a celebration inside the public library marked one woman's journey to citizenship and a community’s fight to keep that dream alive and city leaders gathered for a potluck celebration in honor of Eva Aparacio — the newest U.S citizen to graduate from the library’s Citizenship Program cake and homemade dishes lining the tables attendees didn’t just mark a personal milestone for Aparacio They celebrated the resilience of a program that nearly lost its funding under political pressure just months prior The event was more than just a ceremony — it was a testament to the grit of a woman who spent years learning a new language history and navigating the complex naturalization process It was also a night to reflect on what it means to become American Aparacio’s journey was formally honored by Associate District Judge Russell Vaclaw who delivered a moving address that blended constitutional history with personal conviction “There is nothing more patriotic than to help people become American citizens,” Vaclaw said and our story is forever made better because of yours.” Vaclaw spoke of his own family’s complex path to American belonging who lived with his family in a one-room shack on 14th Street in Bartlesville during Prohibition we are all immigrants — I'm the descendant of a Polish American bootlegging convicted felon and I stand before you today as a judge in the great state of Oklahoma," said Vaclaw But behind the joy was the shadow of a recent fight to keep the program alive — one that nearly cost it its future Sherrick expressed concerns about the lack of legal status verification for participants and said that the program was potentially criminal "If you're teaching language and citizenship to people who are here unlawfully and they use your resources then to somehow gain the IDs required to present to their local election board — we could potentially have an election integrity issue arising from a program like this," Sherrick said Sherrick did not cite any specific law that would render the program illegal Nor did he offer evidence that the program had ever been used to facilitate voter or identity fraud More: Oklahoma city councilman calls citizen library program potentially criminal East soon issued a statement saying he was reconsidering his position in response to community feedback Community members flooded the council chambers at the next meeting offering passionate testimonials in support of the program One participant said it helped her not only learn English but also build friendships Another shared how the class gave them the confidence to pursue citizenship after years of fear and isolation Under pressure — and after the city attorney confirmed the program had been in full compliance with the grant throughout its 11-year existence — Sherrick and East reversed their position. “In light of this additional information, I would be inclined to support it,” he said. The council voted unanimously to approve the grant. With 19 people currently involved in the program, Library Director Kiley Roberson welcomed the new vote. “We don’t teach people how to get fake IDs at the library,” Roberson said, responding to earlier allegations. "This program has helped so many people take the next step toward citizenship — we're relieved and grateful to see it continue." Mayor Jim Curd and the entire Bartkesville City Council attended Aparacio’s celebration — a symbolic show of unity after a divisive few months. Curd praised the program’s results and congratulated Aparacio on her achievement. “I’m proud to be here," Curd said. "What a great night for you and for the city of Bartlesville to see the hope and promise of America." On the library’s upper floors, a “Citizenship Wall of Honor” showcases the names and photos of individuals who have earned U.S. citizenship through the program. Aparacio’s photo will soon join them — a permanent reminder of one woman’s perseverance and a city’s hard-fought decision to continue helping others follow in her footsteps. As the celebration wrapped, Vaclaw offered a final charge to Aparacio. “You are now a part of a country where justice isn’t always finished,” he said. “It’s a progress. It’s constantly being shaped and you are one of those shapers.” Then, in a voice brimming with sincerity, he concluded in Spanish: "Bienvenida, felicidad ciudadana [Welcome, congratulations citizen.]" If your yard needs a spring clean-up, now’s the time. Bartlesville residents can take advantage of a free yard debris collection happening this week. Here’s what you need to know: City crews will pick up yard debris placed curbside from Monday, May 5, through Friday, May 9, on your regular trash day. There’s no additional fee for this service, and no limit on the number of bags you can place at the curb. If any bags contain household waste placed outside of the trash bin, you’ll need to attach a red refuse sticker—just like you normally would. This program is limited to private residences. Commercial properties are not eligible for collection. For more information, residents can contact the Solid Waste Department at 918-338-4130. Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox! Posted: May 02, 2025 2:07 PMUpdated: May 02, 2025 2:14 PM Posted: May 02, 2025 2:22 PMUpdated: May 02, 2025 2:22 PM Posted: May 05, 2025 12:36 PMUpdated: May 05, 2025 12:39 PM Posted: May 05, 2025 7:09 AMUpdated: May 05, 2025 7:09 AM Posted: May 05, 2025 9:58 AMUpdated: May 05, 2025 9:58 AM Posted: May 05, 2025 8:37 AMUpdated: May 05, 2025 8:42 AM Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox! Storms rolled across northern Oklahoma throughout the morning, bringing heavy rain and hail to the region. News On 6 viewers shared photos of the hail as it fell in several communities. If you'd like to send us your storm pictures, email us at pics@newson6.net. Brooke Cox is a Digital Producer at News On 6, where she has been part of the team since August 2024. Share(Adobe Stock) May 5 one of which is tied to a $40 billion global company have been compromised in a supply chain intrusion involving 21 Magento extensions injected with a backdoor that was only activated last month after six years of dormancy the leading electric utility in the Canadian province has disclosed the compromise of personal information belonging to some of its customers following a cyberattack late last month CyberScoop reports that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would have its almost $3 billion spending reduced by $491 million under the Trump administration's fiscal 2026 budget proposal By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of CyberRisk Alliance Privacy Policy and Terms of Use A network security incident crippled Bartlesville Public Schools' internet systems forcing the district to cancel state testing and prompted an investigation into the scope of the breach executive director of technology and communications for the district confirmed May 1 that the disruption rendered many of the district’s computer systems inoperable life safety systems and Chromebooks on hotspots remain functional the outage has already upended the school day “Bartlesville Public Schools has detected a network security incident that is impacting the availability of many of the District’s computer systems,” Meador said in a statement the District immediately launched an investigation with external cybersecurity professionals.” More: Recap: Supreme Court has heated exchange in blockbuster religious charter school case Meador confirmed that state testing was canceled for the day with plans to reschedule once the issue is resolved At least one school alerted parents to expect a slower-than-usual dismissal process due to the outage “We are without internet today," Wayside School said in a message to parents "The dismissal process may take a little longer this afternoon Please be patient with us as we get students off campus safely.” instruction continued in classrooms where possible and the district said it will provide updates as the situation evolves There is no word yet on whether sensitive data was compromised or how long systems might be down Updates will be posted as more information becomes available A principal in the Bartlesville Public Schools district has resigned from his position resigned and the school board promoted assistant principal Brent Massey to his position but Bartlesville Police did say they have an open investigation involving the middle school No other additional details have been released and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox — The Price Tower is in new hands after an Oklahoma bankruptcy court ruled that the sale is fair and equitable notice was given to over 900 prospective bidders the McFarlin Group and owners of Tulsa’s Mayo Hotel The sale includes the building and the remaining property inside The artifacts inside were a cause for disagreement between the two parties 2 News was given a rare look inside the building on April 29: The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy shared their support on May 5 after the sale closed The Bartlesville city council will discuss a proposal that involves fining homeless people The idea comes from a task force set up to find solutions to the city's homelessness issue Aaron Kirkpatrick is a Bartlesville city council member and is also the chair of a task force in the city that works with homeless people day in and day out He says one of the things that the team has been working on is updating some of their ordinances trying to find best practices to address and improve homelessness in the community members of the task force presented options for addressing homelessness to the council to review for possible action at a later date One of those options is an ordinance that would allow the city to fine homeless people that’s what we’re talking about - somebody who has been offered services and just keeps coming back and breaking the rules," said Kirkpatrick Kirkpatrick says fines would only apply in cases where the person violates rules repeatedly or doesn’t cooperate He says the task force is not interested in punishing those experiencing homelessness but is instead trying to steer them towards help through services the city offers "Our desire is to create a highway out of homelessness where anybody who is experiencing homelessness in Bartlesville gets connected to all the services they need as rapidly as possible,” he said Eden Jones started as a Multimedia Journalist for News On 6 in June 2023 where she covers everything from breaking news to local features She loves connecting with the community and sharing the stories of Green Country that’s what we’re talking about - somebody who has been offered services and just keeps coming back and breaking the rules,\" said Kirkpatrick \"Our desire is to create a highway out of homelessness where anybody who is experiencing homelessness in Bartlesville gets connected to all the services they need as rapidly as possible,” he said The Price Tower in Bartlesville will be going up for auction This comes after months of questions about the tower’s future McKenna Martin grew up in this area and wants the building to go into good hands “I think it’s really crazy how it can be allowed to happen so privately and maybe the government should be able to come in and use that space for probably like a museum or something beneficial for the community,” said Martin Maria Gus is the Executive Director of Visit Bartlesville She says the tower is a staple of the Bartlesville skyline “It's a representation of that oil and gas industry,” said Gus “But it also represents the other things Bartlesville has found so important She says it has been a challenge since the tower is closed and you have one of your best tourism assets going through this kind of turmoil She says she is glad the courts are moving quickly It feels as though in this particular instance the bankruptcy court is moving along a little bit quicker than it would typically,” said Gus She hopes the new owner will take care of the property “I just hope they find someone who cares,” said Gus “Someone who understands that the building is not only important to this community Scott Schlotfelt with Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Oklahoma He says the Price Tower will be auctioned through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy sale He says the auction will happen in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma on May 6 Qualified bids have to be submitted before the end of the business day on April 28 The trustee says all tangible personal property located at or upon the Price Tower will be included in the sale The minimum bid accepted will be $1,539,287 The owners of the Price Tower declared bankruptcy in January after a judge ordered them to sell the tower for $1.4 million to McFarlin Building The Price Tower was closed in August after the owner said she did all she could to keep it open The owner previously sold items inside the tower, which led to back and forth between the owner and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy Group. The owner took over from the nonprofit that owned the tower for decades back in 2023 Kaitlyn Deggs came to Tulsa after graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Broadcast Journalism Kaitlyn Deggs started as a Multimedia Journalist for News On 6 in January 2022 The owners of the Price Tower declared bankruptcy in January after a judge ordered them to sell the tower for $1.4 million to McFarlin Building The Price Tower was closed in August after the owner said she did all she could to keep it open The owner previously sold items inside the tower, which led to back and forth between the owner and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy Group. The owner took over from the nonprofit that owned the tower for decades back in 2023 With no competing bids submitted by the April 28 deadline a federal bankruptcy court is moving forward with the $1.4 million sale of Bartlesville’s historic Price Tower to McFarlin Building LLC The deal, first outlined in court filings earlier this month, was confirmed in a motion filed Monday by Chapter 7 Trustee Patrick J Despite notice being sent to more than 900 potential bidders no counteroffers or objections were received by the deadline Often called “the tree that escaped the crowded forest,” the Price Tower remains one of Oklahoma’s architectural crown jewels — a 19-story tower of copper and cantilevers designed by Frank Lloyd Wright The transaction includes both the Price Tower building and its remaining personal property The sale was deemed fair and equitable by the trustee who also requested a waiver of the standard 14-day stay to expedite closing or utilities and has standing water in parts of the building — raising concerns about further damage or devaluation if the deal were delayed McFarlin didn't respond to the request to comment by the time of publication The sale marks a conclusion to what has been a public unraveling of Price Tower’s ownership under Cynthia Blanchard Blanchard did not respond to requests for comment made by the Examiner-Enterprise since the summer of 2024 The bankruptcy handed control of the building over to the court setting the stage for this week’s no-contest sale More: Crypto kings and broken promises: The turbulent tale of Bartlesville's iconic Price Tower McFarlin Building LLC had not made any public statements about its intentions for the 19-story landmark The Price Tower's future will also be shaped by preservation law The building is protected by a conservation easement held by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy That means no renovations or flashy redesigns—any updates must preserve the architectural integrity of the building The Conservancy said it has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with McFarlin to ensure the easement is honored “Price Tower needs a new owner who understands the building has the financial means and patience to care for it properly and will partner with us in honoring our preservation easement,” the Conservancy said The Bartlesville City Council has voted to continue using license plate reading cameras throughout the city but added several new regulations aimed at addressing public concerns over privacy and data sharing The ordinance passed in a narrow 3-2 vote following a lengthy discussion and resident input during Monday night’s council meeting >>> Flock cameras help Sapulpa Police arrest woman charged in newborn's death One of the most notable changes is that data collected by the FLOCK camera system will no longer be shared automatically with federal agencies The Bartlesville Police Department can still share data if needed The new ordinance includes several key changes: Many residents voiced concerns about how long the data is stored Bartlesville Police Chief Kevin Ickleberry strongly opposed limiting storage to anything less than 30 days and the reason I say that is a lot of crimes go undiscovered for two weeks and then they are discovered,” Ickleberry said >>> How license plate cameras helped Tulsa Police achieve 100% homicide solve rate in 2024 Chief Ickleberry also pointed out that the system has already helped solve serious cases The 30-day storage policy will remain in place and the council also voted against placing the issue on a future ballot as a city charter amendment While the idea of banning the cameras altogether was brought up during the discussion that option was never formally considered for a vote Bartlesville has 10 FLOCK cameras in place 4/7/2025: Bartlesville City Council to discuss potential fines for homeless individuals 4/1/2025: Bartlesville's Price Tower set for auction in May 2025 following bankruptcy 3/27/2025: Agape Mission marks 25 years of service in Bartlesville 3/26/2025: Family Healthcare Clinic in Bartlesville closes abruptly Jonathan Polasek studied Journalism at the University of Texas and has covered the oil and gas industry as well as sports Jonathan joined News On 6 as a multimedia journalist in August of 2022 after working in Midland and Odessa >>> Flock cameras help Sapulpa Police arrest woman charged in newborn's death One of the most notable changes is that data collected by the FLOCK camera system will no longer be shared automatically with federal agencies >>> How license plate cameras helped Tulsa Police achieve 100% homicide solve rate in 2024 4/7/2025: Bartlesville City Council to discuss potential fines for homeless individuals 4/1/2025: Bartlesville's Price Tower set for auction in May 2025 following bankruptcy 3/27/2025: Agape Mission marks 25 years of service in Bartlesville 3/26/2025: Family Healthcare Clinic in Bartlesville closes abruptly Oscar-nominated actor Ethan Hawke has been keeping a low profile, but sightings in and around Bartlesville suggest the FX series described as ‘Tulsa noir’ is well underway Hawke has been spotted across northeastern Oklahoma in recent weeks with fans snapping photos in Tulsa and production crews setting up just outside Bartlesville Although no official permits were on file Wednesday morning the city later confirmed a request to block off parking near Bartlesville City Hall for Monday March 31 — a sign that filming could soon move downtown The series, originally titled The Sensitive Kind, stars Hawke as a man who “knows too much,” according to a Variety article. It was co-created by Oklahoma native and Reservation Dogs co-creator Sterlin Harjo who is also directing and executive producing the FX production Hughes Ranch turned into a Hollywood filming lotMuch of the local filming has occurred at Hughes Ranch outside Bartlesville according to several local restaurants providing catering services Downtown business owners say location scouts visited their storefronts possibly this weekend and into early next week “We have been working with a TV production in the last few months that has filmed at a local ranch,” Director of Visit Bartlesville Maria Gus said “They also have scouted several areas in the Bartlesville community but I will say that this particular production has included overnight stays and small businesses being used for services.” While the full economic impact won’t be known until filming wraps the production is expected to span roughly 20 days with some days drawing as many as 100 to 150 crew members into town “Having a crew in town is like having visitors for a conference or convention,” Gus said More: 'Killers of the Flower Moon' film spurs $40 million in economic impact for Bartlesville Bartlesville locals cast as extras in Ethan Hawke’s FX seriesBartlesville residents are already part of the story — literally said he’s worked three different days on set “I’ve had scenes with Ethan Hawke and Tim Blake Nelson “I’ve been an extra like a dozen times now in other productions and know others picked up for this one While extras are tight-lipped about plot points — partly because no one really knows what’s going on — the excitement is palpable “I know it’s about a journalist,” Hudson added You might work five hours and show up for a minute and a half He recalled filming a scene in downtown Tulsa and said the experience was “really fun.” Waddell laughed when asked how close he got "But I sat in a booth catty-corner from him they did ad-libs — everyone stayed in character But keep an eye out for my elbow — it’s in the background for like four or five seconds.” Oklahoma keeps rolling as a Hollywood hotspotThe production reunites Harjo and Hawke after the actor’s appearance in Reservation Dogs which wrapped its third and final season in 2023 The FX series earned multiple Emmy nominations and cemented Harjo’s reputation as a driving force in Indigenous and Oklahoma-rooted storytelling More: New economic study finds Oklahoma's film and TV industry has experienced a blockbuster surge As city staff continue reviewing parking requests Bartlesville residents are scanning sidewalks for signs of Hawke — or at least a camera crew — as their town quietly transforms into the backdrop for FX’s next big series OKLA (KTUL) — A bit of a panic today after the Bartlesville Public School district reported a measles diagnosis only for the Oklahoma State Department of Health to verify that it was a false alarm Bartlesville City Councilor Aaron Kirkpatrick tells NewsChannel 8 that the city was relieved to hear the good news that measles has not come to Bartlesville "Measles is definitely on the rise worldwide definitely on the rise in the United States as of 2024 and then now into 2025 Fifty-nine percent of cases come from out-of-the-country travel bringing it back in from traveling outside of the country," said Carlisa Phillips Confusion after a measles case was reported at Wayside Elementary with this note posted on the Bartlesville Public School District website “...a staff member who had been at Wayside Elementary School the previous day was confirmed to have the measles Today's false alarm comes amid a growing outbreak of over 100 cases in West Texas "I probably have the same information you do I'm praying for the families that are affected Measles is very contagious and not something any family wants to deal with," said Bartlesville City Councilor Aaron Kirkpatrick responding to the news of a possible measles case in the city right after leaving this interview with Kirkpatrick we heard back from the Oklahoma State Department of Health and they verified that the reported diagnosis was not actually a case of measles We reached out to Granger Meador with Bartlesville Public Schools "OSDH has contradicted a diagnosis given by an Oklahoma hospital to the staff member.. OSDH told us we did the right thing in alerting based on the hospital’s diagnosis but I am concerned that such false alarms increase skepticism in public health." a nurse practitioner in Tulsa is reminding people to stay up-to-date on their vaccines She says there are not a lot of options for treatment if you contract measles It's highly contagious but very vaccine-preventable," said Carlisa Phillips She says that symptoms people should look out for include a high fever She says you can take vitamin A to prevent some of the symptoms but she says there really isn't a treatment other than immunoglobulin SIGN UP FOR THE CHANNEL 8 NEWSLETTER The Oklahoma State Department of Health conducts licensing and inspection of food establishments Below are the results of the January inspections in Bartlesville, based on results reported in the department's online database The following restaurants reportedly had violations in the last series of inspections More: Violations found at these Bartlesville restaurants in November and December The following food service locations were operating without a valid up-to-date permit or license in January according to the state Department of Health database The following Bartlesville food service locations were inspected in January