Holdenville City Council voted 3-2 in their last meeting in favor of the mayor’s proposal to create a transition committee to prepare for the change of government from aldermanic to city manager/council happening in only 13 months. The proposal was to create a committee which will begin to work on all the things for the next year which have to be done in order to have a seamless transition when the time comes. There are several major and time-consuming tasks which must be completed by that time, not the least of which is rewriting 2/3 of the city code. The mayor stated that if we wanted a smooth transition we better get started right away. Councilwoman Orr argued that this committee had already been created because she had seen the list of committees and the transition team was already named on it. City Attorney Trey Irby explained that while those names may have already been considered by the mayor, that the action being considered at this meeting was the proper first step in the process to officially create a new committee. The council creates the committee, and the mayor fills it, he explained. That is the difference in the legislative (council) and executive (mayor) function of creating a new committee. Ms. Orr stated that she had been speaking with a representative from Oklahoma Municipal Management Services (OMMS) who had offered to come speak to the council as a whole and help them with the transition. Some in the community may remember the representative who came and held a townhall meeting about changing to a city manager form of government during the campaign for it. Ms. Orr stated that she believed the council needed to hire outside help to come guide them through the process. Councilman Tony Wulf agreed with Ms. Orr stating that he did not believe the council was qualified to work on such things on their own. He argued that someone, whether it be the gentleman from OMMS or the city attorney, would have to be paid to do this work. Councilwoman Orr stated that the representative from OMMS had informed her that an interim city manager could be installed under the current form of government and work with the mayor and council on the transition. City Attorney Irby tried to explain to Ms. Orr and the council that a new form of government cannot encroach upon the current form of government. The change that was voted for in February of this year does not take effect until April of 2023. Ms. Orr argued that Mr. Irby was wrong and that she could have the representative from OMMS come tell everyone for himself. Mr. Irby further explained to Ms. Orr that according to the Oklahoma State Statutes, a municipality cannot have two forms of government simultaneously.

We are stilling battling the COVID 19 but word has it that the next threat is already here for some of us: The NILE VIRUS, type C. Virologists have identified a new Nile virus, type C.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn oil painting techniques in the March 16, 17, 18 workshop, The 3-day class is open to beginner through masters. Classes are held from 9am through 3pm each day. Lunch will be provided by volunteers at the Art Center.

Eliza Maylen and her younger sister Avery Belle McFarland Brooklynn O-Bryant Ashlynn Chaney More Pictures Next Week Pictures Courtesy of Carrie McFarland.

You are going to love this. If death has been abolished, then some would say we seem to be stuck with the proverbial “dead man walking.” The corpse appears very much alive and the grim reaper persists in taking down a fair to middlin’ number of victims every day.

Invading another nation, bombing hospitals, and killing civilians is not enough to get you kicked off of Twitter, but calling for peace and order will get you banned. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Twitter account, which has 1.5 million followers, remained active as of Friday, as Putin’s forces continue their invasion of Ukraine and attacks on the Ukrainian people.

There’s an old saying: “Dear God: Help me get up; I can fall down by myself.” Robert Redford’s film “Quiz Show” gives us the story of a man who fell hard. A young professor at Columbia University, Charles Van Doren gets the chance to appear on “Twenty-One,” a 1950s television quiz show.

District 24 State Representative David Smith will hold a town hall meeting this Saturday, March 12 for all constiuents in the area who may have questions for him. The Oklahoma State Legislature is currently in session and Representative Smith has information he’d like to share concerning bills coming up for a vote this year. Representative Smith invites you to the Holdenville Church of the Nazarene fellowship hall at 323 S. Oak, March 12 at 12:00pm. Refreshments will be served. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet your State Representative.

Banning Social Emotional Learning Sen. Shane Jett is taking air at national organizations seeking to implement socialemotional learning (SEL) programs in the state’s public school systems by filing Senate Bill 1442, which would prohibit public school districts or charter schools from using federal, state or private funds to promote, purchase or utilize the concepts of SEL Jett said organizations like Collaborative for academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), funded by leftist groups like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, have pushed programming in public schools to psychologically manipulate children and surveil Oklahoma families under the guise of addressing trauma.