AN OVERVIEW OF THE EVENTS THAT SHAPED OUR LIVES IN 2024
A Time for Community, Healing & Hope What A Difference A Year Can Make!
To begin this Overview of 2024, it is important to note what is arguably the most important story covered in the newspaper the whole year: the April 27 Tornado and the aftermath.
Before the coverage of this historically devastating event, a couple of news items help underscore “what a difference a year makes.”
First, in late 2023, the Sulphur City Council was heavily divided with attempts to recall four of the five members! Now, late in 2024, they are unified on some issues, voting 5-0 to include public participation (the “community”) in meeting agendas and to reject a plan to change employee-designated holidays.
Another change from 2023 is welcome: the near absence of any news about COVID-19! There are now more than 20 variant mutations of the Omicron virus strain, but they cause less serious infections.Also there were reports about a new booster vaccination that became available in the fall.
However, the healthcare focus has shifted to a new pandemic threat from H5N1 bird flu virus. Stories later in the year reported It has already mutated to infect animals, and is causing havoc in dairy cattle. The very lethal 1918 flu virus likely started in farm animals.
After the tornado hit, most stories in the paper had at least some discussion of the impact of the storms. This article serves as a supplement to the monthto- month Year In Review news coverage in the paper.
Here is the traditional Overview of stories listed by news topic during the entire year: Schools
Sulphur Public Schools were heavily damaged by the tornado. Virtuallly all buses were destroyed as was the Bus Barn. The major new construction bond project is still ongoing throughout the year. The project includes a large group storm shelter to be built.
With only minor delays, the school year concluded with a normal graduation exercise. Homecoming also was conducted successfully. School sports had a great year with Sulphur football team making a run for State Champions and earning the Silver Ball.
Sulphur Bulldogs won their seventh consecutive state powerlifting title and scored the most team points in the school’s history. The school record of three individual champions crowned the title achievement.
Two Sulphur High School wrestlers have won state championship titles at the recent OSSAA State Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City. Juniors Baer Webb and Justus Gilliam captured individual state titles. It was the first time since 1979 that Sulphur has had two state champs in the same season.
Law Enforcement
Several stories this year concerned drug arrests and illegal marijuana grows being shut down. Locally Murray County Sheriff Darin Rogers and his deputy staff have earned an “Award for Excellence” for their outstanding work and dedication. It was presented at the annual banquet of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
A tribute story in the fall was about Undersheriff Jay McClure who lost his battle with MLS in October.
City Council
The council had a moment of continuing unity when it unanimously approved a motion to renew public comments (public participation) on regular meeting agendas.
Sulphur tornado victim Peyton McClure is overcome with joy after finding her pooch alive amid the rubble following the April 27 tornado. PHOTO BY BLAKE SEALE
Overview
The council also has resurrected two commission boards: City Planning and Zoning and Historic Preservation.
Several stories this year were, predictably, about city finances. As tornado relief funds slowly came in, sales tax revenue fell considerably due to the loss of businesses. The council also is considering raising water and utility rates again, after an increase in 2023.
While dealing with storm-related economic consequences, the Council continues with previously funded major water projects and line replacements.
CNRA
Numerous stories and photos showed recovery and cleanup efforts in the park. The Platt Historic District was heavily damaged, especially in Flower Park. Several thousand trees were damaged or destroyed in the storm.
Volunteers rallied to help with cleanup efforts in the park. However, there was no traditional Historic Candlelight Walk this year.
The CNRA here has a new Superintendent, Devon Bradley, park officials announced in July..
Politics
The big political story of the year would be the Presidential Election in November. Earlier during the campaign season, the assassination attempt on candidate Donald Trump in Pennsylvania captured the national headlines for a time. Several stories in our paper featured legislators commenting on the crime.
Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole was named to chair the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. He is the first Native American to do so.
At the state level, House Speaker Charles McCall’s column was a statement he gave on his last day as speaker. He thanked his family and many other supporters for the opportunity of serving District 22 for 12 years.
Veterans
The traditional Veterans Day Parade, sponsored by localAmerican Legion Post 148, was held on a new route down Broadway.
A “Wreaths Across America” ceremony was held on Dec. 14 at Oaklawn Cemetery, organized by local OHCE clubs. It is the second year for this observance honoring the military dead.
Rebuilding / Cleanup
SULPHUR STRONG! is the motto adopted for the rebuilding of downtown and the general community wide tornado cleanup efforts.
Money has already been raised to rebuild the Plaza downtown. A fundraiser event in August raised nearly $21,000 to go toward repair for the Sulphur City Plaza that was destroyed in the April 27 tornado.
A Certificate of Appropriateness has been approved for the construction plans for the new Mix Mercantile building located at the same site as the former store that was destroyed in the tornado. The owners want to rebuild the popular store and community gathering place.
Other Events
The annual Artesian Arts Festival was held a couple of weeks before the tornado, drawing thousands of visitors to Sulphur.
Also in early April, Southeastern Oklahoma residents experienced a rare celestial event that will not occur for another 20 years -- a total solar eclipse.
A full-page of photos in an issue showed the Grand Champion Winners in the Murray County Junior Livestock Show at the Expo.
After the tornado, some events had to be modified, but most were not canceled. The Car Show was reduced to one block next to the Artesian Hotel. The event used to take up most of the old downtown.
SHS Homecoming parade, Veterans Day Parade and Christmas Parade all took place but had a new route down Broadway that did not include the past route through downtown on Muskogee Ave.
The Sulphur-Davis Chambers Banquet was held with a Las Vegas theme: “Take a Bet on Murray County.”
In other tornado news this year, Oklahoma State Climatologist Gary McManus, in a column before the storms hit here, presented what in retrospect could be viewed as “ominous” for Sulphur. He reported, “The preliminary tornado total for 2023 stands at 74, significantly higher than the 1950-2022 average of 57.3 twisters.”
He described “a historic outbreak this year on April 27, a day when at least 22 tornadoes were confirmed to have struck the state.”
In the tornado, Sulphur lost its post office that was heavily damaged. The Davis post office provided a base for Sulphur postal items for about six months. A temporary post office facility opened in Sulphur in November.
Finally, in a spirit of optimism and hope, I recall a quote from my maternal Grandmother Laura Curry, who had experienced a tornado on the family farm in rural Iowa. She advised, “It is an ill wind that brings no one good.”
Amen, grandma…–––
