• The Hale‑Halsell Wholesale Grocery Company broadened its operations by purchasing the Whitbeck‑Dale Wholesale Grocery Company in Okmulgee, taking over a well‑run local house that had become an important part of the region’s trade. Improved county roads made truck delivery more practical than rail, prompting the firm to enlarge the W. 9th Street building to twice its size and prepare a strong campaign to boost sales of its branded goods, especially its coffee roasted in Hale‑Halsell plants. The move marked another step in the company’s steady rise as one of the state’s leading distributors.
• Roy Edson, a foreman with the Okmulgee Gas Company, became the target of a prank when three acquaintances hired a stranger to pose as a mining agent and offer him an extravagant sum for his Missouri land, first naming one hundred thousand dollars and then doubling it before Edson realized the ruse. The joke shifted when he learned that his acreage actually lay near a new strike of high‑grade zinc and lead ore, suggesting that the land might hold real value after all. What began as a bit of mischief ended with the possibility of genuine fortune for the man who had been expected to laugh last.
—
• Okmulgee firefighters spent more than two hours battling two separate fires, one at the long‑vacant Franklin Elementary School at 12th and Alabama and another at a residence on N. Alabama. The school, already damaged by vandalism, had flames burning on two floors when crews arrived, while the nearby home suffered heavy smoke damage and a burned bedroom after ashes from a pipe reportedly ignited a mattress and spread to the walls. The school fire remained under investigation.
• Local leaders organized Okmulgee’s annual Cancer Crusade after the mayor proclaimed April as Cancer Control Month, encouraging residents to take part in educational and fundraising efforts. Myrtle Thomason headed the residential campaign with a full team of neighborhood captains, while the American Cancer Society emphasized breast‑cancer awareness, Pap testing and early detection as key tools in reducing mortality. The campaign aimed to reach every household with information and inspire broad community support.
—
• Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz visited Okmulgee to encourage local participation in the Governor’s Safe School Summit, joining assistant superintendent Dwight Wilson in urging educators, parents and community members to attend the free training sessions in Tulsa. The event offered national experts on youth‑violence prevention, professional development opportunities for school staff and an evening program featuring Naomi Judd and Col. Dave Grossman, adding a high‑profile close to the day’s events.
• The Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce selected Rhonda Parker as its new executive director, recognizing her experience, long service to the organization and strong commitment to the community. Chamber leaders praised her leadership and dedication, and the community was invited to a public reception celebrating her appointment at the Creek Council House Museum.
— 10 Years Ago (2016) • The Voices of Okmulgee competition concluded with three local performers – Molly Kate Henderson, Alfred Mason and Kaitlyn Daniel earning top honors after their appearances at the Orpheum Theatre. Their victory secured them a featured performance slot during the upcoming OrangeFest celebration in downtown Okmulgee, adding a community spotlight to their achievement and tying the contest to the city’s spring festivities.
• Herbert Lewis Jr., a 50‑year‑old Okmulgee resident serving a federal sentence for cocaine‑related convictions, was among 61 inmates whose prison terms were commuted by President Barack Obama. Lewis had been sentenced in 2003 to twenty years in prison and ten years of probation, but the commutation shortened his release date to July 28, 2016, and dissolved the remaining balance of his fine. He was housed at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City at the time of the announcement, which focused entirely on non‑violent drug offenders.
