Oklahoma
America’s tallest building gets approval from Oklahoma City officials
New York City will no longer be home to the tallest building in North America if a plan freshly approved by Oklahoma City officials stays on course.
However, some residents near the site of the proposed Legends Tower have expressed concerns over the 1,907-foot structure — a number representing the year Oklahoma officially became a state.
Three months after announcing plans to build the tallest skyscraper in the country, the Oklahoma City Planning Commission approved zoning for a building that will stand 131 feet taller than lower Manhattan’s One World Trade Center. Once completed, Legends Tower will be a football field bigger than 1,550-foot Central Park Tower, North America’s second-tallest building.
According to the AO architecture firm behind the design, Legends Tower will be part of a mixed-use project called The Boardwalk at Bricktown, featuring nearly 2,000 apartment units, a Hyatt hotel, a sports arena, and 110,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment.
But while the planning commission gave its blessing on the height of the estimated $1.6 billion project, officials held off on approving bright signage that isn’t sitting well will locals, according to The Oklahoman.
“We’re not Las Vegas,” Oklahoma City resident Cynthia Ciancarelli told officials. “We’re not Manhattan.”
Ciancarelli and other Oklahomans worry proposed ad space on the building could cause sensory issues as well as appearing “a bit tacky.”
She also expressed concern that Oklahoma City is already a “one-stop shop for disasters,” including earthquakes, tornadoes and terror attacks.
More than 160 people were killed when a domestic terrorist detonated a truck full of explosives outside a federal building in 1995 — but tornadoes are a far more regular occurrence. The National Weather Service reports the Oklahoma City area has been hit by more than one twister on the same day at least 30 times.
But a well-designed skyscraper could structurally survive in the area known as “Tornado Alley,” the architecture firm said. At a planning meeting last week, the team offered reassurance that engineers will build a concrete core surrounding the skyscraper’s elevator shaft, and that the windows will be capable of withstanding a tornado without damage.
Experts told The Oklahoman that once completed, Legends Tower and The Boardwalk at Bricktown could be a boon to continuing growth in Oklahoma City, which the U.S. Census Bureau says is the sixth-fastest growing city in the nation.
Construction is set to begin later this year on parts of the project, with Legends Tower coming later.
If all goes according to the city’s plans, Legends Tower will become the sixth-tallest building in the world, behind China’s Ping An International Finance Centre.
Oklahoma
Neighbors sift debris, help each other after suspected Purcell tornado
Purcell OK resident recounts how tornado damaged home
Jennifer Fox says she didn’t hear any warning sirens but knew there was a tornado in the area after severe weather tore her garage awning from the ground.
PURCELL — Jennifer Fox had just fed the pigs behind her house early in the morning Thursday, Jan. 8, and began getting ready for work before she and her two sons heard something hit her bedroom window.
“I said, ‘Is it hailing?” she said. “My oldest looked out the window and he saw our awning across the back. He said, ‘Mom, the awning’s gone.”
Fox looked out the window and saw debris everywhere. She said she didn’t hear tornado sirens, but she and her sons immediately took shelter in a closet. By that time, the suspected tornado had already passed through her neighborhood off of Johnson Avenue in Purcell.
At first, Fox didn’t think there was a tornado and attributed the damage and debris to strong winds.
But just one street over, the roof of one house had been destroyed. When she looked at the house behind hers, Fox said she knew a tornado had hit her neighborhood.
“I was thankful at the time,” she said. “I told my kids, I said, ‘It could’ve been a lot worse.’ We weren’t prepared, obviously. I really felt like it just barely missed us.”
Severe weather passed through central Oklahoma early Thursday morning, bringing reports of damage from a possible tornado in Purcell. The National Weather Service in Norman reported on social media that survey teams have found at least EF1 tornado damage in the Purcell area.
The Purcell Fire Department reported a tornado touched down in the city, causing roof damage to nine homes, a semi truck rollover accident on Interstate 35 with one injury and widespread power outages, downed trees and powerlines.
On Norte Street in Purcell, the suspected tornado wiped out the roof of a newly-built home, throwing debris onto the road, including a Christmas tree and blue ornaments. The houses across the street and next door were untouched.
Community members and local high school students gathered pieces of trash, plywood, insulation and other debris and hauled them off.
Next door to Fox, a man and a woman removed debris from their yard that appeared to have blown over from Fox’s house. Like a puppy, a tall brown horse followed the man as he picked up each piece of trash. Across the street, cattle laid in the middle of a field and watched as one person after another drove into the neighborhood to lend a hand.
About five miles northeast of Fox’s house, the suspected tornado knocked over a few powerlines near Purcell’s football stadium. A tree fell onto a small white house and took the tin roof off a large warehouse.
Ron Musgrave, the warehouse’s owner, lives six miles north of Purcell. He said he learned his property was damaged through a local news broadcast.
“They had the people out front and they had the helicopters, so I could see it,” Musgrave said. “They were flying over here. There’s a football field, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh. If that’s the football field, that’s my warehouse.”
The retired home builder and property owner said he keeps building supplies in his warehouse and a black and white cat who’s in charge of exterminating any trespassing mice.
The cat was happy to see Musgrave as he surveyed the water damage inside of the warehouse. Though there was some wet spots, the roof took most of the impact.
“It’s a project,” Musgrave said with a smile. “I am down for it.”
Severe weather damage reported in Shawnee, Norman
Tree damage was reported in Cleveland County at 156th Street and East Tecumseh Avenue, according to Alyse Moore, Cleveland County communications director, along with damage to a car port and barn at 800 Moffatt Road north of Lexington.
Storm damage was also reported in Shawnee. Social media posts show damage to the Holiday Inn Express and Walmart Supercenter off of Interstate 40.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners add transfer portal offensive lineman to the roster
The Oklahoma Sooners made an under-the-radar transfer portal addition on Wednesday, bringing back a player who spent two seasons in Norman before transferring out last year.
Former Central Oklahoma offensive lineman Kenneth Wermy will be returning to play for OU out of the portal. Wermy played for the Sooners in 2023 and 2024 before spending 2025 at the NCAA Division II level with the Bronchos. He’ll add depth to an offensive line group that is in need of it after recent portal departures.
Wemry is a local product from Cache, Oklahoma, and he stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 315 pounds. The Sooners have been busy adding big names in the transfer market, but with a week and a half left until the portal closes, the focus may soon turn to retention and building back depth on the roster.
Oklahoma had a busy portal day on Wednesday, adding Wermy and former Michigan linebacker Cole Sullivan. However, Oklahoma also lost three players to the portal, in linebacker Sammy Omosigho, defensive back Jaydan Hardy, and wide receiver Zion Ragins.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma bill aims to ban obscene materials in public school libraries
A local lawmaker is introducing a bill to prohibit obscene materials in Oklahoma public school libraries.
Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, filed legislation this week, House Bill 2978, that would update state law and prohibit the acquisition of materials that meet Oklahoma’s legal definition of obscenity.
The bill removes references to subjective community standards and relies on established statute, according to Banning.
“This legislation provides a straightforward statewide rule that helps ensure school libraries stay within the definition of education,” Banning said. “According to Black’s Law Dictionary, education is defined as providing proper moral, intellectual and physical instruction.”
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