2022: The Transcript Year in Review
Dec. 27—The following is a summary of stories that made the top news list for readers in 2022.
January to March
Norman residents were outraged when they first viewed the Reapportionment Committee's report and were happy to see then-Mayor Breea Clark dissolve it and start over in early January.
Protests from Ward 5 residents accused the committee of gerrymandering the ward which moved portions of its largely rural territory to the urban Ward 6. Ward 3's Kelly Lynn and Ward 5's Rarchar Tortorello noted that swing precincts which swept them past opponents in the election were cut out of their districts.
A newly appointed committee later released its report in September which featured ward boundaries absent of the wides sweeping changes its predecessor put forward. The council approved it unanimously without protest from residents.
The Omicron Variant of COVID-19 was sweeping through the nation and returned many schools to online classes, including Norman Public Schools.
In a blow to ending homelessness in Norman, the city's homeless program collapsed after its coordinator and support staff quit. The program managed an emergency warming shelter, then located on East Comanche Street.
In early February, Cleveland County Commissioners hired consultants to study whether a multi-purpose arena was still feasible in Norman. A proposed arena was withdrawn from council consideration in 2018 which allowed it to be brought forward again for future consideration.
The council election saw incumbents Lauren Schueler (Ward 2), Elizabeth Foreman (Ward 6) and Matt Peacock (Ward 8) defeat their opponents. Voters sent Ward 4 candidates Helen Grant and Gale Hobson and Mayor Breea Clark and challenger Larry Heikkila to an April 5 runoff.
A study on homelessness recommended development of single room occupancy units, mobilization of a countywide response to homelessness and increased emergency housing options.
Norman police officers were found to be justified in the shooting of an armed suspect who shot and killed a man and wounded another near the city's emergency homeless shelter.
Cleveland County Commissioner Harold Haralson asked State Auditor Cindy Byrd's office to investigate after he suspected a barn employee of theft.
A judge decided that a mother accused of first-degree murder by a failure to protect law in the death of her son did not deserve to die in prison. Cleveland County District Court Judge Michael Tupper sentenced Rebecca Hogue to life in prison but suspended the punishment to 16 months in prison.
Norman police investigators did not recommend charges against Hogue, but Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn charged her after the murder suspect, boyfriend Christopher Trent, killed himself.
A fateful day for many Norman residents dawned with the announcement the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority planned to build two new toll roads in town. OTA intends to build one in the Lake Thunderbird Watershed and a second along Indian Hills Road.
During the City Council's first meeting in March, city staff said they were not aware of those plans and the council decried the OTA's rollout as "shocking."
Both the council and Cleveland County Commissioners passed resolutions in resistance to the plan.
April to June
The shooting death of Shed Euwins was found to be justified when Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn determined the driver who shot him did so out of fear for his safety. Mashburn said Oklahoma's Stand Your Ground Law meant the driver was immune from prosecution.
Voters declined a water rate increase, but voted to seat a new mayor, Larry Heikkila. Ward 4's Helen Grant defeated Gale Hobson.
Days after being reelected, Ward 8's Matt Peacock announced he would run as an independent against Cleveland County Commissioner Rod Cleveland, a Republican, in the November general election. Republicans Rusty Grissom and Democrat Mo Vaughn ran against Haralson and former Norman Mayor Ron Henderson, a Republican, ran against Cleveland.
Cleveland defeated Henderson and Grissom beat Haralson in the June runoff.
In state legislature primary races, Republicans Teresa Sterling beat Dave Spaulding for Sate House District 45; Democrats Jared Deck defeated Kate Bierman for State House District 44, and Republicans Kendra Wesson won against Sassan Moghadam for State House District 26.
OTA stared down a lawsuit filed by 260 Norman residents which accused the agency of violating the Open Meeting Act while a separate lawsuit claimed OTA did not have the authority to build toll roads in Norman. The second litigation also accused the agency of not following a state law which required all turnpike projects were to be built under one bond indenture instead of in phases with numerous bonds.
Both lawsuits stopped OTA's line of cash after the Council of Bond Oversight withheld its approval of OTA's request for bond cash until the lawsuits were resolved in the agency's favor.
The City Council scrutinized use of force in police operations when a report found that black residents experienced force 3.4 times more than white residents. The police chief said a report by the Center for Policing Equity did not account for repeated contact with individuals and that many in the black community often decline to call police until a matter requires physical intervention.
The county employee accused of theft in Commissioner Haralson's barn filed a lawsuit against the commissioner for wrongful termination. Despite an audit and criminal investigation, no criminal charges were filed against the employee. Haralson's attorney argued that political officials and employees of a county are immune from liability claims. The case was dismissed at the request of the employee.
The City Council agreed to refund the police department money from its budget increase that cut nine officer positions.
The council reallocated $865,321 in 2020 in the wake of national protests that spurred debate over whether money given to police could be used for social services that could lower crime.
The city's homeless shelter closed after the landlord did not renew the lease and the insurance on the property.
The Norman school board voted after a 14-hour hearing to fire a Norman High School history teacher Richard Cavett, who leaked photos of threatening graffiti in a school bathroom.
The board voted 4-1 to terminate Cavett. Alex Ruggiers was the lone "no" vote; board members did not comment on their votes.
The board found that Cavett committed "repeated negligence" in his duties as a teacher, that he violated policies, laws and his contract, and that his actions were "contrary to justice," board attorney Karen Long said.
July to September
Following the spring vaccinations and recoveries from COVID-19, cases spiked but proved to be far less deadly.
A contentious proposal to purchase a defunct nursing center to remodel for affordable housing units split the council after the public decried the price tag. The council planned to spend $6.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act money to purchase and remodel it, but learned a hotel was a more cost effective option and did not purchase the nursing facility.
The City Council analyzed why voters declined a water rate increase in April and tentatively set another election for January. Two surveys — one by the city, and another by an independent firm — found many voted no because they had little faith in local government and the council. The council agreed the election should not coincide with partisan or council elections.
In another election planned for January, voters will be asked to approve a 35-year agreement with Oklahoma Gas and Electric. OG&E has been providing service to Norman on a month-by-month basis after it expired in 2017. Some council members said they wanted to see more green energy policies, but City Attorney Kathryn Walker said the agreements are standard in cities across the state and do not contain such contingencies.
Voters approved several City Charter Amendments which included clarifications to filling council vacancies and the appointment of a reapportionment committee and updated rules for recall petitions. It also created a city auditor position and designated the city attorney as an employee of the council instead of the city manager. It increased the Norman Regional Health Authority from nine to 11 board members.
Norman Public Schools announced it would comply with a state law that requires students to use a bathroom that corresponds to their sex at birth. Districts that do not comply face a 5% drop in funding, according to the law.
Norman High English teacher Summer Boismier resigned after she was criticized by parents for sharing a QR code for students to access books banned by a new state law. The code linked students to a Brooklyn public library. Parents called the move a political statement in the classroom.
Some Oklahoma Republican lawmakers called for her teaching license to be investigated or revoked. The state's secretary of education, Ryan Walters, accused her of providing "access to banned and pornographic material."
Two people died during an Oklahoma Highway Patrol pursuit after they were ejected from a stolen vehicle following a crash. The driver, Alex Carpenter, 30, was charged in Cleveland County District Court with first-degree murder, unauthorized use of a vehicle and eluding or attempting to elude a police officer.
He was given the murder charge under Oklahoma's felony murder rule, which says a person may be charged with murder if someone dies while they are committing another felony. The case has not gone to trial.
October to December
Norman students walked out of their high schools following complaints that school officials were monitoring and threatening to suspend trans and nonbinary students who used bathrooms according to gender identities, rather than the sex listed on their birth certificate.
The City Council authorized the utilities department staff to apply for a $15 million loan through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board for upgrades to water meters. Automatic water meter infrastructure captures a leak before it shows up on a bill and will more reliably report in real time water usage for customers. The board approved the loan. The city also received an additional $2 million grant from the U.S. Bureau of Land Reclamation for the project.
Records obtained by The Transcript revealed that the state's largest metropolitan transportation planning agency was not provided details of the OTA's statewide toll road expansion plan in the metro area during the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments planning period. ACOG said despite this, it had been provided details of OTA's 2016 plans during its planning period at the time.
After months of OTA's attempts to shrink from depositions in the Open Meeting Act lawsuit, motions to dismiss and an attempt to remove the case to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, a district judge granted plaintiffs summary judgement.
The judge's decision renders the OTA's business on agendas for January and February invalid because the court found the violation was willful.
The City Council was split over the contentious issue of purchasing a military style vehicle for the police department. Some council members did not want to use civil asset forfeiture funds to purchase a BearCat and other police equipment like SWAT gear and training.
Following public hearings, the council ultimately decided to pay for the items, including the armored vehicle, with general fund instead of the asset forfeiture fund.
Commissioner Rod Cleveland defeated Matt Peacock in the November general election and Republican Rusty Grissom swept past Democrat Mo Vaughn for Commissioner Haralson's seat. Democrat Annie Menz won State House District 45 against Republican Teresa Sterling, and Democrat Jacob Rosecrants kept his seat for State House District 46 against Republican Kendra Wesson.
Residents were outraged to learn that OTA purchased domain names such as "Stop OTA" and "No More Turnpikes," among a dozen others that could have been used by dissenters. Critics said the agency did it to silence opposition but OTA said it was routine to prevent disinformation regarding its projects.
Attorney Rob Norman presented arguments before the Oklahoma Supreme Court to challenge OTA's use of bonds to fund turnpikes in Norman. The high court invited the attorney and OTA attorneys to make their arguments after the agency applied for approval to issue bonds.
Norman has argued that a state law required that proposed turnpikes should have been built under one indenture, not in phases with several bonds over a period of time. He also argued that the east Norman turnpike is not found in a bill that authorized projects and therefore lacked the support of the legislature to do so.
Norman Public Schools experienced a ransomware attack and were later offered identity theft protection to those who may have been affected. The district maintained that no identity theft or fraud had occurred.
The Norman school board authorized a February election so voters can decide a nearly $354 million bond issue that will address a district wishlist for new construction and remodeling projects.
The proposal features a new all-schools fine arts performance venue and a stand-alone facility for the Oklahoma Aviation Academy at Max Westheimer Airport. It also includes a new multi-sport athletic stadium at Norman North High School and updates to Harve Collins Stadium at Norman High School.
A Westmoore student died and four others were critically injured following a multi-vehicle collision in Oklahoma City. Authorities said speed was a factor in the crash, which killed Colby McCarron, 15, a passenger in one of the vehicles.
The University of Oklahoma is collaborating with Longview Fusion Energy Systems to commercialize the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's scientific breakthrough and develop the first pilot fusion power plant. Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, vice president for Research and Partnerships at the University of Oklahoma, previously served as deputy director for Science and Technology at the laboratory, which is funded by U.S. Department of Energy.
If Longview Fusion Energy Systems obtains a grant for the project, a portion of the money would also go to OU, where Díaz de la Rubia plans to hire more professors to train students to create the infrastructure to build and operate commercial fusion power plants.
Shannon Hanchett, a 38-year-old mother of two who baked cookies in a tiny cottage on the corner of Main Street and Webster Avenue, died in her jail cell Dec. 8, 12 days after being arrested on misdemeanor complaints of making a false 911 call and obstructing an officer.
Friends told The Transcript she called police on the night she was arrested because she was having a "mental health crisis." She was scheduled to have a mental health evaluation the morning she died, according to a detention facility incident report obtained by The Transcript.
Questions remained about Hanchett's death as 2022 came to an end, including why she was incarcerated for nearly two weeks and what led to her death.
The Norman school board moved quickly to find a replacement for Office 5 representative Linda Sexton, who resigned with more than two years left on her term.
Panel members appointed business owner and former educator Tina Floyd to fill the remainder of Sexton's term, two days after an application period netted nine candidates for the position.
The short turnaround prompted questions from community members, including state Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, who wants to know why Norman Public Schools discouraged community involvement in the appointment process.
Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. Reach her at mwood@normantranscript.com or 405-416-4420.
