A longtime community volunteer known for her decades of service to others has been selected for a distinguished honor. Donna Lipe has been named the Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA) 2025–2026 Diana Award recipient by the local chapter.

Best Buds...Penny and Esme had fun hunting eggs with Ms. Brown’s class and the rest of Reed Elementary this year for Easter.

Legislation designed to dramatically improve Oklahoma’s public-school literacy outcomes, including a mandate that students repeat the third grade if they read far below grade level, has advanced from both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature with strong support.

Currently, Oklahoma has one of the nation’s shortest school years and some of the nation’s worst academic outcomes. House lawmakers have now voted to increase the length of the school year, hoping additional instructional time will boost student learning as well.

Jimbo Cox.

There aren’t that many seasons of freedom in life. If you are in one, enjoy the season. When you are a child, you do as your parents say and go where they allow you to go. You are also tied to many, many years of school. You are free, free to go to school, study most of the time and do as your parents say. This season passes quicker than a person can imagine at the time. I remember being a freshman in high school and thinking that four years would take forever. I felt the same way about college, but the years rolled by quickly.

First, I am not an expert on Middle East affairs but with only a small amount of research, I am concerned with the wisdom of our negotiating efforts. Iran’s oil fields contain about 34 trillion cubic meters or 17.8% of the world’s natural gas, second only to Russia.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House of Representatives has unanimously approved a measure aimed at providing property tax relief to homeowners whose residences are damaged or destroyed by natural disasters, including those in Hughes County.

I get hundreds, sometimes thousands, of letters a week from fans of my TV show, radio show and daily podcast. All of them say the same thing- they appreciate that I always say publicly what they’re thinking- but they’re afraid to say out loud.

HOLDENVILLE — A Holdenville man was arrested March 6 on multiple charges, including driving under the influence of drugs and possession of controlled substances, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Hughes County District Court.