Glenpool Public Schools is no longer under lockdown after reports of a potential intruder seen on campus Monday The district went on brief lockdown after a current student was seen retrieving a "drill rifle" prop used in band or ROTC from their vehicle The school said someone reported this and as a precaution This was at the Glenpool Public Schools campus near E GPS Superintendent Curtis Layton confirmed to News On 6 that the buildings are no longer under lockdown as of 10:10 a.m The School posted the following statement to social media just before 10 a.m "Please do not come to school as entry into buildings will not be allowed until secured," the district shared online The district went on brief lockdown after a current student was seen retrieving a \"drill rifle\" prop used in band or ROTC from their vehicle \"Please do not come to school as entry into buildings will not be allowed until secured,\" the district shared online and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks tonight in Glenpool for a group that believes they are “anointed” by God to run government The City Elders describe themselves as a group with “the mission of governing the gates of every city in America to establish the Kingdom of God with strength Protesters are expected to gather opposing Walters and the group. The demonstration was organized by Defense of Democracy, a nonprofit dedicated to educating “the public on the importance of the public school and library systems in a functioning democracy.” Oklahoma State Director Erica Watkins said Defense of Democracy got involved because they’re disturbed by Walters’ desire to thin the wall between church and state “I do not think that the state superintendent of public education should be speaking at an event of people that are literally saying that they want to bring religion to every branch of government Watkins said she coordinated with Glenpool police and an area has been designated for protest The City Elders didn’t respond to a request for comment Their event is scheduled for 6:30 tonight at the Glenpool Conference Center — Residents of Glenpool are voicing their frustrations with the foul odor emanating from the city’s sewer plant $59 million project to transition from a lagoon-style sewage treatment system to a mechanical plant—a move that officials hope will provide a long-term solution to the smell says the stench has made it nearly impossible to enjoy her backyard I can’t have people over because it smells horrible," Anderson told Newschannel 8 where complaints about the odor have only grown in recent years "It seems like it’s gotten really bad in the last two years," she said "I see complaints all the time on Facebook But something needs to be done about it." City officials acknowledge the problem and say that they have taken some immediate steps to reduce the odor while construction is underway Glenpool City Manager David Tillotson says they're implementing various mitigation strategies including increasing oxygen levels in the current system and introducing a hydrogen peroxide process to aid in odor control "Things that we have done immediately here is continue to add more oxygen in the plant and we’ve also added a separate process with hydrogen peroxide—again to add more oxygenation to the plant itself," Tillotson said frustrated by the idea of enduring the stench for more years but there’s gotta be a better plan," Anderson said "We can’t keep continuing to smell what we smell on a regular basis." Tillotson reassured residents that the city is actively searching for additional ways to minimize the odor We understand that it’s difficult to deal with at times but we continue to work with our outside advisors and contractors to make sure we do everything we can to mitigate it," he said A Glenpool mother went missing 32 years ago Monday and her daughter says she will never stop searching for answers Tracy Samuels' daughter is now a grown woman with children of her own While she admits she's lost hope sometimes along the way So as long as Kristina has breath in her lungs she says she'll keep trying to get answers When Kristina Ritzhaupt went to school on February 17th she expected her mom to pick her up that afternoon Samuels dropped off her 5-year-old son at his grandparents a witness saw her getting into a Chevy flatbed with a man "I waited at school until almost 5:30 and my mom didn't show up to pick me up and so that wasn't normal," her daugher Tracy said she celebrated us so big and loved us so much and for me that's really tough because I've known in my heart since the day she went missing she was never coming home," Ritzhaupt said it made everyone who loves her louder and we're just not going to stop until we figure out what happened to her," Ritzhaupt said and now all she wants is her mother's remains "I don't know if whoever did this to her will ever really pay for what they did and nothing is ever going to bring her back But for my family to have a place to honor her properly where she's not disposed of like a piece of trash," Ritzhaupt said Kristina is asking anyone to come forward with any information they may have to finally close Tracy's case and they finally get rid of that weight that they've carried all these years and do the right thing they still have the opportunity to do the right thing if they're walking on this side of heaven," Ritzhaupt said the Bureau of Indian Affairs has taken over the case they released a statement that says in part new leads have been developed but they still need leads You can email a tip, here OJS_MMU@bia.gov or call 1-833-560-2065 \"I waited at school until almost 5:30 and my mom didn't show up to pick me up and so that wasn't normal,\" her daugher Tracy said she went missing she was never coming home,\" Ritzhaupt said it made everyone who loves her louder and we're just not going to stop until we figure out what happened to her,\" Ritzhaupt said \"I don't know if whoever did this to her will ever really pay for what they did and nothing is ever going to bring her back But for my family to have a place to honor her properly where she's not disposed of like a piece of trash,\" Ritzhaupt said and they finally get rid of that weight that they've carried all these years and do the right thing they still have the opportunity to do the right thing if they're walking on this side of heaven,\" Ritzhaupt said You can email a tip, here OJS_MMU@bia.gov or call 1-833-560-2065 and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox Glenpool Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $54 million bond package to enhance facilities and improve district resources The bond package is divided into two propositions: one focused on facility improvements and upgrades would address a wide range of facility improvements and new construction projects Elementary and Intermediate School Projects The second proposition allocates $1 million to acquire new transportation options for students This includes an activity bus and additional student transportation vehicles The total bond package amounts to $53.8 million with a significant focus on modernizing the high school and addressing athletic and academic needs district-wide Glenpool voters will decide the fate of the bond package on March 4 Brooke Cox is a Digital Producer at News On 6 where she has been part of the team since August 2024 (KTUL) — A lockdown has been lifted at Glenpool Public Schools Monday morning after a person reported seeing what they believed was a rifle from a distance The person saw the item being retried from the trunk of a car and reported it to the proper authorities The school was placed on lockdown as a precaution and the Glenpool Police Department checked the buildings Officials determined the "rifle" was actually a drill rifle The person who retrieved it from the trunk was a student The district said no students were in any danger and there was no intruder on campus SIGN UP FOR THE CHANNEL 8 NEWSLETTER Tulsa Congressman Kevin Hern said Thursday he doesn't know how many federal employees have been laid off in Oklahoma He did not criticize the cuts or the way they are being handled As a member of the most important budget committee in Washington several constituents told him he wasn't doing his job First District Congressman Kevin Hern spoke first about the border “We're seeing the administration undermine Congress,” said one speaker “Will you call Elon Musk in to under oath explain what he's doing?” said another The Chamber of Commerce gathering turned into a spirited debate but Hern stuck to his long-held position that government spending is out of control and Congress hasn't been capable of stopping it Hern said he had no reports of any services impacted by federal cuts and criticized federal employees who worked from home He deferred oversight of the president and Musk to the judicial branch wouldn't commit to holding hearings to ask his own questions He said he would relay concerns to the White House and admitted that he didn't know who or how many federal employees had lost jobs in Oklahoma “We'll get a rollup as they do the continued transparency where we're asking for it by state Hern was asked about his support for Ukraine or Russia and said it wasn't an easy answer His response generated groans from constituents wanting more clarity than they received Emory Bryan is a general assignment reporter for News On 6 He began his news career covering the school board for his hometown radio station and worked on the newspaper staff in college before making the switch to television Emory Bryan joined the News On 6 team in 1994 Firefighters from Glenpool and Jenks are battling a grassfire near 121st Street and Highway 75 The fire is near a residential area and crews are working quickly to prevent further spread David Prock is a digital content producer for Griffin Media and is a regular contributor to both News9.com and NewsOn6.com The Akdar Shriners will hold their second annual Car and Bike Show this Saturday at the Glenpool Community Center we have a show out at Glenpool at the community center and it is literally for every category that you can imagine from old trucks to brand new trucks and cars and motorcycles,” said event organizer Bobby Benn Judges will select the best vehicles in different categories and trophies will be awarded to the top entries The event is free for spectators to come out “Tomorrow's supposed to be a beautiful day The event will raise money for the Akdar Shrine Scooter Unit which operates the popcorn wagon seen at parades and events across northeastern Oklahoma that the popcorn wagon has been out there doing things And we give away from that popcorn wagon about 32,000 bags of popcorn a year,” Benn said The popcorn wagon also serves as an awareness program for Shriner’s Hospitals for Children which provides medical care at no cost to families reach out to us and see if we can maybe help,” Benn emphasized “We have some of the best doctors in the world working for Shriners Hospitals for Children.” The Akdar Shriners are known for their fun and philanthropy using events like this to support children in need we probably got an organization that will help spur your interest.” MORE DETAILS HERE. MORE DETAILS HERE. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has canceled an EMA that was issued for a 13-year-old girl in Glenpool on Sunday MORE INFO: Oklahoma Highway Patrol alerts: what do they mean? Graham joined the News 9 team in February of 2025 He is dedicated to sharing the diverse stories that have shaped his country and his community MORE INFO: Oklahoma Highway Patrol alerts: what do they mean? OK (KTUL) — The Assistant Superintendent of Glenpool Public Schools (GPS) has been placed on leave amid a state investigation The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) notified Glenpool Schools on September 20 aboutAssistant Superintendent Kimberly Coody According to Superintendent of SchoolsCurtis Layton Coody was placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation based on a new regulation The district said the complaint OSDE is reviewing is from months ago when someone sent an anonymous letter GPS investigated the situation and determined no further action was needed — 12/20 Update — The Oklahoma State Board of Education voted to suspend Coody's teaching certificate Glenpool still hasn't issued a statement on the matter A hearing will now take place and determine if her certificate will be permanently revoked —Glenpool Public Schools’ Assistant Superintendent is on administrative leave and under investigation by the Oklahoma State Department of Education Superintendent Curtis Layton confirmed Coody’s leave adding it is based on a complaint submitted via an anonymous letter from several months ago He said they reviewed it and decided no action was needed 2 News also received an anonymous letter about Coody several months ago and started looking for answers in June It claims Coody hosted underage drinking parties for years Along with the letter was a screenshot from Snapchat It talks of a party and “if you have a designated driver The letter states one student didn’t make it home one night from one of these parties and was reported missing on May 21 It states a deputy found the driver sleeping in a car on the side of the road and arrested them “I’m looking for a kid that I haven’t seen since six o’clock yesterday,” said the caller Parts of the call are redacted due to a minor’s involvement A second female who got on the call mentions Coody “She is in administration with the school,” she added after a long redaction 2 News also confirmed with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office that an underage driver was booked that same date for drinking and driving in the Glenpool/Bixby area We contacted Glenpool Public Schools multiple times over the summer Layton said he knew nothing about a complaint letter We filed an Open Records Request for relevant emails On Oct. 24, the State Board of Education was slated to potentially vote on whether to suspend Coody’s teaching certificate but the topic was tabled without discussion who said there was no further comment aside from the statement to parents He added he did not recall discussing the complaint letter regarding underage parties at Coody’s house State Superintendent Ryan Walters did not take questions from the media after the board meeting a spokesperson said they typically do not discuss OSDE investigations 2 News also reached out to Coody for comment and left a message A small amount of carbon monoxide was detected in Glenpool Lower Elementary School around 10 a.m prompting an immediate evacuation of students and staff District officials confirmed the building will remain closed for the rest of the day as a precaution Other buildings in the district were unaffected and are operating on their regular schedule Protestors gathered at a private event Thursday night in Glenpool featuring State Superintendent Ryan Walters a Christian group of religious and civic leaders There were signs calling for greater separation between church and state as well as profanity-laden signs criticizing Walters Our News On 6 crew on scene reported about 40 or so people The protest was organized by Defense of Democracy said those at the protest wanted Walters to know they don’t support his agenda GLENPOOL, Okla. — The Glenpool school district is advocating for a $54 million dollar bond to help revitalize its schools The bond is aiming to prioritize renovations in schools It's a topic that hits close to home for Mary Roberts She said she has a 14-year-old son who’s into sports but doesn’t always have the best resources to play them  “Sports kids actually move out of our community to go to bigger schools and for us we’re not gonna be that family who can afford to even do that," said Roberts "Having this bond come in and just refresh our schools our gyms- all of that just gives our kids more opportunity.” She said that because of the community's growth the city has to find a way to make sure everyone is accounted for “We just need to have more put into our community as our community is growing," she said “I think it’s very important that we vote yes on this bond because it’s gonna keep our kids in our school district instead of moving out and finding better school districts who have better resources We’re putting those resources back into our own school.” Layton said the high school will be getting a complete makeover "It's steadily grown from a very small town to a suburban school," he said "With that comes growing pains in that you've gotta keep adding buildings “This building that you’re sitting in here hasn’t really had a lot done to it since maybe the ’80s," said Layton One concern Glenpool residents had was if property taxes would go up “It’ll be the same rate that they’ve been paying in previous years so our millage will stay exactly the same.” He said that based on the assessed average property valuations and taxation over the past three years The vote for the bond will be held on March 4 For more information on what the bond aims to do, you can visit the district's web page here. Voters in several Oklahoma communities cast their ballots Tuesday in a series of special elections voters passed a $54 million bond package aimed at enhancing facilities and improving district resources The package was divided into two propositions — the first focused on facility improvements and upgrades See the full bond details: Glenpool Public Schools proposes $54M bond package Voters also approved a $7.5 million bond for Liberty Public Schools The funds will allow the district to complete an improvement project at Liberty Elementary School that began in 2022 District officials say the new space will eventually house additional classrooms and office space Both bond propositions for Anderson Public Schools failed The $4 million bond package was split into two proposals one aimed at school improvements and the other at transportation upgrades Voters approved a measure allowing the Oak Grove Fire Department to hire full-time firefighters is also seeking to annex parts of east Broken Arrow to expand its service area The Republican primary race for Senate District 8 will advance to a runoff election in April after no candidate secured a majority of votes Since neither candidate reached the 50% threshold required to win outright they will face off again in the runoff election See Also: Bryan Logan, David Nelson advance to Oklahoma Senate District 8 Republican runoff election See the full bond details: Glenpool Public Schools proposes $54M bond package See Also: Bryan Logan, David Nelson advance to Oklahoma Senate District 8 Republican runoff election Ngo Mang was arrested and charged with a DUI in July when police say officers noticed Mang parked in the middle of an intersection on Highway 75 When they knocked on the window to get his attention officers noticed a little girl and an open beer can “And you think it’s safe to drive right now?” An officer is heard in the body camera footage from July asking Mang Mang entered a plea and was given a four-year deferred sentence in October for the July DUI According to the Oklahoma Department of Highway Safety anyone convicted of driving with a blood alcohol content of .15 or higher in Oklahoma is required to install an interlock device on vehicles they own Someone who is convicted of their first drunk driving felony could receive 1-5 years in jail and a fine of up to $2,500 A second conviction could mean a sentence of 1-10 years in jail and fines of up to $5,000 Police said Mang crashed into mailboxes on Nov and his young daughter was again in the backseat officers said she was only wearing a t-shirt this time he is even more intoxicated,” said Glenpool Police Chief Jeremy Plane Chief Plane said officers spent their own money to buy clothes for the child until her mom could arrive "I think my concern is how often has it been done that we don't know about?” Said Chief Plane what's to say within that six-month time frame there weren't other incidents that we didn't know about and the likelihood if it were to happen again News On 6 called Mang's attorney asking for a comment and is waiting to hear back \"I think my concern is how often has it been done that we don't know about?” Said Chief Plane A man is charged with child sex abuse after police said he sexually abused someone he knew while they were a child Officers said a witness contacted them after Thomas Reed admitted he'd had a sexual relationship with the victim Police said when investigators asked Reed about it he told them he was trying to make the victim feel beautiful by "pretending" they were together Police said Reed also told investigators the victim took his phone to take naked pictures Officers said they found more than 400 nude photos of the victim Reed had saved to an SD card The victim told police the relationship had been going on for years he told them he was trying to make the victim feel beautiful by \"pretending\" they were together Mandy Taheri is a Newsweek reporter based in Brooklyn You can get in touch with Mandy via email: m.taheri@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Constituents in Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District on Thursday pressed Republican Representative Kevin Hern about federal job cuts and their concerns about Elon Musk Newsweek has reached out to Hern's press team for comment via email on Saturday Musk heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an unofficial agency established through executive order operating as a White House task force, and has pursued an aggressive initiative to cut the size and scope of the federal government DOGE announced heavy staffing cuts that are impacting thousands of employees in different department and agencies. Many Americans have expressed concern about the speed, number and roles of employees who have been terminated, while many Republicans and allies of President Donald Trump have applauded the swift actions The scale of federal job cuts could negatively impact the economy by slowing consumer spending and reducing employment opportunities Dozens of people gathered Thursday at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in Glenpool who opened up the meeting touching on the southern border But his constituents pressed him on another topic instead—federal job cuts Recent federal budget cuts have targeted a variety of sectors sparking a broad debate on their impact on essential government functions and public services Over 200,000 federal workers have been laid off since Trump took office a month ago A member of the House Committee on Ways and Means Hern told the room that he's unaware of how many federal employees have been laid off in Oklahoma "We'll get a rollup as they do the continued transparency where we're asking for it by state as everyone knows and sees," the congressman told local station News on 6 According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St in December 2024 there were 53,800 federal government employees in Oklahoma Frustrated constituents asked Hern if he will "call Elon Musk in to under oath explain what he's doing?" while another stated that "we're seeing the administration undermine Congress." and I think I speak for a lot of Americans is Elon Musk." With one constituent budding in later The GOP congressman told the room that the government's fiscal health is "going to impact all of us in this room regardless of party and whether you like me or not We've got to find a way to pay for it and get our fiscal house in order." He did not criticize the federal job cuts despite his constituents' heated exchanges Elon Musk wrote on his social media platform X on Saturday: "Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump's instructions all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation." A former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employee in Oklahoma City who was recently fired told News 4 on Tuesday: "I had gotten nothing but positive feedback The practice of using the probationary period as a tool for quick termination and without proper evaluation or due process it really undermines both like the principles of good governance and basic workplace fairness...This narrative—that federal employees are just wasteful or crazy—it couldn't be further from the truth My colleagues and I work very hard to serve our communities and uphold our agency's missions." Jessica Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, told NPR: "Think of Congress and its budget as the debt-ridden dad on the way to buy a $250,000 Ferrari on the credit card and DOGE is the $2 off gas card he used along the way but I think his wife may be more concerned about the $250,000 car." national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) stated in a press release: "These firings are not about poor performance -- there is no evidence these employees were anything but dedicated public servants They are about gutting the federal government silencing workers and forcing agencies into submission to a radical agenda that prioritizes cronyism over competence." Hern told constituents that he would relay their concerns to the White House Several lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration over the legality of the mass layoffs of probationary workers, including several by large unions. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that is factual and fair We value your input and encourage you to rate this article Newsletters in your inbox See all — A dinner gala for a Tulsa-based evangelical political group hosted State Superintendent Ryan Walters March 6 but almost as many people attended to protest outside The speaking engagement at Glenpool Conference Center and City Hall wasn't the first time Walters drew protesters in Green Country, but host organization City Elders attracted even more anger City Elders is a conservative evangelical political movement founded in Tulsa in 2015 who said he met with Eric Trump "for several hours" earlier in the day confirmed to 2 News City Elders is a group he has a great relationship with "I've spoken at many events like this today – both public and private," Walters said I continue to be unapologetic that I'm going to get the message out to Oklahomans This has been a great organization that's been working to make sure Oklahoma is as good of a state as it can be I've spoken to them a few times and I'll continue to do that." "Ryan Walters has been a regular fixture at an admitted Christian dominionist(sic) group pushing a theonomy," Sheena Martin told 2 News Martin said she drove two and a half hours to demonstrate against Walters and the organization hosting him A member of City Elders' Senior Council told 2 News off-camera that the event was to promote "reading Glenpool parent Amber Bain and her seventh-grade daughter said they couldn't disagree more with City Elders and Walters being in their town."I definitely want people to be like and it's definitely not normal," Abby told 2 News "As a community, it feels like this is not what people want," Amber Bain said.Glenpool Public Schools Superintendent Curtis Layton confirmed to 2 News he would not attend the gala Around a hundred protesters eventually jeered attendees in the back of the city hall and conference center later in the night making their way from the front of the building while police monitored from a short distance very worried that radical Christian nationalists are shoving their flavor of Jesus down our kids' throats," Martin said A Tulsa County judge sentenced a Glenpool man to life in prison without parole for beating his wife to death and dumping her body into Bird Creek Prosecutors say Michael Jimenez strangled his wife Erica Jimenez and beat her with rebar inside their home Jimenez told deputies Erica fell into Bird Creek and drowned The judge didn't mince words on Monday when sentencing Jimenez She said Jimenez left his wife Erica broken from head to toe and left her to die like a dog The judge says he needs to be locked up because he's a danger to everyone Prosecutors say Jimenez beat his wife to death at their home then dumped her into Bird Creek to make it look like an accident Erica's family asked the judge to not give Jimenez any mercy "That doesn't need to be out on the street obviously can't learn anything,” said Erica’s brother Kenneth Steffens Erica's family packed the courtroom for the whole trial and were there again Monday morning wearing purple shirts for domestic violence awareness "It was a way that we were able to show what we could show that we were there to make sure her voice was heard after she could no longer speak,” said Steffens Prosecutors argued during the trial that Jimenez had a pattern of beating women and two of his previous victims testified They say the only other word for Erica's murder "I'll say this medical examiner's report horrified me Seeing the amount of injuries she suffered before she died is something that I haven't seen very often in my career and hope to not see again in my career,” said Tulsa County Assistant District Attorney Katie Koljack The medical examiner testified Erica was stomped on Erica's family was determined to get justice for her and her three kids who are now without a mom "If he had shown any remorse or any moment of that when he could have stopped,” said Steffens The judge gave Jimenez a chance to address the court before sentencing but he declined Reagan Ledbetter joined News On 6 in June 2018 as a multimedia journalist Reagan most recently was a student at the University of Oklahoma where he received his degree in Broadcast Journalism \"That doesn't need to be out on the street \"It was a way that we were able to show what we could show \"I'll say this medical examiner's report horrified me \"If he had shown any remorse or any moment of that — The already congested intersection at Highway 75 and 141st is about to get worse when a new improvement project starts Aug Anyone driving through Glenpool likely got stopped and stuck at that intersection of US 75 and 141st said he can be stuck at that light for a while during heavy traffic hours A new resident of Green Country Kathleen Nichols said the traffic in the area is something she's never seen I usually give myself 15 to 20 minutes to leave early so I can get to places on time because I know I'm going to hit the traffic and I'm going to have to wait," Nichols said City Manager David Tillotson told 2 News the reasoning behind this is to "In the long term this will get rid of the light," Tilloston said The goal is to smooth traffic without having to stop suddenly The project is expected to take up to a year to complete This started back in November of 2023 when ODOT and the city came to the agreement to start the project in 2024 Previous coverage>>Glenpool residents relieved as ODOT plans interchange at US 75, 141st intersection 2 News asked Nichols and Koons what questions or concerns they have about the project "I would really like them to take into consideration what they are putting the community through as far as accessibility and getting places," Nichols said "Really what they plan on doing about the four way stops on Elwood and 121st they get backed up as it is and with everyone trying to go around this it could be an issue," Koons said We brought these concerns to Tillotson and he told us they have a plan "With our conversations with ODOT they plan to have two lanes open both way during day time hours.. We don't have set specific detours for this project," Tilloston said for both Kathleen and Chris they both said they'll just have to be patient "Preparing for that I mean leave earlier," Nichols said "Terrible right now but great in the end," Koons said (KTUL) — A student on their way to school was hit by a car Monday morning in Glenpool Officials said the driver failed to yield to a juvenile on a bicycle at 141st and Warrior Road (Fern) The driver was arrested for driving while suspended and failing to yield The City of Glenpool says construction for the new wastewater treatment plant is on schedule The $60 million facility will help reduce sewage odors and will more than double the plant's current capacity to keep up with growth in the community "So now we're doing away with the lagoon and modernizing that plant with a mechanical plant that will help us provide better sewer services treatment facilities to the public as we move forward," said Glenpool City Manager David Tillotson The city says the project will take about two years \"So now we're doing away with the lagoon and modernizing that plant with a mechanical plant that will help us provide better sewer services treatment facilities to the public as we move forward,\" said Glenpool City Manager David Tillotson — Glenpool community members said they want to keep the small-town feel with their city expanding rapidly This is after the construction of a $58 million wastewater plant started on top of an ongoing street project at 141st Street and U city leaders said their population could grow in the coming years and that more projects are needed to address it She said her city used to be calm and quiet Smith is one of the nearly 15,000 people who live in the growing area City leaders said the population has grown by 30% in 15 years such as street widening near Highway 67 and Elwood and sidewalk additions near 145th and Main Smith said all these projects have downsides there's not a whole lot of small towns," said Smith 2 News Asked City Manager David Tillotson what his plan is to keep the small town feel with expansions "Emphasis internally on a lot of these different programs and create a culture and environment that people want to come out and be a part of what's happening in the city," said Tillotson Tillotson said the city is also working on a five-year plan to address the potential for even more growth in the coming years while keeping in mind the small-town feel for people like Smith "Only way we can go is keep going up," said Smith — Glenpool Public Schools evacuated the city's lower elementary school because of a gas leak on Friday The district notified the public of the gas leak via a social media post and update to the district website on the morning of Jan In an additional post; the district said all students are safe and have been moved to the Intermediate APB Parents were instructed to pick up students at the Intermediate APB after 11:30 AM on Jan 2 News has reached out to the district to learn more We will bring you updates on air and online — It’s a traffic headache for many drivers south of Tulsa The City of Glenpool announced that ODOT will start work on a bridge project at the intersection of US-75 and 141st Street next week The city has heard complaints about this intersection for a long time now but they say that because it’s a state highway saying they’ve worked to push this onto ODOT’s radar "We're going to build an overpass on 75," said T.J An overpass that will make US-75 go over 141st street making it so drivers on US-75 no longer stop at the intersection "There is probably about 47,000 vehicles that go through that intersection every day," saidLea Ann Reed the Chief Administrative Officer with the City of Glenpool Lea Ann Reed with the City of Glenpool says that anyone who’s been through this intersection knows to expect a delay She says they’ve gotten quite a few complaints about those delays over the years "We can't do anything about it as a city," said Reed She says they couldn’t do anything about the delays because it’s a state highway so it’s ODOT’s project "This has been a long-overdue project," said Reed Reed says she knows that Glenpool residents are excited about this project Talon Harrop who drives through the intersection for work says the overpass on US-75 will be nice "It gets pretty backed up when it comes through here," said Harrop another driver who also passes through this intersection often says he doesn’t think traffic is that bad "The max that we'll slow down around here is about five minutes," said Miller he says a bridge making it so drivers no longer stop on US-75 at all is great "But it seems like the construction may end up adding a little more time to it than anything Gerlach says fortunately for the bulk of the project they will be able to keep two lanes open on US-75 "The configuration isn't going to change but obviously we're going to have to have reduced speed limits," said Gerlach Gerlach says lanes will be narrowed to 11 feet wide instead of the current 12-foot wide lanes "The commute shouldn't be overly affected but we do always encourage everybody to give extra attention whenever they're in a work zone," said Gerlach Gerlach says they’re expecting to complete the project by the 4th of July next year saying they’ve built a small incentive into this project to help the contractor get the project done ahead of schedule As Tulsa Public Schools navigates the aftermath of a critical audit by State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd Kyra Carby won the runoff election for the Board of Education’s District 3 seat to succeed Jennettie Marshall Carby is scheduled to be sworn in at the next board meeting April 7 Byrd, who is running for lieutenant governor, filled an east Tulsa church Feb. 27, when she presented the audit’s findings. Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is running for governor has not commented on whether his office is investigating anyone implicated in the audit who was convicted in federal court before the audit’s release is the only TPS employee mentioned in the audit to face criminal charges incumbent Rick Kibbe received 472 votes (60.3 percent) and held his seat over challenger Todd Blackburn Mayor Cory Box won reelection over challenger Catherine Lenhart to represent Ward 6 of the city council (Jenks’ mayor is elected internally by the seven councilors.) Box received 1,313 votes (54.7 percent) while Lenhart received 1,086 votes (45.3 percent) Above the famous Glenn Pool Glenpool Ward 2 Councilor Chris Brobst received 251 votes (63.7 percent) defeating challenger Kim Hanson-Mercier who earned 143 votes (36.3 percent) (Skiatook’s mayor is also elected internally by city councilors.) Young received 156 votes (86.7 percent) to Edens 24 votes (13.3 percent) Glenpool Police arrested a man accused of stealing several items from a business near Highway 75 and 141st Officers arrested 27-year-old David Tyler Henson after getting help from nearby businesses Police searched his home and said they recovered most of the stolen property A man accused of shooting another man on earlier this week is in custody Officers tell News On 6 Edgar Ray Scott Jr got into an argument with Ed Duncan in the 13900 block of South Peabody on Sunday 12/16/2013 Related Story: Glenpool Police Look For Man Who Shot, Wounded Another Glenpool Police say Duncan is listed in serious condition at a Tulsa hospital 12/16/2013 Related Story: Glenpool Police Look For Man Who Shot, Wounded Another (KTUL) — A man was arrested after the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) served a search warrant at Flying V Group The company is accused of selling marijuana without an active OBN registration and seized 298 plants and 149 pounds of processed marijuana Oklahomans can report criminal drug activity by direct messaging OBN on Facebook