Sen. Cody Rogers Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, announced Monday that he would not be seeking reelection to the Oklahoma Senate. Rogers was elected to the state’s upper chamber in 2020 and his current term is set to end in 2024.

Rogers said after much careful consideration, he has decided to pursue other options, but expressed his gratitude to his constituents for allowing him to represent them in the Senate.

“First and foremost, I’d like to thank my constituents for this opportunity, trusting me to serve as their voice, and for their input and support,” Rogers said. “It has been an honor to represent the people of Senate District 37, and I will continue to work with and serve them through the end of my term.”

Rogers added that he’d also like to thank his colleagues in the Senate for their guidance, support and friendship.

“I cannot thank Senate leadership and my fellow senators enough for their support and camaraderie over the past few years,” Rogers said. “I am very thankful for the connections and friendships I’ve made with my colleagues and hope to continue those relationships long after our tenures in the Legislature.”

Rogers’ district includes a portion of Tulsa, as well as parts of Sand Springs, Glenpool and Jenks.

Obituary: John Ray White

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John Ray White of Sand Springs, Oklahoma went to be with our Lord on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at the age of 73. Viewing will be held from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 25, 2023, followed by Rosary Service at 6:00 p.m. at Trout Funeral Home in Ponca City, Oklahoma. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 26, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Tonkawa, OK. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, 1206 Waverly, Ponca City, OK. following the mass. Pallbearers include: son Brian White, sons-in-law Michael Cabe and Ben Gislason, and nephews Reece Simpson, Owen Simpson, and Kort Davis.

John was born on August 22, 1949 to Fred White and Martina White in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He attended Washington Elementary School and graduated from Ponca City High School in 1967. He was active in American Legion baseball, and a member of the 3rd place team at State. John served a four-year tour of duty with the United States Navy at the Naval Air Station in Key West, Florida. He achieved AT3 rank status and was a member of the squadron softball league. When his service was complete, he attended Northern Oklahoma College where "Skeeter" played shortstop for the All-Conference NOC Varsity baseball team, and met his future bride. He married Susan Schiltz on August 15, 1975 in Ponca City, Oklahoma. They went on to Oklahoma State University where John graduated with a degree in Business Administration in 1977. The couple moved to Tulsa and subsequently Sand Springs where they raised three children.

John had a long, successful career in the chemical distribution industry. He started out at Kimbell Chemical and then worked for Advance Chemical as Account Manager. He was promoted to Branch Manager at the Summit division of HCI which then became Brenntag, located at the Port of Catoosa where he found a love for AJ’s Heavenly Pizza. He retired as VP of Sales from Brainerd Chemical in 2016. John enjoyed softball league, golf, fishing, cooking his specialties, playing pool with his grandkids, and in former years he loved showing his 2007 Shelby GT Mustang and racing his Mazda Miata. John and Susan enjoyed attending OSU football games and wrestling duals, playing card games with friends and family, and attending concerts. His orneriness and sense of humor were two of his most endearing qualities. John was a faithful servant of the Lord and a member of Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa.

John was preceded in death by his parents Fred and Martina White. John is survived by his lifelong love, Susan; his treasured children, including daughter Tressa Gislason (Ben) of Charleston, SC, Megan Cabe (Michael) of Sand Springs, OK, and son Brian White of Denver, CO; his precious grandchildren, including Vera and Raef Gislason, and Macey Cabe; his beloved sister Karen Kay Long (Gary) of OKC, OK and cousins Steve Stewart (Donna), Jan Wilson (Jeff), Cindy Fein (Lowell), and Sheryl Lippert (Doyle); and many cherished sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and extended family; and finally, his faithful canine companion, Chip.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in John's honor to the Wounded Warrior Project, a cause which was very dear to his heart.

City of Sand Springs Announces New Planet Fitness at Riverwest Development

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The City of Sand Springs and League Capital, LLC announced on Tuesday the latest addition to the Riverwest Development.

A newly constructed 20,000 square foot Planet Fitness being developed by Tulsa-based League Capital, LLC, will be operated by Excel Fitness Holdings, a leading franchisee of Planet Fitness from Austin, TX.

The state-of-art fitness facility will be located at 100 W. Morrow Rd, within the Riverwest Development, in the heart of Sand Springs’ rapidly growing retail, commercial, and entertainment corridor.

“Sand Springs is excited to welcome Planet Fitness to our community and their inclusion puts an exclamation mark on the end of the Riverwest project that has been one of the most impactful projects funded by Vision 2025,” said Mayor James O. Spoon.

“When our City Manager approached us with the possibility of having a Planet Fitness in Sand Springs, I visited one of their locations in Tulsa,” said Councilman Mike Burdge. “I was very impressed with their dedication to being part of the community; especially to the health of our students.”

Construction on the approximately $8,000,000 project will commence this summer with hopes to achieve completion this calendar year. The facility will add another key quality of life component servicing Sand Springs and the surrounding communities by providing a high-quality fitness experience at an exceptional value, in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment.

The Sand Springs Planet Fitness will include brand new cardio machines and strength equipment, a 30-Minute Express Circuit, 60” HDTVs spanning the length of the gym, and fully equipped locker rooms with day lockers and showers, all geared toward promoting an active lifestyle.

“This marks the 12th location from our franchisee group in the state and, as one of the largest franchisees in Oklahoma, we’re excited to become a part of the Sand Springs community,” said Excel Fitness CEO CJ Bouchard.

“We are focused on each individual community where we have a club and thrilled to create a workout environment where everyone in Sand Springs feels accepted and respected.”

“Our Sand Springs club will have the best of the best when it comes to fitness, with plenty of cardio to make sure you can get in and out for a workout on any schedule,” said Bouchard.

Excel Fitness Holdings is a leading Planet Fitness franchise group based in the Austin area with over 125 locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Utah. Excel Fitness has built a team culture that focuses on elevating the member experience by developing exceptional health clubs and delivering world-class customer service. The team is passionate about building communities through fitness and supporting their local markets through employment and memberships opportunities that positively impact lives.

League Capital, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in commercial real estate. Founded in 2009 in Tulsa, OK. Roy Brashears with Orion Real Estate represented the Seller (City of Sand Springs) and Paine & Associates, LLC represented the Buyer (League Capital, LLC).

“We are pleased to play a meaningful role in developing this project in conjunction with our long-standing and valued client -Excel Fitness Holdings,” said League Capital Managing Member Matthew C. Mardis.

“We would like to thank all of the representatives with the city of Sand Springs, as they have been a pleasure to work with throughout this process.”

“We would like to thank our design team - GS Helms, Cedar Creek Consultants, and Wallace Design Collective; our legal representatives Eller & Detrich, and our lending partner American Bank & Trust, for assisting us in bringing this project to fruition.”

Wheeler Dealers Camping Club visits Keystone State Park

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The Green Country loop of Keystone State Park is one of the favorite destinations for members of the Wheeler Dealers Camping Club. This third campout of the season was hosted by Lee and Ellen Cobb and Terry and Vicki Blevins, Ponca City.

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Wheeler Dealers Camping Club visits Hulah Lake

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Wheeler Dealers Camping Club members began the camping season with a March campout at Hulah Lake between Pawhuska and Bartlesville.

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Wheeler Dealers Camping Club celebrates Christmas

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Wheeler Dealers Camping Club members wearing their Christmas sweaters and shirts got in the Christmas spirit at the annual luncheon held at the McCord Senior Citizens Center in Ponca City.

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Wheeler Dealers Camping Club holds last get-together of 2021

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The first weekend of November was the final campout for 2021 for the Wheeler Dealers Camping Club held at Big Hill Lake near Cherryvale, KS.

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Wheeler Dealers Camping Club visits Topeka, KS

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Mystery meals, Flights over Topeka, and supper in a Magical Forest were the highlights of the September Wheeler Dealers Camping Club monthly campout at Melvern Lake, KS hosted by Cecil and Linda Sparks.

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Reach Church celebrates 40 years in Sand Springs, 10 years under lead pastor Chad Stewart

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A version of this story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

40 years ago, 1402 N 81st W Avenue was an empty field on the Sand Springs - Tulsa line. Today it’s a thriving church celebrating its 40th anniversary, and the 10th anniversary of its current pastor, Chad Stewart.

Reach Church has been reaching people in Sand Springs, Tulsa, and around the world for nearly half a century, but for most of its history it was known as Word of Life Fellowship. 

In August of 2018 they changed their name to Reach, but the mission has always been the same. “Go to Sand Springs, raise up a New Testament church, and from there you will touch the world.”

Those were the words that David Emigh heard God speak to him while the 28-year-old was pastoring alongside his wife Sharon in Rosebud, Missouri. 

The Emighs founded the church in 1981 in a former QuikTrip building at 619 E 10th St. that then became the church’s Depot Youth Ministries building when they built their new facilities. 

Emigh led the church for 30 years, writing three books, founding dozens of satellite churches, airing an AM radio broadcast, and founding a bible school and international ministerial organization. Many Word of Life churches are still operating around the globe to this day, in countries like the Philippines and Myanmar. 

The church never got to celebrate its 30th anniversary, however.

On June 15, 2011, David Emigh died in a motorcycle accident, and Associate Pastor Chad Stewart was thrust into the leadership role. 

Stewart came to Word of Life as the College and Careers Pastor, and served briefly as the interim youth pastor before being promoted to Associate Pastor a few months before Emigh’s death. 

Moving a church forward after the death of its founding pastor was far from an easy task. Stewart had to honor the legacy of the church’s founder, maintain the church’s existing identity, while simultaneously following his own passions and calling.

On September 11th, over 90% of the church’s members voted to promote him to the lead role, and ten years have proven that he was the right man for the job. 

The church has seen a number of changes over the past ten years. The name change was a big one. The youth ministry is now at the main church building, and the old Depot building was sold to The Stronghold church. 

But at its heart, Reach Church is still the same. Touching the world from a home base in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. 

The church meets every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and has youth services on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. They actively participate in the Sand Springs Local Church Network, they serve the local school districts, host community events, and continue to support missionaries and satellite churches around the world.

The congregation will celebrate their 40th anniversary on September 19th, 2021 with two services at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. with guest speakers at each. There will also be a cookout and church picnic following the services. 

State Senator Cody Rogers sworn into office

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Newly elected Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, takes the official oath of office.

Cody Rogers took the oath of office Monday and was officially sworn in as the State Senator for District 37, representing Sand Springs.

Rogers will be serving his first four-year term in the Oklahoma Senate. The newly elected Tulsa Republican started a paving construction company in 2015 and has since grown it into a successful business. Rogers plans to advocate for reduced regulations on small businesses and Second Amendment issues at the Capitol. He also supports investing in Oklahoma’s educational systems and lowering prescription drug costs for seniors. 

Rogers defeated incumbent Democrat Allison Ikley-Freeman with 67.07% of the vote on November 3rd.

“I’m honored to be trusted with the responsibility to uphold our conservative values of Senate District 37 in the state Senate,” Rogers said. “More small businessmen are needed at the Capitol, and I’m excited to bring my business skillset to deliver real results for our state.”

The Senate will hold a one-day organizational meeting on Jan. 5 and will begin the 2021 legislative session on Feb. 1.

214 active cases of COVID-19 in Sand Springs, 29157 in Oklahoma

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As of Monday, the OSDH COVID-19 Alert System has all counties in the Moderate Risk Phase.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Sand Springs has doubled in only ten days, reaching a record-high 214 on Monday with 58 new cases in the past 48 hours, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. An eighth Sand Springs resident has died from the virus, the first death since October 29th and the third in the past month. City Council is expected to discuss the ongoing pandemic at their Monday evening meeting.

City Council meetings are open to the public, and Sand Springs residents can sign up to speak on the issues. The meeting will be convened at Case Community Center at 6:00 p.m. There is no agenda item to pass a mask mandate, though Council could consider the idea. To enact a mandate, the Council would have to reconvene at a later date.

The Sand Springs Public School District is reporting 57 active cases among students and personnel. There are 639 active quarantines. Last week the district announced it would be going to distance learning at the secondary level after contact tracing led to a combined 350 quarantines between Charles Page High School and Clyde Boyd Middle School. In-person schooling is expected to resume the Monday following Thanksgiving Break.

The Tulsa Health Department has the 74063 ZIP Code designated as a Severe Risk area on Monday.

Last week there were only two active cases and 76 quarantines at the primary level, but in Monday’s report there were 16 cases and 249 quarantines across the five elementary sites plus the Early Childhood Education Center. SSPS numbers are collected on Friday and reported the following Monday.

The OSDH reported 2,729 new cases statewide on Monday, bringing the seven-day rolling average to 2,629. There are 29,157 active cases statewide, marking nine-straight days of increases. Active hospitalizations are at 1,249 and there have been 1,538 deaths. There are 2,306 active cases in the city of Tulsa, and 4,389 in Tulsa County.

In a Monday afternoon press conference, Governor Kevin Stitt announced new restrictions to combat the pandemic’s spread. Effective Thursday, November 19th, all restaurants will be required to provide at least six feet of space between tables, or will be required to install partitions. All bars and restaurants will be required to close at 11:00 p.m. except for curbside and drive-through windows. All State employees will be required to wear masks at work and State buildings.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting 10,984,398 cumulative cases nationwide since the pandemic began with 245,470 deaths. Oklahoma ranks 23rd in per capita cases in the past week.

The World Health Organization is reporting 54,301,156 cumulative cases worldwide with 1,316,994 deaths.
The United States continue to lead the world in total cases, followed by India with 8,845,127 and Brazil with 5,848,959.

Oklahoma surpasses 24,000 active cases of COVID-19, Sand Springs has 164

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As the number of active COVID-19 cases in both Sand Springs and Oklahoma at large continue to set new records, Sand Springs community leaders joined together to release a video Friday morning pleading with Sandites to remain smart and cautious in this unprecedented time.

“Sand Springs we need your help to get through this latest COVID challenge. It will take all of us working together to combat this highly infectious disease,” said Mayor Jim Spoon. “We’re counting on you, Sand Springs, to take this matter seriously. If we all work together we can regain control of this pandemic spread. If we all work right now, we can keep Sand Springs healthy.”

“We love Sand Springs. We’re just asking to not to give in to the divisiveness and the anger that’s all around in our culture here today,” said HillSpring Associate Pastor Matt Barnett. “What we know is that we’re all in this together, and if we’re all in this together that means that we can make it through this together. As we go into our Holiday season, we’re just asking to use common sense in everything that we do so on the other side of this pandemic we can come out stronger and better.”

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 2,667 new cases on Friday, the second-highest single-day total since the pandemic began, bringing the seven-day rolling average to a record-high 2,230 and the active total to a record-high 24,091.

20 new cases were reported in Sand Springs on Friday, and there have been 114 new cases in the past week. The active case load is at a record-high 164, doubling in only ten days. There are 1,947 active cases in the city of Tulsa, and 3,551 in Tulsa County.

In the last situation update from the Sand Springs Public School District, there were 26 positive cases and 428 active quarantines. Those numbers were collected last Friday and reported on Monday. They are expected to go up on next Monday’s report.

The rising number of quarantines led SSPS to move to virtual schooling at the secondary level, beginning yesterday. Of the 26 cases, 19 were at Charles Page High School, and five were at Clyde Boyd Middle School. Grades 6-12 will move to virtual till the Monday following Thanksgiving Break, while Elementary schools will continue with in-person learning for now.

SSPS Superintendent Sherry Durkee and Chamber of Commerce President Kyle Smith also appeared in the City’s video. Watch their full comments below.

The Tulsa Health Department’s Daily New Active Case Rate map has moved the 74063 ZIP Code into the Severe Risk category with 0.34 cases per 1,000 residents.

There are a record-high 1,279 active hospitalizations statewide. There are currently only 64 adult ICU beds available across the state, and only 48 pediatric ICU beds. 12 new deaths were reported Friday, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,493.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting 10,508,864 cumulative cases nationwide since the pandemic began. There have been 242,216 deaths. Oklahoma currently ranks 15th in per capita cases in the past seven days.

The World Health Organization is reporting 52,487,476 cumulative cases worldwide with 1,290,653 deaths. The United States continue to lead the world in total cases, followed by India with 8,727,795 and Brazil with 5,748,375.

Oklahoma State Senator Allison Ikley-Freeman charged with First Degree Manslaughter

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Outgoing Oklahoma State Senator Allison Ikley-Freeman was charged with First Degree Manslaughter Monday relating to a vehicular accident earlier this year. Ikley-Freeman represents Senate District 37, which includes Sand Springs, Jenks, and portions of Tulsa.

The accident for which she has been charged occurred Friday, May 22nd at 7:32 a.m. on the Turner Turnpike, when she was on her way to the State Capitol. Another vehicle, occupied by 44-year-old Enrique Lopez, had reportedly hydroplaned while traveling westbound and was stuck in the grass on the right-hand side of the road. Approximately eight minutes later, Ikley-Freeman also left the roadway and struck Lopez’s Camaro on the driver’s side. Ikley-Freeman was pinned inside her own wreckage for more than half an hour.

Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene, while Ikley-Freeman was transported to the University of Oklahoma Medical Center for treatment. She underwent surgery immediately following the crash after suffering a ruptured spleen, broken ribs, and fractures to her vertebrae and pelvis. Her recovery has gone well, and she has since appeared in an official capacity at Sand Springs events.

One witness called 911 to report Mr. Lopez’s initial accident, and stated that he was having difficulty keeping his vehicle on the road while traveling only 55 MPH due to the heavy rains and moderate wind gusts. Two other drivers called to report the second accident, and both were reportedly driving under the 75 MPH speed limit due to weather conditions.

Senator Ikley-Freeman was interviewed at the OU Medical Center by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Joe Kimmons. She told Kimmons that her cruise control was set to 75 MPH, but crash data obtained from the Event Data Recorder in her vehicle indicated she was actually driving 91 MPH just five seconds prior to the collision.

Court documents state that “Allison Ikley-Freeman was operating her vehicle in complete disregard to the motoring public and was in the process of committing several misdemeanor crimes, those being: 1. Speeding, 2. Reckless driving, 3. Operating a vehicle at a speed greater than reasonable and proper for the weather conditions and 4. Fail to stay in a single lane of travel, when the collision resulting in the death of Enrique Loepz occurred.”

Ikley-Freeman’s traffic record has been spotless for the past decade, though she was cited for driving 26-30 MPH over the limit in 2009.

Bond was set for $30,000 and Ikley-Freeman’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, January 7th. If convicted, she faces no less than four years imprisonment.

Ikley-Freeman, 29, lost her re-election campaign last Tuesday to Republican candidate Cody Rogers. She was previously elected as a Democrat in a 2017 special election to fill an unexpired term. Rogers won last week’s two-way election with 67.1% of the vote and will be sworn into office on Tuesday.