I’ve heard from many constituents the concern over the purchase of land in rural Oklahoma for the growing of medical marijuana. Much property is being bought at prices that far exceed the assessed mar...

With the creation this week of Juneteenth as a national holiday, I have seen several posts that, though meaning well in celebrating the day, have made mistakes about the history. Even my own college w...

We’ve heard President Biden recite the same line over and over again, that he wouldn’t raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 per year. This is a flat out lie. President Biden’s disastrous bu...

It’s true. Gratitude goes a long way and I am grateful for my job and the privilege of covering news stories every day. My coworkers and I recently had the privilege of attending the Oklahoma Press As...

There are many opportunities for Oklahoma’s young people to become involved at their State Capitol. The House and Senate each have a page program for high school students, as well as intern programs f...

On Wednesday (June 9), I joined several representatives on a tour of death row in a state penitentiary in McAlester. It was a very moving experience. It’s so important for people to realize that ever...

With each generation that comes along there seems to always be a generational crisis. The Sixties were dominated by the Vietnam War and Civil Rights protests. In fact, the 1960s seemed to be the most ...

Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s was definitely a different time than it is today. Granted we may have had a problem with bullying back then, but 50 years ago I promise you if you were caught being a b...

With the end of the legislative session, the work for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy now transitions to more of an educational component. From the early part of the year through the end of...

President Biden recently unveiled his broken budget proposal that promises rising inflation, higher taxes, and soaring debt. It’s clear he is continuing on a spending crusade to jam through his radica...

To the Editor, Like pretty much all Republicans, Markwayne Mullen is a liar and a coward. His latest op-ed is an echo of his lord Trump’s “American carnage” speech. As for all his doom and gloom predi...

The first session of the 58th Legislature has officially adjourned sine die! “Sine die” is a Latin phrase that means to adjourn an assembly without assigning a day for a further meeting. A legislative...

I read this story recently in which a battleship is at sea on a dark and stormy night. The lookout tells the captain that he sees a steady light off the port bow. The captain, believing his ship is on...

I wanted to say thank you to the Checotah Police Department who were so graciously parked outside my office in our parking lot after midnight last week. I had early holiday deadlines and a family fune...

One key job of historians is to find patterns. Most things in history are circular and come and go throughout time. The majority of what I do with this column is to try to show that current events hav...

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...