— Days on end of relentless rain has Skiatook underwater The Mesonet weather station in town measured about five and a half inches of rainfall in a 24 hour period from April 29 to April 30 Lori Baker moved to Skiatook in 1994 and said it seems like they're dealing with some kind of flooding about every three years “This is actually more minor to me compared to some of the things we've dealt with," she said "They had these roads tore up one year and the water I mean we weren’t expecting that and we had motorcycles and cars and boats that we had to move so this one’s minor compared to that one.” "The rains been off and on for a couple weeks but there was enough break in between that we didn’t really worry about it," she said "This for some reason it just came up quick Baker said years of dealing with Oklahoma's extreme weather have her always thinking about an evacuation plan “As long as we’re okay and nobody gets hurt you can’t change Mother Nature," said Baker which looks more like a lake thanks to the heavy rain Some residents were using canoes and paddle boats to get around the flooded roads Most roads in and out of Skiatook are closed with the pavement barely visible due to the high water levels While it may be a longer route to and from your destination Skiatook Fire Chief Jim Annas said the barricades are there for a reason having already had to deal with one rescue mission “We had an individual who drove around the county gentleman that was blocking the road on 136st street and he got stuck in the road," said Chief Annas "We had to send our squad six down there and two rescuers With more chances for showers and storms in the days to come Annas said he is worried about the potential for more flood issues is to be cautious when driving around town "Be careful because there are spots in the roadways that are low points that you can run into six inches of water," said Chief Annas (KTUL) — Skiatook Public Schools is closed on Wednesday The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reports westbound State Highway 20 is narrowed to one lane at Bird Creek near Skiatook due to high water All of Green Country is under a flood watch into Thursday SIGN UP FOR THE CHANNEL 8 NEWSLETTER People living near Skiatook and Sperry dealt with some of the worst flooding on Wednesday the flooding was a problem for drivers in Sperry Road closures were up in several parts of town "We've got so much history of it now that people are more aware and people take a little more observation now than they used to," said He's lived in Sperry for nearly sixty years and has seen his fair share of flooding He's relieved this flooding isn't as bad as the 2019 floods and normally I'm scrambling trying to get them out There's some cattle that that are still got high spots to get to at the moment," he said church services at Skiatook First Assembly were canceled out of an abundance of caution "Although the clouds are breaking up a little bit and they see the water running down the streets they might think everything's getting good it's going to continue to rise as the water runs off," said Pastor Eddie McElhannon He said he didn't make the decision lightly but says the safety of the community is the most important thing "Nothing I can say in there is going to be as important as them being protected and then being able to show up in the future," he said Oklahoma Highway Patrol urges people to stay clear of flooded roads Carrico joined the News On 6 team in 2021 but has worked in Tulsa news since 2016 he covered the 2018 Oklahoma teacher walkout a PGA Championship & a LIV Golf Tournament \"We've got so much history of it now that people are more aware and people take a little more observation now than they used to,\" said There's some cattle that that are still got high spots to get to at the moment,\" he said \"Although the clouds are breaking up a little bit and they see the water running down the streets it's going to continue to rise as the water runs off,\" said Pastor Eddie McElhannon \"Nothing I can say in there is going to be as important as them being protected and then being able to show up in the future,\" he said and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox A family is reunited in Skiatook after flooding stranded two boys inside their home for more than thirty hours News On 6's Sam Carrico spoke to the boys and their parents about the experience and even got in a quick kayaking trip in their front yard The water is receding at the Thorpe household in Skiatook we started doing things from the moment water got ankle deep in the basement," said Bo and Ethan Thorpe They were the only two at home when flood waters began to rise "We had set a plan before that that we might be stuck at home But we also had to plan for the stuff that was too heavy to move we wouldn't be able to maneuver right," they said were in constant communication with their sons if my husband's power tools are ruined and my freezer full of food gets destroyed but there was no way to rescue them at that point," said Amy They say they're proud of them for taking the initiative to protect their home "There's a verse in the Bible that we read that morning just happened to be the one for that day's reading 'If you discipline your son when he is young he will give you rest.' And that's where we are they're now looking forward to getting some rest of their own we started doing things from the moment water got ankle deep in the basement,\" said Bo and Ethan Thorpe \"We had set a plan before that that we might be stuck at home we wouldn't be able to maneuver right,\" they said but there was no way to rescue them at that point,\" said Amy \"There's a verse in the Bible that we read that morning and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox — For the first time in nearly three years the water level at Skiatook Lake returned to its normal level While the rain kept many boaters off Skiatook Lake on April 29 “It’s a very busy lake,” said Hank Spencer “It’s growing more and more traffic we see every day.” With 640 boats and hundreds of people who visit each weekend Spencer keeps a close eye on the lake levels “We do not have a large river that feeds us so we live off of the rain that we get just right on top of us so typically we’re down a little bit but we are seeing for the first time in 3 years we are full so we’re excited about that,” said Spencer WATCH: 2 News got drone footage of the full lake: the top of the conservation pool at 714 feet The lack of water necessitated the Army Corps' monitoring of the beaches 2 News reported that the Army Corps closed the Skiatook Lake beach at Tall Chief Cove due to low water levels having been so since our last report in June The Army Corps says the Lake Office will determine what happens after all the rain passes through this week Spencer said they can operate in many conditions “Whether we’re 10 feet down or 10 feet up it’s normal operations around here,” said Spencer He does say a full lake is good for business “We’re happy to see that normal lake depth and just ready and excited for business to come,” said Spencer the Army Corps said between midnight at 2pm on April 29 That’s basically if you filled 10,000 acres with 1 foot of water in 14 hours the westbound lanes of SH-20 have narrowed due to high water Crews are continuing to monitor the ongoing flooding in the area Residents from the area are evacuating as best as they can during the dangerous high waters The water levels are capable of carrying away large vehicles; drive with caution Rising water from Bird Creek has flooded roads and shut down parts of Highway 20 leaving several streets in Skiatook underwater Wednesday High water from Bird Creek is flooding roads in Skiatook and forcing closures along Highway 20 while residents and businesses prepare for worsening conditions Flooding is impacting multiple neighborhoods and officials say nearby streets are experiencing similar issues “This is one of several submerged roads here in Skiatook,” News On 6 reporter Cal Day said from the scene “It gets even worse as you go further back to the creek.” Residents say the flooding is a recurring problem who moved her car and valuables to higher ground “I just don’t put anything too expensive out here floodwaters have turned fields into temporary lakes First responders are monitoring Highway 20 and Highway 11 to keep drivers out of high water Firefighters say they’ve already rescued at least one person who drove into a flooded road Local businesses are also taking precautions placing sandbags in doorways and closing early to avoid potential flood damage “You’re better off than wading in waist-deep water at 3 a.m Officials say the water is expected to rise further before cresting though no damage to homes or businesses has been reported so far Authorities continue to urge drivers: “Turn around A native Oklahoman and Emmy-award-winning reporter Day grew up in Owasso and graduated from the University of Oklahoma Skiatook Public Schools are closed on Wednesday due to flooding on major and side roads in the area 🔗Severe storms cause flooding, road closures and power outages across Oklahoma 🔗EF-1 tornado touches down in Collinsville Tuesday morning 🔗Strong winds cause power outages, damage in Rogers, Delaware, Creek, & Ottawa County 🔗Weather safety: what to do before, during, and after a storm 🔗Floodwater kills more Oklahomans than tornadoes in the last decade, here's why 🔗'Turn around, don't drown': Flood safety tips for Oklahomans Brooke Cox is a Digital Producer at News On 6 where she has been part of the team since August 2024 🔗Severe storms cause flooding, road closures and power outages across Oklahoma 🔗EF-1 tornado touches down in Collinsville Tuesday morning 🔗Strong winds cause power outages, damage in Rogers, Delaware, Creek, & Ottawa County 🔗Weather safety: what to do before, during, and after a storm 🔗Floodwater kills more Oklahomans than tornadoes in the last decade, here's why 🔗'Turn around, don't drown': Flood safety tips for Oklahomans — The Oklahoma Mesonet says we’ve seen the wettest April on record roof repairs aren’t too much for Donald Butler to handle He’s doing some work on his rental property taking advantage of the blue skies and sun It’s something that’s been rare over the last week because of all that rain every year we’d have at least two floods,” said Donald Butler The downpours caused massive flooding across the community he’s called home since 1948 2 News was there as water flowed down city streets and roads John Zinc Park took the brunt of the buildup On May 1 there was still some water at the park like underneath the trees but nothing like we saw earlier in the week John Zinc and much of town is pretty dry now It was shut down because of flooding on the road Butler says it’s just a part of country living “It’s just flat normal for us,” said Butler The students in Skiatook were at home for a second day in a row The district cancelled classes because of flooding on highways and rural roads The district calendar has May 2 and May 5 marked as weather make-up days We’re still checking to see if students will be in class on May 2 OKLA (KTUL) — The Skiatook Police Department (SPD) arrested a man for aggravated possession of child sexual abuse material on April 17 officers executed a search warrant at the residence of Christopher Steinberg Investigators believe there may be local Oklahoma victims of Steinberg who have not yet been identified or a juvenile family member has had sexually inappropriate contact with Steinberg contact SPD and request to speak with Detective Okerson OKLA (KTUL) — A Skiatook man was arrested after a multiple-month search for a suspect allegedly sending and downloading files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) According to the Skiatook Police Department (SPD) an investigation began following an Internet Crimes Against Children Cybertip relating to child exploitation on Jan The investigation found Chancellor Paul Adams to be the suspect and shared several CSAM files in the form of video and/or images SPD and Homeland Security Investigations Tornado Alley Child Exploitation & Trafficking Task Force (TACETT) executed a residential search that resulted in Adams' arrest on March Adams is facing charges for possession/distribution of child pornography and violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act Both Skiatook and Bartlesville schools say two of their middle schools went on lockdown after someone called in threats to the schools on Wednesday Investigators say someone called Newman Middle School with a threat involving weapons in Skiatook Classes went on lockdown while officers got to the scene Bartlesville says Madison Middle School also had a shelter in place while police secured and searched the building News On 6 has a team at the district and is working to gather more information One Skiatook police officer proved that sometimes a dog named Princess had somehow gotten herself trapped beneath a backyard shed the owner turned to the Skiatook Police Department for help Officer Austin was the one who answered the call Arriving on the scene with nothing but determination and a shovel Dirt flew as he carefully dug around the structure making sure not to harm the frightened dog beneath After a bit of elbow grease and a lot of heart She emerged from under the shed muddy but unharmed The connection between the pup and her rescuer was instant Princess’ owner was beyond relieved to have her four-legged friend safe and sound again seemed just as happy to be out in the open and back by her owner’s side—especially with her new hero standing nearby The Skiatook Police Department shared the story as a reminder of the heart and humanity behind the badge As they put it: 'Shed happens—but we’re here for it.' For Officer Austin it was just another day of serving and protecting—whether it's people or pups in need (KTUL) — A Skiatook Police officer was a knight in shining armor for a princess stuck under a shed Police received a call about a dog named Princess that was stuck and needed help Officer Austin responded to the area with a shovel and some determination and was able to carefully dig Princess free Police report that Princess was muddy and happy — A fire destroyed a family’s home in Skiatook on Sunday afternoon 2 News could see the black cloud from 10 miles away while heading north toward there on U.S When asked if the wind worsened the situation Skiatook Fire Department’s deputy chief of operations they had most the doors shut when we got here But when we made access with it being in that attic When 2 News arrived at the scene near 126th Street North the fire mainly was spewing from the house’s collapsed west roof Fire crews from Skiatook and Sperry worked tirelessly in the wind and the cold to put it out More flames began to spew out of the middle of the house and then some smoke began to leak from the east roof The roof became weaker as more flames poured out Thoendel told us the house is a “complete loss” and that the cause of the fire is under investigation 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) A shooting in Skiatook left a boy hospitalized and two juveniles arrested Skiatook Police said it happened around 4 p.m near Highway 20 and North 52nd West Avenue Officers said the victim was stable and both suspects were arrested and accused of shooting with intent to kill It's unclear what led to the shooting at the time OK (KTUL) — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) is investigating a deadly Monday evening crash on State Highway 11 in Tulsa County was driving a 1996 Chevrolet pickup southbound when he attempted to pass a 2014 Toyota Tundra Hillyard reportedly lost control of his vehicle on the wet roadway while navigating a curve OHP said the Chevrolet departed the roadway to the left before re-entering the roadway and veering off to the right where it collided with a pipe fence and came to rest on its wheels Investigators said he was pinned in the vehicle for nearly two hours before being freed by the Skiatook Fire Department Carrillo-Cueto was not injured in the incident The condition of Hillyard at the time of the crash and the cause of the collision remain under investigation OHP noted that Hillyard was not using a seatbelt although the vehicle was equipped with them — A sprawling 3,300-acre ranch known as Star Lake Ranch is home to free-roaming cattle but it may soon be transformed into a solar farm While the potential project promises significant economic benefits local residents are expressing concerns about the impact on the community's landscape shared her thoughts about the proposed Shamrock Solar Plant it would be an eyesore.” Salts worries the solar panels would detract from the natural beauty of the area Salts suggested an alternative layout: "Why can't the cows be out front and the solar panels be pushed back so they're not seen?" Her sentiments echo a wider community skepticism that has emerged online with many residents taking to social media to voice their concerns stated in a message that the proposed solar farm would not benefit the town and expressed a desire for the land to be developed for homes and businesses instead a representative from Pine Gate Renewable's addressed fears about the project’s implications “It would generate almost $37 million in new property taxes,” he noted Crowl explained that these funds would support local schools and the city directly Pine Gate is also in discussions with the city’s economic authority to ensure that the tax revenue benefits the community the company has committed to keeping 170 acres of the property alongside State Highway 20 available for future commerical developments but I’m not going to fault them for making money on their land,” she said Construction on the solar farm is set to begin in 2028 with operations projected to start in 2030 residents of Skiatook remain divided over the vision for their landscape and future OKLA (KTUL) — The Skiatook Police Department (SPD) arrested a man for child pornography charges on Dec SPD received an Internet Crimes Against Children Cyber Tip on Aug The tip was made by an Electronic Service Provider (ESP) An investigation was opened and Jeffery Allen Hawk was identified as the suspect SPD Detectives noted that there were at least 59 separate instances of the suspect sharing child sexual exploitation material from Hawk's ESP Hawk was arrested on that felony warrant during a traffic stop in Skiatook and transported to the Osage County Jail He is facing charges of possession/distribution of child pornography and violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act Skiatook police officers conducted a search warrant in the 800 block of S Russell resulting in the arrest of two convicted felons the Collinsville Police Department and the Osage County Sheriff's Office assisted with the search officers recover illicit narcotics and a firearm Michael Rooks and Amanda Reading were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and a firearm after a previous felony conviction They were also charged with domestic assault and battery and neglect of a vulnerable adult A Skiatook teen died as a result of a two-vehicle collision at about 8:08 p.m of Skiatook died after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a 2022 Chevrolet Colorado pickup driven by Steven Gage-Lane Hughes The OHP said the two vehicles collided in a curve of the highway "near the center line." The motorcycle ran off the highway to the south and the pickup ran off the highway to the north Havens was pronounced dead at the accident scene by Avant EMS The OHP report said Hughes was not injured and an 18-year-old passenger in his vehicle from Bartlesville The cause of the accident remained under investigation — A large house fire that sent one to the hospital devastated a home in Skiatook taking multiple departments and tanker trucks hours to put out 2 News got a call from a viewer about the fire It was a shocking scene in Skiatook on Aug a large 10,000-square-foot home that had recently been for sale caught fire Deputy Chief Sam Little with the Skiatook Fire Department said the home was a total loss He said the fire started in the attic on the left side of the house the winds blew the fire throughout the attic and into other areas of the house The fire caused a lot of thick black smoke which drew in multiple neighbors and spectators wanting to see the house Officers quickly blocked off nearby roads only allowing first responders to the house But you didn't have to be close to the house to see the fire The 2 News weather radar even picked it up battled the blaze.Little said the water and wind were a challenge because the house was far away from the hydrant it took multiple tanker trucks to supply water 2 News spoke with a neighbor who said that the house was beautiful and recently for sale She said she is thinking about the owners and feels for them during this time The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire — Skiatook Public Schools is under fire after a parent posted a picture of one of her daughter's assignments The research paper prompted students to answer "I fear for the kids here who belong to a different faith." That post has hundreds of shares and reactions from people in and out of Oklahoma She’s said the World History assignment was an overall disappointment "Being framed as a research paper for opinions and asking for opinions unless it’s single people out is just it’s all around a bad deal," said Gray she said she wasn’t surprised to see this happen Those controversies include State Superintendent Ryan Walters calling for Bibles in schools "I guess just because some things are happening I didn’t know it was gonna happen this fast and I didn’t know what would be that in your face I thought it would be a little sneakier," said Gray Sophomore Nettie Gray first brought the assignment to her parents on July 15 She said it was confusing and worried what would happen if the teacher didn’t like the answer I’m like he might give me a lower grade which I know is kind of like he can’t really do that because of school stuff," said Nettie Nettie said her friends in other World History classes with different teachers didn’t get the same assignment Her older sister graduated from Skiatook in 2015 She said the teacher's assignment of the research paper was out of line "Like you go to the end of like the further down on the list you go when you get to I don’t even know how I would’ve answered that at that age let alone try to cite that and find sources for a paper 2 News received this statement from Skiatook Public Schools on Aug "She won’t get assignments like this again I won’t let her get assignments like this again," said Gray As of August 30th that teacher is no longer employed by the school district — The Skiatook Police Department is investigating after a male juvenile was shot multiple times Police said two juvenile suspects were arrested OKLA (KTUL) — The Skiatook Police Department (SPD) is seeking information on an arson at Central Park the fire occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m Nearby surveillance footage captured suspects of the arson The footage was taken from West 5th Street and the park trail If you have any information on the individuals in the video A Skiatook mother and other supporters are working with the city to bring a Veterans Park to town The new park would go along WC Rogers Boulevard Organizers said it will cost $300,000 to make the plans a reality The roughly three acres of space are just grass and weeds now but there is a vision for where every monument They deserve to have a happy place to go to,” Michelle Atkins said is leading the push to bring a Veterans Park to Skiatook People can buy engraved bricks to help support the effort she and others have raised $9,022 through the nonprofit created to help make the park He died in 2022 while serving in the Army at Fort Hood in Texas "It's just a way to keep them with ya,” she said Chaplain Brian Stumpf sees the need for the park where we do a lot of the funerals and stuff They want someplace nice where they can go and sit and reflect,” he said "We could use this park in our community,” Stumpf said “We see all the surrounding neighborhoods; Collinsville just got a new setup over there that's really nice Owasso has been working on theirs on 116th Street -- it is gorgeous The goal is to have a groundbreaking next month in time for Veterans Day then have the park ready for the public by Veterans Day 2025 To purchase a memorial brick, click here for information To keep up with the project, click here Amy Slanchik is a proud University of Oklahoma graduate with a passion for storytelling She joined the News On 6 team in May of 2016 after spending almost two years in Fort Smith MICHELLE: \"We are just getting started.\" \"It's just a way to keep them with ya,” she said \"We could use this park in our community,” Stumpf said To purchase a memorial brick, click here for information To keep up with the project, click here Skiatook police officers responded to reports of a shooting in a residential area near Highway 20 According to the Skiatook Police Department a juvenile victim was transported to a nearby hospital in stable condition Two juvenile suspects have been arrested for two counts each of shooting with intent to kill The shooting took place at approximately 4 p.m This work, Low lake level forces boat ramp closure at Skiatook Lake PUA, by Brannen Parrish, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Andrew Henson captured an image of a large cat on his trail camera near the west side of Skiatook Lake in Osage County The camera recorded the mountain lion on October 5 at 11:20 p.m The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has confirmed four mountain lion sightings in Osage County this year or outdoor snapshot you’d like to see featured Tess Maune is an Oklahoma girl through and through she always dreamed of one day working as a reporter