Good morning, Norman.

Thursday afternoon, the Christmas Store of Cleveland County and Crosspointe Care Center broke ground on a permanent building at Crosspointe Church’s campus (corner of 24th Ave and Overbrook Dr) to house the store after its lease expires Dec.

31 and expand the care center.

The Norman chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution installed a black granite bench on Saturday at the east side of the Cleveland County Courthouse to mark the 250th anniversary of America's founding and honor the Founding Fathers (and determined patriots).

Chef Kevin Lee from Norman narrowly missed winning Food Network's Tournament of Champions Season 7 finale on April 20 when he lost by one point to Bryan Voltaggio, and he hosted a sold-out watch party before previewing a collaboration dinner at MAHT (519 NW 23rd St) to honor his local success.

Data since 1950 shows that Cleveland County where Norman is located recorded the highest tornado rate at 21 per 100 square miles, while Oklahoma and Tulsa counties also saw high counts; early 2026 tornado activity remains concentrated in central and northeastern counties.

After dropping three of their last four games, ranked OU softball beat number six Arkansas 11 to 1 Sunday in a five inning blowout.

Freshman star Kendall Wells hit her 34th home run (tying a single season record), and OU leads six SEC series this season.

The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association named 15 members to a new rules committee on Monday to review its 24 rules for high school sports and activities.

The group, including Norman district athletic director T.D. O’Hara (local leader), will meet monthly from May through December to propose rule changes.

The Oklahoman's high school team of the week poll for April 13-19 is live online +vote now+ as fans choose from five teams including Norman North boys soccer and Oklahoma Christian School girls soccer; voting closes at noon Sunday following last week's win by Dale softball.

OU softball meets Arkansas-Pine Bluff today at Love's Field in Norman at 6 p.m. CT.

The game is streamed on SEC Network+ and broadcast on KEBC 1560 AM.

Linebacker Owen Heinecke was granted an extra year of eligibility after a preliminary injunction on April 20 and his return boosts the Sooners' depth and leadership in Norman.

Head coach Brent Venables praised his playmaking ability and expects him to grow further in practice.

Graduation Weekend Celebration

12:05 PM – 10:05 PM — NOUN Hotel, Norman — Cost varies — Celebrate accomplishments with pop-up shops, dining, live music, and handcrafted cocktails.