• The Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce voted to join Henryetta and Morris in sponsoring a county‑wide cotton‑growing contest, offering cash prizes to farmers producing the highest yields on five‑acre tracts. County Agent W.L. Fowler and Secretary Robert Leopold were appointed to meet with dele‑gates from surrounding towns to finalize plans, with hopes of expanding the contest across the entire county.

• Okmulgee joined nationwide celebrations mark‑ing the 50th anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell’s first successful telephone transmission on March 10, 1876. The Southwestern Bell exchange displayed an early‑model telephone and the city’s first hand‑written directory from 1900-01, which listed only 33 subscribers. The exhibit contrasted sharply with the modern directory of 4,500 listings, soon to be re‑placed by a new edition containing 5,000 numbers.

• Okmulgee officials confronted a financial short‑fall in their major water‑supply project after earlier approving a large bond issue. Engineers endorsed the reservoir site and confirmed the city could secure an ample water supply, but costs for a concrete dam exceeded available funds. Leaders debated whether to construct a less expensive earthen dam or seek an additional bond issue to complete the project as originally planned.

• George C. Morganstern, longtime journalist and editor of the Okmulgee Times, resigned to become state editor of the Tulsa World. He had spent more than a decade in the Okmulgee newspaper field, serving as oil editor, editor of the Times and earli‑er as owner of the Okmulgee Progress. Colleagues regarded him as one of the most capable newspa‑permen in eastern Oklahoma and predicted success in his new role. His family planned to remain in Ok‑mulgee until the end of the school term before join‑ing him in Tulsa.

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• Elaine Papafrangos won the state American Le‑gion original‑oratory contest in Weatherford, earn‑ing a $100 savings bond and a $500 scholarship. She had advanced to the state level after winning the sectional meet at Okmulgee High School, where she competed against two opponents. Her victory qualified her for the regional contest in Iowa City on April 5, followed by area and national competitions later in April.

• Okmulgee High School VICA students earned multiple honors at the Northcentral District Career Day held at Oklahoma State University. Don Ham‑mer placed first in prepared speeches and was elect‑ed district chaplain, while the business‑procedure team placed second to advance to the state compe‑tition in Tulsa. Kathy Morgan finished fourth in the district sweetheart contest, and approximately 50 ICT, printing and carpentry students attended the event.

• Okmulgee High School student Bo Bennett and journalism advisor Florence Hancock were select‑ed to receive awards in the Ed Story statewide high school journalism contest. Bennett was recognized for his general news and feature writing, praised for imagination and skill across multiple submissions, while Hancock was honored for her long-stand‑ing leadership of the school’s journalism program, which had earned numerous state and national dis‑tinctions. Additional awards in photography and sports writing went to students from other Okla‑homa schools, with hundreds of entries submitted statewide.

• Members of the Oklahoma National Guard part‑nered with the Easter Seal Agency to provide free hearing screenings for junior and senior high school students. Therapists and audiologists conducted initial and in‑depth evaluations using the agency’s mobile clinic, a specially equipped van designed to detect early signs of hearing loss. The program in‑cluded audiograms for school officials and guidance for teachers and families, with the clinic serving hundreds of children across the region as part of a broader community health effort.

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