OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow, said now that Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed Senate Bill l033 into law, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) can proceed with developing and finalizing agreements that will better protect legitimate Oklahoma businesses by ensuring more resources to go after criminal operations. Leewright is the principal author of the legislation.

It’s been 77 years since D-Day, the pivotal World War II operation in which Allied troops invaded Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. The D-Day is said to be the largest seaborne invasion in history, with more than 160,000 soldiers landing on the beach in Normandy to take on the Nazi German fighters.

Charles Shay was the only veteran at a ceremony in Carentan, where paratroopers landed in the early hours of D-Day, when the small French town marked the 77th anniversary of the epic World War II invasion Friday.

1. The federal government, in its infinite wisdom, has “Tomahawk” cruise missiles, “Apache”, “Blackhawk”, “Kiowa” and “Lakota” helicopters and the code name “Geronimo” was used in the attack that killed Osama bin Laden, officially objects to the name of the Washington Redskins football team.

MESOPOTAMIA—It was going to be the first-ever Pride Month — a celebration of everyone doing everything they feel like doing in their hearts all the time — when it suddenly started raining and didn’t stop for forty days as God tried to wash all the wickedness off the earth.

Phillip Wood Freda Wilkes (1956 HHS Graduate) Don and Judy Adams Spurgeon. Judy is the daughter of the late Clyde and Zelma Adams Jim Turner and Wanda Chancellor Joyce Lively and Wanda Frederick Jim and Rick Thetford.

My child’s private Catholic elementary school recently welcomed a queer-promoting transgender advocate as part of its “antiracism” speaker series, declaring “diversity of identity and thought” is “a core characteristic of our Catholic faith.” The school insinuated the “transgender experience” and “defining ourselves for ourselves” can “result in more love,” and that such ideas are consistent with the sanctity of each individual as created in God’s image.

Bill and Tena Kibby are close friends and they are constantly helping others. Most recently they have been working on the Glory Cemetery. Please see their story and pictures of the cemetery on page A-8 of our May 25, 2021 edition of the Holdenville News. Rural cemeteries need financial help to keep them mowed and repairs made. Please help if you can. If you are willing to help, mail your contribution to First United Bank, PO Box 790, Holdenville, OK 74848 or you can drop it by at 102 E. Main…… This past week I went to visit the Seminole Nation Museum in Wewoka. It is incredible! The head of the museum, my longtime friend, Richard Ellwanger, gave me a wonderful tour. He also offered his help to our local museum and he is a wealth of information. If you have not been to the museum in the past few years, it is worth your time to go. I especially enjoyed the Veterans display. Richard is the son of HHS graduate Peggy Ellwanger. She is the longest serving Wewoka City Councilmember in history and continues to do a great job. Peggy and Richard are the type of leaders every community needs….. Our good friend Juanita Harris was by the office Friday to renew her subscription. She is also known as the “Taco Lady.” For years she had a trailer she would take to area events and sell tacos. There would always be a line at her location. Her tacos were delicious! She is so much fun to be around and I always look forward to our visits……My friend James Rinehart was by this past week. He will be celebrating his birthday Friday and we hope he has a great one. James is his late wife, Faye, are two of the finest folks I have ever known and have been a blessing to so many over the years…..Speaking of birthdays, my mother-in-law, Beth Leewright just celebrated her birthday on May 24 . She came home with us after church Sunday and we enjoyed having lunch together. She is a very special lady and I’m so blessed to have her as my mother-in-law…….Got to visit with Dayna’s classmate and our longtime friend Jeanne Smith. Her folks, the late Ray and Marie Bowen were dear friends and we still miss them. They were so much fun to be around. I will never forget asking Ray a particular question about the Bible. He said he wanted me to read a book he had and see if it answered my question. I read his book and didn’t understand half of it. Later, he asked me if the book helped and I said, “No, it really didn’t.” He then replied, it didn’t help me when I read it either and then he started laughing! I still have a lot of good memories about Ray and my dad…..Jerry Hardwick stopped by the office recently and I always enjoy his visits. His father, the late C.B. Hardwick was one of the finest men I ever knew. He worked many years for John Gaberino and they considered him like one of their own family. At a later date I will tell you how C.B. got me to eat one of Viola Brill’s pickled eggs. It was an experience I will never forget!.....I was visiting with my longtime friend Leo North at church Sunday and we started talking about his parents, the late Bob and Wilma North. Wilma worked at Pat’s Café for many years and was a wonderful lady. For years Bob owned and operated Bob’s Fix-It Shop in Holdenville. There was very little he could not “Fix-it.” People like Bob are almost non-existent in today’s world. As a youngster, I remember shoe shops, tailors, bakeries, steam laundries and several medical doctors in Holdenville. Now I don’t know of anyone in those fields and I really miss those days…..I was by the funeral home Sunday and say my good friend Liz Clarks-Campbell. Liz is assisting the Phillips family part-time and I know she will be a real asset…..for the first time in a long time my friend Fred Vines was in town. The former Spaulding resident is a WWII and Korean Veteran. He is a real patriot and one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known…..

Comments to: andybowman839@gmail.com Coffeetimecolumn.com As a young boy, I would ask my dad for permission for something I wanted. Sometimes the answer was “Yeah sure, that’ll work, go ahead.” But all too often the response I received was not exactly the answer of my dreams.

Strength to Get Through I went to a pretty tough high school. It was so tough our student newspaper had an obituary page.