The Oklahoma Eagle

09/17/2026

Rev. Keith Mayes, the former senior pastor of Vernon AME Church in the Historic Greenwood District, pleaded guilty to embezzlement this week.

Mayes, 63, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and another count of tax evasion. He has been ordered to repay $504,313.88 for his illegal activities, including nearly $206,000 in unpaid taxes to the IRS.

Check out our story to learn more:

The U.S. attorney’s office said Rev. Keith Mayes embezzled church money to fund his gambling habit and fi***rm purchases. The court ordered him to repay $504,313.

09/16/2026

When Bridgett Smith moved from Sacramento to Tulsa last December, her goal was to be closer to her family. Ten months later, she and her 13-year-old niece were sleeping on the street and staying in shelters.

Smith was staying in a north Tulsa home but after a couple months, she couldn't afford rent. At the same time, she said the living conditions deteriorated.

The landlord says as Smith fell behind on payments, she asked her to leave. And if she had, many of the problems wouldn't have been an issue.

It all highlights a long held problem: who wins in the battle of tenants versus landlords and where can either of them turn for help.

Read the full story: https://theokeagle.org/2026/09/15/news/post/tulsa-tenants-battle-with-landlord/

09/15/2026

C’est Bon Kitchen & Libations, the Cajun and Creole eatery led by chef David Franklin, is moving out of The Shoppes on Peoria in north Tulsa. The last day of service will be Sept. 30.

Franklin told us a number of recurring issues at the North Peoria location, including problems with his landlord, led him to this decision.

He hasn't identified a new spot yet but said he wants to be clear the restaurant isn't closing for good. Check out our story to learn more:

New Orleans native David Franklin is relocating his restaurant, C’est Bon Kitchen & Libations, out of the North Peoria plaza. The Cajun and Creole spot opened in July 2025.

09/14/2026

Nearly a year after launching, more than 650 people experiencing homelessness have been housed as part of Safe Move Tulsa, housing officials said Friday. They also announced the closing of two more encampments, bringing the total to 12.

The $11 million initiative kicked off last November with a goal of rehousing 300 people in nine months. It later expanded that goal to 1,300 people by the end of 2026.

Read more here:

The city’s Safe Move Tulsa coalition has housed more than 650 people and closed another two encampments. Advocates say this isn’t “mission accomplished.”

09/11/2026

This week, the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce received a $650,000 National Park Service grant to revitalize 10 historic commercial buildings on Black Wall Street.

The federal funds will go toward the installation of new windows and doors as well as replacing damaged bricks and tiles. It’s an effort to ensure the structural integrity of buildings around the district.

Check out our story to learn more:

It’s the fourth time the National Park Service has given Greenwood funds to restore commercial buildings on Black Wall Street. Leaders say they need more dollars.

09/10/2026

There's been a lot of talk recently about AI and it can be overwhelming, scary or exciting.

Join us Sept. 23 at Bronson Brookside Library for a free discussion on artificial intelligence, how we use and view it in our newsroom and to ask any questions you may have.

09/08/2026

If your family has a connection to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, local researchers want to talk to you.

The oral history project, titled “Breaking the Silence: Building a Community Archive of Allies, Bystanders, and Participants of the Tulsa Race Massacre,” seeks to document “memories of the attack that have been transmitted, preserved or omitted across generations.”

Researchers are especially seeking to hear from Indigenous and white Tulsans who have an ancestral connection to the massacre.

Check out our story to learn more:

A new TU project asks Native and white Tulsans to share their family’s connections to the massacre — especially those “omitted” across generations.

09/06/2026

Oasis Fresh Market’s downtown store was supposed to open in June. Then July. Then August. Now it’s eyeing mid-September.

Read more about the delays, and how you can catch the soft opening this Sunday:

Oasis Fresh Market had its eyes on a June opening date. That goal has moved back to mid-September due to tariffs, building codes and shipping obstacles.

09/04/2026

It's back! Grill masters from Texas, Tennessee and all over Oklahoma will arrive in Tulsa this Labor Day weekend to compete in the seventh annual Step Up to the Grill on Greenwood barbecue competition.

The two-day celebration of Black barbecue will take place at B.S. Roberts Park and feature a car show, cash prizes and food vendors. Events runs from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

Check out our story to learn more:

The competition started with nine participants. At the 2026 edition on Labor Day Weekend, 21 grill masters will compete to take home the title of best barbecue.

09/03/2026

When moviegoers take their seats at the 6th annual Greenwood Film Festival, being held at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa’s auditorium from Sept. 6-10, the goal is for them to reflect on their lives and challenge their perceptions.

This year’s installment focuses on stories around everything from wrongful incarceration and fatherhood to domestic violence, mentorship, faith and Black economic empowerment.

Check out our story to learn more:

Films on fatherhood, faith and justice from independent filmmakers will take center stage at the Tulsa festival, which runs from Sept. 6-10.