It has been official for some time now, I am old. I move slower than I did before. I have less energy. My appetite has diminished - I can’t eat a whole medium (much less large) pizza all by myself lik...

April is National Volunteer Month, and OSU Extension is recognizing the many 4-H volunteers who help make the Okmulgee County 4-H program successful. Throughout the year, volunteers dedicate countless...

DEAR ABBY: A longtime friend recently accused me of lying about my education, and I’m still stunned by it. I completed my undergraduate studies in the U.S., earning a BA, and later earned a master’s d...

• A major gift from an Okmulgee lumberman made it possible for the Salvation Army to build a new home for its local corps. The donated lot on Grand Avenue would hold a two‑story brick citadel with an ...

Gov. Kevin Stitt and Republican leaders from the state Legislature announced a budget agreement last week. The Fiscal Year 27 (FY27) budget pro‑posal totals $12.8 billion, an increase of 1.52% or near...

DEAR ABBY: I have a neurological disorder and can no longer keep up with my friends (who used to be my friends). I don’t explain the prob‑lems I have and why I can’t do the things I used to do unless ...

• Okmulgee hosted the state’s poster advertising association for its an‑nual two‑day meeting, with Mayor W.C. McA‑doo offering the wel‑come as delegates gath‑ered at the Episcopal parish house. Speake...

The B.C. Comic Strip made famous by Johnny Hart once featured a take on Good Friday: “I hate the term ‘Good Friday,’” says the forlorn caveman. “Why,” a second character replied. “My Lord was hanged o...

DEAR ABBY: I have a grown daughter who is most likely an alcoholic. I am not a doctor, so I really don’t know. We live in different cities. A few years ago, she was sitting on the sidewalk outside her...

Across the United States - and even abroad - people have gathered for what are being called “No Kings” rallies. Locally, many have asked a fair question: What’s the big deal? We haven’t had a king sin...

• Local merchants planned a community meeting to discuss what they believed were unfair freight rates charged to Okmulgee shippers. The Chamber of Commerce urged wholesalers, oil men, and others affec...

Sometime back we decided to switch our church sanctuary around. Instead of facing the narrow end of the room, we moved the seating to face the wide part of the chamber. An area of concern arose when w...

• The Hale‑Halsell Wholesale Grocery Company broadened its operations by purchasing the Whitbeck‑Dale Wholesale Grocery Company in Okmulgee, taking over a well‑run local house that had become an impor...

DEAR ABBY: My sister- in-law “Nancy” and my wife have a strained relationship, but they love each other and talk often. Every so often, Nancy becomes abusive with my wife. The ire stems from a messy d...

There is no question that artificial intelligence (AI) is helping improve many areas of our lives. Researchers use it to analyze medical data, businesses rely on it to streamline logistics and operati...

My chem-engineer friend Chuck faced seasons of unemployment in his career along the way. Chuck and his wife were raising a family. The car needed gas. The fridge needed food. The utilities needed paid...

Words are everywhere we live - not just in books and worksheets. Children see words on street and building signs, food, clothing, toy labels and television. But learning to read words does not define ...

DEAR ABBY: Seven months ago, my son filed for divorce from his wife of 22 years. Three months ago, he introduced us to “Carlene.” Abby, the woman has five children with three different men and is curr...

DEAR ABBY: A former boyfriend, “Ray,” is an alcoholic. He has been through rehab twice, but it didn’t do any good. He won’t stop. He keeps saying we’ll work it out. I don’t understand why Ray can’t ge...

The old adage about knowing being half the battle is very true when it comes to policy advocacy. I am thankful for the partner organizations with which the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA)...