Adventures with Allie

My two-month-old son had a doctors appointment last week. As we were walking out of the house I checked the mailbox and let out a delighted shriek the moment I opened it.

Adventures with Allie

There is nothing quite like high school sports in the fall. The Friday night lights, the sound of the marching band, the smell of concession stand popcorn drifting across the field.

The Value of Grants in Small Town Government

In a small town, every dollar counts. One of the most effective ways to stretch our local budget is by applying for grants that bring in outside revenue.Grants are not free money. They require effort, paperwork, and often matching funds.

Preparing Landscape Trees for Winter

Home Grown Oklahoma winters can be very unpredictable, and a dry winter can leave trees stressed and struggling the following spring.

Civility Versus Hostility

For the Children One of my goals with the “For the Children” weekly column is to keep people aware of issues involving child advocacy and policy updates so individuals and organizations can champion solutions to problems faced by youth.To me, it feels like many areas of conversation are growing...

Rest, Reflections, and Farewells

For the Children I hope your Labor Day weekend was full of relaxation. I schedule a vacation each year with friends to get away over this holiday which allows me to “charge up the batteries” for upcoming work.

President Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Puts Oklahoma Agriculture First

Asalifelongcow-calfrancher,Iknowfirsthand the difficulties our farmers and ranchers face every day. Burdensome regulations, disease, recent natural disasters, and growing costs are just some of the challenges posed to farmers across the country.

Adventures with Allie

ofIt started with bean soup.A young woman on TikTok shared a simple video of herself making bean soup in her kitchen. Nothing dramatic, nothing controversial — just beans, broth and seasoning simmering in a pot. But her comment section erupted into outrage.

One Test to Rule Them All? No thanks

State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ recently announced that end-of-theyear state testing for math and English in grades three through eight may no longer be required. I’m not always on board with Walters’ ideas, plans, or conspiracies.

Lawmakers Study Critical Children’s Issues

For the Children Interim study season at the Oklahoma State Capitol is kicking off this week, and the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is not only monitoring several, but we are engaging with authors for some of these reviews.