At the recent Holdenville City Council meeting, tensions arose as the growing issue of stray and unwanted dogs took center stage. Councilwoman Lori Babb sparked the discussion with a pointed question aimed at the city’s Animal Control Officer (ACO): “Can our dog catcher catch a dog?” Her comment drew a swift defense from Chief of Police Jason Scroggins, who oversees animal control efforts in the city.

In a special meeting held to address the vacancy in the Ward 2 City Council seat, the Holdenville City Council faced a critical decision: appoint a new council member or hold a special election. The seat was left vacant by the recent resignation of Tony Wulf, and the council was under a 60-day deadline to make a decision.

This column will offend many dog lovers. Please accept my apologies in advance. I myself am a dog lover. I believe dogs are among the very best creations on Earth. Fewer things provide more pleasure than a loving relationship with a well-trained and well-behaved dog. But, the hardest part of training dogs is training their human masters.

I just learned this past week our local Church of Christ minister will soon be leaving for another church. He will be greatly missed.

On August 15, 2024, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Holdenville celebrated a momentous occasion as Cyntha Gilkes Ayres was ordained as a bi-vocational priest by Bishop Paulson Reed of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. The ordination ceremony was a deeply spiritual event, filled with the reverence and tradition of the Episcopal Church, marking a significant milestone in Vicar Ayres’ lifelong journey of faith.

Imogene Harrington passed away Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the age of 88. Imogene was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma on November 21, 1935, to Jesse Franklin Leach and Lena Irene (Philpot) Leach.

Ronnie William Stringfellow passed away Friday, August 30, 2024 at his home in Holdenville, Oklahoma at the age of 75. Ronnie was born December 28, 1948 in Holdenville, Oklahoma to Lloyd William Stringfellow and Ina (Smith) Stringfellow.