Franchise Opportunities in Oklahoma City, OK

Most tornadoes in the United States move from southwest to northeast, but once in a while, storms can do something funky. That was the case Wednesday night about 45 miles east-southeast of Oklahoma City, in Pottawatamie County. Earlsboro — a community that may have been hit by three tornadoes in three days — hosted a meteorological marvel.

Nobody got any video of the unusually errant twister doing its dance, since the funnel performed its atypical feat in the dark. But damage reports from the ground revealed that the EF2 tornado, with winds of 135 mph, traced a nearly perfect counterclockwise ellipse along its 3.38-mile path.

The same storm produced a second tornado moments later that followed a more conventional path to the east, which also caused EF1 damage along Ew121 Road.

The National Weather Service in Norman, Okla., tasked with investigating the oddity, found damage on the northeast side of Earlsboro. The first tornado, dubbed “Earlsboro 1,” had breezed passed town, only to make a left (northward) turn and then curl back southeast. In the process, it sideswiped a few buildings on the northeast side of town near the public school on Stargell Avenue.

The agency tweeted a map depicting the tornado’s path; it shows Earlsboro 2 touching down moments after its predecessor lifted. The Weather Service is working to ascertain whether the second may have been a continuation of the first tornado, or was a distinct separate vortex.

“The evidence would suggest they were from within the same [rotational] couplet,” said Forrest Mitchell, observations program leader at the Norman office. “Or at least within the same mesocyclone.”

A mesocyclone is a rotating updraft that fuels a severe thunderstorm, from which more concentrated funnels of rotation may touch down. It’s not uncommon to have a “tornado handoff,” or one lifting as another forms. Ordinarily the first withers and dies and is tugged to the left by the counterclockwise-spinning cloud it’s attached to above.

What makes this event special is that Earlsboro 1 didn’t get stretched into oblivion — it completed its loop, dodging the rush of cool wind in the “downdraft” that would choke it off. Then it rode southeast, driven by the slowly gyrating mesocyclone above.

It may be that a “rear flank downdraft” (RFD) surge, or a rush of cool, dense air on the back side of the circulation, helped shunt the tornado to the southeast. Somehow it wasn’t annihilated by that cool air. Perhaps the RFD was unusually mild, supporting the continued buoyancy necessary to sustain the tornado. Warm RFD surges are rare but happen. Research is ongoing about the potential role of warm RFDs in the formation of tornadoes.

“We have not seen too many cases like this, but that doesn’t mean it’s as rare as the few cases we’ve seen,” said Mitchell. “In fact there was a point in time when we were looking at this wondering if we were seeing a satellite tornado.”

Satellite tornadoes are secondary whirls that orbit a larger tornadic circulation. They’re born out of the same mesocyclone in environments with through-the-roof vorticity, or spin. Tornadoes can also merge or shed off smaller vortices, particularly in high-end environments.

Mitchell has been at his post in Oklahoma since 1990, and before that spent a decade as a Weather Service contractor. He’s seen plenty in his four-decade career. Wednesday’s events jogged a memory from the infamous May 3, 1999, tornado outbreak that also sent a buzz saw F5 tornado through Moore, Okla., killing three dozen people.

“This has been a window-opening view into something that bears further investigation,” he said. “Now having said that, I recall during the May 3 outbreak something in Greenfield in Caddo County. I spoke with a farmer out there who described a similar situation. He took shelter, stepped outside to take a look, and he saw a tornado to his immediate southeast moving in a northeasterly direction … but he told me he then had to seek shelter again because he noticed another tornado coming from behind him. And it curved from the northwest to the southeast and actually passed between his house and his barn at the time while the first tornado that he noticed was further southeast of his location.”

There are other examples of tornadoes making loops, particularly in slow-moving supercells that feature both cyclonic (counterclockwise-spinning) and rare anticyclonic (clockwise-spinning) tornadoes.

Once in a while, storms can defy all logic and produce tornadoes that move “backward,” from northeast to southwest. That happened with the F5 Jarrell, Tex., tornado on May 27, 1997, during which a thunderstorm slowly moved southwest along a stalled boundary. Otherwise, northeast to southwest-moving tornadoes often occur during landfalling tropical cyclones as rotating rain squalls make landfall.

Tornadoes also can, and do, merge. That was the case when two strong twisters appeared to combine in South Carolina on April 13, 2020. Another pair of tornadoes merged in the Texas Panhandle on March 13, 2021, the result of a decaying tornado being sucked into the next member of the storm’s tornado family. And dual circulations appear to have merged during the Nov. 13, 2021, outbreak on Long Island.

“I’ve been studying these for 40 years now, and we’re just scratching the surface,” said Mitchell, still in awe over what transpired Wednesday. “We’re just getting started.”

The doors open a full hour and a half before the show, but that doesn’t stop fans from forming a line at the door anxiously waiting to secure merch and grab a good spot. The crowd consists primarily of small families accompanied by their young teens, as well as a handful of young adults. Smiles can be seen throughout the venue and the stage front is already crowded well before the night begins.

The first act of the night is singer-songwriter Sara Kays. At the young age of 23, this talented artist is already making waves in the music scene. In 2021, she made several notable accomplishments, including her first tour in the US and UK supporting Cavetown, and appearing on The Late Show with Steven Colbert. Sara is joined on stage by Jess Grommet who sings and plays guitar and keys. The duo starts their set with “Backseat Rider,” “When You Look At Me,” and “Home For The Summer.” The audience is mesmerized from the first note and sings along loudly with their hands in the air.

Between songs, Sara points out her turtle stuffed animal that is attached to her mic stand. She says she is torn between two names for him, and wants the audience to help her chose between Steve and Pickles. The fans choice is obvious judging from the loud applause, Pickles it is. Sara goes on to say she is going to make Pickles an Instagram after the show. If you would like to follow that account, it is @struckbypickles.

During her set, Sara asks if anyone has seen the Hannah Montana Movie and tells a story about performing a song from that movie for her school talent show. Sara then begins to cover “The Climb.” The audience goes absolutely wild for this cover. The exchange of energy between Sara and her fans is truly something to behold. Sara takes a moment to talk to the crowd about struggling with body image and her personal journey working through this tough topic. The crowd shouts compliments to her, telling her she is beautiful and amazing. Sara says these next two songs are about struggling with body image and begins “Smaller Than This” and her new single “Math.” Sara closes out her set with one of her most popular songs, “Remember That Night.”

April was an extremely exciting month for Alec Benjamin. During April, Alec performed at the legendary Coachella Festival, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel, and released his new album (un)Commentary. Alongside the guard rail at the Diamond Ballroom, two fan-made signs can be seen that read, “You helped me see 16, even with this shadow of mine.” These signs speak to the importance of Alec’s deep and emotional lyrics. It is a touching moment to see how powerful music can be and what it can do for those in need of it during tough times.

Alec starts off the evening with “Older,” “If We Have Each Other,” and “Dopamine Addict.” The entire room sings along to “Dopamine Addict,” and Alec is touched by the fact that the crowd knows all the words with this song being off his new album (Un)Commentary which was released only a couple weeks ago. Throughout the evening, Alec performs seven songs off the new album, all of which are very well-received from an entranced audience.

Alec takes a moment to talk with the crowd about this being his first show in Oklahoma and how impressed he is by the crowd’s participation and energy. During Alec’s speech, fans hold up more signs and Alec reads the signs out loud, one reading “My First Concert” and the other reading “It’s My Birthday.” Alec is thankful to share in this experience with fans and thanks everyone for making this night happen.

During his set, Alec performs “Such Great Heights” by Postal Service, one of his favorite artists. Alec performed an impressive 21-song set spanning over four albums. Alec Benjamin fans got exactly what they wanted out of the evening. Fans could be seen dancing all night and singing their hearts out. The love from the audience was really moving to be a part of. Alec gave fans a three-song encore. During his encore, Alec performed one of the fan favorites of the night, “Let Me Down Slowly.”

Alec Benjamin and Sara Kays will be touring through the middle of May. Alec will then be bringing the (Un)Commentary Tour to Europe and UK from June to August 2022 with support from Winona Oak.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Another new chapter in the controversy surrounding the contract between the State Tourism Department and Swadley’s Bar-B-Q is unfolding.

New reports, uncovered by the Frontier, reveal that Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell signed off on about $16.7 million worth of expenses for the Foggy Bottom Kitchen restaurants in Oklahoma state parks.

“We need to probably speak to the Lieutenant Governor sooner rather than later,” said Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, the chair of the Special House Committee investigating the ordeal.

During a press conference on April 29, 2022, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Pinnell would take a more hands-on role in the state’s tourism operations.

This came as the governor also announced Jerry Winchester, the director of the State Department of Tourism, resigned.

However, as the Frontier found out, it appears Pinnell has arguably already been very involved during his time as the Secretary of Tourism.

“Back in 2019, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order that required all Cabinet secretaries to sign off on expenses over $25,000 of the agency they’re over,” said Reese Gorman, a state politics reporter at the Frontier.

Recalling this order prompted Gorman to request the public documents detailing Pinnell’s involvement with Swadley’s.

The documents revealed the Lt. Governor’s signature is on payment approvals for millions of dollars made out to the restaurant.

“All $16.7 million of the expenses paid to Foggy Bottom, he signed off on,” said Gorman.

Emails between Pinnell and the Tourism Department’s Finance Director, Katherine Nichols, show one purchase, totaling more than one million dollars, was approved without him ever seeing the bill.

20210722-FBK-Change-Order-ApprovalDownload

“I think that’s very problematic,” said Rep. Martinez. “I know for me, I don’t put my signature on anything without reading it and asking questions.”

The records also show Pinnell signed off on a more than $2 million payment to reimburse Swadley’s for its “Fiscal Year 2021 Deficit Coverage.”

This revelation is raising a long list of questions for the Special House Committee.

“What his process is in approving any type of invoice, how to review those and make sure that there’s a thorough process happening,” said Rep. Martinez. “At first glance, it doesn’t seem too thorough to me.”

KFOR reached out to Pinnell’s office for comment. A spokesperson for his office sent the following:

There are prior levels of accountability and approval that must occur before these invoices hit the Lt. Governor’s desk, and at the time of the invoice in question, the Lt. Governor had full faith in the agency director and trusted the information had been properly vetted.

Mariah Carter, Communications Coordinator

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Bellevue Health and Rehabilitation, an Oklahoma City nursing home and care facility, is facing a lawsuit following the death of resident Carole Sullivan. Court documents allege that a series of missteps in the administration of the drug methotrexate lead to her death.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are alleging that a nurse transcribed Sullivan's prescription incorrectly, resulting in the drug that was supposed to help her turning deadly.

Court documents claim a nurse allegedly turned a prescription for 20 milligrams of methotrexate once every seven days to that dose every day for seven days.

The lawsuit further alleges the medication management computer system gave warnings that the dose exceeded recommended levels. However, the plaintiffs are arguing those warnings were not taken into proper consideration — and providers went ahead with the lethal dose regardless.

The petition in the case states the nursing home reportedly failed to treat Sullivan's worsening condition under the drug, and that the dosage proceeded for five days, resulting in her hospitalization and eventual death on May 26, 2020.

The document also claims that from 2020 to 2021, the nursing home shredded complaint records it was required to maintain by federal law.

A Department of Health and Human Services report outlines that a nurse noticed the dosage warning and faxed it to a doctor, but did not follow up for a response, even though — in her view— someone should have.

That DHHS report was dated May 25, 2021. The facility was fined $76,585 that same day. There was no explanation attached to the date and amount of the fine.

The lawsuit also alleges that an autopsy report from the Oklahoma State Chief Medical Examiner confirms that Sullivan's cause of death was "complications of methotrexate toxicity."

Bellevue has not yet provided a statement in response to inquiries regarding the lawsuit.

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OKLAHOMA CITY– On Saturday, May 21, the OKC Peace Summit, a training and strategy session, will feature national gun violence experts and local community leaders. The event will focus on an effort to curb gun violence, deaths, and incarceration of youth during the summer months in Oklahoma City.

The summit will be held at the OKC First Church of the Nazarene, 4400 Northwest Expressway, in Oklahoma City, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Host pastor, Jon Middendorf said, “The City faces an amplified problem of violence every summer and we have an opportunity to come together to find solutions and build peace.”

The event keynote speaker will be Pastor Mike McBride, a gun-violence expert and executive director of LIVEFREE USA, a national faith-rooted organization against gun violence.

Through LIVEFREE USA, “Pastor Mike” organizes communities directly impacted by gun violence and mass incarceration to “build the necessary power and influence at the local, state, and federal levelsto support the implementation of strong solutions in communities,” according to the website.

Oklahoma City Ward-7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice and local artist-activist Jabee Williams are lead organizers of the event. They say they are eager to work toward plans for a Summer of Peace with Pastor McBride and others.

“Our communities within OKC are vulnerable to gun violence, and I’m committed to working with national and local leaders to save lives and promote peace over the summer,” Councilwoman Nice said. “Our youth deserve it now more than ever.”

Faith leaders, law enforcement personnel, system-impacted individuals and community leaders will be in attendance to learn, give input, and strategize plans for what they call the “2022 Summer of Peace.”

Organizers stress the importance of everyone from across sectors to participate on May 21.

“Everybody is invited to attend the Peace Summit,” Nice continued. “It’s an important conversation to have before Juneteenth activities and before youth are out of school for the summer. We want to find ways to keep everyone safe and to keep incarceration rates down.”

June is recognized as National Gun Violence Awareness month. In 2022, the 8th National Gun Violence Awareness Day will fall on June 3, the first Friday of the month. That will kick off Wear Orange weekend on June 4-5, which will feature virtual and in-person events across the nation.

The OKC Peace Summit is free and open to the public. Free lunch is provided by Eastside Pizza House. All are welcome to attend.

“The combination of high gun ownership in America and high levels today of sadness, stress and anger are a deadly formula contributing to the level of gun-related deaths in America,” said Nathaniel Batchelder, Oklahoma City Peace House director.

“The OKC Peace Summit on May 21 will empower attendees in spreading the love, forgiveness and harmony that are the antidote to violence and gun deaths,” Batchelder added.

The Journal Record reports that Oklahoma ranked in the top 10 in a recent study of gun violence nationwide. Among all large U.S. counties, Oklahoma County had the 10th-highest gun-related death rate.

The costs associated with gun related suicides and homicides is over $5 billion, with taxpayers shouldering $163 million a year for services related to gun violence, according to EveryStat.org.

"Peace-building is an ongoing effort that includes reducing harm within impacted communities,” said Rev. Cece Jones Davis, director of the Julius Jones Coalition. “I am so excited about the work LIVEFREE and Oklahoma City's finest leaders will do to keep young people safe over the summer months."

Registration for the OKC Peace Summit is encouraged by clicking here.