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🌱 Patch AM: How a $25 million grant will transform Tulsa cancer care

Be sure to catch Candlelight: Queen Meets ABBA on the Tulsa Patch calendar

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Wednesday December 17th Patch AM
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Hi Tulsa! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a $25 million grant will transform Tulsa cancer care
  • Tulsa remembers rental car pioneer and philanthropist Bill Lobeck
  • Why two Gathering Place landmarks just won America’s top design honor

Also on today's calendar: Candlelight: Queen Meets ABBA.

Find out what's happening in Tulsafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Tulsa? Post it to Tulsa photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: The doctor told me to drink carrot juice after a hot bath. - Did it help? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Find out what's happening in Tulsafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Weather forecast:

  • Wednesday: Breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 57 and low of 50 degrees.
  • Thursday: Mostly sunny and windy, temps: high: 59, low: 27.
  • Friday: Breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 54 and low of 43 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Oklahoma TSET awards OU $25 million grant to build new cancer center facility (fox23.com) — A new OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center facility is coming to Tulsa, backed by a $25 million TSET grant and slated to open in 2028 at OU’s Schusterman Campus at 41st and Yale. The center will expand clinical trials and bring advanced treatments like theranostics and CAR T-cell therapy closer to local patients.
   

2. William E. Lobeck Jr., pioneer of the rental car industry and Tulsa philanthropist, dies a (ktul.com) — Longtime Tulsa business leader and philanthropist Bill Lobeck, husband of former Mayor Kathy Taylor, has died at 85. His work reshaped major rental car brands and helped create local staples like Mother Road Market and Kitchen 66, while his family foundation and board service left a lasting mark on Tulsa’s civic and cultural life.
   

3. Gathering Place landmarks receive national architecture award (fox23.com) — Tulsa’s Gathering Place just earned a major national architecture honor, with Williams Lodge and the ONEOK Boathouse receiving the 2025 American Architecture Award. The recognition highlights the park’s innovative design, its role as a welcoming community hub, and its growing national reputation as one of the country’s standout public destinations.
   

4. The 2026 Hot Rod Power Tour Takes Over Route 66 (chevyhardcore.com) — Tulsa will host the grand finale of the 2026 Hot Rod Power Tour with a big celebration at Tulsa Raceway Park as thousands of cars finish their Route 66 trek. The rolling festival starts in Illinois and winds through Missouri before landing here June 12, offering locals a chance to buy single-day passes and see a massive gathering of classic and performance cars up close.
   

5. Bartlesville community reacts to 'Mother Fletcher' receiving plaque for legacy (kjrh.com) — Tulsa readers are reminded of Greenwood’s painful history through the story of Viola Ford Fletcher, a Tulsa Race Massacre survivor long settled in Bartlesville. City leaders there will honor “Mother Fletcher” with a plaque in the Bartlesville History Museum, ensuring future generations learn how she carried and shared the trauma she witnessed at age seven.
   

📸 Around Tulsa

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • All 3 turkeys are done.
    I will have sides as well. If you are mobile and need a hot meal or want to give someone else a fresh hot meal and some hot chocolate lmk I'll serve… (Nextdoor Apache/Yale)
  • I’m here just sharing this info.
    I saw this post in a bakery I don’t have more details. (Nextdoor E Woodrow)
  • Taco Bell posted a job opening for Late Night Team Member in Tulsa. Apply here.
  • Avis Budget Group posted a job opening for Airport Manager in Tulsa. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Tulsa here.

Ok Tulsa! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I can never finish drinking the hot bath!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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