Adventures with Allie

When the great bells of Notre-Dame de Paris rang out this October, their sound carried something different, something tender. For the first time in years, they weren’t marking a mass or memorial, but a wedding. And not just any wedding.

Protect Your Home from House Fires This Winter

CommissionerIt’s finally starting to feel like fall in Oklahoma! Temperatures are coming down (slowly), so that means before too long, we will be turning our heaters on for the first time in months.

SNAP assistance to halt in Oklahoma on Nov. 1 unless shutdown ends

For the Children The federal government entered a shutdown on Oct. 1 when Congress failed to pass the required 12 annual appropriations bills or agree on a short-term funding patch called a continuing resolution. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a part of this.

SNAP Judgment

I have been just privileged enough to not have had most government assistance in my life, so far. Having two, full-time working adults in the household has kept us above benefit assistance level and yet, somehow still below the state’s estimated annual cost of living.

Bank Earnings Beat Expectations, Serving as Bellwether for a Strong Economy

Stock Market Insights at Fervent Wealth Management.I read recently that a young Australian Shepherd dog was missing after a traffic accident, and everyone was to be on the lookout. Though he was a pet, his breed's original job was to herd sheep.

Adventures with Allie

There’s a moment every October in Oklahoma when the morning air finally feels like a promise kept. After months of oppressive, hair-frizzing, energy-sapping heat, the world exhales.

Domestic violence awareness can foster lasting change

October is an important time of the year because it is the month that is designated for raising awareness about domestic violence. It is a time that we are reminded of the critical importance of addressing this stark and sobering problem that impacts far too many Oklahomans.

Shutdown, Healthcare, and Opportunities for Oklahomans

For the Children With the federal government “shutdown” of services continuing, one likely outcome will be that Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, subsidies will end or be reduced.Should this happen, the burden for health insurance coverage will fall to the states to decide.

Gold At Record Highs: Why Investors Are Looking Beyond the Dollar

Stock Market Insights Wealth Management.When the world feels uncertain — inflation high, government debt ballooning, central banks under pressure — investors tend to look beyond the dollar for a safety net. Gold, the age-old hedge, often leads that retreat.

Swings and fences

I grew up in a small town which correlated to a small school. In school we had one playground for grades two through six. The playground was broken into three sections separated by gates and tall chain-link fences like a patchwork of territories.