• Born in Marion County, Kansas, Loretta Hughes celebrated her 100th birthday at Baptist Village Retirement Center. She was born during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl and, although she had no children of her own, experienced two successful marriages. Her nephew, Mike Hughes, stated, “Loretta had led an extraordinarily active life; we are going to have a huge celebration, she deserves it.”
• Seminole State College hosted a complimentary Fair Day for students, faculty and staff. The event featured an inflatable obstacle course dubbed “race to the top,” a fair ride and a selection of traditional fair foods, ranging from corn dogs to local favorites such as Indian tacos. Additionally, BMX riders performed daring bike stunts, providing an impressive spectacle for the audience.
• Okmulgee Public Schools Board of Education appointed Assistant Superintendent Renee Dove as Superintendent, following Todd Williams’ resignation at the end of the 2015 fiscal year. Subsequent to Williams’ resignation, the board convened a special meeting to discuss the future leadership of the district. Board members Mike James and Mark Tuggle put forth a motion to designate Dove as superintendent, which received unanimous approval from the rest of the Board. Dove was slated to complete the 2015 school year as deputy superintendent with full authority and commence the 2016 fiscal year as the new Okmulgee Schools Superintendent. Williams reportedly conducted a day-by-day course of study with Dove until his departure for the remainder of the 2015 fiscal year.
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• The Okmulgee Class of 1960 commemorated their 40th reunion following a year of meticulous planning. The enduring spirit of the Class of 1960 is honored through the Jim Newport Memorial Park, established after a class member acquired land in downtown Okmulgee and raised funds for its creation.
• Taco Bell, located at 2006 Wood Dr. in Okmulgee, promoted a special for a burrito supreme for $1.29 with any size drink purchase.
• The University of Oklahoma acquired a collection of French Impressionist paintings, constituting the largest donation of its kind ever bestowed upon a public university. This extraordinary art gift comprised 22 paintings and 11 works on paper. The Clara Weitzenhoffer gift positioned the University of Oklahoma as one of the preeminent public repositories of Impressionist Art in the Great Plains States, thereby elevating the university’s museum of art to the forefront of university-affiliated art galleries.
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