See Pages 11-16
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 57 No. 12 • One Section • 16 pages • July 28, 2023
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STATE OF THE CITY
Confident
Cooling off
By Rose Lane Editor
Enjoying a hot summer day at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club are, from left: Knox Dunavant, River Dunavant, Courtney Dunavant (mom), Sylvie See, Brenna See (mom) and Nora See. Summer is winding down as some schools are set to start back in early to mid August.
78 city employees was renewed with CompSource Mutual Insurance Co. via OMAG, at a cost of $165,218. City Hall issued 25 building permits in May, including a $1 million new construction project at 7007 Nichols and a $350,000 remodel at 1711 Randel, plus 10 residential fence projects and four residential roofing jobs.
According to Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, the State of the City is “confident.” But, to continue the upward trajectory, the city needs to build a new NBA arena. “This is my fifth State of the City address and every year, we get work done in this room,” Holt said. “Today will be no different. “You’re not here to be passive: you’re here to take what we discuss out of this room and into this city.” Holt said that Oklahoma City has become the 20th largest city in the country, as well as the sixth fastest growing. The economy is strong and diverse with the new convention center, the airport and biotech all being contributers. In 2017, voters approved nearly a billion dollars for core infrastructure, including nearly $800 million just for street repairs, the largest ever investment in streets. That same election, voters approved the permanent funding for the hiring of over 120 new police officers. “In 2019, by a record margin, our voters made a statement that they wanted to invest in quality of life, especially human needs and in our neighborhoods,” Holt said. “That was the $1.1 billion for the 16 projects of MAPS 4.” Oklahoma City is also making unprecedented progress in public transportation. He said the downtown streetcar welcomed its 1 millionth rider last year. Later in 2023, the first bus rapid transit line is to be opened connecting Classen and Northwest Expressway, from downtown to Meridian. With more frequency than ever before, these new buses pull up to train-style platforms along a route that 40,000 residents can easily walk to, Holt said. Riders can move with reliable high frequency and on a very simple and predictable line between
See NHILLS, Page 5
See CITY, Page 16
For school academic calendars, see pages 11 & 12.
- Photo by Annabella Potts
Nichols Hills adopts $34.5 million budget By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer The Nichols Hills City Council/Municipal Authority approved a $34.56 million budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24, which starts July 1, and voted to raise water and sewer rates and solid-waste collection fees. The council also purchased insurance coverage; approved a change in the starting time for meetings of the Environmental,
Health and Sustainability Commission; reviewed building permits; and reappointed several members to boards and commissions. The council paid $69,912 to renew a municipal property protection plan from the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group (OMAG), and $80,841 to renew an OMAG general liability/auto insurance policy. A workers’ compensation insurance plan that covers
New Belle Isle High School and stadium at John Marshall planned
OKCPS’s newest high school is set to open in the fall of 2026.
By Annabella Potts Student Intern On Nov. 8, 2022, Oklahoma City voters passed a bond package for the OKC Public Schools Board of Education. This year, at an OKCPS Board of Education meeting, the board voted for Superintendent Dr. Sean McDaniel to proceed with the
Casady athletics joins OSSAA in 2023 By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer Casady School is taking several steps toward joining the athletic “big leagues.” The Episcopal-affiliated private, co-educational, K-12 college preparatory school became a member of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association on July 1 and participation in the OSSAA starts this fall with the 2023-24 school year. “We will play and hope to compete for championships in all sports except football,” Athletic Director Mike Shepherd said. “We’ll play an independent football schedule for one more season and then we’ll be placed in an OSSAA district in the Fall of 2024
when they draw the new districts,” he said. He predicts the Casady Cyclones football team is to be in Class 3A. This is “a general assumption based on ADM,” he said. Casady had a tentative average daily membership of 299.85 on July 24, the OSSAA reported on its website. Other sports – such as softball, girls volleyball, and cross-country – are athletic events “in which we’ll compete in the OSSAA this fall,” Shepherd said. Up to now, Casady sports teams were members of the Southwest Preparatory Conference, an athletic conference for private high schools in Texas and Oklahoma. See CASADY, Page 3
FRIDAY’s
Dogs of the Week These six-month-old German Shephard puppies are Charley Rose and Annika, They love going to day care and walking the neighborhood to check out the ducks at the pond. They also enjoy chasing their fur brothers (cats) Ricky Fowler and Sergio Garcia. Mom and Dad, Suzanne and Jim Konarik, are avid golfers and name all of their fur babies after golfers. They live at the Ponderosa Estates but come to visit NHill's parks often.
purchase of property for the upcoming Belle Isle Enterprise High School. The property itself is located at Broadway Extension and Wilshire Avenue. Its 65-acre grounds have been selected for school construction to begin. The new high school is slated to open in fall 2026, with the See OKCPS, Page 2