Dear Editor, News stories tell about students using their digital platform to bully, to send inappropriate or illegal sexual content, or to send terroristic threatening messages. Can this happen in ou...

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 ...

Congressman It’s no secret that Oklahoma and Texas have a rich history in oil and gas. In the early 1900s, people from all over the country rushed to the two states to drill and communities were built...

For the Children: A child abuse case was made public last week that occurred in my hometown of Rush Springs. I was sickened by what was reported and want to take this column to remind Oklahomans of th...

This was another busy week at the House. As session begins to wrap up, we’re continuing to hear Senate amendments to House bills. Many legislators are also spending time in conference committees to wo...

The men and women of our law enforcement put their lives on the line each day to protect our families and our communities. They sacrifice holidays, weekends, and other precious time with family and fr...

Oh the joy a new baby brings into your life! You stare in total wonder of how beautiful and precious this child is and count all ten little fingers and toes.   Gone are the nine months of this little ...

Leif Mason Wright, 49, of Checotah, pled no contest Thursday, May 2, to three charges related to an altercation that took place at his home in April, 2018. The charges included assault with a dangerou...

It’s true you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and this 50-year-old dog really isn’t interested in jumping through hoops anymore. But since I seem to be caught in the middle of two opposite worlds -...

I’ve received a lot of calls recently from people concerned about themselves or their loved ones who face the expense of living in a nursing home. I wanted to give an update on several pieces of legis...

  The House has been busy this week considering Senate amendments to various House bills. If a bill received amendments in the opposite chamber, it must return to the chamber of origin for the new ame...

This was another deadline week at the Capitol. Thursday was the final day to vote on remaining bills in the opposite chamber. The House heard nearly 300 Senate bills total, many of which were this wee...

Dist. 13 State Rep. I wrote recently that the plan to reroute Highway 69 away from existing local businesses in Muskogee is on hold, while the state Department of Transportation works with the communi...

Congressman Before President Trump took office, the U.S.’s southern border was only covered by man-made barriers along roughly a third of the border. These 654 miles of physical barriers are primarily...

Getting fit at 50 is a lot harder than getting fit at 25 and that’s no lie. I can remember wanting to lose weight after the birth of my second child before going on a trip to Florida. Now keep in mind...

If you work for a business that offers a 401(k) plan, consider yourself fortunate, because a 401(k), with its tax advantages and variety of investment options, is a great way to save for retirement. ...

For the Children: Every year, a group of high school students from across the state is selected by lawmakers to participate in the Capitol Page program, where they work for one week in either the Stat...

The premise of equalization is that every child has equal value. Who could argue with that? And so, a child in a poor school district should have the same educational opportunities as a child in a ric...

It’s almost impossible to save too much for retirement. After all, you could spend two, or even three, decades as a retiree. And retirement is not cheap – even if you maintain a relatively modest lif...

For the Children: As I write this column on Tax Day, or April 15, we mostly likely will have about one month left before lawmakers adjourn the 2019 legislative session. I want to take the time to refl...