She Puts the 'Super' in Superintendent

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Event

Let it Go! Disney On Ice Will Be Skating Steady at the Tulsa State Fair

Disney On Ice will feature Frozen and Encanto during the Tulsa State Fair’s 11 Days of Awesome!

• Do You Want To Build a Snowman?: Put on your favorite Elsa wig, as long as you are 2-14 years old, and grab your seats for the greatest show on ice! Disney’s Encanto, and Frozen will be performing at the fair starting September 28th through October 8th. Tickets range from $20 to $68 and some lucky fans get to meet the characters before showtime as long as they promise ‘not to talk about Bruno.’

• Fair Enough: The lineup of performers at the Tulsa State Fair is impressive even if they don’t own a pair of ice skates. The Fray, Uncle Kracker and Journey Unauthorized will take the Oklahoma Stage along with dozens of others.

See Disney On Ice showtimes and purchase tickets HERE.

Education

There’s a New Superintendent Suiting Up at Tulsa Public Schools Calling Her Role a Dream and Honor

Dr. Ebony Johnson just wrapped her first day at school as the new interim TPS Superintendent. She said starting her new job on 918 day is fitting because she loves Tulsa.

• A Product of Tulsa Public Schools: A McLain High School graduate, Dr. Johnson later became a teacher and a principal at her alma mater. Prior to the Interim Superintendent appointment, Johnson was serving as the district’s Chief Learning Officer. Dr. Johnson says the departure of past Superintendent Deb Gist was bittersweet but she’s ready to roll up her sleeves and make the grade.

• Plans to Smooth Out the Path: Dr. Johnson met with State Superintendent Ryan Walters to understand his expectations of her new role. She made it very clear that improving Tulsa Public Schools student test scores and clearing up deficiencies in the Oklahoma State Board of Education’s recently approved state accreditation will be among her top priorities.

To get to know Dr. Ebony Johnson and listen to a live interview about her first day on the job, click HERE.

Media

Extra! Extra! Media Masses Helped Open the Floodgates at WOKA, a New Whitewater Park Less Than 1.5 Hours from Tulsa

“WOKA is wow!” That’s what one of many tubers, surfers and kayakers said Friday as the state-of-the-art ‘Waters of Oklahoma and Arkansas’ made waves.

• Read All About It: Nearly a dozen media outlets including Tulsa Daily covered the big WOKA opening Friday. The 1,200 foot long channel with 8-exciting drop features is made possible by the City of Siloam Springs, support by the Walton Family Foundation and the Grand River Dam Authority. “We were thrilled to see so much public interest and media coverage for our fall opening of WOKA. We love to see all the visitors who are enjoying our world class tourism destination. From beginners to professional kayakers and surfers, WOKA offers a great experience for everyone. We want to thank the Walton Family Foundation for it’s vision and generational investment,” said GRDA’s John Wiscaver.

• Catch the Wave: There’s fast fun for the entire family. WOKA is less than 1.5 hours from Tulsa and its amenities make for an all day adventure. Equipment rentals range from $15 for a single tube, $40 for a family tube, $25 for a kayak or $20 for a surf board. There are lots of life jackets and helmets, plenty of parking and a slew of snacks, drinks and WOKA wear.

Paddle on up and plan your splash HERE.

Community

Problems at Promenade, Another Mall Closing For Good

Fire code violations have Tulsa’s Promenade Mall closing. Dillard’s will remain open.

• Short Notice Shutdown: Tenants of Promenade said they were given less than one week to relocate. Mall owners sent a letter to tenants saying Promenade would close indefinitely. Moving trucks arrived over the weekend to clear out the goods that remaining stores had stocked.

• Mall Monitoring: The Tulsa Fire Department said the mall had violations that included an out of date fire suppression system, a fire alarm system not being properly monitored and some out of date equipment that included fire extinguishers. The mall was allowed to stay open as long as a fire watch company was in place. Mall owners stopped those operations Sunday.

See where some store’s plan to relocate HERE.

Community

Closed for Construction But Not For Long, Gilcrease Museum Receives Full Funding

$20-Million needed to be raised to finish the new Gilcrease Museum. This funds have been secured.

• Delayed But Not Done: The older Gilcrease Museum building that was built in 1949 was demolished in 2021 with hopes of re-opening in 2022. Covid pandemic supply chain delays put the project on pause. The entire price tag is $139-Million

• Mixed Bag: Tulsa voters approved a $10-Million contribution with Improve Our Tulsa to finish the job, the rest is covered by the private sector. Museum officials say T-towners stepped up to the plate in a big way. The new Gilcrease Museum will open in 2026.

Read more about the new building bonuses here.

In other news

• 🚙Bridging the Gap: Bixby will get a brand new bridge in the span of one day. The major thoroughfare was closed due to failed inspections.

• 🐕Precious Paws Give Jenks Something to Bark About: Woofstock 2023 was a treat. Jenks Animal Welfare teamed up with other animal rescue groups to promote awesome animal adoptions.

• 🌇It’s All in the T-Town Family: Mayor G.T. Bynum announced a new sister city for Tulsa. It is the first sister city partnership in the last 18 years.

• 🎃Pretty in the Pumpkin Patch: Tulsa Botanic Gardens is hosting haunts with scarecrows, a hay maze and lots of other BOOtanical activities. 13 varieties of pumpkins and gourds will be for sale. See the spooky schedule HERE. 

• 🍽Gobble Up for the Gardens: Sit down to a lovely dinner with Summit Club’s Andrew Black to benefit the Tulsa Botanic Gardens. Enjoy a 4-course meal with cocktails and a Q&A session with the award winning chef. Tickets are on sale now.

• 🩺Welcoming Wellness: Leave the prescription pads at the office. The Wholistic Wellness event takes center stage with 50+ vendors to discuss natural ways of healing the body. Get your tickets HERE.

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