Switchgrass – a native species throughout Oklahoma – is an apt symbol for the state’s green-energy movement. Just as switchgrass takes hold and multiplies, federal seed money planted years ago has produced cutting-edge technology in the biofuels industry. An example is a mobile generator that converts biomasses – from the ubiquitous switchgrass to everyday yard waste – into electricity. A prototype...
Brad Stumph, proprietor of a unique business in Oklahoma City, has a mantra that fits what he does for budding brewmasters – Here For Beer. In September, Stumph celebrates his third anniversary as founder-owner of Brewers Union, a craft beer incubator that is the first of its kind in the state and just one of a few in the country. “Craft...
Whether it’s moving into a new building, maintaining the school grounds or just nurturing strong student-teacher-parent relationships, the story is the same for two highly ranked Oklahoma charter schools: Success comes from mutual involvement by the entire school community. Charter schools have been part of Oklahoma public education since 1999. Amendments to the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act in 2015 brought...
Agencies across Oklahoma offer warm meals and clean beds to homeless people. A few go beyond the basics with programs that touch the hearts and souls of volunteers and their clients. “People need life-enriching opportunities whether they are housed or not,” says Kinsey Crocker, director of communications for the Oklahoma City Homeless Alliance. About 1,200 people volunteer every year with the...

Pawsitive Support

Pet owners already know that a loving animal can make a bad day better. There are also organizations that foster this type of bond and help people deal with life’s ups and downs. In 2001, special education teacher Terri Smith founded the Human Animal Link of Oklahoma Foundation because she saw that students diagnosed with a variety of emotional disturbances...
In three years, sharp-shooting Trae Young has gone from lighting up the gym at Norman North High School to being one of the National Basketball Association’s best players. The 6-foot-1 point guard, a starter in February’s NBA All-Star Game, has averaged around 30 points and 9 assists per game in his second season with the Atlanta Hawks. That’s up from...
This month marks the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum wants this year’s commemoration to acknowledge the past while looking toward a different future. Nearly everyone living in Oklahoma a quarter-century ago recalls that tragic moment, 9:02 a.m. April 19, when 168 people died. Reverberations from the...
For Tulsa rock ’n’ rollers, the mid-’70s were nothing less than pure gold. Hometown hero Leon Russell was back and firing off projects and ideas and recording sessions from his Church Studio base. The clubs were chock-full of great musicians – some drawn to town by Russell and his entourage, and others who were homegrown, lucky and blessed enough to...
If the thought of staying at home for the foreseeable future is making you a bit antsy, fear not! There are plenty of ways to stay entertained (and even productive) during this time of quarantine. Following are a few ideas to try. Get a workout in Whether you’ve got hundreds of feet to exercise or just a few, there are a...
County health departments, including OKC-County and Tulsa Health Departments, do not offer testing for COVID-19 (coronavirus). Any individual who develops symptoms such as fever, cough, and/or difficulty breathing, and has been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or has recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19 should contact their health care provider...