Sand Springs Fire Department and State Farm Partner to Promote Cooking Safety

View fullsize

The Sand Springs Fire Department (SSFD) is teaming up with State Farm and the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week™ campaign, “Cooking Safety Starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.” This year’s campaign, which runs Oct. 8-14, works to educate families about simple but important steps they can take to keep themselves and others safe.

“Cooking fires are the leading cause of U.S. home fires and home fire injuries. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign works to highlight when and where cooking fires happen most often, along with simple ways to minimize those risks,” said Lorraine Carli, VP of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA.

SSFD and local State Farm Agent Eric Davidson encourage all residents to cook with caution. In support of those efforts, Davidson recently donated a Fire Prevention Week kit to the fire department, which includes home fire safety and prevention activities and information for children and adults.

“State Farm encourages homeowners to make fire prevention an important part of their overall home safety plan. Fire Prevention Week reminds that cooking with caution should be at the top of the list. This also is a good time to check your smoke alarms to ensure they are functioning,” said Davidson.

SSFD shared the following cooking safety tips through this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign:

• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove to prevent spills and burns. .

• Always keep a lid nearby when cooking on the stove. If a small fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.

• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

• Keep kids and pets 3 feet (1 m) from the stove/oven and where hot foods and liquids are being served.

• Watch what you heat. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.

• Be alert. If you are tired or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove/oven.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay Attention to Fire Prevention,” visit www.fpw.org.

View fullsize

Sand Springs Homecoming Parade Looking For Participants

2020 Gold Pride Marching BAnd.

Cooler air has arrived, leaves are beginning to drop, and the boys of fall are once again bleeding and sweating on the gridiron.

The changing of the seasons also heralds the return of a beloved tradition that’s familiar to every small town in America - Homecoming.

The annual Charles Page High School Homecoming Parade will return to downtown Sand Springs on Thursday, September 28th at 6:00 p.m.

2018 Sandite Football Team.

The parade will follow its traditional route from Charles Page High School westward on Park Avenue to the downtown Triangle before turning south on Main Street. It will then turn east on 2nd Street before returning to the school by way of Adams Road.

Intersections along the parade route will be closed shortly before the parade begins and will reopen as soon as it concludes.

The event will highlight the Charles Page High School fall sports teams as well as youth football, cheer, dance, choir, marching band, and other school programs. The public is also invited to attend and the parade frequently includes local businesses, political candidates, and community leaders.

2020 Homecoming Queen Candidate Kali BAker.

The Homecoming Court will of course be crown jewel of the parade. The queen candidates and their escorts can typically be seen sitting atop sunroofs or waving from the finest of convertibles.

Anyone looking to enter the parade can download this form and email it to Frank Cooper at frank.cooper@sandites.org or fax it to Cooper at 918-246-1480.

Entrees are due no later than Tuesday, September 26th. Participants will need to be in position at the high school by 5:30 p.m. on Thursday the 28th.

The Sandites’ Homecoming football game and coronation will be Friday, September 29th at Memorial Stadium against No. 7 Tahlequah (0-3).

Sand Springs defeated Tahlequah 25-21 last season on the road after scoring 19 unanswered points to come back from a 25-6 deficit. They lead the all-time series against the Tigers 14-8-1 and have won the past five meetings, including Homecoming games in 2005 and 2006.

Sandite Athletics Implementing Clear Bag Policy at Home Events

Sand Springs Public Schools has announced a clear bag policy as well as other enhanced safety measures for Sandite football and other home athletics events.

The announcements comes on the heels of three gun-related incidents at high school football games over the past week.

A stampede happened at a Friday night football game at Booker T. Washington high school in Tulsa after a juvenile reportedly brandished a firearm. No shots were fired and police recovered the weapon but were unable to apprehend the suspect.

A Pryor student reportedly brought a firearm to a football game at Locust Grove that same night, though the unloaded gun was retrieved by police on a tip, and the student was apprehended.

The most horrific game of the night was Del City at Choctaw, where several shots were fired and 16-year-old Cordae Carter was killed. A 42-year-old man was reportedly shot by a law enforcement officer on the scene and he remains in intensive care. A 15-year-old was arrested Tuesday night, though it’s unclear what their connection was to the incident. Three individuals were shot and two teen girls suffered broken bones during the ensuing panic.

Below is the full statement from the district.

View fullsize

“At Sand Springs Public Schools, we are dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for all attendees at athletics events. In light of recent incidents at schools across Oklahoma, we are implementing new security procedures for football games and other athletics events hosted at Sand Springs.

Effective immediately, the following security procedures will be enforced at all home games:

Student ID Required: Students in grades 6-12 will be required to present their school ID upon entry, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. This applies to both Sand Springs students and visiting students.

Parent/Guardian Supervision: All students in grades PK-5 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Third-Party Students: If a student under 18 does not attend one of the two schools playing, that student must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. If that student is 18 or over, they are allowed to attend unaccompanied, and they will have the same expectations as any adult.

Clear Bags Only: All attendees, including students, parents, staff, and visitors, can bring only clear bags to games. This policy will enable our security personnel to easily inspect the contents of bags and ensure that prohibited items are not brought onto the premises.

Cases containing medical equipment (insulin, EpiPens, etc.) will be permitted, but they will be subject to inspection.

Additional Staff: Games will have an increased presence of SSPS staff. The staff will wear highly visible uniforms so that they are easily identifiable in a crowd.

Gate Security: Security personnel will be stationed at each entrance at the event.

See Something, Say Something: Spectators are encouraged to speak out if they see or hear anything suspicious. Staff and security will be available nearby, and signs for the STOPIt Anonymous Reporting App will be placed throughout the stadium.

The procedures above are in addition to established rules, such as our dedicated middle school section, the prohibition of weapons and alcohol, etc.

Please know that these changes are not made lightly. The safety of our students, staff, and community remains our priority. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work to make football games and athletics events as safe and secure as possible.”

Season Primer: Sandite Football Kicks Off Friday vs. Sapulpa

SAnd Springs hosts the highway 97 rivalry trophy after a 2022 road victory at sapulpa.

Since 1952, Sand Springs and Sapulpa have been connected by State Highway 97, but since 1922 something else has connected the two Tulsa suburbs.

Blood, sweat, pigskin, and gridiron have been bringing the two communities together for 30 years longer than the rivalry has had a name - and for the 97th time in the past 102 seasons, Sandites and Chieftains will be at each other’s throats on Friday, August 25th at Memorial Stadium

Both Charles Page High School and Sapulpa High School will open their seasons in Zero Week in the American Heritage Bank Highway 97 Rivalry.

The defending 97 Champs? Sand Springs by way of a 35-21 road win that saw now-senior running back Kenneth Page lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 205 yards and five touchdowns.

With their eighth win in the past nine years, the Sandites finally took their first series lead since 1943 at 46-45-5.

Both teams are looking to take a big step this season. After three consecutive seasons with playoff wins, the Sandites aim for their first State Finals berth since 2015. Sapulpa is coming off back-to-back winning seasons and is looking for its first playoff win since 2005.

Both teams will be eager to start the season on the right foot with a win against their chief rivals before a packed house on statewide television.

The Sandites started the year with a 21-7 half-game loss to Choctaw at the Jenks Football Preview on Friday, August 18th. The Yellowjackets took a 14-0 lead before Easton Webb connected with Wyatt Rutledge, the latest in a long line of Rutledge football stars.

“We were a little bit tired towards the end of that scrimmage, which is natural,” said fourth-year head coach Bobby Klinck, who owns a 22-14 record since arriving at Sand Springs.

“You can run and sprint and do all that stuff, but football shape is different. You’ve got to be ready for it. So I thought there were some plays that we left out there, but for the most part, when we watched film and went back and looked at it, I thought we’re a much-improved football team from last year and I look forward to showing that on Friday.”

Klinck isn’t one to gently test the water toes-first. Choctaw was last year’s State Runner-Up, beating the Sandites 48-29 in the quarterfinals. His team will also take on defending 6A-I State Champion Bixby in the second game of the season.

The Sandites’ strength this season will be their offensive line. Six-foot-four sophomore Ryley Kester is already receiving Division I offers, checking in at 270 pounds. 275-pound senior Tyler Smith stands six feet fall, as does 280-pound senior Marcus Sims. At center, State Tournament-placing wrestler Mason Harris will provide six feet and 260 pounds of intensity.

“Combine that with Ali McCoy and Kenneth Page, we’re looking to run the football,” said Klinck. “There’s no doubt we should be able to. I’ve always told the O-line that we’ll go as far as they go.”

Page was the workhorse for the Sandites last year, carrying the ball 210 times for 1022 yards and 17 touchdowns. McCoy also showed off his speed with 53 carries for 297 yards and 7 TDs.

Klinck expects to split the workload pretty evenly between the two this year. “Those guys love it because they understand that when they’re fresh, they’re a lot better."

Also taking advantage of that powerful line will be 6’4” sophomore quarterback Easton Webb, who was 127-of-203 passing last season for 1,564 yards and 13 touchdowns after winning the starting job in week four.

But despite the football hype, Webb’s primary sport is baseball. In fact, he was recruited by and committed to Oklahoma State University as a freshman before he had ever played a varsity minute.

“In the summer, when you’re that type of athlete, you’ve got to juggle your time between baseball and football,” said Klinck. “And he needs to do that because he excels at both. We’re happy now that it’s coming up on fall and we get him full time.”

“His command, his physicality, the way he’s grown physically. Obviously we’re looking for great things from him.”

Webb also shows strong potential as a dual threat, carrying the ball for nearly 200 yards and four touchdowns last year.

“He’s a lot faster than what people think,” said Klinck. “He definitely wants to throw, but he’s not afraid to tuck it down and put his shoulder pads down when he has to. He’s an all-around type of player and we’re looking for him to make major strides this year.”

Untested for the Sandites will be their receiving corps after graduating their top four from last season.

“Wyatt Rutledge has really come on,” said Klinck. “I think (Caleb) Goodman is going to show some things this year. It’s a bunch of guys that are unproven but we feel that they have the talent to get it done. They’ve just got to prove it on Friday night.”

Defensively, the Sandites will be returning only a handful of their top guys from last season, but Klinck expects big things nonetheless.

“This is a group that they’ve been in the system for a minute and they’re playing fast. We’re going to be aggressive this year. We think that’s kind of our mentality and our nature.”

Gatlin Gunn, Keagan Gilman, Dallas Elifrits, Waylon Jeffers, and Alex Dudley are all expected to make a big impact as some of the top returning tacklers from last season.

As for the leadership this season, the team captains will be Harris, Sims, Dudley, and Gillman.

“We vote team captains. I allow the players to do that,” said Klinck. “They’ve done an unbelievable job. When it’s hot, when guys want to get testy, they’re the ones stepping in saying ‘we can’t be doing this, we’re on the same team.’”

“At the end of practice Alex Dudley’s telling all the scouting guys ‘thank you so much for helping us, it’s a big deal what you’re doing.’ It’s the old adage, ‘when players lead, those are the best teams.’ They’re doing it right now; it’s exciting.”

Sand Springs is hoping to #Sellout97 in what would be the first sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium since it was expanded to a 6,700-seat capacity in 2007. Fans who don’t like crowds will be able to tune in on Yurview (Cox Channel 3). The game will start late at 8:00 p.m. to help dodge the sun.

Attorney General Drummond Rebukes EPA's Proposed New Rule on Power Plants

View fullsize

OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 14) – Attorney General Drummond has joined a coalition of 21 states opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed new rule on existing coal-, natural gas- and oil-fired power plants.

The proposal attempts to regulate those plants under the Clean Air Act by imposing more stringent emissions standards. The would-be rule ignores last year’s rebuke from the U.S. Supreme Court in West Virginia v. EPA, which warned that the EPA should not use a narrow regulatory provision to force coal-fired power plants into retirement en masse.

“In a flagrant dismissal of the Supreme Court’s ruling in West Virginia v. EPA, the EPA is clearly stacking the deck here to force the closure of power plants,” Drummond said. “This rule, if allowed to stand, would cut jobs and raise energy costs for American families and businesses. The never-ending federal overreach of the Biden administration knows no bounds, particularly when it comes to America’s energy production.”

The coalition’s letter, led by West Virginia, explains how EPA’s proposal violates the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on West Virginia v. EPA because Congress still hasn’t given EPA clear statutory authorization to remake the electricity grids. As a result, the agency cannot sidestep Congress to exercise broad regulatory power that would radically transform the nation’s energy grids — and force states to fundamentally shift their energy portfolios away from fossil fuel-fired generation.

“The EPA’s anti-oil and gas agenda is a clear and present danger to the American economy,” Drummond said. “As Attorney General, the people of Oklahoma can count on me to fight against EPA’s radical climate agenda and protect our oil and gas industry.”

Read a copy of the letter here.

Sen. Cody Rogers Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection

View fullsize

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.

Op-Ed: Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell Appointed as Secretary of Workforce Development

View fullsize

As your Lieutenant Governor, I have had the privilege of visiting with countless businesses in all 77 counties. Most of the time, I’m included in celebrations – welcoming a new company coming to town or breaking ground on an expansion. I’m grateful for the opportunity to celebrate those economic development wins, and I’m particularly excited when those happen in rural Oklahoma.

As I visit with business owners, there is one consistent woe they each share with me: available and qualified workforce. In smaller areas, recruiting workforce has become a vicious cycle of poaching workers from other local businesses, leaving their neighbor with the same challenging hole to fill.

A low unemployment rate is certainly something to celebrate. We recently hit a state record low of 2.7%. This tells us that Oklahomans are working and living our state motto, “Labor Omnia Vincit,” or “Work Conquers All.” But this coupled with the number of open jobs and the national and international demand to move to Oklahoma to take advantage of our pro-business environment leads to a workforce shortage that remains difficult to resolve.

Unprecedented growth in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and our continued dominance in energy have made Oklahoma in-high-demand for business relocation and expansion. The pipeline of companies considering Oklahoma is at an all-time high, and the list of wins over the past 18 months speaks for itself: Enel, Model 1, CymSTAR, Pratt & Whitney, and several others account for 7,548 new jobs and over $4 billion in investment, with 53% of those wins happening in rural areas.

But the workforce challenge remains, which is why I’m excited to make an impact as the Secretary of Workforce Development. Through this position, I’ll not only be able to continue the positive momentum of business recruitment and expansion, but I’ll also be able to help set our existing businesses up for success by helping to fill quality jobs with quality workers.

We will go about this in a few ways. First, we need to focus on increasing Oklahoma’s labor force participation rate, which is currently at 61.4%. This means that only 61.4% of available workers are currently employed. For comparison, Kansas is at 66.8%. Getting Oklahomans to work is going to be no small feat, but I’m looking forward to working with the HELP task force to understand barriers to workforce entry for mothers, particularly the cost of childcare. I’m also looking forward to connecting with the Department of Rehabilitation Services to understand opportunities for Oklahoma’s disabled citizens. Working with re-entry programs for incarcerated workers and veteran re-entry programs are also high on my list.

Our CareerTech system also provides an opportunity for low-cost training and education for the most in-demand jobs in our state. Working with them helps both existing and potential businesses create a workforce pipeline uniquely trained for their specific needs.

We also must invest in public education. In the 2021-2022 school year, 3,460 Oklahoma teachers were emergency certified. This totaled 7.7% of the total teacher population, a massive increase from the mere 0.2% we had in the 2012-2013 school year. That number is unacceptable. We need to work with teachers to ensure they’re getting the resources and support they need to stay. Oklahoma’s future workforce is sitting in our classrooms, and they deserve a high-quality education from professional educators.

While I wish that was enough, we must look outside the state to fill the workforce gap. Marketing our low cost of living, low tax rates, family values, and overall quality of life to recruit workers to Oklahoma is the last piece of the complicated workforce puzzle.

As the Secretary of Workforce Development, I certainly have my work cut out for me, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. Championing Oklahoma businesses and showcasing Oklahoma to the world is my favorite thing to do. Imagine that.

Obituary: John Ray White

View fullsize

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.

Senate Review by Senator Todd Gollihare

View fullsize

(Oklahoma City) - This week, a historic education funding agreement was unveiled at the state Capitol by leaders of the Senate, House and Governor Kevin Stitt, which will provide $625 million in recurring total investment in public education.

This agreement places $500 million directly into the education funding formula and I believe these investments will be instrumental in helping us attract and keep the best and brightest education professionals in our public schools. That investment will cover teacher pay raises of $3,000 for teachers with zero to four years of experience; $4,000 for teachers with five to nine years of experience; $5,000 for teachers with 10 to 15 years of experience; and $6,000 for teachers with 15 or more years of experience.

The agreement, for the first time ever, includes funding for six weeks of paid maternity leave. Again, we want to provide funding that better supports our professional educators and makes Oklahoma schools more attractive for those considering teaching as a profession.

The agreement also includes putting an additional $10 million into a three-year literacy program to employ a literacy instructional team to support school districts. Reading at grade level is essential for success in school and throughout life.  This is an investment in the future of Oklahoma’s children. The agreement also includes $125 million to the Redbud Fund that largely benefits rural schools that don’t have the same ad valorem tax collections as districts. This package also includes an additional $150 million for a three-year pilot program for school safety and security. This will provide each district with a school resource officer, or security upgrades, depending on what is needed. For each year of the program, each public school district will receive approximately $96,000.

We’ll soon be hearing details on other areas of the state budget. As education makes up the lion’s share of state appropriated dollars, reaching consensus on that clears the way for final announcements on the rest of the budget.

Meanwhile, work continues on legislation and executive nominations. I expect floor votes soon giving final confirmation for John Longacre, of Kellyville and Jay Rotert, of Sand Springs. John is the principal of Crown Auto World, RAM , Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep in Bristow and Taft Motors in Sapulpa, and has been nominated by Governor Stitt to serve a fourth term as chair of the Oklahoma Used Motor Vehicle, Dismantler and Manufactured Housing Commission. Jay is a professional educator and spent 15 years in the classroom at Charles Page High School in Sand Springs.  He’s currently serving as the director of the Sand Springs Virtual Academy and as district state testing coordinator. Jay has been nominated to serve as a member of the State Textbook Committee. It is my pleasure to carry both of these nominations forward.

I also wanted to update you on my legislation naming a section of Highway 66 the Army SPC Ryan J. Grady Memorial Highway. Ryan, formerly of Bristow, was a combat engineer in the Vermont National Guard’s Special Troops Battalion, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He was killed after his vehicle was hit in a roadside bombing near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The legislation honoring his life, service and sacrifice is now on its way to the governor for final consideration.

Thank you for allowing me to serve you in the Oklahoma Senate. If you have any questions or concerns about legislation or other issues related to state government, please feel free to contact my office by calling 405-521-5528, or email Todd.Gollihare@oksenate.gov.

City of Sand Springs Announces New Planet Fitness at Riverwest Development

View fullsize

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.”