2025 Year In Review — July to December

Editor’s note: Following is the last six months of the 2025 Year in Review. The first half was published in the January 1, 2026 edition.

July

July 3 — The Travertine Nature Center in the CNRA is featured in a summer series of articles about recovery from the 2024 tornado. The National Park Service website described it as “the last major addition to Platt National Park.” It also explains the design of the historic structure as “modeled after the style of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.” The historic structure is in good shape now and still inspires and educates thousands of visitors each year.

Cooperating with a landowner near Davis, Murray County Sheriff deputies used a hidden cellular camera to view a man carrying items from a facility that was a marijuana grow site. That site had been raided in March and shut down for alleged violations outside the scope of its license. The 53-year old man was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property.

Weather continues to be in the news as the state climatologist Gary McManus announced “June saw drought completely eliminated from Oklahoma for the first time in nearly six years.” June was the sixth-wettest month on record, nearly three inches (of rain) above normal. On the negative side, the tornado count swelled to 25, the second highest on record.

July 10 — The Sulphur Board of Education members approved the district’s personal electronic device policy that forbids use of cell phones during school hours. The action taken at the board’s regular meeting Monday night coordinates the schools’ policy with the new state law that bans cell phone use “from bell to bell.”

A domestic disturbance in Sulphur last week put a Carter County deputy in the Murray County jail. The 37 year-old man allegedly entered his ex-wife’s home here without her permission according to a probable cause affidavit. The incident was investigated by the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Dept. due to the ex-wife’s NativeAmerican status.

Congressman Tom Cole’s column this week reports on the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill last week. He explains, “The bill enacts the largest tax cut in history for families, workers, and small businesses.” Cole also believes the entire bill “is the result that the majority of the American people voted for” when they elected President Trump. Cole also calls the bill “a step toward restoring America’s greatness.”

July 17 — Sulphur’s city charter is the governing constitution for the city, and was voted on and approved by the citizens in 1997. The city council has been informed by the new city attorney that there have been violations of the charter over the past several years.

Astory this week explains how the city has not complied with the charter that allows spending of only $1,500 without competitive bidding. There is not a provision for emergencies, the attorney said. Until changes can be made, he advised the city to adhere to the charter’s spending limits.

An article with photos this week showed the nearly 90-yearold Pavilion Springs structure in the Platt Historic District of the CNRA.Apark service publication explains that the early community of Sulphur Springs began in this area of the park. The pavilion and surrounding forest of trees survived the 2024 tornado well.

Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole and U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin weighed in this week on issues of national security in their columns. Mullin said that, after years of chaos, “President Trump secured the border and we’re making it permanent.” He added that the recent budget bill is helping “make America safe again.”

Cole emphasized “Military preparation preserves peace.” Calling the world “increasingly dangerous,” Cole said he supports funding legislation that “will guarantee America’s military superiority.”

July 24 — Multiple photos and lots of facts were featured in a lead story about a “sweeping drug probe” that netted 18 charged suspects. Two more warrants remain outstanding, It was one of the largest drug enforcement efforts in Murray County history. Officers from multiple jurisdictions also confiscated drugs and firearms. The lengthy investigation spans two years and was described as “difficult and time consuming.” The article included a list of those arrested, the charges and photos.

In his Arbuckle Footnotes column, Sulphur historian Dennis Muncrief takes us back to 1855 in local history. The Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations entered into a treaty that “put the Historic Platt District in the center of the Chickasaw Nation.” That area was later known as “Gum Springs.” He relates interesting activities happening in the area during the Civil War. This includes a brief history of Fort Arbuckle west of Davis. As always, Muncrief’s story is rich in details, dates, and names of the earliest settlers in this area.

July 31 — Sadly, 12 people have died in the last week and weekend around the state in accidents and drowning. Six perished in this area, including a woman and child killed in a single vehicle crash south of Davis. Two people drowned on area lakes and one person was killed by lightening on Lake Texoma.

In the continuing series of summer articles about CNRA areas recovering from the tornado, this week’s article focuses on the old Lincoln Bridge. It is “a truly historic icon in the original Platt National Park here,” the story states. Built in 1909, the stone arch bridge was opened on President Lincoln’s 100th birthday on Feb. 12, 1809. While the adjacent Flower Park area sustained major damage in the tornado, the bridge avoided taking a beating in the storm. “Lincoln Bridge has proved to be a survivor,” the article states.

Astory tells of a major marijuana grow operation that was taken down recently east of Sulphur on Powell Road. Thousands of plants were seized as part of an ongoing investigation by a state Marijuana Enforcement Team into a possible “straw ownership” scheme.

August

August 7 — The 16-year-old Arbuckle Memorial Hospital is getting an expansion and upgrades that are nearing completion. The upcoming installation of two new chiller units will complete the $250,000 project, Several other improvements and enhancements at the hospital have been ongoing in the last year or so and have been completed according to Administrator Jeremy Jones.

The School Board of Education learned at Monday night’s meeting that the schools are still battling insurance claims 15 months after the tornado. The extensive damage from the storm includes “loss of the entire bus fleet, bus barn, fences, roofs, awnings and much more,” the story states. So far, the district has spent about $3 million in repairs, but has received only $800,000.00 in claims, according to Superintendent Matt Holder.

He added that the schools are now in litigation with the insurance company; Another page one story with photos explains that driving some Sulphur streets can seem like having a vehicle in a destruction derby due to large and numerous potholes. The city currently has over $6 million in a restricted fund available for street repairs and maintenance. However, no major street paving project has been completed in the last seven years, the investigative article explained. In 2024, the council hired an engineering firm to come up with a paving project for 39 blocks in the city. A photo shows a huge pothole on West 13th Street south of Broadway that is typical of many in the area. The firm has presented the city with a list of streets proposed for resurfacing.

August 14 — With the newspaper this week is a 16-page insert describing the many events and activities that are coming up in the Murray County Free Fair in early September. Included are rules and regulations for exhibits; livestock judging; Horse Show; and exhibit descriptions for FFA, 4-H and OHCE, among others.

A super-wide panoramic photograph shows the restored Flower Park area of the CNRA. The park was seriously damaged in the 2024 tornado. The photo was assembled from three separate photos, and shows the beautiful trees and trails from the west end of the park to the east, nearly a 180-degree view.

More than 100 Chickasaw youth campers experienced the great outdoors and competition events at Camp Survivor at the end of May at YMCA’s Camp Classen near Turner Falls. The campers ages 9 to 13 enjoyed activities such as swimming, fishing, archery, stickball, hatchet throwing and rock climbing on the 2,200 acres in theArbuckle Mountains.Along with these camping activities, the youth also explored the Chickasaw culture and language. The 20-year-old camp had a record number of participants this year.

August 21 — This week’s lead story reports on a Wednesday evening special called meeting of the city council to discuss changes to the City Charter. They also discussed repealing the charter in favor of a “statutory” government. They agreed to keep the current charter form of government that is more representative of the local citizens.

The council also approved four proposed amendments to the City Charter that will be presented as resolutions to be voted on by local citizens in a special election on October 14 this year.

In another article, Debbie Sharp with the OSU Extension here updated the community on the 103rd annual Murray County Fair September 3-6. She relates the many exciting and entertaining events at the fair. A graphic with the article shows the women’s skillet throw contest, a local favorite at the fair.

Dominating three pages in the paper this week is an extensive list titled “Notice of Sale of Real Estate for Delinquent Taxes in Murray County.” The Notice explains, in part, that the tax lien that is applied to these properties must be paid within three years or the property will be sold at public auction.

August 28 — Local writer Neil Mayo leads off the front page this week with an interpretive story of how Sulphur’s spring waters came to be protected for public use. The tug of war among several competing interests at the turn of the last century finally led to an agreement with the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations in November, 1902. “The Sulphur Springs Reservation was officially proclaimed,” Mayo states. The nations sold 629.33 acres to the U.S. Government for $20 an acre, thus ending the disagreements that had been going on based on power and waters from the springs. The civic promise to protect the springs had been achieved.

Two photos showed the Buffalo and Antelope Springs that are now in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

In their regular meeting Monday morning, the county commissioners learned of the resignation of Associate District Judge Mark Melton, effective Sept. 30, 2025. Melton was appointed to the post by Gov. Stitt in February, 2024. The hunt for a replacement has already begun.

Murray County Extension Educator Debbie Sharp, in her column this week, explains the differences between Community Development and Economic Development. Understanding what these two types are and how they help define “community” is important now while our area is rebuilding after the tornado in 2024. She emphasizes that citizen involvement is needed in shaping the image of our towns. She explains, “Citizen engagement is a powerful vehicle for bringing about environmental and behavioral changes that will impact the health of our communities.”

September

September 4 — A Sulphur native, Zachary Swartz, has been named the new USDA Rural Development State Director for Oklahoma. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the appointment by President Trump in late August. Swartz said he would be “fully committed to supporting” farmers and ranchers and their rural communities.

Also in this week’s issue, a column by U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullins expressed his support for rural communities in Oklahoma. He explained, “Agriculture is a way of life in Oklahoma, and I’m proud to represent generations of family farms and ranches,” and their efforts to feed, fuel and clothe Americans. Mullins added that with the new administration, “America’s farmers and ranchers are receiving unprecedented levels of support.”

In another story, violence outside a local bar brought Sulphur Police who arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly stabbing another man Saturday night August 23. The suspect remains in jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond.

September 11 — During the regular monthly meeting Monday, the Sulphur City Council heard a bit of good news. The city manager and the treasurer reported that the city’s sales tax receipts are up by almost $20,000.00 from last year at this time. The council, among many other actions, approved a bid for repairs and replacement of the Library roof in the amount of $29,367.05.

Sulphur school board members approved the 2025--2026 budget based on the estimate of needs to be approved by the county excise board. The action came at the board’s meeting Monday night. Also at the meeting Superintendent Matt Holder told the board the new building project was progressing well as sheetrock was being installed.

Page one photos showed activities at the county fair that completed a three-day run Saturday with big crowds.

Congressman Tom Cole’s column this week was about September being World Alzheimer’s Month. Cole explained, “Unfortunately, the horror of Alzheimer’s is something my family and I are all too familiar with.” He then related how his father “lost his life to this debilitating disease.” He asserted that “this is an issue that transcends partisanship.” Cole urges continued research funding to “combatAlzheimer’s and other brutal forms of dementia.”

September 18 — Donna John reported on the Sorosis Club regular meeting that featured guest speaker Linda Richards, Special Projects Director for the CNRA. She detailed funding for continued post-tornado recovery in the park plus ongoing and longer term projects. CNRA has ground 600,000 cubic yards of mulch from the tornado debris. Projects include Bromide Hill area cleanup, bridge replacements, and a landscape recovery effort to replace trees taken by the tornado. The extensive damage caused by the tornado has cost $36 million Richards explained.

Four teens were critically injured in a crash just east of Davis after a 102 mph chase through the town Sunday morning.All the victims were admitted to OU Medical Center in critical condition.

Did you know that 22 veterans each day die from suicide? An upcoming event in Ardmore on Monday honors veterans and raises awareness of the ongoing crisis of veterans’suicides. It starts at 7:00 a.m. at the Marketplace on Broadway.

September 25 — A colorful photo this week shows kids learning “a little about frontier life” at the recently completed Murray County Tractor and Implement Association Show last weekend.

Sulphur’s street paving project is still causing controversy as the city council has balked on spending nearly $102,000 for inspection services, Recently, council members agreed that the project should go out for bids now. There also were questions about what the restricted street fund pays for. That question has come up several times in the last few years.

This week, the paper prints partial results from the recently completed Murray County Free Fair here. Photos showed winners in goats and lambs, and there were several results listed for show exhibits. Full results will appear in next week’s newspaper.

October

October 2 — The city has received five bids for the Street Maintenance and Pavement Overlay Project, and a low bid was announced. Bids will be presented to the City Council at the next meeting for final bid approval. Pavers, Inc., of Davis, had the lowest bid of $1,811,159.00.

The street maintenance project affects six streets in the city. On the West side: Ardmore and 14th Avenues; on the East side, Vinita and Tahlequah Avenues and 2nd and 4th Streets. Also included is full construction of West Tishomingo Avenue. “This is the first major street paving project in the last seven years,” the article explains.

A large color photo graced page one showing the six senior candidates for Homecoming Queen, junior princesses, and their escorts. Events take place Friday with a Homecoming Parade downtown and coronation of the king and queen prior to the game that night at Agee Field.

A high-speed pursuit with speeds up to 115 mph ended with a suicide on Hwy 177 south of Sulphur near Dickson. The pursuit began at a campground area near the Lake of the Arbuckles last Wednesday.

An inside photo shows the Leadership Murray County Class XXI gathered for their first session of the year at Cross Point Camp in Kingston. The two-day retreat included team building activities as well as personal and professional development exercises.

A displayed announcement proclaimed Oct. 5-11 as “Oklahoma Newspaper Week.” It encourages “embracing local journalism.” It reminds us that in a time of “global headlines and social media noise, reconnecting with local news is vital for civic engagement, accountability, and community resilience.”

October 9 — The effects of the government shutdown are beginning to appear here as the CNRA announces closures of some areas. The park and Arbuckle Lake area are experiencing only partial closures according to Chief Ranger Kane Seitz. The Travertine Nature Center, Park Headquarters at Hwy 177 and Broadway and some camping areas are closed. All park roads and trails and most restrooms are open.

Page two this week shows a sample ballot for the City of Sulphur Propositions to be voted on Oct. 14. There are four propositions to be decided by an up or down Yes or No vote.

A couple of photos this week show activities at the Arbuckle Memorial Hospital. In one, four hospital volunteers show off a new medical device that was purchased for use in the family clinic at the hospital. The Spot Vital Signs 4400 device captures a full set of vital signs simply.

The other photo shows longtime hospital Chief Financial Officer, Denise Welch being honored last Friday at a farewell reception. A citation presented to her honors 24 years of service to the hospital.

Speaking of photos, another impressive page one color picture, shows a building being torn down, coincidentally, across the street from this newspaper’s offices. “The structure built in the early 1900s was destroyed in the 2024 tornado,” the caption states. The demolition work has shut down the 100 block of West Muskogee Avenue for the past 10 days.

October 16 — Sulphur street paving improvements appear to be off and running as the city council approved a bid from a Davis firm. The action came at the regular meeting Monday, The first street on the list to be paved is one of the larger projects, almost 6,000 feet of West 14th Street. The council also dealt with several other mostly financial items that night.

The 2025 Sulphur high school homecoming football queen is senior Lola Freeman. A color photo on page one shows the new queen with several other senior candidates and princesses prior to the Friday night game.

A body was found in a wooded area near Veterans Lake in the CNRA last Wednesday. He was identified as an 18-year-old student from Southwestern Oklahoma University in Weatherford who had been reported missing since Sept. 30. Another 18-yearold man is being held pending filing charges.

A woman who was pursued through three counties at speeds up to 110 mph was found dead by an apparent gunshot wound in Murray County near the 51-mile marker on I-35. The 47-year-old had earlier been reported as being suicidal in Love County.

In a bizarre coincidence, two persons with the same last name were pedestrians killed by vehicles recently. The Murray County accident occurred Oct. 9 when Chad Hicks, 28, from Davis was killed by a motorcycle. On Oct. 7, a Johnston County accident killed Terra A. Hicks, 27, of Oklahoma City.

The back page this week featured several color photos of Sulphur High School Homecoming, 2025 festivities that included a parade.

October 23 — Only 10 percent of Sulphur registered voters turned out for the special election last Tuesday. But they seemed boldly committed to their opposition of all four charter propositions presented in the election. All four represented changes to items now in the charter.

Proposition 1 would change the residency requirement for the city manager; ‘no’ vote won by more than 57 percent. Prop. 2 would remove the competitive bidding requirement. It lost by the large margin of nearly 67 percent. Prop. 3 changes recall petition requirements, and lost by 63 per cent. Prop. 4 would remove the mayor as signor on city warrants. It lost by almost 74 per cent.

The Oklahoma 29th Judicial District, Office 1 has a new judge. Caron Brooks has been appointed by Gov. Stitt to replace longtime Judge Dennis Morris who retired due to health concerns recently. Brooks has lived in Ardmore since 2012, and he brings over 20 years of legal experience to the bench. He has a law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law. The 20th Judicial District covers Murray County and four others.

November 30 — In a Special Called Meeting Tuesday, the city council identified four new safe room locations, The action was needed as part of a grant available from the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Maintenance Agreement. In this the city assumes maintenance responsibilities of four community safe rooms if the grant is awarded.

The council considered the four locations within the city that are city owned. Approved locations are located on East Tulsa, West Oklahoma, and two locations on West 14th Streets. In other action at the meeting, the council approved a task order for debris removal and monitoring along Rock Creek. FEMA funds pay for 75 percent of the total cost; the city pays the rest as its portion.

Page one photos show the construction progress on the $35 million bond project at Sulphur Public Schools. The 70,000 square foot building is now mostly “in the dry” with work now centered on the inside of the structure. When completed, the facility will include a new gym, auditorium, several classrooms and a college and career center.

November

November 6 — A spectacular fire photo dominates the front page this week, showing lots of smoke from a Davis downtown building ablaze. Flames engulfed the entire building, which was destroyed, Five area fire departments worked throughout the day last Wednesday fighting the fire. The Sulphur Fire Department supplied an aerial ladder truck. The state fire marshall is investigating the fire.

Another page one photo shows the granite memorial at the Veterans Memorial Park in Sulphur, which features names of those from Murray County that were killed in four major wars of the last century.

The story is appropriate to this month’s traditional observance of Veterans Day on Monday the 11th. Theme of the story is about the Vietnam Veterans of America service organization. It was founded to serve those veterans of an unpopular American war, and it is now facing its own demise as those veterans face their closing years.

In Sports, for the second year, the Bulldogs won the District 3A-2 Title game over Victory Christian last Friday. Football’s regular season closes out next week with a home game vs. Mannford.

November 13 — Football Fever is contagious as the Bulldogs finish their regular season with the first undefeated record since 2004! Sulphur scored a Perfect 10 victories, a feat only two other local teams have accomplished in the modern era. Bulldogs totally dominated the Mannford Pirates, beating them 48-0.

Head Coach Corey Cole praised the team’s performance on Senior Night saying, “The senior class will go down as one of the best.” This Friday, Sulphur meets Anadarko for the first round of the Championship Series.

Another page one non-athletic story announced that Sulphur Public Schools is a finalist with three other schools for an inaugural State award that “honors growth and professional learning” for outstanding ACT test scores. In the SHS Class of 2024, Sulphur had seven students who scored 30 or above on the ACT, which has 36 as the highest score. The Class of 2025 had three students that scored above 30. In the current Class of 2026, one student has scored 35, the highest ever in SHS history. Several other students are currently above the 30 mark.

The Arbuckle Historical Society Museum that was severely damaged in the 2024 tornado is slowly coming back to life after considerable work has been done this year.Aphoto this week shows a sign of recovery as 22 school yearbooks are donated to replace those lost in the storm. The books recently were presented by representatives of the First National Bank’s Sulphur Branch to Museum representatives Mary Lou Heltzel and Neil Mayo.

November 20 — There seems to be no cure for Football Fever as Sulphur Bulldogs wiped out the Anadarko Warriors in the firstround playoff game scoring 63-12. In the quarterfinal round Class 3A playoffs game this Friday, the Bulldogs will take on Holland Hall for the first time ever.

The annual Veterans Day Parade was held in Sulphur on a sunny day last Tuesday. A photo this week shows a horse-drawn carriage with flags followed by the traditional Riderless Horse. The parade featured floats and two local marching bands. The float winners this year were: 1st - First Free Will Baptist Church; 2nd - Sulphur 4-H Club; and 3rd - Sulphur Cub Scouts.

Among other news reported this week was a detailed forensic audit of the City of Konawa’s finances by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector. The request covered three years since 2020.

There also was a seasonal story about the National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child that begins this week. Individuals, families and groups can pack a shoebox gift filled with fun toys, school supplies and personal care items for children in need.

A color photo this week displays the Middle School Cheer Team and their “Champion” banner earned in a competition recently in Oklahoma City.

November 27 — It’s always a happy event when a new structure is opened at the site where one was destroyed in the tornado last year. After 19 long months the DeArman Funeral Home of Sulphur has reopened in a new facility that replaced one that they had purchased in 2006. Last Friday, the DeArmans and staff members hosted an opening event in the new building. While there have been several owners, the funeral home has been serving the community for 100 years. The original home was built in 1924. A page one photo showed The DeArmans and officials at the site during grand opening ceremonies.

Another story confirmed that “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” and a photo showed the Avenue of Angels at the hospital lawn. That event will have its 28th annual remembrance ceremony on Sunday, November 30. At the ceremony, 280 names will be read of loved ones who have gone on before us.

On Monday, Dec. 1, the annual Sulphur Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade of Lights will take place. The event features numerous floats and a promised visit from Santa.

In his weekly column, Congressman Tom Cole explains that November is National Native American Heritage Month. “It is a time to celebrate our nation’s firstAmericans and their abundant history, culture, languages and traditions,” Cole said. He further recalled his own and his family’s history of service to the Chickasaw Nation. Cole’s mother also was “the first Tribal woman elected to the Oklahoma State Senate.” Currently, Cole is the most senior Native American in the U.S. House of Representatives.

December

December 4 — Pete Haines has come “full circle” in his long career of public service. He has announced his retirement as Fire Chief in Sulphur, effective Nov. 30. “It has been a fantastic career,” he said recently. Haines could also be called a major “cheerleader” for his department here. Praising the service the department provides here, he added, “that comes from quality firefighters who are dedicated and carryout their duties everyday in a professional manner.”

The 28th annualAvenue ofAngels Lighting Ceremony was held Sunday evening at the hospital. A standing room only crowd learned the event began in 1997 with 15 angels displayed and memorial names read at the ceremony. This year’s event featured more than 280 names displayed on the memorial plaque lighting up the night on the hospital’s front lawn.

Several photos this week showed some of the 40 colorful floats featured at the Christmas Parade Monday night. Santa also appeared riding atop the fire department’s ladder truck. Officially launching the Christmas season here, the event is sponsored by the Sulphur Chamber of Commerce.

December 11 — The City Council, at its meeting Monday, held a public hearing to deal with questions about what are the offi cial city limits of Sulphur. The subject was discussion of the recently updated and proposed City of Sulphur Zoning Ordinances and Map amendments. Currently, there is confusion about its legal boundary lines. No action was taken after the hearing.

However, in a split 3-2 vote, the council approved a variance for the City Manager to live outside the city limits.

Page one was dominated by photos and a story about the Sulphur Bulldogs heading to Edmond for their fifth appearance in the state championship game Saturday. The team will be “gunning for the third state championship” in a rematch against Lincoln Christian.

A color photo showed the first place Christmas Parade winning float entered by the 5-Lakes Yakers.

The school board met in a light agenda Monday. Superintendent Matt Holder informed members the schools received a payment from FEMA for about $280,000.00 for storm related damages. He also congratulated board member Cliff Agee on being retained on the board since he received no opposition in the recent school board election filing.

An article addressed a rare mention of COVID-19 since the pandemic’s end.Agroup of 21 Republican lawmakers have asked the attorney general to investigate the state’s COVID-19 response and hospital protocols during the event. One senator called the pandemic “an unprecedented crisis” during which “Oklahomans saw untold death and despair.” The request is seeking to determine what went wrong with the state’s policies and protocols.

December 18 — Page one is nearly all about the Sulphur Bulldogs game last Saturday. Large color photos showed the team with its runner up Silver Ball won in the state championship game. Also shown is a picture of the two “Bulldog teams” gathered in a post-game prayer led by Sulphur head coach Corey Cole.

Much of this issue of the newspaper is devoted to detailed coverage of the 24-21 hard-fought title game with Lincoln Christian. It was Sulphur’s second consecutive loss to LC following last year’s 28-27 thriller.

Acolor ad in the paper honored a significant statewide win by the SHS football team. It has been named the Class 3A Academic State Champions.

Congressman Tom Cole wrapped up the year in congress saying that it was “a productive year.” He reflected on “the multitude of promises we have delivered on.” Cole concluded, “Republicans have delivered the result that the American people voted for this year, and I look forward to continuing the progress in the new year” December 25 — It is a rate occurrence, but this is the year -- the Christmas issue of the newspaper has Christmas Day as the issue date. In the lead story on page one, a special called meeting of the City Council and Sulphur MunicipalAuthority was reported doing what might be called end of year “due diligence” as they dealt with several approvals and amendments.

Happily, the paper this week published the traditional “Dear Santa” letters from students at the elementary school: always fun to read. The 10-page special section also includes heartfelt good wishes from local businesses in colorful illustrated ads.