OKLAHOMA CITY – As a rancher in Southeastern Oklahoma, Sen. Warren Hamilton has seen the impact of Oklahoma lands being purchased by foreign entities. The McCurtain Republican says it’s time the legislature puts a stop to these transactions and has filed Senate Bill 1469 to clarify that foreign ownership of Oklahoma lands is prohibited, even from business entities and trusts.

The Louis Baker farm south of the Little River bridge is one of the richest spots in Hughes County, both in legend and history. In fact, in and around this locality was staged some of the most dramatic events of any point west of the Mississippi River. This was the location of Edwards’ trading post.

At one time, our local telephone office was one of the biggest employers. In the “good ole days”, there were actually real people who would answer your call. The above picture was taken some time in the 1950’s.

When back in the Thirties people in McAlester talked about famous prisoners in their penitentiary, they would usually mention the German butcher who in a fit of anger had killed his wife. That might have been understandable, but what offended the public most was that he had allegedly mixed the better cuts of meat from his late wife’s body into the sausage. Most folks didn’t appreciate his having made inadvertent cannibals out of a number of his customers and felt that even life imprisonment was not a severe enough punishment for that crime.

The following story is another life lesson I have learned from my long association with the Oklahoma Memorial. At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story.

Comments to: andybowman839@gmail.com Coffeetimecolumn.com The couple sitting in the counselor’s office had been married over forty years. They had weathered financial setbacks, the rearing of two children, moving from city to city due to job changes, and countless marital disagreements. But they had finally hit their last wall and in desperation, they had come to the point of consulting a marriage counselor. Now they sat in cold silence, as they waited for the therapist to join them.

Jim Priest is CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma and can be reached at jpriest@okgoodwill.org. In a few weeks baseball’s Spring Training is supposed to start.

Q: I feel like a religious orphan. With so many religions in the world, it’s hard to decide which one works the best. It seems they all stem from culture or politics. Is there a way to cut through all the rules and spiritualism and find something that really works?

FELONY Jeremy Owens OSW—burglary in the second degree MISDEMEANORS Patricia K. Wood OSW—assault and battery-domestic abuse DIVORCE Robin Hinkley vs.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Mc- Girt v. Oklahoma, which effectively declared that most of eastern Oklahoma remains tribal reservation land, state tribal governments have touted the decision and proclaimed little or no harm has come from the ruling.