Friday, January 30, 2026
Two bars close on The Strip
Snow-Mageddon
Brother and sister engaged in legal battle Jake Hernandez & Bryson Thadhani STAFF REPORT
Today, The Strip is left with two less bars and no one knows what comes next. JR Murphy’s and Outlaws shut down on Jan. 1 as the owners conduct formal audits on financial matters they said were discovered throughout internal reviews. “Murphy’s and Outlaws are temporarily closed while the ownership group completes formal audits and governance actions arising from historical financial matters identified through an internal review. These matters predate current corrective actions and are the primary focus of the ongoing process,” Outlaws and Murphy’s said in a statement. “The initial change in management in May 2025 occurred after these historical discrepancies were brought to the attention of current leadership, prompting immediate steps to stabilize operations, initiate audits and implement corrective oversight.”
See STRIP on page 5A
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker judged the OSU Barstool snow-sculpting contest.
Snow day brings students together on Library Lawn Bryson Thadhani
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Outside of dorm rooms and apartment buildings, past shoveled sidewalks and snowpacked grass, students kept finding their way to Library Lawn. Some came with gloves. Some without. Some came in heavy
coats. Others showed up in hoodies. A few didn’t bother with either. After nearly a foot of snow fell across Stillwater, Oklahoma State’s campus became something different for a weekend. Classes were canceled. Schedules loosened. Deadlines paused. And instead of retreating inside, students went outside.
They built snow forts. Threw snowballs. Turned speaker stands into makeshift DJ booths. Sculpted snow into stadiums and faces. They stayed out longer than expected. They talked to people they didn’t know. They laughed more than usual. And for a few days, campus felt slower.
See SNOW on page 3A
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
Willie’s Saloon is one of the three bars involved in a legal dispute. It remains open.
BOB partakes in an unexpected journey Caleson Coon
ASSISTANT NEWS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR
OSU’s Big Orange Bus service runs to and from Tulsa.
During the first day back to classes after a long, snow-filled weekend, two of Oklahoma State University’s BOB’s (Big Orange Bus) came to unexpected stops on its weekday route through Stillwater. BOB is a shuttle service between Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, and makes a total of nine trips Monday through Thursday. Milestone, an apartment Ethan Hilbert, The O’Colly complex on Perkins Road, at about 11 a.m. is where BOB got
stuck for the first time on Tuesday. As the driver tried to leave the circle drive, the front of the bus tried to go against the curb, so the driver had no choice but to stop due to the curb and some signs. Steve Spradling, director of Parking and Transportation Services at OSU, said they were able to tow the bus away from the curb, and everything was fine afterward. Near Stillwater Flats on Miller Avenue around 3:30 p.m. is where BOB got stuck while stopping for a passenger and couldn’t seem to continue on afterward.
See BOB on page 7A
WHAT’S INSIDE 4A
When tech matters: US ownership of TikTok, ChatGPT shift toward monetization
7A
City of Stillwater fixes water leak during snow storm
8A
See our best photos from the Snow Days