After a busy week of committee work, I am pleased to report that a few bills of mine passed in committee and are now eligible to be considered by the full House. The first bill, House Bill 3072, manda...

OKLAHOMA CITY – Over the past week, Oklahoma lost two individuals who did much for our state’s children in their own ways. Most people are aware of the passing of Toby Keith, the Oklahoma country musi...

To say I have had an exhausting month and especially last week would be such an understatement. From recovering from RSV to OPA Legislative Summit in OKC to Night to Shine to heated City Council meeti...

Thank you To the Eufaula Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center staff and San Bois Hospice: Thank you so much for the beautiful care you gave our 98-year-old mother during her stay. The genuinely kind ...

There are so many paths one can take in life and these paths often lead you to other places - some good and some not so good. I’ve always been intrigued by all the different paths we can take. Some ar...

As the legislative session gets underway, my focus, as always, will be on caring for people and supporting policies that help those without a voice. I’m especially conc erned about finding ways to imp...

OKLAHOMA CITY – With the convening of a special session by Governor Stitt, lawmakers were brought back to the State Capitol on Monday, January 29, a week prior to the start of the Second Session of th...

OKLAHOMA CITY -1 hope you have a wonderful holiday season, whichever of the joyous events you chose to celebrate in your life. I have been laid up the past week with bronchitis, so it was a quiet few ...

In grad school one of the hardest parts in studying the Israel/Palestine issue was trying to understand who led the Palestinians. It reminds me of the scene from Monty Python’s The Life of Brian when ...

Letter to the Editor, I want to take this time to thank our Eufaula City Manager Jeb Jones and Public Works Director Willy Eastteam for their hard work and efforts this past year in making Eufaula a p...

Happy Birthday! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! From birthdays (my daughter’s and mine) to holidays- everything has been all rolled up into one full, nonstop month! Like everyone I’ve been so busy tr...

During this most difficult time, the family of ‘Mama’ Jean Davis wishes to convey their deepest, heartfelt appreciation for the love, generosity and support of the entire McIntosh County community and...

Fall is definitely my favorite season and I am always blown away by God’s design as He colors the fields and all the landscape in an array of complimenting colors. Whether I’m taking a drive to take p...

Canceling Real Thanksgiving and Virtual Instruction One day we will put on our virtual reality goggles to tell our grandchildren about the once-upon-a-time when we sat around a table, fought with rela...

Advocates examine Child Welfare Task Force Report, set children’s agenda for 2024 OKLAHOMA CITY – The 2023 OICA Fall Forum concluded last week, and it was an intense four days of learning and sharing ...

Over the years I have written about the election of 1800 many times in my columns; it is my favorite election because it is the most important. Suffice to say it was the first time the nation had a ch...

OKLAHOMA CITY – I attended a nonprofit conference Monday hosted by the Sarkeys Foundation. While there, I served on a panel which delved into the issues dealing with incarceration. Some might ask why ...

My grandfather, Ray Inzer Belyeu, was a WWII veteran and a Purple Heart recipient, who hardly ever spoke about the war he fought in and barely survived. No one except those soldiers really knew what t...

OKLAHOMA CITY – One of the most important events on the annual calendar of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is our Fall Forum. Held each October or November, this event is where advoca...

Every day I turn on the news I hear of more senseless killings. Headlines read “A former soldier, who suffered mental issues, goes on a rampage and kills 18 people (including teens) in a bowling alley...