There were many items on the agenda for last Thursday’s Luther Board of Trustees meeting. But only one drew in a couple of dozen residents and two crews from Oklahoma City television stations.
The item was about the controversial and emotional data center issue raised almost a year ago, but it was not the rezoning application expected from Georgia-based Beltline Energy to build a data center next to the OGE Red Bud Plant within the town limits.
This agenda item was an invitation to tour a data center facility in Georgia. The tour is scheduled for this week, and the invitation came just a few days before it appeared on the agenda. Whether Beltline offered to cover the costs, the agenda item was for the town to pay for “airline, hotel, and meal per diem expenses for a Planning Commission member to travel to Atlanta, GA, to tour a data center facility, at a cost not to exceed $1,200.00.” The mayor emphasized during the discussion that he didn’t want any town official to even accept a bottle of water from the company during the trip.
It might be worth recalling last May when the Beltline executives were here in person to present their data center project at a town board meeting. They said data center projects were a new direction for their solar energy company because they could leverage their expertise in this data center boom. Those executives promised they would stay in touch and be fully responsive to our questions. None of my emails to those executives or their local attorney has ever received a reply. How about you?
It turns out no planning commissioner could attend the tour this week, but the agenda item still moved forward. The sign-up sheet for that item was filled with names. The item was rejected by the trustees.
Citizens’ criticisms of the project and the trip were abundant, and trustees’ comments about any value in fact-finding, due diligence, and putting eyes on this company’s project fell flat. Clearly, this was Beltline’s overture on their turf. We all have biases that we can recognize and navigate. Was it worth a $1,200 investment to directly ask about groundwater or wastewater usage, power consumption, and the overall footprint to report back? While at it, they could listen for noise, and even slink over to the closest neighbors and knock on some doors. Is Beltline doing it better – cleaner – than other companies? The Luther trustees officially said no to the trip at a public meeting, giving the public a peek into Beltline’s moves. (Piedmont said yes.)
Among resident comments about water tables, electric bills, and “I moved to the country to get away from the city,” resident Becky Tatum asked about motives. “Something I want to ask some of you on the board, and I’ve never gotten a real good answer, is what is in it for you guys that’s not in it for us? In general, the people do not want it, and it seems that you are not; some of you are not listening to the people. I don’t think we care about tax revenue. This is not what we’re caring about. We care about the noise level. We care about our water. We see no upside because we’re not in it for the money; we are in it for our quality of living. I want an answer, especially from Jerrod. What is in it for you if you are for the data center?
Oh! That Open Meetings law. The comments are supposed to be limited to the agenda item (the trip), and trustees are generally advised not to engage, although some did. There’s a two-minute comment rule for members of the public. It’s awkward. It’s sometimes uncomfortable. It’s frustrating. The previous mayor also had to cut off comments with that gavel. It is how it is. Those public hearings will be that way, too. Conversations away from meetings don’t have those constraints. And while stirring it up on social media is easy, well … never mind. It is how it is.
Beltline “promised” answers on water usage, electricity usage, noise, and all of our other valid questions. We have received zilch, except this invitation, and some communication through lawyers. When they do apply and explain, will we believe them, especially for those who would will live close to it? Would an election on the question help? Regardless, the company is expected to apply for rezoning, and that application must be heard. The data center issue is new territory for Luther; the rezoning process is not.
I asked a few trustees to answer Becky’s question, “What’s in it for you?”
Their answers:
What’s in it for me? I’m not for or against the data center. I just want to look at all the information before making a decision. It’s the potential for the town to be financially stable as my children grow up; the potential for someone to bring a town infrastructure issue to the Board’s attention, and instead of having to fight for a grant, we can just take care of it for the citizens of our town. These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential in it for me.
—Trustee Jerrod Davis
Statement to Luther Register News
As a member of the Board of Trustees, I want to clarify my comments from last Thurday night’s meeting.
The discussion referenced was not an agenda item, and out of respect for proper procedure and transparency, I remained focused on the posted agenda. It would not have been appropriate to engage in debate or respond outside of that structure.
Recent claims that Board members have predetermined positions, are acting outside public view, or have personal or financial motivations related to a potential data center are unfounded. No proposal has been formally presented to the Planning Commission or the Board, and no vote has taken place or will occur without a public hearing. Any assumptions about individual positions or actions are premature and speculative.
The Board is committed to acting professionally and responsibly—gathering information, conducting due diligence, and considering all perspectives before making decisions. Community input is an essential part of that process, and all viewpoints deserve to be heard.
We were elected to serve the people of Luther, and that responsibility requires thoughtful, measured decision-making.
As conversations about growth continue, our focus remains on guiding it intentionally—supporting infrastructure, preserving community character, and positioning Luther for a sustainable future.
We encourage respectful dialogue and ongoing community engagement.
— Trustee Cindy Harris Taylor
There’s nothing in it for me, but a lot for the town. The lagoons need to be worked on, the old water pipes have constant leaks, and those are just a couple of serious issues. Luther Public Works doesn’t charge customers enough to cover all of that without more frequent rate increases. I’m willing to listen to any proposal and weigh it carefully.
—Trustee Carla Caruthers
While data center projects face scrutiny everywhere, we wait here. As for the rest of the meeting, here’s what happened, sprinkled with a little color commentary:
- Andrew Ungerecht was selected to the Luther Planning Commission among five applicants.
- Chris Nevarez and Saudy Soria won the bid to purchase the concession stand property behind the Dollar General on Fourth Street, which was part of the renowned Cox Field. That could solve the mystery surrounding why Chris is tempting our taste buds with posts on his Cocina Doña Ceci page! Stay tuned and stay hungry. And yay for that historic though dilapidated piece of property. He thinks he can save a lot of it!
- The town will continue using Aberdeen for fine collections (mostly unpaid tickets).
- LPD Officer Christian Hall’s resignation was regretfully accepted. He is going to another agency.
- The finishing touches were approved for the new kiosk info board at the Visit Luther sign on Route 66. We’ll have info on it to tell visitors more about Luther when they stop at the sign.
- The Luther and Arcadia Fire Departments sealed their mutual aid agreements.
- The room at Town Hall where board meetings, court, and community meetings are held is about to get a refresh, thanks to volunteers. Look for some history about Luther to be tastefully folded into that room’s vibe.
- LEDA (Luther Economic Development Authority) is coming back. The Board of Trustees has served as the LEDA board for a few years, but interest in serving had waned. It is supposed to function much like the Parks and Planning Commissions – advisory to the board with a focus on their respective issues. Maybe there’s a way to raise interest in this type of service – making it worthwhile for the town and the volunteers. Interested? Stay tuned.
- Still waiting for drainage plans from the engineer, but planned housing units on the south end of town will proceed.
- The Orchard on 66 donated tables for use at town events. Thanks!
- More landscaping ahead, thanks to a $2,000 donation from Langston University. WOW! And thank you!
- It was Scherrie Pidcock’s last official meeting before she retires as Town Manager, effective on Friday. She’ll be around in an advisory role for a while, while new Town Manager Rian Hankins gets up to speed. He was at the meeting. Did you meet him? I gave him congratulations, thanks, and, with a laugh, condolences. Still, Luther, you’ve come a long way, thanks largely to Scherrie! May her gardening dreams come true!
Was that meeting rundown helpful? Let me know. And read on if you want to hear a bit about what’s going on with Luther Register News.
When I saw the agenda item about the all-expenses-paid trip to Atlanta, I did not ask for details in advance. I was so curious about it and knew it would be a hot item, but I still didn’t pursue it. Why? Any data center story gets “clicks.” Good for Luther Register. Bad for the other articles. Good for the Luther Register’s algorithm (powered by data centers). Bad for all of the other posts that don’t make it into our feeds.
Practically, I was “busy.” Aren’t we all? It’s planting season! I had a list of tasks for the town-wide yard sale on Saturday, and the event was awesome and fun. Lots of conversations. I figured staff members were getting calls about it (they didn’t, but they were short-staffed, which makes for a hectic meeting day), and I didn’t want to add to their workload when my questions would be answered at the meeting. Plus, I was prepping some recipes for my book club get-together because I had to feature my Red Bud Blossom Simple Syrup. The book was The Correspondent. Who has read it? Let’s chat! Also, my red bud blossom concoction was much better than last season’s attempt. I didn’t even set aside time to monitor Facebook on the issue about Item Number Eleven — but I guess I missed some “robust” exchanges. Not sorry about that.
However, if I might suggest: An explainer from the Town (hard to do within the constraints of an agenda) about the item might have helped.
I used to do a lot of preview articles when the online Luther Register News started in 2015 (tell them what’s happening, then tell them what’s happened), and in all the years before, when agendas were taped on windows. That gives me a “good old days” recollection when we raced to see new agendas … and if they were ever posted even one minute late, we could report on such illegality! Give me emails, please, and let nostalgia stay where it belongs! Now, we all get an email if we sign up (and it’s still taped on a window inside the Town Hall lobby). It’s another example of how the role of news has changed. I don’t need to make a special trip to inform readers if they can’t go look at a window; we get the info together. I could call around and get feedback in advance, but Facebook has taken over that role, ahem.
It’s not lost on me that I started the online Luther Register (named after the original print version) to get to the “truth” about contentious issues and counteract rampant misinformation online. That was ten years ago. I was so young! The TRUTH? What is truth? And whose is it? Can I even handle the truth? 😉
I also used to FB Live meetings (maybe it’s time for the Town of Luther to consider taking that on.) You watched, but you couldn’t hear very well. And I’d forget to check the screen while taking notes. I needed better equipment.
Plus, I didn’t want Meta stealing my audience, my potential business success. Who was I kidding? ME! I was kidding my entrepreneurial self, who thought I could be an outlier and invent a new sustainable business that brings back local news! The challenge was discovering the magical elixir of advertising, paid readership, or heavy philanthropic support as social media grew more powerful.
Selling ads, asking for donations, and threatening a paywall were never ever comfortable for me. And that doesn’t mean I was ungrateful – my deep thanks to all who have advertised and sent reader support. Keep it coming if you want to.
My thinking has finally arrived at what this has been along. I don’t have to feed my anxiety about working harder “on the business.” Luther Register News is not a business. It’s my expensive hobby. I do it because I want to, and sometimes I don’t want to, at all. The business part is Shelton Media LLC, for events like the pecan festival, building websites, writing, teaching, or offering a ton of ideas on your business! That’s called consultanting! Just ask me.;-)
I’m more comfortable putting a price on those tangible services than asking for funding to support news as an intangible consumable. Good for you, Sub-stackers. But really, what’s the limit on our personal budgets for paid subscriptions? What’s harder? Getting millions of monthly $4 subscribers at NYT, or 100 (or 50, or even 25) $10 subscribers for LRN? And $20 for the Oklahoman/USA Today! The consumer burden does not translate easily into paying for news when it’s free on TV between commercials for cars and pharmaceuticals (and soon, candidates, please help us all). If you get news on social media, appreciate the employee who cuts content to fit every platform.
Luther Register News is not dead. The switch is in my mindset. Instead of lamenting that I don’t cover what I thought I’d be covering – like “when are they ever finishing the Luther Road construction between Waterloo and Charter Oak” – I’ll cover what I can fit in. I’m going to stop my inner turmoil about reader stats. If you ask, I’ll make a better effort. If you read, I’ll write more articles. If you reference an article when you see a falsehood on FB, we’ll both feel better. When folks stop saying, “I didn’t hear anything about that,” because they read Luther Register, my heart will burst from happiness. I’ll try to spotlight your business, just ask. I’ll gratefully accept reader support (THANK YOU). LRN has always been a hybrid – finding ways to use my skills to help my community.
You can tell I’ve had it with social media. HAD IT. If you need a scroll break, you can always check in (lutherregister.news) and see what’s new. My articles automatically post on FB, NextDoor, and a few others, but I am pulling back on social media. Ideally, readers just go to the website, lutherregister.news, and save it as a browser tab. I might not ever be big enough for Google to pick up, but LRN was never meant to be that, really. Every training I’ve ever attended asked us to picture our target readers. DUH! I see you – at the school pick up line, at work, raising your kids and grands, going to the lake, and facing life’s innumerable challenges. I’d like to let go of all of that data intensity and put that energy toward improving your website experience (and getting rid of that incessant code line at the top of your page, but so far I can’t figure it out). There’s an events page and a spot to add your events. There’s Visit Luther and pecan festival information. Third Saturday markets begin April 18.
One thing I’ve learned and love about Luther. We do things our way, sometimes beautifully, sometimes frustratingly, mostly independently but within a community that can always be stronger. No one is coming to help us, or even help showcase our big, beautiful Visit Luther sign (I’m looking at you, 66 centennial people). So be it. We help ourselves. We might get down, but we try, try again. Luther is worth it.
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Luther does not need an Atlanta pilgrimage so local officials can be flattered by developers and fed polished Beltline mythology. We need answers here, in public, from people accountable to residents — not a guided out-of-state sales pitch for a project class that already raises obvious concerns about water, wastewater, power demand, noise, land use, and environmental risk. The Register’s March 31 article itself notes residents still want real answers and that trustees voted down the trip. 
And let’s drop the fantasy that one data center is going to rescue Luther from generations of mediocre governance and accumulated neglect. A single industrial project is not a redemption arc for more than 100 years of local mismanagement. It is a massive gamble with real consequences for the people who have to live near it.
That skepticism is not paranoia. It is pattern recognition. In Stillwater, neighbors sued over alleged pond pollution and fish and wildlife loss tied to Google data center construction runoff. Whether Luther officials like it or not, residents have every reason to look at projects like this and ask who profits, who pays, and who gets stuck with the damage. 
And credibility is already shot when the town keeps orbiting the same old corruption cloud. This is the same civic ecosystem that produced the absentee-ballot scandal involving former trustee Ron Henry, who took an Alford plea to conspiracy to commit false notarization and resigned, after reporting tied former mayor Cecilia Taft to the notarization of absentee ballots at the center of that case. So no, residents are not irrational for questioning the judgment of people making appointments and asking for trust now. 
If town leadership wants credibility, then bring back independent analysis, enforceable protections, hard numbers, and public transparency. Until then, this looks like the same old Luther formula: insiders chasing a shiny promise, officials dazzled by imagined tax revenue, and ordinary residents expected to absorb the risk while being mocked for noticing the pattern.
Thanks for the comment. Maybe you haven’t caught up with Luther’s town operation for the last several years. Clean outside annual audits. Balanced budgets. Savings. No embezzlement charges! For multiple years. Corruption clouds hang around and the town continues to deal with it – the loss of stolen funds, recouping those funds, and theft – and our memories. Your memory shows that a town might not ever fully rebound from past scandals, lumping it all together for 100 years! There are many who have served – both elected and staff members – who would take issue with that, and their honor should be defended. It’s not an easy place to serve and work, but name one place that is! None of them did it or remain for the public appreciation, for sure. What should the town do to earn trust? Deny all rezoning requests? They haven’t even cast a vote on it yet, except to pass on that trip! Make a bigger deal out of its balance sheet? Did you know every invoice paid is copied and kept, and each check needs two signatures (three for big checks)? Receipts are written for all cash receipts. The til is balanced to the penny every night before anyone goes home, by more than one person. We should remember past mistakes (and successes), it’s our history; but it is not the same ecosystem, or even residue from a chem trail! Doesn’t mean we don’t watch. And also doesn’t mean those who broke laws are not redeemable (few of them even had to go to jail). My role is not to put a PR spin on Town Hall or come at you! I’m calling it like I see it here because I have watched and reported on the place for ten years, and even worked there for a time. If another scandal brews, I won’t like it, who would? I’d cover it, and try to snap a jailhouse mug. Thanks again.
Dawn Shelton can call herself ‘stubbornly independent’ all day long, but when her response reads like a Town Hall press release with extra attitude, people are going to question that claim. You do not build trust by scolding critics, minimizing old corruption, and reciting internal controls like a municipal compliance brochure. That is not watchdog journalism. That is institutional apologetics dressed up as independence.
Her comment is revealing. She does not rebut the core public concern about whether local officials are being dazzled by speculative data-center promises. Instead, she pivots to balanced budgets, two signatures on checks, receipts for cash, and the absence of fresh embezzlement charges, as if basic bookkeeping is some extraordinary proof of civic virtue. Congratulations on clearing the floor-level bar. Residents are still entitled to ask whether town leadership has the judgment, transparency, and backbone to handle a high-impact industrial proposal without becoming a mouthpiece for outside interests.
And the ‘those who broke laws are redeemable’ line completely misses the point. Redemption is not the issue. Public trust is. People are not obligated to ignore a town’s history of scandal just because some officials now want credit for acting like fraud prevention and reconciled tills are impressive achievements. That is not cynicism. That is memory.
If Shelton wants to be seen as independent, then she should sound independent. Less chamber-of-commerce spin, less defensive gate-keeping for Town Hall, and more scrutiny of the people asking residents to accept enormous long-term risk on faith. Until then, the skepticism is earned.
Hi Gary. Just wanted to send you a quick note, partly to check if this is a real email address!
UPDATE: I received this bounce when I tried to send: “Your message wasn’t delivered to gwj1975@yahoo.com because the address couldn’t be found or is unable to receive mail.
So, here is the rest of the email.
And also to thank you for your comment. I’ll probably ruminate on it all day, wondering again, how did I get here? And what am I doing? What if I’m making it worse?
You’re right on some points – and while I don’t think I’ve hidden the fact that I’ve landed myself in this unusual hybrid role of part journalist and part community cheerleader, perhaps I haven’t made it so clear when I harp on being “independent,” which means I’m scratching it out alone – not mainstream, not legacy, and no one is cutting a paycheck for me (or being my editorial sounding board). There’s a lot of freedom and failure wrapped in that.
Nor do I have a spin contract with the town; they couldn’t afford me! 😉
However, I have contracted to write some grants and help with the town website, and I also worked there as an office assistant, which included answering calls from folks upset because the trash truck didn’t run, and making copies of everything involving funds – you know, basic bookkeeping on the civic threshold.
Am I compromised? I am cynical and self-righteous, all mixed with a default sense of trust. A lot bugs me about Town Hall, but yep, I tend to defend it when folks say this town is just as corrupt as it’s always been and the current trustees are bedazzled idiots bent on sacrifice.
All five of them get a vote. I don’t understand the strategy of name calling, although I understand everyone is very emotional and determined about our rural way of life and we all have a hard won skepticism when it comes to governance when we don’t know who is in power. But when it’s local, we can know them.
Is the best move to say NO? Not another word until there’s an application, then go through the public hearing process, and then cast the NO vote — this will be over!
After the NO, there will be another application. When this current crisis ends, will the town and its nascent planning commission finally get serious about zoning issues? It’s tedious work. Public involvement is necessary.
Enough from me. Really, thanks for the scolding — not that I liked it, but it has me thinking, overthinking, and working on an attitude adjustment.
dawn
Serious leadership would be simple: no answers, no deal. No transparency, no rezoning. No facts, no trust.
Luther does not need another field trip, another fantasy, or another room full of officials confusing boosterism with intelligence. It needs adults.
All adults are intelligent?
If this is the town’s idea of leadership, no wonder people are worried about what comes next.
These people are not serious leaders. They are gullible marks in search of a sales pitch, mistaking developer attention for economic strategy and confusing a field trip to Atlanta with actual governance. Every time this town faces a hard problem, the same type of small-bore ego and bad judgment rises to the top: people who want to feel important, get quoted, and pretend they are steering Luther into the future while avoiding the most basic questions about risk, infrastructure, and accountability.
The mayor wants residents to trust his instincts, but instinct is exactly the problem. This entire data-center obsession reeks of vanity politics: chasing the biggest, shiniest object in the room and hoping nobody notices the town still cannot answer basic questions about water, wastewater, power demand, noise, land use, and environmental consequences. That is not leadership. That is unserious people playacting as visionaries.
And the credibility problem did not start yesterday. Luther has already lived through enough scandal, enough insider nonsense, and enough rotten judgment to know better than to blindly trust the same civic culture that keeps rewarding failure. Yet here we are again, watching local power-brokers act offended that residents have memories. Sorry, but when a town keeps recycling controversy, incompetence, and backroom energy, suspicion is not unfair. It is rational.
What makes this all so pathetic is the desperation. Some of these people are so dazzled by the fantasy of tax revenue and “economic development” that they seem willing to sell residents a fairy tale first and ask questions never. They do not sound like stewards of a community. They sound like unpaid hype men for outside interests, parroting the script, craving relevance, and expecting applause for being manipulated in public.
Luther deserves better than officials with gold in their eyes and mush in their heads. It deserves adults who understand that governance is not flattery, propaganda, or cosplay. Until then, residents are right to treat this entire performance as what it is: a vanity project for weak leaders who want to be seen as bold while behaving like fools.
Strong feelings. What a list of insults – impressive in fairy tales, maybe not about fellow humans. None of the leaders, the ones burdened with deciding, know the answer to the questions yet. They want the answers too, that’s not a stretch to believe. It’s Beltline’s job to fill in those important answers, and crickets. Nothing. I’d kill the whole project based on just leaving us hanging, leaving so many in turmoil. I mean look at these insults at folks who stepped up when no one else even filed for office. Rather than listing what you think leaders are doing wrong, what do you think “serious leadership” would look like here in Luther? How would you do it better?