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🎃 Saturday, October 31, 2026 • Rain chances persist. Cooler. 66-67. 🌧️
🧹 Halloween links:
• OKC neighborhoods with the best decorations (Metro Family Magazine)
• October in OKC: Fall Festivals, Halloween Events and More (News 9)
• 5 ways to spend your weekend in Tulsa on Halloween (Tulsa Flyer)
• Where are Tulsa Halloween and fall activities? Find free or low-cost ideas near your neighborhood. (Tulsa Flyer)
• 2026 Halloween events in Texoma (KXII)
• Spooky Tulsa stories has me searching for the ghosts and ghouls (Tulsa Flyer)
✅ Early-voting locations across Oklahoma (click here)
🎙️ Oklahoma Memo Podcasts
OKLAHOMA MEMO
Election 2026: The fight may not end on Election Day
Poll results:
We received 247 votes on the Friday poll, “In-N-Out could be coming to Oklahoma. Are you ready to go Animal Style?”
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🍟 Animal Style? I'm ALL IN! (39)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🍔 Yes, but I'll stick to the classics. (40)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤠 I'll forever be loyal to Braum's! (49)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🤷 What's all the hype about? (119)
New poll question at the bottom of today’s newsletter. (You can also suggest a poll question by emailing me at [email protected].)
Oklahoma City council approves first hyperscale data center. That doesn't mean there will be more
By Graycen Wheeler, KOSU
👉 Click here to support this newsroom
Oklahoma City approved its first hyperscale data center this week. But city leaders said it doesn’t mean they’ll approve future projects.
Developer Beltline Energy spent months negotiating with city leaders to specifically address many community concerns. Mayor David Holt said the process has been unique and arduous.
“I'm skeptical that that is replicable across the city moving forward,” Holt said. “So I think it is important for people to understand: If this is approved today, I do not think that means that Oklahoma City is open for business for data centers.”
The 284-acre facility is planned for Canadian County, at the border between southwest Oklahoma City and Yukon. Ward 3 Councilwoman Katrina Avers, who represents the area, spearheaded the city’s discussions with Beltline.
Avers said she was satisfied with the requirements for this development. She expects the facility to help school districts and the county through ad valorem taxes without straining existing infrastructure too much.
“We need infrastructure investment. We need public safety investment,” Avers said. “We need a well-rounded approach to economic development that involves a comprehensive plan that doesn't just say agriculture until the next [planned unit development] comes along.”
And she said that setting specific requirements for this development shows people across Oklahoma and the country what to demand of data centers eyeing their communities.
“That enables us to support free market development and innovation — at the same time saying, if you can meet what's good in our neighborhood, you can operate in our neighborhood,” Avers said. “And if you can't, you can't.”
Oklahoma City has implemented a moratorium on zoning decisions for large data centers, which is set to expire at the end of the year. Beltline’s project was exempt because the zoning plan was filed in August 2025, months before the city approved its moratorium.
Two days of free email tactics, starting Nov 12
GURU kicks off Nov 12. Join the 29,000+ marketers who showed up last year, 100% free and virtual.
GURU Conference, powered by Constant Contact, is back November 12–13. It's 100% virtual and 100% free, and it's packed with tactics you can use right away on newsletters, deliverability, design trends, AI, and what NOT to do with email.
What to expect:
Speakers including Molly Ringwald, Dan Levy, Amy Porterfield, Frank Vella + more
Sessions from world-class marketers at top brands
Networking every day
DJs, world-record breaking, and an alarming amount of rom-com fun!
Last year, 29,000+ marketers joined us. This year is even bigger, and spots are limited.
The Oklahoma Rundown 📰
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
Here’s what’s happening in Oklahoma today:
Oklahoma early voting turnout jumps from last midterm, with biggest increases among Democrats and independents (KFOR)
Ahead of midterms, U.S. energy secretary praises Oklahoma oil and gas, pushes for permitting reform (StateImpact Oklahoma)
Oklahoma State Department of Education faces discrimination, retaliation lawsuit (Oklahoma Voice)
New Oklahoma laws take effect on Sunday (Oklahoma Voice)
Body of missing kayaker India Norman recovered from Tom Steed Lake (KSWO)
Oklahoma Supreme Court clears path for Norman permanent shelter (StateImpact Oklahoma)
Cherokee Nation Tribal Council committee opposes Inola smelter (KOSU)
Oklahoma’s two-track DUI system can take your license even when prosecutors drop the charges (Oklahoma Watch)
Tulsa City Council approves plan to better preserve historically black artifacts, burial sites (KJRH)
Oklahoma author looks for the ghost of Pistol Pete in new book (KOSU)
Jason Momoa buzz puts spotlight on Oklahoma City’s growing film industry (News 9)
Oklahoma high school football scoreboard (Touchdown Friday Night)
Chet Holmgren out 8-10 weeks with patellar tendon tear, adding to OKC Thunder injury woes (The Oklahoman)*
Saturday Poll
How are you celebrating Halloween this year?
Explain this to me!
What’s happening in Oklahoma that doesn’t make sense to you? Send me your question. I may answer it here in Oklahoma Memo or turn it into a video.
Email: [email protected]
How to support Oklahoma Memo
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Thank you. Have a wonderful day ‼️
(P.S. Be sure and check out the Oklahoma Memo YouTube channel for long-form conversations and news explainers. You can also listen to this content wherever you get your podcasts!)
