2024 That’s the year that was ... in Newcastle A Year in Review — taking a look at the lead news stories for Newcastle in 2024
With the last issue of the Newcastle Pacer for 2024 upon us, we take a look at the leading news from each of the Pacer’s 52 issues.
While reading through these news snippets, we think you’ll find a busy community full of activities, accolades and accounts. You’ll find arguments, accusations and agreements, but most of all for those who read the Newcastle Pacer you’ll find awareness.
There’s an awareness of the community which includes professional decision makers addressing the area’s substantial growth, while creating new opportunities for youth, adults and families.
The following is the year of leading news stories as they were reported on the pages of the Pacer in 2024.
January 4, 2024
• In this issue, we took a look back on the year 2023.
January 11, 2024
• Recognition came in for the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce and CEO/Executive Director Gayla Riddle for a Shop Local promotion held during the end-of-year holidays.
A social media group, known as Chamber of Commerce Professionals, which is composed of paid chamber staff across the United States, kept track of the Chamber Industry’s 2023 Small Business Season campaign and Newcastle was number one on the list for social interactions.
Riddle said the Newcastle Chamber was aggressive publicizing all of the local events leading up to the holiday season. January 18, 2024
• When the Newcastle Board of Education met Tuesday, January 9, they did so with a couple of changes in personnel.
School board president John Maker had announced at the December 12 meeting that he was moving from the school district and would no longer be able to serve in Seat 5. Board member Tiffany Elcyzyn was approved to serve as interim board president.
The board approved the seeking of applicants for the position.
January 25, 2024
• The City of Newcastle has been under a Department of Environmental Quality consent order for several violations at its wastewater treatment facility spanning the last couple of years. Because of the violations, the City was assessed a penalty of $64,500. The City is to pay $32,250 of that amount within 30 days of the execution of the order, but DEQ deferred a portion of the remaining amount pending compliance with the order requirements. Of the total penalty amount, $12,250 can be applied to the completion of the requirements.
The City was ordered to submit and implement an interim Wastewater Treatment Facility Operational Plan to prevent violations until the WWTF upgrade being built by the City is complete.
• An updating in the City’s planning process, two years in the making, was completed at the January City Council meeting when the Council accepted the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
Representatives from Guernsey Engineers, Architects, Consultants provided a final report to the Council describing the lengthy process which updated the City’s former Comprehensive Plan from the 1980s.
February 1, 2024
• The City of Newcastle recently released a calendar of events for 2024 in an easy-toread format. Parks Director Kyle Marks said he hopes the new calendar will aid businesses and community members in their planning. There are 18 events planned for 2024.
February 8, 2024
• Homecoming royalty was crowned during the Tuesday, January 30 Newcastle High School game with Clinton. Bobby Burrell was crowned king and Leah Bradley was crowned queen. They are pictured with attendees Rylin Mars and Wyatt Crowder.
February 15, 2024
• Knowing what career you want to explore, determining what it takes to achieve that career, and even knowing what careers you don’t want in life —those are the goals of the Newcastle Public Schools’ Career Expo, held Thursday, January 25 at the high school.
Racer Connect Internship Coordinator Nikki Gayler said there are many reasons for having the first ever Career Expo at NHS, but the main one is to help students focus on a career pathway.
February 22, 2024
• Newcastle High School STRUT Week will be April 29 through May 3 this year, and it was recently announced that there will be two recipients. Marsha Barry and Brandi Lovejoy were selected to receive funds being raised this year through the efforts of Students, Teachers, Racers United Together (STRUT).
February 29, 2024
• Newcastle Public Schools plans to celebrate its site Teachers of the Year at the March 12 Board of Education meeting. At the same meeting, they’ll announce this year’s NPS District Teacher of the Year.
Site teacher selections were announced late last year. They are: Shannon Chlouber, Early Childhood Center; Meagan Bailes, lower Newcastle Elementary School; Alicia Gilmore, upper Newcastle Elementary School; Rebecca Grider, Newcastle Middle School; Abigail Schmitz, Newcastle High School; and Taylor Westmoreland, Tri City Learning Academy. March 7, 2024
• Donors attending the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce Racers for Excellence scholarship luncheon at New- castle High School Tuesday, February 27 left with the sugary taste of chocolate and other decadent sweets on their palate, and also the sweet knowledge that they had helped future NHS college students.
2024: A Year in Review Continued
The Racers for Excellence fundraiser is a way for the chamber members to show their unwavering commitment to education, said Chamber Executive Director/CEO Gayla Riddle.
March 14, 2024
• Newcastle Animal Shelter officially opened its doors on Monday, March 11 at 717 N. Walker Drive.
According to information released by the City, the new facility is a testament to the City’s dedication to improving the lives of its four-legged residents. They said it has innovative design features to provide the best animal care and a welcoming space for prospective adopters.
In 2023, 28 animals were returned to their owners, and 38 were adopted by the City of Newcastle’s animal control department. The new facility is built to accommodate up to 27 dogs and 12 cats at one time. It replaces an outdoor shelter which only had space for 10 animals at a time.
March 21, 2024
• A big announcement was made at the Newcastle Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, March 12. This year’s Teacher of the Year was selected out of the school’s previously announced site Teachers of the Year.
As Superintendent of Schools Dr. Cathy Walker rhetorically asked for a drumroll, many of the more than 100 audience members did their best drumroll impression. That led to the unrolling of a white and Racer blue banner announcing middle school math teacher Rebecca Grider as the 2023-24 NPS Teacher of the Year.
Grider will represent Newcastle Schools in the State Teacher of the Year competition, Dr. Walker said.
March 28, 2024
• Homeowners in Country Club Estates looking for some help for water drainage in their area were in attendance at the March Newcastle City Council meeting. Their discussion with council members has now led to the City taking a fresh look at engineering in the area, and possibly doing some future modifications of drainage entering the housing addition.
City Manager Kevin Self said the City has been talking about drainage there for the last 18 months. He said the drainage issue is on the north part of the subdivision, and that concrete road panels there are beginning to break up and are being undermined.
Problems in the subdivision include that the area was originally platted with open ditches, but many have been filled in, and tinhorns of various sizes installed.
April 4, 2024
• Shortly after being introduced, Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby greeted Newcastle community members with the traditional Chickasaw greeting, “Chokma,” or hello.
Anoatubby was the guest speaker at the Tuesday, March 26 Newcastle Chamber of Commerce luncheon at The Barn at Country Club.
“We share a mutual goal for progress and prosperity for this area,” Anoatubby said. “It’s nice for us to be able to be here and share the Chickasaw Nation.”
April 11, 2024
• Newcastle’s City Engineer has made a site visit to Country Club Estates to look over the drainage issues in the area, but it will take some time before an engineering study will be complete.
Mayor Karl Nail said the city council can’t take any action until they have the study and recommendations from their staff.
He said the engineering study will show more specifically how the water needs to be controlled in the development. April 18, 2024
• In McClain County, Sheriff Landy Offolter, District No. 2 County Commissioner Wilson Lyles, District Court Clerk Kristel Gray and County Clerk Pam Beller have all filed for re-election, according to McClain County Election Board Secretary Karen Haley.
When the filing period ended at 5 p.m. Friday, April 5 no other candidates had filed for a McClain County office keeping the current slate in their respective seats.
April 25, 2024
• It was an almost school site-wide celebration at Newcastle Middle School when they topped the school bond project being built.
Students, teachers and administrators stood on the north side of the building as a crew from Nabholz Construction placed a steel beam, that had been signed by students and staff, atop steel support girders.
Randy Knight, project manager from Nabholz Construction, said the Topping Out Ceremony celebrates finishing the most difficult part of the project.
May 2, 2024
• Four years from now, the first phase of the Chickasaw Nation and Indian Healthcare Systems hospital will be open. At the same time, the new turnpike from State Highway 37 to Indian Hills Road in Norman will be open.
That’s part of the speech Karl Nail gave to attendees at the annual Newcastle Chamber of Commerce State of the City luncheon on Tuesday, April 23.
For now, the City of Newcastle invites the public to celebrate the grand opening of the new nearly $10 million Fire Station #1 at 4:30 p.m. on May 10.
City spokesperson Scott Hannan said this will be a time to meet the firefighters, tour the new facility, and learn how it supports their daily lives and professional needs.
May 9, 2024
• Newcastle High School’s baseball team punched its ticket to State for the ninth time in school history with two Super Regional wins Wednesday evening.
Number 7 Newcastle defeated No. 10 Perkins-Tryon 7-2 and 4-2 in a best-of-three series behind satisfactory pitching performances from sophomores Tyler Frazier and Ryder Gibson, respectively, and all-around performances from the supporting cast.
May 16, 2024
• The idea of sharing a new county jail with Garvin County has apparently been scuttled by McClain County officials.
A report in the Garvin County News Star indicates that county commissioners are moving forward with their bond attorney. They plan to prepare ballot information to ask Garvin County voters for a bond issue to build a new county jail. McClain County Commissioner Wilson Lyles said officials here thought it best to pull away from working together on a regional detention facility.
Lyles said it wasn’t the idea of a regional facility so much as the fact that Garvin County is working with firms that are not local to Oklahoma.
• The pride shown by Mayor Karl Nail and City Manager Kevin Self during Friday’s grand opening and ribbon cutting at Fire Station #1 may have only been eclipsed by the emotion Self showed while talking about the new facility.
Both spoke passionately about the fire station, how the City finally arrived at Friday’s moment after years of planning, and the amenities of the new facility; however, Self, the former fire chief, was noticeably sentimental as he spoke.
He noted that the fire department had grown considerably over the years, and said the new facility was built to last for generations and will serve to house future firefighters, as well as today’s firefighters.
May 23, 2024
• The city council of Newcastle has approved the services of FSB Architects & Engineers, also known as Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates, P.C., for a master development plan on the City of Newcastle Fox Property.
This is the approximate nine-acre property the City has purchased at the southeast corner of Fox Lane and U.S. Highway 62. It runs from Fox Lane to the south to S.E. 3rd Street, and it goes east to the back of the housing addition.
According to the City, the intent is to find the best use of the property for tax-generating businesses.
May 30, 2024
• Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, an area provider of Fiber Broadband services, announces the appointment of Gerald Elcyzyn, Jr. to their District 12 board seat, serving the Newcastle exchange.
The appointment was made effective by the board at their regularly scheduled meeting on May 9.
The District 12 board seat had been vacant since the passing of Mary Petty in November 2023.
June 6, 2024
• In an attempt to be proactive instead of reactive, the Town of Goldsby began enacting odd/even restrictions on outside watering beginning June 1, 2024.
The town experienced a critical shortage of water multiple times last summer, mostly involving the west tower that serves the northwest area of town.
Town council members hope the steps they’ve taken can help prevent that situation from occurring this year. These include initiating the water rationing prior to the hottest part of summer, improving notice to water customers, and promoting a better understanding how each water customer can contribute to the success of the program. June 13, 2024
• All six candidates vying to fill the House District 20 seat being vacated by Sherrie Conley (R-Newcastle) and two out of three of the candidates for the Senate District 43 seat were in attendance at the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce Political Speaking last week.
Democrat HD-20 candidate Mitchell Jacob and the five Republican candidates, Alivia Snow, Jonathon Wilk, Mike Whaley, Mike Fullerton, and Lonnie Burns, traded turn at the microphone on Monday, June 3 to address about 33 people who had gathered to find out who they are. Republican State Senate District 43 candidates Jessica Garvin, the incumbent, and Kendall Sacchieri represented their race. Democrat SD-43 candidate Sam Graefe was not in attendance at the speaking.
2024: A Year in Review Continued
June 20, 2024
• More work will be reengaged in the next three months for the ACCESS Oklahoma long-range plan, which includes projects to widen and improve the I-44/Turner Turnpike, the I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike, the John Kilpatrick Turnpike and further design work for the new alignment of the East-West Connector corridor in Oklahoma City.
ACCESS Oklahoma is the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s 15-year long-range plan that includes new route alignments as well as several new interchanges. OTA sold the first $500 million in bonds in late October 2023 to fund engineering design work and initial construction projects in the long-range plan. The program was validated for bond sales by the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Aug. 1, 2023.
June 27, 2024
• Newcastle Public Schools has appointed three new administrators and two head coaches for the 2024-25 school year.
The Newcastle Board of Education approved Amanda Townley as the incoming principal of Newcastle Early Childhood Center, Bridget O’Connor as principal of Newcastle Elementary School, and Larry Morman as assistant principal of Newcastle Middle School.
July 4, 2024
• Construction of the new wastewater treatment facility is well underway in Newcastle, but an added expense has cropped up. The City included money for labor to install influent and effluent lines, but did not include money for materials.
During the June City Council meeting, City Manager Kevin Self explained that it was planned for the Newcastle Public Works Authority crew to install the lines, but because of the depth of the influent lines at up to 25-feet deep, NPWA crews have a lack of experience. Self said they also have a lack of manpower.
The City Manager added that the NPWA will be laying the effluent lines, which are not set as deep.
Newcastle has a loan which is paying expenses on the new facility, and Self said the City has set aside $900,000 for labor. He added that no money was set aside for the materials for the lines.
Mayor Karl Nail said, “It’s going to cost us more to get this done than we thought.”
July 11, 2024
• It became clear at the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce Impact Luncheon June 26 that an essential service in this area must include organizations that focus on helping teens and young women who are pregnant.
The Impact Luncheon is an annual event of the Chamber which highlights Newcastlearea non-profit entities. While there were a variety of nonprofits in attendance, three were specific to the aid of pregnant teens and pregnant women.
Representatives from Grace Home OK in Blanchard, from Jericho Young Mothers Home in Newcastle, and from the McClain County Health Department were in attendance at the luncheon to describe their organization and its services. July 18, 2024
• Homeowners in The Ridge are one step closer to seeing the improperly built drainage in the public areas of their development be corrected.
The housing development, just off Main Street at S.E. 37th Street, was finalized and accepted into the City in 2008, but had improperly constructed drainage.
After becoming aware of the problems, the City began working with an engineering firm to study the area. They came up with a corrective action plan, placed it out to bid, and the Council accepted the low bidder during their July 8, 2024, meeting.
July 25, 2024
• One of the benefits of being a member of your local chamber of commerce is the networking they do with other communities’ chambers of commerce.
Newcastle Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Blanchard and Tuttle Chambers for a luncheon Wednesday, July 17 at the Blanchard High School cafeteria.
To hammer the point home, the guest speaker was Phil Nichols, of Guthrie, who spoke on the importance of being involved in your local community and the chamber of commerce.
August 1, 2024
• Nineteen seniors are hitting the field for Newcastle High School as the 2024 football season prepares to get underway.
Among those 19 are four who have played together as Racers since they were in the first grade at Newcastle Public Schools.
Hunter Barry, Trey Burchett, Rex Heskew and Ayden Elcyzyn will again be on the Racer roster to complete a long run of being Racers together. August 8, 2024
• If you drove U.S. Interstate 44 north of Newcastle either out of, or into the community early last week, you were likely held up for some time. Slow moving cars inched forward to squeeze thru either a single northbound or southbound lane.
Contract crews working for ODOT were performing prep work on the bridge before replacing the bridge expansion joints. Oklahoma Department of Transportation officials told city officials that once prep work is completed, it will take approximately 48 hours to install the expansion joints. ODOT says this project will continue through August 14.
• Everyone who enters an athletics facility in Newcastle will be passing by a weapons detector when entering.
Newcastle’s Board of Education recently approved the purchase of several detectors and they will be located at the entry of facilities this year, according to Athletic Director Brent Hodges.
August 15, 2024
• For those following Newcastle Athletics it has been a big year of change.
Athletic Director Brent Hodges reflected on the past year, his first at Newcastle, and the many changes either underway or coming.
Of those, the school’s average daily membership, which counts the students attending Newcastle Public Schools, has placed Newcastle Athletics in Class 5A in every sport except fastpitch softball. They’ll compete for the last time in Class 4A this year, and then make the move up to Class 5A in the 2025 season.
Hodges said those changes have come on the heels of Newcastle’s growth spurt, which he said is 14.2%, and is considered Oklahoma’s fastest growing city population percentage wise.
August 22, 2024
• A hotly contested primary election for the State House seat being vacated by republican Sherrie Conley at the end of this term has resulted in a runoff between Mike Whaley of Blanchard and Jonathan Wilk of Goldsby.
The two were the biggest vote-getters in the republican primary where five people were vying for the spot.
August 29, 2024
• Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, announced that what he calls “the long-awaited reduction in Oklahoma’s grocery tax” will take effect Thursday.
Treat said the tax cut, which was approved during this year’s legislative session, “marks a significant step toward easing the financial burden on Oklahoma families. It also represents the largest tax cut in state history.”
Starting today (Thursday), the 4.5% state sales tax on groceries will be eliminated, allowing Oklahomans to keep more of their hard-earned money.
September 5, 2024
• City of Newcastle officials have been discussing the need for a new City Hall the past few years, and they’ve now taken action to begin planning for a facility.
At the August City Council meeting, the council approved an ordinance which establishes a fund for deposits that will be used to provide for a new facility along with equipment, furniture and fixtures.
By establishing the fund, the City is committing to deposit monies which will build up and eventually pay for a portion of the new City Hall.
September 12, 2024
• Jessica Garvin wiped tears from her eyes as she suddenly realized her address to the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce would be her last as State Senator for District 43.
Garvin was elected to a term in 2020, but lost the 2024 Republican Primary Election to Kendall Sacchieri, of Blanchard.
That’s not the end of the story, however, as Garvin explained at the Chamber State of the State Luncheon that she was beat by Dark Money.
Garvin said that the advertising direct mail pieces, broadcast and print, came from Dark Money groups that only have to say at the bottom of their ads, “paid for by” and the official name of the group.
She explained that the Dark Money groups are hard to track, their donors are not disclosed, and the money is difficult to track.
She said it’s illegal for a candidate to coordinate with any third party on expenditures for campaign advertising.
On the other hand, she said candidates must file with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, so the public can see all their donations and expenses.
Garvin said she continues to serve until after the November election when a new State Senator will take office.
September 19, 2024
• Newcastle High School students who maintain A and B grades in courses throughout the semester and have either no or few excused and unexcused absences may be exempt from taking two of their semester tests.
A new policy in the Newcastle High School handbook, approved by the school board at their September meeting, allows students to be exempt from two semester tests under certain criteria.
September 26, 2024
• Newcastle Fast-Pitch Softball coach Mike Crossley just surpassed Barnsdall coach Joe Gilbert for the most wins coaching at one school.
The Racers tied the record and then surpassed it during games over the weekend at the Dale Festival, held at Fire-Lake Ball Fields near Shawnee.
Coach Crossley was honored Tuesday night at the Newcastle-McLoud game. Racer Fastpitch alumni, former coaches, parents, teachers, alumni, and community members were in attendance.
• Some Newcastle High School seniors are trading classroom desks for firefighter gear, gaining invaluable hands-on experience in emergency response.
Their efforts are due to an innovative internship program.
This initiative offers students a unique opportunity to step into the boots of local first responders and learn the ropes of firefighting and the community service which goes along with it.
October 3, 2024
• Dr. Cathy Walker, superintendent at Newcastle, was the featured speaker at the State of the Schools luncheon. Walker described projects at all of the NPS sites, and added that the community now needs to begin layering bond issues so the school system can catch up building facilities that will match the community’s growth. She said this will address what is needed as interest rates decrease and building activity continues. Significant growth is also expected with the planned Indian hospital coming to Newcastle.
2024: A Year in Review Continued
• Newcastle’s 2024 Football Homecoming royalty was crowned before the football game Friday night. Queen is Katie Lewis and King is Kael Chlouber.
October 10, 2024
• A w astewater t reatment facility for the south side of Newcastle has been on the minds of city officials for some time. They’ve been steadily working towards placing a facility near State Highway 9.
The new facility would be different from the aerobic system now under construction on N.E. 16th Street, just west of Portland. They’ve been looking at an MBR plant, which uses a bioreactor process of vacuuming through membranes to clean water.
City Manager Kevin Self said this type of facility and process is very clean.
• Newcastle’s Racer Fast-Pitch team has been on a winning streak since losing to Blanchard on September 16.
They won 12 games in a row, most recently beating Anadarko, 5-2, Mount St. Mary, 1-0, and Sulphur, 4-3, in the Regional Tournament. This gave Newcastle the title of Regional Champions.
October 17, 2024
• Due to air quality issues on the second floor of the Mc-Clain County Courthouse, the court docket set to start next Tuesday has a change of venue.
D istrict Judge Leah Edwards confirmed Friday that trials for the docket will be held at the McClain County Community Center on Hardcastle Boulevard. There is also a possibility of utilizing the Purcell Police Department’s courtroom, court officials said.
October 24, 2024
• Trash service rates are increasing for Newcastle residents. The City Council, in its Tuesday, October 15 meeting, raised residential rates from $13.50 per poly cart to $14.21 per poly cart.
City Manager Kevin Self said, “The last city rate increase for trash service occurred on January 1, 2018.”
The City has absorbed rate increases since then.
October 31, 2024
• For the first time ever, the Newcastle High School Unified Cheer Team was preparing to compete last Friday for a chance to qualify for the OSSAA State Cheer Championship.
They placed second, which qualified them to compete at State on November 16 at Moore High School.
Dr. Cathy Walker, superintendent of schools, said, “This is a historic moment, offering our school the opportunity to bring home an OSSAA State Trophy — a huge accomplishment for both the athletes and our school community.”
November 7, 2024
• Storm damage at Newcastle Elementary School in the early morning hours on Sunday had school officials meeting later that day at the administration building to determine what would come next.
Newcastle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Cathy Walker said there was some roof damage to the elementary school, and administration was assessing the damage to that site and across the district. Before 4 p.m. Sunday, they had a plan for elementary students to go to virtual days on Monday and Tuesday.
• Newcastle’s Racers wrapped u p t he C lass 5 A-1 District title with a game-winning field goal at the one second mark Friday night. The Racers (5-0, 6-3) remained undefeated in District play after the 24-21 game against Bishop McGuinness (3-2, 6-3).
November 14, 2024
• Local Newcastle results from the November 5 election mirrored statewide voting — they, too, were a Republican sweep. Republican Kendal Sacchieri won the State Senate District 43 seat with 30,013 votes, or 80.50% over her Democrat opponent, Sam Graefe, who had 7,271 votes.
Jonathan Wilk, republican from Goldsby, was elected in the State Representative District 20 race, and had 75.78% of the vote. Newcastle Democrat Mitchell Jacob had 4,524 votes.
In the U.S. Representative District 4 race, Tom Cole had 65.25% of the vote with 199,784. Democrat Mary Brannon had 86,568, and Independent James Stacy had 19,849 votes.
November 21, 2024
• City Councilman and football field namesake Gene Reid recently told the Newcastle Pacer that the school system has a new weather warning device. Newcastle Public Schools now has a Perry Weather System which not only monitors the weather, but also detects lightning, records weather events, and then alerts school officials and the public.
For storm events, the system has a timer which resets with each subsequent lightning strike, initiating a countdown until an all clear. When it’s time, a signal sounds and app notifications go out that it’s safe to resume outdoor activities.
• Newcastle First Baptist Church celebrated a grand opening of its new facilities during worship services on the morning of Sunday, November 10. They had an open house in their new atrium area at 2 p.m. Monday, November 11.
It was accompanied by a Newcastle Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting.
Lead Pastor Jeremy Freeman welcomed those attending saying this is a new day for First Baptist Church members in the life of the church.
• A celebration of the past year in business was held by the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce during their Annual Awards Banquet on Tuesday, November 12 at Riverwind Casino.
Five businesses were honored for their efforts to support Newcastle’s business community. They include: OEC/OEC Fiber, Business of the Year; Sooner State Bank, Chamber Partner of the Year; Physical Therapy Central, Community Champion of the Year; Pioneer Coop, Volunteer of the Year; and Adriana Guardado, Ambassador of the Year.
November 28, 2024
• Announcement was made of the newest rendition of the Chamber Board of Directors. They include: Janelle Cottrell, JC Promo; Abigail Cabello, Focus Federal Credit Union; Ashley Evans, Oklahoma Electric Cooperative; Tony Pound, Sooner State Bank; Emily Littlejohn, Physical Therapy Central; Brad Pierce, Pioneer; Crystal Bennett, Republic Services; Brittany Houser, First National Bank & Trust; Justin Woolverton, Nabholz; Micha Smith, Walmart; and Shane Jemison, Chickasaw Nation.
• With the move to Class 5A, Newcastle Public Schools continues to make changes to the athletics department. The most recent is a move from the Western Athletic Conference to the Suburban Conference.
NPS Athletic Director Brent Hodges said, “We will continue to honor playing our traditional Tri-City rivals and also adding new teams to our schedule.”
Hodges said Newcastle joins Carl Albert, Del City, Elgin, El Reno, Guthrie, Noble and Shawnee. The Racers were formerly in a conference with Anadarko, Bethany, Blanchard, Cache, Chickasha, Clinton, Elk City, Kingfisher, Tuttle and Weatherford.
December 5, 2024
• McClain County Commissioners appointed Elizabeth Patrick as the new Mc-Clain County Assessor at their regular weekly meeting Monday, November 25 at the county courthouse.
She was sworn into office Monday by Associate District Judge Charles Gray.
Patrick replaces Kendal Sacchieri, who resigned after being elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in District 43.
December 12, 2024
• The City of Newcastle recently earned the Team Builders: City Award at the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful 34th Annual Environmental Excellence Celebration.
City officials said this recognition highlights the success of Newcastle’s “Too Toxic to Trash” event on June 1, 2024, which helped residents safely dispose of 7,265 pounds of hazardous household waste, including 42 pounds of prescription medications, 182 tires, and five barrels of used oil.
• A 35-30 loss to Guthrie Friday night in the OSSAA Class 5A State Semi-Finals ended the football season for the Newcastle Racers. Undefeated Carl Albert beat Del City, 28-7, placing Guthrie and Carl Albert in the State Championship next Saturday at 7 p.m. at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.
It’s been a banner year for the Racers, going undefeated in District competition for their first year in Class 5A.
December 19, 2024
• Newcastle City Council members took a look at how the layout of a new City Hall might work near Newcastle Fire Station 1.
The City had asked Guernsey Engineers, Architects, Consultants back in 2022 to create a rendering which would show the Main Street location on the south side of the fire station.
Mayor Karl Nail said the City won’t be able to build for numerous years, but when they get closer, the Council will have an idea of a possible layout, and then later they can have some engineering done on a new facility.
December 26, 2024
• A 40-year tradition came to a close December 21 as La Luna Cantina & Grill closed its doors. Owner Cindy Cabrera said it was time to retire.
