Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 • Cloudy and warmer. Mid-to-upper 50s. ☁️

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In today’s Memo:

By Angelica Perez, Tulsa Flyer (La Semana)
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You could barely walk through St. Thomas More Catholic Church’s hallways on a recent December morning. They were lined with people clutching documents and children. Staff from the Mexican consulate in Oklahoma City had traveled there to help hundreds of people register for dual citizenship. 

M. Rubio, who is not in the country legally and asked not to give her full name, was one of many that spent their morning waiting for help. She got into line at 7:40 a.m. to register her U.S.-born daughter for dual citizenship.

Rubio is one of many Mexican nationals in Oklahoma and across the country applying for dual citizenship for their U.S. born children as the Trump administration continues its deportation campaign, igniting fears of family separation. 

Rubio didn’t leave the church until 10:15 a.m., after providing her daughter’s birth certificate and passport to staff.  

“It’s easier for my daughter to have double citizenship if we have to leave for Mexico and we’re looking for a new school,” Rubio said in Spanish. 

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By Adora Brown, Oklahoma Watch
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Hochatown is a 240-person community that shares a ZIP code with a larger city, Broken Bow, which sits 10 miles to the south. But the conflation has become a problem for Hochatown beyond mail delivery errors.

Dian Jordan, Hochatown’s former mayor and current board of trustees member, said that when towns are clumped in with others by ZIP code, the communities could experience everything from ambulances getting sent to the wrong address to tourism dollars getting misdirected.

“You want your own culture and identity,” Jordan said. “Because our culture is obviously very, very different than Broken Bow’s.”

Its leaders are now turning to Congress for a solution, but Hochatown is not the only municipality whose ZIP code could be determined by lawmakers. More than 70 municipalities across 22 states are lobbying for their own ZIP codes, and the bills that would grant them the designation appear to be stagnant in the Senate.

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By Ryan Welton & Jeremy Cook, Oklahoma Memo
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Two Oklahoma State players are headed for the NCAA transfer portal, including a quarterback once viewed as a long-term piece of the Cowboys’ future.

Multiple reports indicate Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores plans to enter the portal after three seasons in Stillwater. Flores, a former Nebraska Player of the Year, saw limited action this season and was one of five OSU players to attempt a pass in 2025.

Flores is eligible to graduate soon and has remaining eligibility. With a new coaching staff taking shape and additional quarterback competition expected, Flores appears to be seeking a clearer path to playing time.

Oklahoma State is also losing wide receiver Shamar Rigby, who entered the portal, according to 247Sports. Rigby emerged as one of OSU’s more consistent receivers during the season and was a regular contributor in the Cowboys’ offense.

The moves come as Oklahoma State transitions to a new staff under head coach Eric Morris’ revamped offensive leadership, which includes several hires with ties to North Texas. Additional roster movement is expected as the Cowboys reshape their depth chart during the portal window.

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

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

• OKC National Memorial & Museum's $15.8M expansion underway. See what's planned (The Oklahoman)*

• Tulsa Jewish community mourns Bondi shooting victims, ups safety precautions during Hanukkah (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• A larger share of ICE’s arrested immigrants, including in Oklahoma, have no criminal record (Oklahoma Voice)

• Hiett calls company comments ‘absurd,’ but multiple OG&E projects moving forward despite concerns (NonDoc)

• Listen Frontier: Inside Oklahoma’s data center surge and the potential hidden costs (The Frontier)

• Here are the candidates filing for OKC metro offices (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• Man charged in Jenks homicide of good Samaritan sought after missing court appearance (Tulsa World)*

• Former Tulsa emergency director Joseph Kralicek pleads guilty to child pornography (News On 6)

• 'I pray that God forgives him': Man sentenced for hit-and-run that killed OSU student on campus (KOCO)

• Court documents: Man confesses to killing girlfriend in OKC because she mentioned another man's name (KOCO)

• New murder trial ordered over jury instructions involving Adderall-induced psychosis (NonDoc)

• Blackwell woman accused of driving drunk through the Kay County Fair enters no contest plea (Kay News Cow)

• Crash claims life of longtime KXII 12 storm chaser (KXII)

• Shizuko Burgess, owner of Burgess Grill, dies at 98 (KSWO)

• Criminalizing pregnant women is hurting Oklahoma’s mothers and babies (Tulsa Flyer)

• Citizen Potawatomi Nation blazes new path with foreign trade zone, helping companies navigate tariff changes (KOSU)

• A new water treatment plant for Ardmore (KTEN)

• 'Lost portraits' from Route 66 exhibition a time capsule of early-20th-century America (Tulsa World)*

• Tulsans come ‘Oklahome for the holidays’ at annual downtown Christmas parade (Tulsa Flyer)

• Bob Stoops announces retirement from Dallas Renegades (KOCO)

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