Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 • Severe weather possible during the morning in both OKC and Tulsa markets. 🌩️ The rest of the day will be cloudy and low 70s. ☁️

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In today’s Memo:

By J.C. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch
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You can’t step into the same river twice, but the river can step on you as many times as it wants.

In July, more than 20 inches of rain in 24 hours caused the Guadalupe River in Texas to overflow. 

A  1 in 1,000-year precipitation event in an area known as Flash Flood Alley resulted in at least 138 deaths, including 36 children.

In 2023, Tulsa investigative journalist Molly Bullock began publishing a series of stories about the Arkansas River. Her work documented the history of the city’s waterfront, a meandering tale of ignored warnings, repeated flooding and piecemeal efforts to make residents safe. Bullock asked difficult questions about whether the city of Tulsa was ready for 500-year events, that is, floods that were twice as likely to occur as the flood that devastated Texas.

Introducing what has now stretched to 14 pieces of deeply researched investigative journalism, Bullock took aim at a long history of complacency from city officials.

“Civic leaders’ relentless campaign to develop the river perpetuates a flood of distraction, denial and bad information that is drowning Tulsa,” Bullock wrote. “The cycle has little-understood consequences the city is unprepared to face.” 

Click here to read the full story.

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By Graycen Wheeler, KOSU
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Oklahomans who meet certain income requirements can now apply for assistance paying their utility bills. It’s part of a program that aims to keep the heat on during the winter’s coldest months.

Since Congress created it in 1981, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has helped people pay for air conditioning costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter by directly covering their utility bills.

Funding for LIHEAP comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but it’s administered by state and tribal governments. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) opened its applications for winter energy assistance on Tuesday.

Generally, OKDHS provides winter energy assistance to more than 100,000 households. A similar number of Oklahomans receive LIHEAP assistance in the summer.

To qualify for the program, a household (which OKDHS defines as a person or group of people using one utility meter or energy source) must meet the following monthly income caps according to household size:

Oklahoma residents can apply at OKDHSLive.org, which will require the following information:

Funding is limited, so eligible applicants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Some households may have received notice that they’re preauthorized for LIHEAP if they’ve used OKDHS assistance in the past.

Oklahomans who live within a tribe’s service area and hold a Certificate Degree of Indian Blood may be eligible for tribal LIHEAP as well. However, each household can only receive winter heating assistance from one entity.

The state also offers utility assistance through the Energy Crisis Assistance Program in mid-April.

Read this story on KOSU.org

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• Islamic center opponents downplay religious angle (Tulsa World)*

• 12-year-old’s disappearance being called ‘suspicious’ (KFOR)

• Family questions mental health care at Tinker AFB after navy sailor’s death (News 9)

• PSO wants $25+ more from you each month. Here’s a look at possible increases coming your way. (Tulsa Flyer)

• Oklahoma City Public Schools implements measures to combat rising flu cases (KOCO)

• ‘He loved people': City of Tulsa, Tulsa County chaplain passes away at 86 (News On 6)

• Oklahoma agency seeks providers to open child care facility (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma ranks third for caregiver burden as families struggle with eldercare (Oklahoma Watch)

• Experts predict worsening wildfire conditions in 2026 (KXII)

• In Kiefer, residents surprised, indifferent about Epstein files (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Citizen group sues city of Sand Springs over proposed data center (Tulsa World)*

• Cherokee leaders propose opening nursing campus with OU in northeast Oklahoma (KGOU • OPMX)

• Cherokee Nation Businesses invests $42 million for Williams Center Towers downtown (Tulsa World)*

• Oklahoma bill, Trump order would reinstate Presidential Fitness Test in schools (Oklahoma Voice)

• Putnam City officers honored for saving colleague who collapsed while delivering Christmas gifts (KOCO)

• Canadian County deputy dismissed over mishandling marijuana traffic stop (KFOR)

• DEQ offers radon kits to state residents (The Lawton Constitution)

• ‘The Lowdown,’ Sterlin Harjo’s love letter to Tulsa, returns for second season (Tulsa Flyer)

• Pryor landmark goes dark: The Allred closes its doors (News On 6)

The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ mission is simple: Reignite the daily local news habit by connecting Oklahomans and those who love Oklahoma to quality sources of news and vetted information.

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