Bartlesville Chamber Urges Local Shopping After Storm

Tressa Cruse of the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce encourages residents to support hometown businesses impacted by recent winter weather closures.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 12:07pm

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The recent winter storm in Bartlesville, Oklahoma not only shut down area schools, but also forced many local businesses to temporarily close. Tressa Cruse, a representative of the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce, appeared on the COMMUNITY CONNECTION program to ask residents to shop locally and support these hometown businesses as they work to recover from the storm-related closures.

Why it matters

Small businesses in Bartlesville rely heavily on local foot traffic and community support to stay afloat, especially during challenging times like severe winter weather. The chamber's call to action aims to ensure these local enterprises can weather the storm and continue serving the community.

The details

Tressa Cruse, speaking on behalf of the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce, urged residents to patronize local businesses that were forced to temporarily close due to the recent winter storm. Many small shops and restaurants in the area had to shut their doors for several days, resulting in lost revenue and putting a strain on their operations.

  • The recent winter storm hit the Bartlesville area.

The players

Tressa Cruse

A representative of the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce.

Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce

A local business organization that advocates for and supports the interests of Bartlesville's small businesses and commercial enterprises.

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What they’re saying

“The recent winter storm not only shut down area schools, but many of our local businesses had to shut down, too.”

— Tressa Cruse, Representative, Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce

“Tressa...asked everyone to shop locally to ensure our hometown businesses stay open.”

— Tressa Cruse, Representative, Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce

The takeaway

The Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce's call for residents to support local businesses impacted by the recent winter storm underscores the vital role that community-driven commerce plays in sustaining a thriving small business ecosystem, even in the face of unexpected challenges.