On Saturday, Oct.26, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) partnered with Oklahoma 4-H to present our OK Kid Governor program to 59 students in 4th-6th grade from across the state. Of those...

DEAR ABBY: Our friend “Carrie” revealed to our close friend group that for the last few years she has been having an affair with her best friend “Julia’s” husband. Their kids are best friends, and the...

We at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy want to help parents avoid those who would want to pull Halloween “tricks” on you and your children. Here are some safety tips to help keep your childre...

The Okmulgee County Humane Society (OCHS) has six dogs in foster homes that have been waiting for their forever homes for way too long. When you adopt a dog who has been fostered, you reap so many per...

I thought they were joking, teasing me, and making fun of the fact that I could sleep so peacefully. However, they weren’t. There actually had been a fire in the house across the street from our house...

When young high school graduates - North American or otherwise - set off to distant places for college life abroad, they are not always met with rosy experiences. While many students mark their overse...

DEAR ABBY: Many months ago, a family member’s husband was charged with possession of and distributing more than 10,000 items of child pornography. The police and Department of Homeland Security raided...

First Family Federal Credit Union in Okmulgee notified us that we were receiving a donation in honor of International Credit Union Day. We like to take a dog for donation photo shoots because it is al...

DEAR ABBY: My 98-year-old mother has spent the last eight years in a nursing home. My siblings and I placed her there when her health declined to a point where it was no longer safe for her to live al...

On November 5, the General Election will occur for Americans to decide on the candidates who are seeking office that they would want to represent them for the next term of office. Ranging from Preside...

Although she covers 1.7 million square miles and hosts a vast mix of ethnicities, each individual inhabitant of the Indian Subcontinent is ‘a story being written.’ Through many years since our meeting...

International Credit Union Day is celebrated Oct. 17, and it’s an opportunity to reflect on the vital role they play in fostering financial well-being for individuals and communities alike. This annua...

As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up in Southern California. However, I went to college in Indiana. Just like in high school, we had to take a certain amount of required classes. General science was on...

DEAR ABBY: Recently, my wife and I and several other couples were houseguests in a large home. Among them was a couple who, when introduced, mentioned that the husband was a chiropractor. The followin...

DEAR ABBY: My niece is getting married. We have received a wedding invitation, RSVP and all, but it’s addressed only to my two 11-year-old identical twin daughters. My husband and I are not invited to...

a Robotics Summit. In this competition, five robots participated in a scrimmage of the Aerial Assault game, established for last year’s First Robotics competition. In this scrimmage, robots had to sho...

The season for legislative interim studies is quickly coming to an end. I would like to thank those lawmakers who have dedicated time and effort to ensuring that the studies which the Oklahoma Institu...

From the start, the matchup seemed pre-ordained. Clint and Jackie had hardly been introduced to the Zhirs when the joint family and social functions took off. Punctuated by mealtimes, friendship outin...

Many of us have heard the phrase, “I never promised you a rose garden.” The phrase is intended to express the idea that not everything in life is sweet, beautiful, or floating on air in joyous wonder....

“We are the first line of defense for people to find out what’s going on.” This belief has guided me throughout my career, and it’s one that continues to drive everything we do here at the Okmulgee Ti...