Tulsa Local Pulse: Phone bans, water updates, holiday events, and a community spirit boost

Good morning, this is Tulsa Local Pulse for Saturday, December 13, 2025. We start today with a change from City Hall that will affect how we drive near our schools and work zones. According to KRMG and FOX23, the Tulsa City Council passes a new ordinance that makes it illegal for us to hold or text on our phones while driving through school zones and active construction areas. Fines can go up to about one hundred dollars, and officers cannot take our phones without permission. Hands free and voice controls stay allowed, and there is an exception for emergencies, like calling 911. This kicks in as soon as the mayor signs it, so we want to be extra careful on streets like Yale near Edison High and around the ongoing work on Highway 169. On the utilities side, KTUL reports that many of us will see water service line letters in the mail this month. These are federal EPA notifications, not shutoff warnings, and they do not mean our water is unsafe. Tulsa has checked tens of thousands of lines and has not found any lead service lines, only a small number of short lead connectors that crews remove when they find them. So if we get a letter, it just means the city is still confirming what kind of pipe runs to our home. Weather wise, we wake up to a chilly December morning. Skies stay mostly clear with cool, dry air in place, so outdoor plans like holiday shopping at Woodland Hills Mall or a walk along Riverside Drive should be comfortable by midday with a jacket. Tonight turns colder again, and the short term outlook keeps us seasonably cool and dry through the weekend, good news for travel and events. Downtown, our big cultural highlight is the Tulsa Christmas Parade. NewsChannel 8 says the parade steps off at 11 this morning with the theme OklaHome for Christmas, celebrating our music history. Floats honor the Church Studio, we see the American Waste Control train, and Santa rides in to hand out around ten thousand free toys along the route through downtown, near Boston Avenue and 3rd Street. In North Tulsa, KTUL shares that the North Tulsa Economic Development Initiative hosts its Angel Tree Community Celebration today from 11 to 2 at the Shoppes on Peoria at 1717 North Peoria. Registered families pick up gifts, and neighbors can enjoy a community day focused on helping kids. It is a great example of how our side of town comes together during the holidays. On the jobs and business front, holiday hiring continues across midtown and south Tulsa, with major retailers and distribution centers still looking to fill seasonal roles, many paying around fifteen dollars an hour. Real estate agents report that roughly two hundred homes remain active on the Tulsa market this weekend, with median prices hovering in the mid two hundreds, giving buyers and sellers some breathing room heading into year end. Sports fans, our Golden Hurricane men’s basketball team rides a hot streak. The University of Tulsa says the team sits at nine wins and one loss, it This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.