Tis the season for giving and this time of year lots of people give cookies! Cookies were originally called “little cakes.” Cooks used to test their ovens for cakes they were baking. They would drop a...

My best friend Roger and I were wanna-bes. We were raised in Southern California, not a real wilderness type place, but the novels we read and the movies we watched were mostly about frontiersmen. Tha...

DEAR ABBY: My wife is a very attractive 56. For years she has wanted Botox treatments. Recently, it has become more serious because she feels she looks like a grandmother. I (and others) continue to t...

Wildfire season, that is Ah the holiday season! This time of year brings with it thoughts of family, friends, gifts ... and wildfires. Yes, wildfires. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m using this...

Extending circles of friendships for newly arrived students from abroad proves priceless in time. The practice, when stewarded well, often translates into treasured relationships. It’s been noted that...

Okmulgee Public Schools’ band programs presented their annual Christmas concert at Brock Gym. The bands included the Middle School Beginning Band, Middle School Band and High School Band. Each played ...

DEAR ABBY: I’m 22 and have been dating a 55-year-old man I’ll call “Gerald” for a year now. Because of the difference in our ages, I have been trying to find things for us to do together so our relati...

Part 3 of 3 Over the past two weeks, I have written about how some states are easing child labor laws, leading to young people working too long and too many hours during the year when they should be i...

We have officially moved into December and I am now in full on holiday baking mode. For the last several years, I have broken my holiday baking into 4 weeks instead of cramming it all into 4 days. I j...

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I were excited to go on an $11,000 Caribbean cruise. His 22-yearold son was not that enthusiastic. We invited him to join us for dinner, shows or to play games, but the maj...

The Okmulgee Main Street Promotions Committee held a Family Downtown Weekend featuring breakfast with Santa, a free movie at the Orpheum, downtown caroling and Okmulgee’s Festival of Lights Christmas ...

As a boy growing up, there were many things I hoped for, especially around Christmas. I Love Lucy was a favorite TV program at the time. Following the family of Lucy, Desi, and children was an excitin...

We know of people who opt to change their proper name. Visiting the United Kingdom, I am sometimes tempted to tweak my surname. Hardly any of our British friends would think it a compliment being call...

Part 2 of 3 In last week’s column, I wrote about a recent study commissioned by state Rep. Judd Strom and Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn. They examined what other states are considering in extending...

Randy and Diana, co-owners of Triple Nichols Rally, continued their annual gift-giving program to CASA Safe House. The Nicholls raised gifts by staging their 3rd Annual Ride for Hunts Motorcycle event...

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, “Rick,” and I broke up 10 years ago and reunited two years ago. I’m in good health, own my own home, and am financially independent. Rick is nine years older. He owns his own ...

December 1st is National Pie Day. Pie as in the round crusty dessert, not the irrational number which is spelled pi. Pie by definition is a baked dish at least topped with and sometimes also surrounde...

To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever.* It might be argued that Charlie Spear’s all-timeever favorite term is the word ‘Abundant’. “Hey Charlie, how’s it goi...

Students from the Digital Media class at Green Country Technology Center collected over 300 non-perishable food items for the Salvation Army. The students were all members of Business Professionals of...

Living in rural America should never hinder the outcome of your health and well-being. However, for many individuals in rural Oklahoma and Tribal communities, access to reliable highspeed internet is ...