A study found 2025 was the slowest growth for Oklahoma independent shops since 2020, rising 6.2% for independent retail businesses. In 2024, growth was 12.98%.
Author Archives: Ismael Lele
Ismael Lele is the business reporter at The Oklahoma Eagle. He is a Report for America corps member. Ismael has been reporting since he was in high school, where he channeled his interest for writing into the school newspaper. While at the University of Oklahoma, he wrote for the OU Daily as a sports and city reporter and, finally, as a news editor. Ismael found his passion for community journalism while attending city council meetings in Norman. He went on to spend a summer in Phoenix, Arizona as a Carnegie Knight News 21 fellow and researched the state of American democracy. Before joining The Oklahoma Eagle, he interned at The Tulsa World. Now, his reporting highlights Tulsa’s Black community and the north Tulsa area.
Posted inNews
Jewish Canadians can find a new home in Tulsa with program offering legal, financial help
Applicants could get up to $4,000 in moving costs reimbursed, along with legal services and plane tickets to scope out the city.
Posted inCulture
‘Bigger than Daytona’: Chili Bowl Nationals kicks off 40th anniversary in Tulsa
The 2026 edition will feature more than 400 drivers, making it the largest Chili Bowl Nationals since it began in 1987.
Posted inCulture
Tulsa’s MLK Jr. Day parade to host 125+ participants as Freedmen descendants join the flock
Tulsa’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade is the third-largest in the nation. They expect this year to deliver on a “New Day, Same Dream” motto.
Posted inCulture
Through new children’s book, father-son duo work to bridge gap between deaf and hearing kids
University of Tulsa basketball player KJ Martin Jr. became fluent in sign language at an early age. By publishing “Kasey’s Outdoor Adventure,” he hopes others will do the same.
Posted inNorth Tulsa
Greenwood park sets sights on new $10M facility exploring Black and Indigenous history
John Hope Franklin Center kicked off its campaign to raise $10 million for a new facility highlighting the relationship between Black and Indigenous cultures.
Posted inNorth Tulsa
A different kind of sleigh ride: Tulsa motorcycle crew delivers toys to Dream Center
Tulsa Big Wheels dedicated its annual toy run to Tracy Willis, the fiancee of one of its leaders who died last year.
Posted inBusiness
Growth is the name of the game for Tulsa’s job market, outpacing OKC
AI and tariffs will certainly impact the state and local economy. But experts don’t expect job and population growth to slow down in Tulsa.
Posted inNorth Tulsa
From Booker T. to the ring, north Tulsa native paves path to become pro MMA fighter
Malik Thompson’s heart once belonged to the football field. Now, after years of training, the Booker T. Washington graduate is preparing for his first pro fight.
Posted inBusiness
Traveling for Thanksgiving? Prepare for a busy week at Tulsa International Airport
The airport is expecting more than 70,000 passengers to pass through during the next week — a 3.5% increase.
Posted inBusiness
Road construction threatens survival of Stutts House of Barbeque in north Tulsa
Almead Hill Stutts has owned the restaurant for 32 years. She’s not sure how much longer she can keep the doors open as construction deters customers.
Posted inBusiness
From permits to funding, Tulsa business owners tell state leaders they want solutions
At a panel featuring Oklahoma politicians, entrepreneurs said they’re facing uphill climbs to get state licenses, grants and more.