Oklahoma
MAPS 4 Beautification Master Plan Heads To Oklahoma City Council
A nearly $17 million beautification plan will face the Oklahoma City Council on Tuesday. It’s part of MAPS 4, which voters passed in 2019 and provided an allocation of $32.8 million for citywide beautification projects.
Most of the projects focus on improving areas surrounding high-traffic streets and entrances to the city through landscaping and public art. In the words of MAPS program manager David Todd, the city has “company coming” and needs to “spruce things up.”
Tourism booms are expected through the end of the decade, which the city attributes to upcoming international flights at OKC Will Rogers International Airport, what will be the newest NBA arena in the league, two 2028 Olympic events, and a more aggressive strategy recruiting conferences, conventions, trade shows, and concerts.
“It’s to beautify those spaces,” Todd added. “If even if just a little bit. It’s not big streetscapes. It’s not major renovations or landscaping, but it’s some trees here and there. It’s some hardscape here and there. And where we’re concentrating are places like right as you come out of the airport; first impression places, well-traveled areas.”
There are 16 projects included in the master plan, which represent 7 of the 8 wards across Oklahoma City.
One of the proposals is more structural than the rest.
Consultants for the city have proposed creating a plaza and erecting a statue of Ralph Ellison at Northeast 23rd and Martin Luther King, directly across from the Ralph Ellison Library.
Currently, the space is an empty lot.
Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice said the proposal, as it stands, does not reflect any of her input or that of nearby stakeholders.
“We wanted to acknowledge all of our leaders that came from this part of our community,” Nice said. “That’s what that corner is supposed to do.”
In discussions she has been part of, Nice said the goal had been to erect a Ralph Ellison statue in Deep Deuce, where Ellison was born.
Despite being listed as a potential stakeholder in the project plan, Ralph Ellison Foundation executive director Michael Owens said he was not consulted on the proposal. But as a steward of Ellison’s legacy, he supports the effort to further memorialize his name.
“It’s magnificent to see the city turn their attention to [it],” Owens said. “We have great sports, and we have great entertainers. But also, we have an intellectual capital here in Oklahoma City. And for the city to recognize that with Ralph Ellison and his legacy and how that legacy, not just looking past but looking forward, is something for the future.”
The area has already seen MAPS 4 investment in the form of the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center and city-supported renovation of the Freedom Center which will be the operating partner when the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center opens.
“It shouldn’t just be in this community,” Nice said about the proposed statue. “It should be all of the places of the footprint of Ralph Ellison. And [Deep Deuce] was a core footprint of Ralph Ellison, because that’s where he grew up.”
A monument outside of the Freedom Center commemorates several civil rights figures. Nice hopes that the concept can be expanded when it comes time to develop the NE 23rd and MLK lot.
“There are a lot of unsung heroes in our community that should be lifted up,” she said. “Not to slight anything of Ralph Ellison’s legacy, because we all know who he is and other people should know if they don’t, but how we approach that is where my concern is about this MAPS 4 beautification plan.”
Freedom Center executive director Christina Beatty has worked with Nice to develop a vision for the area’s ties to civil rights history.
“We have so much to be proud of in this city and in this state,” Beatty said. “In terms of our contributions to the civil rights movement here in the city, in the state, and nationally.”
While Beatty said the Freedom Center had received notice from the city consultants about the proposal for the lot, she said the organization was not substantively included in the process.
Her focus is making sure there’s a space for young people to gather and learn wide-ranging lessons about important civil rights leaders.
“That’s the legacy that will continue here at the Freedom Center,” she said. “To teach young people about those who came before them and to teach them how they can contribute to continued efforts moving forward.”
While Nice opposes the current iteration of the proposal near NE 23rd and MLK, she said there are other proposals included in the beautification master plan that she appreciates.
“I am comfortable with how we are able to use and balance and leverage other dollars to have a beautiful street enhancement project for NE 23rd,” she said, referencing the Clara Luper corridor project. “That’s what we want. That’s the intent of street enhancement projects, to get all of the things that we can for this part of our community and for it to look good.”
If the City Council approves the master plan, individual projects are likely to still require further council action in the future as the vision starts to take shape
“The master plan is really just a guide,” Todd said. “As we start to actually design on each of these projects, they could change a little bit. But it’s a guide of what can be done out there.”
A master plan related to MAPS 4 funding for city parks will also be considered during Tuesday’s Council meeting.
UPDATE: Power has been mostly restored in the wide area of Midtown Tulsa. Nearly 500 customers remain without power.
PSO says a car hit a pole near 2800 S Lewis Avenue, and a substation in the area may have shorted out as a result.
Investigation ongoing.
Public Service Company of Oklahoma Statement:
PSO Oklahoma is currently working to restore power to a wide area of Midtown Tulsa. Crews are on site, and working to restore service.
Residents can track outage updates and report outages at https://outagemap.psoklahoma.com/
If you or someone you know needs adequate heat, our warming shelters are open. Locations are:
All shelter beds are based on available capacity of the shelter.
Please share this information with neighbors who may need it and check on those who are most vulnerable during this cold weather.
Stay safe and warm.
Original Story:
The Public Service Company of Oklahoma Outage Map shows thousands in Tulsa are without power after reports of multiple downed power lines and a power flash, affecting customers starting near the area of Riverside Drive out past the Mingo Valley Expressway, all the way near East 21 Street to E 81 Street.
News On 6 has received reports of the location of multiple power lines down near 2800 South Lewis Avenue, so it is best to avoid the area.
Crews are currently out addressing the outage, and a time of restoration has not been published at this time.
PSO Communications Manager Matt Rahn said teams are still trying to figure out the specific cause of the outage and will update after an investigation is conducted.
After a quick shot of arctic air, things warm up quickly this week
Emergency Info: Outages Across Oklahoma:
Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives, many of which have overlapping areas of coverage. Below is a link to various outage maps.
- PSO Outage Map
- OG&E Outage Map
- VVEC Outage Map
- Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) Outage Map
- Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives Outage Map — (Note: Several Smaller Co-ops Included)
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
Oklahoma is looking to make some history when it takes on Alabama on Friday in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
The Sooners and Crimson Tide square off at 7 p.m. Friday at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.
A win would not only boost the Sooners into the quarterfinals, but would give them three consecutive victories over the Crimson Tide.
OU beat Alabama 24-3 last season in Norman and 23-21 earlier this season in Tuscaloosa.
Since 1960, only 12 programs have beaten the Crimson Tide in three consecutive meetings and only one such streak included a win over Alabama following Nick Saban’s first season in 2007 when the Crimson Tide went 7-6.
That streak?
Another Sooners’ winning streak in the series, which included pre-Saban wins in 2002 and 2003 and the Trevor Knight-led Sugar Bowl win as part of the 2013 season.
In the last 65 seasons, the Sooners were only the second non-conference team to knock off Alabama in three consecutive meetings, joining Texas, which beat the Crimson Tide in 1981, 1972 and 1964.
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Now, OU has a chance to repeat the streak, but this time as part of the SEC and in a do-or-die situation.
The other most recent three-game winning streaks against the Tide were Auburn (six consecutive from 2002-07), LSU (five straight from 2003-07) and Georgia (three straight in 2003-03 and 2007).
Alabama had won 10 or more games every season since that 2007 season before last year’s team finished 9-4.
OU is 5-2-1 against the Crimson Tide all-time.
Only a handful of other programs that have played Alabama more than once have a winning record against the Tide.
Texas is 8-2-1 vs. the Crimson Tide, while Notre Dame is 5-3 and Michigan is 4-3.
The only other programs with a winning record against Alabama in more than one meeting are the Birmingham Athletic Club (3-2), Boston College (3-1), Louisiana Tech (3-2), Rice (3-0), TCU (3-2) and UCLA (2-1).
Alabama is, by any measure, one of the most successful programs in college football history, claiming 18 national championships and four Heisman Trophy winners.
Of course, the Sooners are one of the few programs that can measure up to that, with several national titles and seven Heisman winners.
No team has beaten Alabama twice in the same season.
“Obviously we have tendencies. They have tendencies,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “They have certain matchups they like. We have certain matchups we like. At the end of the day, you can throw all that out. It’s time to start completely over. All that matters is what you do here moving forward.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the San Antonio Spurs in the Semi Final of the 2025 NBA Cup tournament. This is the third year of the event and second straight trip for the OKC Thunder to the Semi Final.
This is set to be a barn burner, as the Oklahoma City Thunder enter this contest 24-1 and the San Antonio Spurs sit at 17-7. Though, the even better news for both sides is the injury report. The Spurs get back generational talent Victor Wembanyama from his multi-week stint on the injured list and the Isaiah Hartenstein returns for Oklahoma City after missing the Thunder’s last five games.
With Oklahoma City only missing Isaiah Joe (knee contusion) in this contest, it gives them a rare treat. The Thunder for the first time all season will have their fully healthy starting five at their disposal. Many believe Mark Daigneault will deploy superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Defensive ace Lu Dort, All NBA swingman Jalen Williams, Rising star Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein.
This was the first time all season the Thunder have had the chance to prove that thought process right. It can be hard to navigate such a talent filled roster especially as well as Cason Wallace played as a spot starter and leading the league in steals.
In the end, the Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t the ones to throw a curveball with the starting lineup. It was the San Antonio Spurs who will bring Victor Wembanyama off the bench according to the official injury report submitted to the league before tip off.
This makes sense as Wembanyama has missed three weeks of action with a calf strain. San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson revealed that his star center was going to be restricted in his first game back, especially against this historically great defense.
OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineups
OKC Thunder Starters
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G
- Lu Dort, G
- Jalen Williams, F
- Chet Holmgren, F
- Isaiah Hartenstein, C
San Antonio Spurs Starters
- De’Aaron Fox, G
- Steph Castle, G
- Devin Vassell, F
- Harrison Barnes, F
- Luke Kornet, C
The Oklahoma City Thunder will have to be mindful of their rotations to counter Wembanyama off the bench and stagger the likes of Holmgren and Hartenstein to counter it.
Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder will either take on the New York Knicks on Tuesday in the NBA Cup Championship game with a win or resume their regular season with a loss. Falling to the Spurs would snap the Thunder’s 16 game winning streak, but issue Oklahoma City four days off leading into Thursday’s clash with the L.A. Clippers.
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