The House passed a bill last week that will expand third-party commercial driver’s license (CDL) testing to public transit agencies. House Bill 3713 requires the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to a...

There’s nothing more frustrating than being stuck somewhere when you are supposed to be somewhere else because life is all about moving on and moving forward. Have you ever wondered why you get so mad...

The House spent hours on the floor every day this week to consider hundreds of bills that survived the committee process. One of the bills the House heard was my own. I presented House Bill 3406, whic...

My legislation to offer a cost-of-living adjustment, or a COLA, to retired Oklahoma public employees in six state pension plans passed the House Rules Committee recently with a vote of 8-0. It now is ...

I have always loved all kinds of animals, from domestic animals to wild animals. I have been not only intrigued by their nature and beauty but also by their love and intelligence. In the Bible, the bo...

Coronavirus has been dominating the news cycle for weeks and it has many Americans worried. Despite all the coverage, you should not panic over coronavirus. Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is a respiratory ...

The staff of The McIntosh County Democrat welcomes Letters to the Editor on subjects of interest to our readers. Short letters are most likely selected for publication, but the use of any material is ...

I recently wrote an article for this column about a lesser known influence on the Founding Fathers, a man named James Harrington. I think, with the recent acquittal of President Trump and, more specif...

Thursday was the deadline to pass bills through committees, so the committees I sit on each heard a dozen or so bills this week. One of these is the House Children, Youth and Family Services Committee...

Meltdown moments - we have all had them at some point in our lives. Those overwhelming moments when our children, spouse, coworker or boss doesn’t listen or hear what we are truly trying to say. Those...

In Oklahoma, just like in all other parts of our country, people want a job that gives them purpose, allows them to provide for their family, and creates a chance for a better life. We all have our ow...

The Oklahoma Board of Equalization met recently to certify revenue from Fiscal Year 2020 and to report the estimated amount the Legislative will have to appropriate for the Fiscal Year 2021 budget – o...

Officials last week confirmed that the identity of the remains of a body found two years ago south of Crowder are those of a 40-year-old McAlester woman. Holly Cantrell was last seen alive on Jan. 20,...

The Legislative Session began Feb. 3 with a joint session of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the state Senate convening to hear Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Second State of the State Address. Stitt de...

Being a daddy’s girl and a former hospice volunteer coordinator, I couldn’t let the month of February go by without saying something about heart health. You see, February 11 was my daddy’s birthday an...

Four counts of neglecting to compel a child to attend school were dropped against a Eufaula woman last week. Danece Baker had been charged with the four misdemeanors last year. The McIntosh County Dis...

Flu season is in full swing and it will continue for several more weeks. Every year, millions of people in the United States get sick from the flu and other flu-related illnesses. The flu can turn int...

Northeastern State University has announced that 652 students met the criteria to be named to the President’s Honor Roll for the fall 2019 semester. To be eligible, students must have completed at lea...

Watching the Senate hearings over the past weeks I am happy to see historical arguments being made by both sides. As I have said, the Constitution is purposely vague, and it is no different when it co...

Time is running out for registered voters in McIntosh County to apply for absentee ballots to be mailed to them for the March 3 Presidential Preferential Primary Election, County Election Board Secret...