• Okmulgee High School’s star runner Jayden Watkins officially punched his ticket to the Class 3A State Cross Country Championship. The talented freshman secured his spot with a fifthplace finish in the 5k course at the 3A Regionals, held at Nichols Park in Henryetta. Watkins blazed through the course with an impressive time of 18:13:5. Meanwhile, in the girls’ division, Henryetta High School’s own Lady Knight, Daisy VanMeter, claimed the gold medal, dominating with a first-place time of 12:05:5.

• Releasing a column in the 2015 Okmulgee Daily Times newspaper, a second grade teacher was a voice for the excited students and staff after Green Country Vo-Tech scholars helped improve the Children’s Learning Garden at Okmulgee Primary School. The project, initiated by teacher Sylvia Bagby two years earlier, included building new bridges, a demonstration table, and repairing picnic tables. The project was a community effort, with additional help from the Okmulgee Community Garden, Okmulgee County Health Department, Bagby Lawn Service, Lowes, Okmulgee Education Foundation and many other volunteers.

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• The Okmulgee County Sheriff ’s office introduced a new patrol car for its D.A.R.E. program, a 1995 Ford Crown Victoria. The vehicle, which was donated and restored with help from several local businesses, was to be used by Sergeant Mark Mooney to promote the drug and alcohol resistance education program at schools and community events.

• The Okmulgee Bulldog’s sixth grade football team finished with a perfect 6-0 record after a decisive 36-0 win against Cushing. The team’s quarterback, Lucas Stanley, is seen in a photo making a pass with help from blockers Mikail Parker and Michael Wilson. This big win earned them a spot in the league championship game against Wewoka.

• The Oklahoma City Zoo had to cancel their dolphin shows because Lily, a little 4-month-old dolphin, wasn’t feeling well. Zoo officials said she seemed a bit lethargic and was having trouble breathing. To help her, they gave her mom, Sandy, antibiotics that Lily would get while nursing, and Lily also got an antibiotic shot. This urgent response followed the death of another dolphin, Harley, from heart failure in June 2000.

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