooling artists

Oklahoma City is looking to add new artists to a pool that helps advance public art projects.

Oklahoma City is currently accepting applications from artists interested in joining its prequalified artist pool.

By Miguel Rios May 31, 2019

Robbie Kienzle Prequalified Artist Pool Oklahoma City Arts Commission arts commission public art art projects artist local art local artists public art masterplan Gail Goldman artist-in-residence BidSync art handling murals photography mosaics ceramics fiber glass Brett McDanel 3D work 2D work Windswept Wall Fire Station No. 29 Erica Bonavida

Church to church

Oklahoma City has signed a memorandum of understanding with Crossings Community Church and First Christian Church to help preserve three buildings.

Oklahoma City Council voted to pass a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city, First Christian Church and Crossings Community Church.

By Miguel Rios May 30, 2019

First Christian Church Oklahoma City Council city council Crossings Crossings Community Church memorandum of understanding historic landmark historic preservation James Cooper Mark Stonecipher David Greenwell Jewel Box Theatre historic preservation commission HPC Jennifer Ayotte Amanda Carpenter Lynne Rostochil R. Duane Conner

Public trust

Oklahoma County jail will have new operational and financial oversight in the form of a trust.

County commissioners unanimously voted last week to create Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority, a trust to oversee the Oklahoma County jail’s operations and finances.

By Miguel Rios May 29, 2019

Oklahoma County county government county commissioners Carrie Blumert Kevin Calvey Brian Maughan jail advisory committee jail trust Cody Compton Oklahoma county sheriff’s office sheriff P.D. Taylor Larry grant Fraternal Order of Police Timothy tardibono criminal justice advisory council cjac voices organized in civic engagement VOICE Jim Gragg M.T. Berry Jim Couch Tricia Everest Sue Ann Arnall Francie Ekwerekwu TEEM Ben Brown Todd Lamb David Prater