The fall semester at SWOSU was nothing short of unprecedented. Several events shaped the town of Weatherford to its core. As the year draws to a close, let’s recap the fall 2025 semester and provide the latest updates. The recap will go through the semester in chronological order.
President Lovell’s Sabbatical
On September 11th, an email was sent to the SWOSU community, announcing that SWOSU President Dr. Lovell was taking the semester off.
“President Diana Lovell has requested some extended personal time to be with her family and to recharge before the upcoming semester. The Board fully supports President Lovell in taking this time, and we look forward to welcoming her back, refreshed and ready to lead, at the start of the spring semester in January,” the message read.
Former NWOSU president Dr. Janet Cunningham was named the acting president for the semester. Read a feature on Cunningham here.
Logan Musil’s Death
On Thursday, October 2nd, a message was sent out to the SWOSU community, notifying the public of the disappearance of SWOSU student Logan Musil. For the next week, a large-scale search for Musil ensued. The case was turned over to OSBI. On Tuesday, October 7th, a Vigil of Hope was held for Musil at the clock tower. A week after the initial disappearance alert, the OSBI announced that Musil had been found deceased near Sulphur, OK. Since then, a suspect in the case, Cameron Lewis, has been arrested, and his court proceedings began. He is facing a felony charge for “abuse of a corpse,” but plans to plead not guilty to the charges. Additional charges may be applied in this case. Lewis is currently out on bond with an ankle monitor. His trial date is set for February 4th, 2026. For the full timeline, click the link here.
Cats found dead in Weatherford
In late October into early November, several feral cats were found sick and deceased on the West side of Weatherford. The felines were transported to local animal hospitals, where a veterinarian concluded one of the felines may have ingested antifreeze.
On November 1st, Animal Control Officers were dispatched to an alleyway between NW 5th and 6th street for a report of animal cruelty. They found a deceased feline, and an officer conducted a visual inspection and determined the cat was attacked by another animal, and the incident is not believed to be related to the first incident.
On December 4th, the Weatherford Police Department released a statement about another incident and their findings:
“On November 10, 2025, Animal Control Officers responded to a report at 101 NW Main Street and located a sick feline exhibiting symptoms consistent with previously ill and deceased cats found in the area. The animal was transported to a veterinary clinic, where it later died. Due to the circumstances, the Weatherford Police Department Investigations Unit requested a necropsy—a postmortem examination used to determine the cause of death and identify any diseases or injuries.
On December 3, 2025, the Weatherford Police Department received the necropsy results from the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Laboratory testing confirmed the feline was positive for multiple viruses affecting the respiratory tract. These viruses are transmitted between cats through fleas and other parasites. The report did not indicate the presence of any poisons.”
The original story from The Southwestern can be found here.
Ammonia Leak
Late on Wednesday, November 12th, an Airgas tanker carrying anhydrous ammonia parked at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Weatherford. The tanker began leaking ammonia, and a large-scale evacuation began in portions of Weatherford. The Pioneer Event Center opened as a safety center for those affected by the leak. Throughout the night, crews worked to contain and stop the leak, and residents were able to return home near sunrise. Classes were cancelled on Thursday, November 13th, and some businesses remained closed for an extended period of time. Weatherford Chief of Police Angelo Orefice said the Weatherford hospital reportedly saw 30-36 patients due to the events. He said 11 patients were in critical condition and transported to the metro area via ambulance, and 4 patients were flown via helicopter. Since then, it has been announced that all victims have left the hospital, and there were no fatalities as a result of the leak.
A civil lawsuit has since been filed in Custer County District Court. Several are suing Airgas and IHG (the parent company for Holiday Inn).
In early December, a preliminary report was released by the NTSB. The article and the report can be found here.
Homicide
On November 14th, WPD officers and medical personnel were dispatched to 406 Texas Ave. Firefighters and medical personnel began CPR and other life-saving measures upon arriving, but the victim was later pronounced deceased. The victim was identified as 23-year-old Landon Whitley from Weatherford. The suspect, Jonathon David Bridges, has been charged with Second Degree Manslaughter.
Court documents say the shooting was an accidental discharge. They say Bridges rendered aid, called 911, and fully cooperated with authorities.
SWOSU Football
This season, Bulldog football showed massive improvement. The Dawgs wrapped up the year on November 15th with a 45-3 win over Northwestern to put them at 6-5 on the season. There were some massive achievements across the board for the Bulldogs, both statistically and in the awards column. Check them out here!
Dr. Lovell’s Resignation
On Tuesday, December 16th, the Regional University System of Oklahoma announced that President Dr. Diana Lovell had submitted her resignation.
This is the first and only communication with students regarding Dr. Lovell since September 11th, when it was announced that Lovell would be taking personal time this semester and returning in January. At that time, Dr. Janet Cunningham was announced as the Acting President. Since Lovell’s resignation, Dr. Joel Kendall was announced as the interim President, effective January 12th, 2026.
For the full statement from Lovell and the full story, click here.
More!
This semester featured so much more, too. Including but not limited to:
- Intramural signups fumbled
- Miss SWOSU 2026
- SWOSU Fire Assists Oklahoma State Parks on Prescribed Burn
- State Regents program review and SWOSU
- Bright star (review)
- Strong rodeo season
- Much more on TheSouthwestern.org
A wild semester across the board in the not-so-quiet town of Weatherford. The Southwestern thanks readers for their support and for sharing content. As more information becomes available on previous stories and as new stories occur, The Southwestern will be there to cover it all!
