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🌱 Patch AM: How OKC city workers just raised a record $600,000 for neighbors

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Greetings Oklahoma City! We’re your go-to source for what’s happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How OKC city workers just raised a record $600,000 for neighbors
  • Want a Thunder ticket and T-shirt just for donating blood?
  • How a racist parking-lot attack led to a 10-year sentence

Also on today's calendar: Verifying The Date picker is good again and 9 more events.

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

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

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

  • Friday: Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high of 59 and low of 46 degrees.
  • Saturday: Breezy in the morning; sunny, temps: high: 62, low: 34.
  • Sunday: Increasing cloudiness, with a high of 55 and low of 44 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. OKC employees pledge more than half a million dollars to local charities (news9.com) — City of Oklahoma City employees just shattered their Heart of the City campaign goal, raising a record-setting $600,000 for local nonprofits that support housing, health care, arts, and education. More than 2,500 workers chipped in through bake sales, garage sales, and other efforts, with many donors personally connected to services like after-school care and housing assistance during medical crises.
   

2. Thunder team up with Our Blood Institute (news9.com) — Oklahoma City Thunder fans can roll up their sleeves right after Christmas, with a special Our Blood Institute drive kicking off December 27 where 100 donors will meet Thunder player Jwill. Everyone who donates at that event gets an exclusive Thunder T-shirt and a free game ticket, and additional Thunder-themed drives will run statewide through January 2.
   

3. Oklahoma City man sentenced to 10 years for racially motivated attack on black resident (okcfox.com) — A 28-year-old Oklahoma City resident has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a racially motivated attack on a Black man who was cleaning a parking lot in August 2023. Federal prosecutors and the FBI’s Oklahoma City office emphasized that hate-driven violence will be aggressively prosecuted and said they hope the sentence offers some measure of justice to the victim.
   

4. Teen tried as adult found guilty of double murder, jury recommends life without parole (okcfox.com) — In an Oklahoma City case closely watched by local courts, a jury found 20-year-old Gustavo Peralta guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for shootings that killed Ramon and Angelo Sosa in 2021, when Peralta was 16. Tried as an adult, he now faces life in prison without parole after jurors heard additional evidence in a second sentencing phase.
   

5. College Football Playoff draws record crowds to Oklahoma City (koco.com) — A College Football Playoff game in Norman is filling Oklahoma City hotels, with some charging double their usual rates and expecting some of the year’s highest occupancy. Tourism leaders say the influx of visiting fans is boosting local businesses, showcasing Oklahoma City’s hospitality, and potentially encouraging first-time visitors to return for future trips and events.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Tonight’s fence line comes with a disclaimer, it may ramble a little, much like my thoughts this time of year.
    Some of you know me as “the fence line person,” which feels like a very unofficial title, but I’ll take it. Behind the posts is just your average… (Nextdoor Western Village-Pied Piper)
  • I just read in the flyer that comes in the utility bill that the Lake Hefner Fire Station #30 now have microchip scanners for animals who may be lost.
    This is great news to help a pet return home without having to wait for veterinarian hours to scan an animal for a chip. NOTE: animals cannot be left… (Nextdoor The Meadows)
  • Arby's posted a job opening for Team Member in Choctaw. Apply here.

Ok Oklahoma City! 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 think you know the gravity of this situation.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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