This is a tribute to my Great Uncle Sam, the last patriarch of my family. He was my late Grandma Eloise Belyeu’s last living sibling and surpassed her age by one year at 93 years young. To say that h...

Last week was the final week of the 2021 legislative session. Lawmakers adjourned before 5 p.m. Friday. Most of the big issues were considered earlier, giving the Legislature a chance to override any ...

Many Americans think of Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and an excuse to enjoy a long weekend away from work. This year, families, friends, and communities are able to gather and ce...

On Tuesday, May 18, the House approved the appropriations bills to fund core government services for Fiscal Year 2022, which begins July 1. This budget appropriates $8.8 billion, which is a 14.3% inc...

As I watched 76 Checotah seniors graduate from high school last Friday night I couldn’t help but ponder the events of the evening, the craziness of their COVID-ridden chaotic comeback year and the mem...

The leadership at the Oklahoma State Capitol last week reached an agreement on a Fiscal Year 2022 budget. In this proposal, key elements of this $8.3 billion spending package: • Increases in common ed...

As the Oklahoma legislative session winds down for the year, there are still some policy bills being considered in conference committees, and a few remaining that need some other form of action, inclu...

With all the insanity of today’s present times I think it’s time to get back to our roots and what America was really built on - Christian values and godly principles. These core values, characterized...

After months of work and lengthy conversations, legislative leaders announced a budget agreement for Fiscal Year 2022 on Thursday, May 13. We heard directly from constituents what they We heard direct...

House and Senate leadership and the governor last week announced an $8.3 billion budget agreement for the state for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts in July. We still have to pass various budget bills t...

As you may recall from previous columns, the Legislature is in the process of redrawing our legislative district boundaries to reflect population changes following the census last year. This is to ens...

Republicans this session are asking for $135 million in additional funding to be added to education appropriations in the hopes of triggering class size limits for kindergarten and first grade. Resear...

Have you ever really thought about just how strong a woman has to be to even become a mom? I mean Mom Strong! The first thing that happens a lot of times is this very independent woman lays down her d...

During the last year, our nation endured seemingly endless lockdowns and restrictions as a result of the pandemic. Across the country, kids were kept out of schools, businesses were closed, places of ...

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” -Theodore Roosevelt I saw this post on a friend’s social media page. As Teddy is my favorite Presid...

Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center will celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the opening of Spiro Mounds on Saturday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with its annual Birthday Bash. The site will celebrate i...

The Oklahoma House of Representatives and the state Senate last week announced legislative redistricting plans and released updated maps showing proposed new House and Senate districts for the next 10...

Two from McIntosh County will be among 1,302 students who will graduate from the University of Central Oklahoma during Spring 2021 Commencement Ceremonies. Checotahan Courtney Leigh Hamm will receive ...

Oklahoma made significant strides in helping children with learning disabilities and processing delays this week with the signing of legislation to update the Oklahoma Dyslexia Handbook. For the last ...

Recently I got to experience a lady, who had lost her high school class ring, be united with it. Why did it feel like an old friend was found to her? Maybe it was part of such a significant milestone ...