Here are some of the highlights of the news covered by the Tulsa Beacon in 2021.

January

  • The Oklahoma football team finished the pandemic-plagued 2020 season on a high note with a 53-20 win over Florida in the Cotton Bowl.
  • Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders passed for 305 yards and four scores as OSU (8-3) edged past No. 18 Miami, 37-34, in the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
  • Tulsa played in the American Athletic Conference championship game and came within two points of beating a Southeastern Conference opponent in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth on New Year’s Eve.
  • The Golden Hurricane (6-3) fell to Mississippi State 26-28.
  • The Tulsa City Council has extended the mask mandate ordinance through April 30 in an attempt to slow down the Chinese coronavirus pandemic within the city limits. The Broken Arrow City Council turned back another proposal for an ordinance that would force residents to wear face masks due to the Chinese coronavirus. The same ordinance had previously been voted down despite the public criticism from Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and others.

February

  • Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed a trio of abortion-related measures for the 2021 legislative session to prohibit abortion procedures and limit funding to Planned Parenthood in the state.
  • State revenues dropped by almost 6% in January – the biggest one-month reduction in the last eight months, according to State Treasurer Randy McDaniel.
  • Former President Donald Trump was acquitted of a charge of “inciting an insurrection” by a vote in the United States Senate. It was an unprecedented and unconstitutional effort by Congressional Democrats and a handful of liberal Republicans who opposed Trump, the 45th president of the United States, and his policies.
  • Conservative radio talk show pioneer Rush Limbaugh passed away after a fight with lung cancer.

Editor’s note: Columnist David Limbaugh, the brother of Rush Limbaugh, wrote: “I am uniquely blessed to be Rush Limbaugh’s brother in ways too numerous to count, and I am blessed to be in the special position of witnessing firsthand the outpouring of love and prayers from his, family, friends and fans.”

March

  • During times of unrest in America, gun sales have historically spiked, and a new study analyzing 20 years of data shows the pandemic in 2020 led to a record-breaking year for gun sales in Alabama, nationally and in 39 states – including Oklahoma.
  • For almost a year, several major Oklahoma public school districts have not provided full-time, in-person instruction to students. Parents and state officials alike have wondered how that is impacting academic progress. A midyear report recently released by Tulsa Public Schools provides the answer in that district. Nearly every other student in Tulsa schools was recently flunking at least one class, around 14,000 students total.
  • Chad Weiberg replaced the retiring Mike Holder as athletic director for Oklahoma State University as of July 1.
  • WASHINGTON, D.C.– Archbishop Joseph Naumann, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, has taken President Biden to task for touting his faith while at the same time promoting abortions. Naumann said, “The president should stop defining himself as a devout Catholic and acknowledge that his view on abortion is contrary to Catholic moral teaching.” The bishop went on to say that the president is “confusing” the more than 70 million American Catholics.
  • Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer has announced that he will run against U.S. Sen. James Lankford for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2022. Lahmeyer has been endorsed by retired General Michael Flynn. Lahmeyer said that Lankford, a Baptist minister who used to run Falls Creek Christian Camp, is a good man but not strong when it comes to making decisions.
  • In the second round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, ORU beat No. 7 seed Florida Gators, and the Golden Eagles gained a trip to the Sweet 16. ORU surprised Florida, 81-78.

April

  • With the approval of the Tulsa City/County Health Department, the Wanenmacher Tulsa Arms Show – the “World’s Largest Gun Show” – will resume on April 10 and 11 at Tulsa’s Expo Square.
  • No. 15 seed ORU Golden Eagles lost to No. 3 Seed Arkansas, 72-70, in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Max Abmas of the Oral Roberts men’s basketball team was chosen as the 2020-21 Lou Henson National Player of the Year as the best mid-major college player in the country.
  • Following another trip to the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma Coach Lon Kruger, 68, has decided to retire. OU began an immediate search for a replacement. About a week after Kruger retired, OU has hired Porter Moser, head coach of Loyola Chicago. Moser will be the 15th head coach in Oklahoma men’s basketball history.
  • The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the McGirt v. Oklahoma case may be setting dangerous criminals free on technicalities. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler thinks it is a big problem and is urging citizens to contact the U.S. Congress to remedy the situation. Without a vote of the people, the McGirt decision is changing how criminal cases are handled in much of Oklahoma, including Tulsa.
  • STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State University A&M Board of Regents has selected Dr. Kayse Shrum as the 19th president of Oklahoma State University. The announcement follows an extensive national search by representatives from faculty, students, staff and alumni.
  • The Tulsa Public School board wants to borrow $414,000,000.00 in bonds for four propositions that will be on the ballot on June 8 – conveniently timed when voter turnout is low due to summer vacations. The bonds were approved and would be five years, or an average of more than $80,000,000.00 a year without adding the cost of interest on the bonds. They would be paid by an increase in property taxes  within the district.
  • ORU Athletic Director Mike Carter retired and is now Athletic Director Emeritus. Deputy Athletic Director Tim Johnson assumed the role of Athletic Director on Aug. 1.
  • When it comes to gambling, Oklahoma has more casinos per capita than any other state and is No. 6 in terms of gambling addiction, according to a national study by WalletHub.com. Here is Oklahoma’s rank in these categories:
    • 1st – Casinos per capita
    • 2nd – Grambling machines per capita
    • 9th – % of adults with gambling disorders
    • 29th – Gambling-related arrests per capita

May

  • In the most unusual “state of the union” address in modern times, President Joe Biden drew Republican criticism as he spoke of plans to raise taxes and grow the federal government. Only about 200 members of the House and Senate attended because Biden’s administration is afraid of infection of the Chinese coronavirus.
  • University of Tulsa All-America linebacker Zaven Collins became the first TU player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, since 1977. He was chosen by the Arizona Cardinals as the 16th overall selection.
  • The National Black Power Convention has announced plans for an “armed demonstration” on May 29 in Tulsa’s Greenwood District in remembrance of the 2021 Race Riot/Massacre. According to a press release, “National Black leaders and organizations from all over America will be speaking and attending over the three days  May 28-30). A highlight of the convention will be a huge Second Amendment, armed demonstration to take place on May 29…”
  • Democrat and Republican leaders are sharply divided on whether children in Oklahoma should be indoctrinated with the view that America is dominated by “white racism.” According to Republican leaders, “Critical race theory” promotes racism and divides people. Democrat leaders want public school teachers to continue to be free to teach that “white supremacy” continues to permeate our society.
  • Gov. Kevin signed a bill that will prohibit Oklahoma public schools, colleges and universities from teaching “Critical Race Theory” and from requiring mandatory gender or sexual diversity training or counseling.
  • Former Oklahoma football players Trejan Bridges and Seth McGowan have been charged with felony counts of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in Cleveland County District Court because of a situation in Norman on April 15. Police believe the pair was involved in an armed robbery with a beating and a death threat.
  • John 3:16 Mission broke ground on an expansion project called The Refuge, located next to the former Chouteau Elementary school building which the mission previously purchased in 2013.
  • In light of the bombing of the Nation Israel by Hamas, the Oklahoma House of Representatives adopted a resolution stating members’ support of Israel.

June

  • President Joe Biden in Tulsa proclaimed May 31, 2021, as “Day of Remembrance: 100 Years After the 1921 Tulsa Race (Riot) Massacre.”
  • Alex Cejka surges to win the Senior PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa.
  • Lawyers for the three remaining survivors and some descendants of the 1921 Tulsa race riot/massacre have filed a lawsuit in September asking for an enormous payment of damages for the 100-year-old event.
  • Former University of Oklahoma football players Josh Heupel and Roy Williams are among the 78 players listed from the Football Bowl Subdivision for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame on the 2022 ballot.
  • The eyes of the sports world were on the No. 1 seeded Oklahoma Sooner softball team as they won the national title June 10 with a 5-1 victory over No. 10-seeded Florida State. It was the third national title for OU in the past five years. Both OU and FSU lost their opening games and had to battle back in the double-elimination tournament.
  • Oklahoma State and Alabama will play a home-and-home football series, with the Crimson Tide visiting Stillwater on Sept. 23, 2028, and the Cowboys traveling to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 15, 2029.
  • A lawsuit filed by a former University of Oklahoma women’s volleyball player reveals that scholarship athletes were required to watch and discuss a political documentary that compares former President Donald Trump and his supporters with violent segregationists in the 1960s.

July

  • The OSU/A&M Board of Regents approved a $1.5 billion operating budget for the Oklahoma State University System for fiscal year 2022 during its June 18 meeting. The OSU System enrollment is 33,021, led by an enrollment of 24,405 at its Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, including the College of Veterinary Medicine.
  • Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, blasted the National Education Association (NEA) after that leftist organization vowed to support and promote the use of Critical Race Theory in public school classrooms at its recent annual meeting and representative assembly.
  • Expectations continue to soar for the Oklahoma Sooner football team as 10 players were named to Big 12 Conference preseason honors by a vote of the media. OU quarterback Spencer Rattler, the preseason pick to win the Heisman Trophy by some pundits, was the selection for the No. 1 Big 12 quarterback.
  • Just hours before the deadline to withdraw to maintain college eligibility, ORU basketball star Max Abmas withdrew from NBA draft consideration and will return to ORU for another season.
  • Because of the controversial McGirt decision, Native American victims of crimes may be victimized twice due to the consequences of a drastic change in the state’s legal structure. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado and several county district attorneys addressed the problem in the Governor’s community forum on July 13. “The whole point was to provide some guidance to the victims of crime, whether they are Native American or not,” Kunzweiler said. “Native Americans are the most adversely impacted as victims by the McGirt decision. I don’t think a lot of them realize that.
  • A Houston newspaper was the first to report that Oklahoma and Texas contacted the Southeastern Conference about the possibility of leaving the Big 12 Conference. The two schools notified the Big 12 that they would not renew their TV contract that expires in 2025..

August

  • The Southeastern Conference voted to accept the application of Oklahoma and Texas to switch from the Big 12 to the SEC last week.
  • Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver drafted Oklahoma State freshman as the No. 1 pick in the draft despite trade options and a richly talented field.
  • The Oklahoma State Fair and the Tulsa State Fair resumed after being canceled in 2020.
  • Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy and five others were people inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame August 2 in a ceremony at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
  • Three Tulsa area Republicans – Sen. Nathan Dahm, Rep. Tom Gann and Rep. Wendi Stearman – are among the most conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature and six Tulsa Democrats – Sen. Joanna Dossett plus Representatives Regina Goodwin, Meloyde Blancett, Monroe Nichols, John Waldron and Melissa Provenzano – are the most liberal. That’s according to the 43rd Annual Oklahoma Conservative Index by the Oklahoma Constitution newspaper and members of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC).
  • President Joe Biden is taking steps to mandate masks for public school students in Oklahoma contrary to a state law that prohibits that action apart from an emergency declaration from Gov. Kevin Stitt.
  • In the AP Preseason Poll, No. 1 Alabama got 47 first-place votes while OU and Clemson each got six first-place votes. No. 5 Georgia (three) and No. 4 Ohio State (one) got the only other first-place votes.

September

  • Inflation is rising quickly. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that in the past 12 months since July 2020, the consumer price index has increased 5.4%, including a 2.6% in food at home prices. Meat, poultry, fish and eggs cost 5.9% more than they did last July, and meals prepared outside of the home are 4.6% more expensive.
  • Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, blasted President Joe Biden after Biden revealed his demands that all Americans submit to vaccination for the Chinese coronavirus.
  • With a state law that bans mask mandates in legal limbo, Oklahoma colleges and K-12 schools continue to impose mask and quarantine mandates upon healthy students. College students who question those policies have faced retaliation, while in Edmond parents are suing the school district.
  • On the 50th anniversary of the Game of the Century, Oklahoma beat unranked Nebraska 23-16 in Norman. It was the lowest point total in the Coach Lincoln Riley era.
  • Ohio State was a 25.5-point favorite over the University of Tulsa, however, the No. 9 Buckeyes certainly didn’t look like a Top-10 team early on, as OSU beat Tulsa, 41-20, Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
  • Homelessness is a growing problem in Tulsa and the situation will become more serious – even deadly – as fall and winter approach. That’s what the Rev. Steve Whitaker, senior pastor and CEO of John 3:16 Mission, said in an interview on Tulsa Beacon Weekend on KCFO AM970 about homelessness becoming more complicated. There is an increase in what Whitaker calls “the unsheltered” and they are all over Tulsa. These are people who decided not to seek shelter but stay outside. “There are a large number of those,” Whitaker said.

October

  • State Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, announced that he will seek the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the 2022 election cycle. Dahm is challenging U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma. Tulsa Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer has also announced that he will run against Lankford in the GOP primary.
  • Oklahoma State running back Jaylen Warren carried for 125 yards and two touchdowns Saturday as No. 12 OSU (5-0, 2-0 in the Big 12) defeated then-No. 21 Baylor 24-14 in Stillwater.
  • Former longtime Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel passed away October 4 in Grove, Oklahoma. He was 76.
  • It looks like Texas will have to wait at least one more year before they are “back.” Most of the country on Saturday thought that No. 3 Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0 in the Big 12) was doomed after a disastrous first half in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas as the Longhorns built a 28-7 lead at one point. But the Sooners rebounded, outscoring Texas 35-10 in the second half and capturing a 55-48 win over one of their top rivals.
  • Liberal Democrats praised Oklahoma State School Superintendent Joy Hofmeister after she announced she was switching parties from a lifelong registered Republican to Democrat. Hofmeister made the switch because she is more liberal than conservative and she believes can defeat Gov. Kevin Stitt, a true Republican,  the 2022 gubernatorial campaign. Hofmeister didn’t have much a chance to beat Stitt in the GOP primary.
  • Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy had good reason to dance in the locker room following the Cowboys’ 32-24 comeback win over Texas Saturday in Austin. After the win, undefeated OSU is ranked No. 8/9 in the top polls.
  • In light of the departure of four teams to the Big 12 Conference, the American Athletic Conference has voted to accept six teams for membership in the AAC. Tulsa is already a member of the AAC. Those new members are: The University of Alabama at Birmingham; Florida Atlantic University – Boca Raton, Florida; The University of North Carolina at Charlotte; The University of North Texas – Denton, Texas; Rice University – Houston; and The University of Texas at San Antonio. All six are leaving Conference USA.

November

  • District 6 Tulsa School Board Member Dr. Jerry Griffin has resigned from his position as a member of the Tulsa Public Schools Finance Committee. Griffin said, “While I have no personal knowledge of financial irregularities, the failure of the TPS superintendent to provide me with multiple requests for financial and statistical information is deeply concerning.”
  • Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, criticized the Biden administration’s continued push for children as young as 5 years old to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
  • Oklahoma set a record for tornadoes with 31 in October, according to Gary McManus, associate state climatologist, Oklahoma Climatological Survey.
  • Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair, filed Senate Concurrent Resolution 13, urging Congress to protect consumers from harmful Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules, such as burdensome reporting requirements for financial institutions. The resolution is a response to the Biden administration’s push to have the IRS monitor all U.S. bank transactions over $600.
  • The NCAA’s Infractions Appeals Committee upheld a postseason ban and other penalties against the Oklahoma State men’s basketball program. OSU appeared before the NCAA Infraction Appeals Committee on Feb. 7.
  • Tulsa’s attempt at an upset of the second-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats fell one yard shy of reality, as the Bearcats beat the Golden Hurricane, 28-20, Saturday, in front of 37,978 fans at Nippert Stadium.
  • The City of Tulsa is finally beginning actual work on the expansion of Yale Avenue between 81st and 91st Streets in South Tulsa. Tulsa has contracted with Becco Contractors Inc. for this $29,257,000 project funded by sales tax.
  • No. 9 Oklahoma State was in full control of their own destiny in terms of getting a spot in the Big 12 Championship game and a possible invitation to the College Football Playoff. They blasted TCU 63-17 Saturday.
  • No. 12 Oklahoma has scant time to lick their wounds after being upset at Baylor, 27-14.
  • The Legislature in a special session passed congressional redistricting as required by the Oklahoma Constitution. A major change was taking Washington County (Bartlesville) out of the First Congressional District (Tulsa’s district) and adding parts of Creek County (Sapulpa).

December

  • Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, criticized the recent commutation of Julius Jones’ death sentence to life in prison without the possibility for parole. “It is with great sadness and grief that I reflect on the events of yesterday. Justice was not carried out. There was overwhelming evidence of the guilt of Julius Jones in the horrific murder of Paul Howell. The proper response would have been the carrying out of the death penalty,” Olsen said. “The Howell family deserved proper justice and they didn’t get it. My heart grieves for them.
  • The path to a Big 12 Championship and a possible spot in the College Football Playoff just got smoother as the No. 5 Oklahoma State Cowboys defeated No. 12 Oklahoma 37-33 in Stillwater. OSU lost to Baylor in Arlington, Texas, in the Big 12 Championship. The Cowboys beat the Bears 24-14 in October in Stillwater.
  • In one week, Oklahoma lost to a bitter rival, lost a chance at a record sixth straight Big 12 title, lost a shot at a spot in the College Football Playoff and lost coach Lincoln Riley to USC. Riley’s departure caused several high-ranking recruits to decommit from OU. That includes several five-star players, including one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 class who is from California.
  • After Lincoln Riley bolted for USC, Oklahoma has hired former OU assistant and Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as the Sooner head coach. Venables will be called on to handle the switch from the Big 12 to the SEC, which could happen as early as next season.
  • OSU played Notre Dame January 1 at noon on ESPN in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
  • Oklahoma made their 55th bowl appearance when they faces Oregon in the 29th annual Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29 in San Antonio, Texas.
  • Former Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris has filed for the open seat for District 7 on the Tulsa Board of Education.
  • Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables announced his first two assistant coaching hires, naming Jeff Lebby as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and Ted Roof as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Venables is retaining assistant coaches Cale Gundy, Bill Bedenbaugh, DeMarco Murray and Joe Jon Finley.
  • Tulsa managed a 6-6 record and defeated Old Dominion of Conference USA 30-17 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on December 20.