If time flies when you’re having fun, we’re not quite sure what this is, but while Patrick and Louis take the rest of the week off to enjoy a mid-year break from words, I’ll defy ennui with a countdown of TLO’s top 25 stories of 2025…so far.
Highlighted chronologically and broken into two parts, we’ll get straight to the scoops, stories, and exclusives you read, raged and howled over during the first half of 2025.
If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can fix that for 69¢ now and breeze through this roundup of Top 25 TLO articles of 2025… so far (Part 1).
1. Out To Sea: OKC Zoo’s New Marine Life Habitat Scaled Back After Massive Budget Overrun
Date: 1/15/2025
What We Wrote: In a hard-hitting TLO-I Team 5000 exclusive, we’ve learned that the "Shore to Sea" project is massively over budget and is being redesigned to no longer include a sea lion exhibit.
This revelation comes from an email sent by OKC Zoo Executive Director Dwight Lawson to staff on Friday.
Related: New Zoo Amp management doing their best to ruin concert experiences…
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2. Fresh off two new DUI arrests, Westmoore names Rhett Bomar its new offensive coordinator…
Date: 1/21/2025
What We Wrote: Late last week, I received a tip via The Ogle Mole Network claiming that Rhett Bomar—the infamous OU football quarterback turned Big Red Sports & Imports ghost employee—will be making a grand return to the state as offensive coordinator for the Westmoore Jaguars football team.
Yep, keep stacking, folks! Rhett Bomar is returning to the state where it all… uhm… ended, and will be leading the Westmoore Jags to glory… and/or free test drives on the Mile of Cars in Norman!
Related: Audible Called: Westmoore Sacks Plan to Hire Rhett Bomar
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3. OKC Fox 25 Meteorologist Fired for Dropping F-Bombs on Live TV
Date: 1/27/2025
What We Wrote: We’d like to wish a fond farewell to former OKC Fox morning meteorologist Elliot Wilson.
He went down in a blaze of glory last week after dropping a pair of early morning F-bombs during a Good Morning Oklahoma weather forecast.
The whole thing started innocently enough…
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4. Malicious Hackers Shut Down Braum’s Drive-Thrus!
Date: 1/30/2025
What We Wrote: [The Ogle Mole Network] informed me that—for the second time in a couple of months—Braum’s was hit with a ransomware attack by a group of criminals called Hunters International!
This hack has essentially shut down the Braum’s network, forcing the chain to close drive-thrus and—terrifyingly—rely on employees to tabulate payments and orders by hand!
Related: Formerly Gay Lawmaker Boycotting Braum’s Over Pride Sponsorship…
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5. Dusty Deevers Protects His Right To Send Wife Dick Pics…
Date: 2/11/2025
What We Wrote: Over the past couple of weeks, Puritanical State Senator Dusty Deevers—a man who, based on the GOP’s penchant for hypocritical projection, must be into some really kinky smut—has received a heavy dose of national and regional attention for yet another bill he filed that would outlaw pornography in Oklahoma.
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6. Bouncer at The Deli Elected Mayor of Norman!
Date: 2/12/2025
What We Wrote: Yesterday, a loyal circle of hip, cool, and possibly stoned Norman voters flocked to the ballot hot-box and overwhelmingly elected Ward 7 Councilman Stephen Tyler Holman as the city’s new mayor.
Holman—a real estate agent, Friendly Market budtender, and part-time bouncer at the famed Campus Corner dive The Deli—defeated incumbent pastoral grandpa Larry Heikkila and something called a Riley Mulinix by taking home 61% of the vote.
Related: Hipster Norman Councilman hit with felony “drug” charges…
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7. Aaron Tuttle Aggressively Promotes/Flexes New Subscription Paywall…
Date: 2/13/2025
What We Wrote: Not surprisingly, Aaron has been aggressively promoting the new service. Instead of taking a traditional marketing approach—like a heartfelt plea about supporting independent weather forecasting, or a polite reminder that running a site takes time and resources—he has opted for something a little more… stormy. You know, cutting-edge fear-marketing stuff where he guilt-trips, shames, and straight-up scares his followers into submission. Err, I mean… subscription.
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8. Layoffs, Gag Orders, and PTO Purges: Paycom Escalates Its Crackdown on Employees
Date: 2/19/2025
What We Wrote: Despite reporting $1.88 billion in revenue and $502 million in net income in 2024, Paycom has intensified its harsh crackdown on employees, creating a workplace culture marked by fear, retaliation, and layoffs. Sources from inside the company describe secretive staff purges—including entire departments—and aggressive moves to silence criticism, like forcing employees to sign agreements banning social media posts about the company after termination.
Related: Update: More Details Emerge on Paycom’s Ruthless Firing Spree
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9. Weatherford Man Mourns Loss Of Treasured Gazebo…
Date: 2/27/2025
What We Wrote: A Weatherford man named Robby is mourning the sudden demolition of a beloved downtown gazebo, a structure that once served as a community gathering spot and featured commemorative bricks honoring residents. City leaders claimed the teardown was part of a new development plan and assured the public that the bricks and a time capsule would be preserved—but the lack of warning left locals like Robby frustrated and blindsided.
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10. Edmond Porn Star Arrested on Bestiality Charges…
Date: 3/5/2025
What We Wrote: In a case that somehow manages to top even Oklahoma’s long list of jaw-dropping headlines, Edmond police arrested local amateur porn actress Christina Stokes—known online as “Hafwin”—on bestiality charges after she allegedly posted graphic videos of herself and her Great Dane online. The investigation was prompted by a tip (from someone who clearly had a lot to explain), and officers unfortunately had to confirm the footage’s existence by watching the 15-minute video.
Related: Ryan Walters’ “School Choice” Buddy Exposed as Former Gay Porn Star…
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11. Oklahoma Students Quizzed on Normalcy of Sexual Kinks and Pleasures
Date: 3/6/2025
What We Wrote: Here’s a story that will make you blush… and/or make you question whether you're sexually normal.
Earlier this week, a psychology quiz that asked explorative Waurika High students to answer questions determining the normality of various sexual kinks and pleasures made its way across the Internet.
Related: Ryan Walters’ Pricey New Hire Pops Up on Polyamorous Dating Site…
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12. Oklahoma Forestry Director Fired for Forgetting Rule #1: Protect the Governor’s Stuff First
Date: 3/31/2025
What We Wrote: Let’s all raise a Smokey Bear salute to former Oklahoma State Forester Mark Goeller.
A national expert on enhanced wildfire prediction and response coordination, he was fired by Governor Stitt last week after a 40-year career—apparently for not doing enough to protect Stitt’s hobby farm from burning to the ground during the wildfire outbreak that rolled through the state a few weeks ago.
Related: State Arsonists Laud Stitt’s Move to Burn Down Forestry Department…
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Well, that wraps our retrospective of the first half of the first half of 2025. Stay tuned tomorrow, when we reveal Part 2 of the Top 25 TLO Articles of 2025… so far!
