01/06/2025 – Last week, we learned that the Tulsa World would be bringing the Owasso Reporter to an end, with its final issue scheduled for January 15th. Hearing this was difficult for me. I spent eight years working at the Reporter before starting Owassoisms, and during that time, the Reporter was more than just a newspaper — it was the heart of Owasso.
I remember when the Reporter office buzzed with activity, a hub where the community gathered. People came in daily to share birth and marriage announcements, place ads, submit sports photos, pitch story ideas, post classified ads, and so much more. It was a time before social media took center stage, and the Reporter played a vital role in connecting us all.
The Owasso Reporter was founded in 1963 by Retherford Publications, part of a network of community newspapers. Mr. Retherford passed away during my time there, and the papers were sold to a group from Bentonville, Arkansas. Not long after I left, the Reporter was acquired by the Tulsa World.
This is more than just the end of a publication; it’s the closing of a chapter in our community’s history. The pages of the Reporter will now live on at the Owasso Historical Society, preserved as research documents. But the loss is bittersweet. The words of Joni Mitchell’s song, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” feel especially true right now. The signs were there. They let their editor go a month or so ago, and it seemed inevitable that the paper might follow. Still, it’s hard to say goodbye.
The “End of the Trail” statue in their logo below is eerily appropriated.
Thank you, Owasso Reporter, for everything you taught me and for the memories you helped create. You will be missed.
