Tim Long discovered his love for painting at an early age.
“I was encouraged by my parents, teachers and classmates,” says Long. “Around third grade, I realized I was pretty good at art and knew it was something I wanted to do. I checked out a book from the school library called Indian Values: Past and Present by Lu Celia Wise, and the paintings I saw in it were amazing. My drawings quickly started emulating the Bacone School artists I saw in this book.”
Fast forward a few years and Long needed a Father’s Day present. Little did he know this one necessity would cement his passion.
“My mom suggested I make something for him,” Long says. “I made a painting based on a George Catlin piece in the Bacone style using model airplane paints. As soon as I was done with that piece, I knew I was a painter – and that painting and art would be part of my life until the day I die.”
Long says he continued to paint through high school and college but slowed down as he got older and started working.
“Towards the end of 2019, I found myself with some extra time, and my wife encouraged me to start painting again. It didn’t take too long to get into the swing of things and I now make sure to make time for painting.”
Long says his biggest inspirations are found right here in Oklahoma.
Tim Long creates works inspired by Oklahoma – with subject matter ranging from his own family history to Native American culture. Photos and art courtesy Tim Long
“The people, cultures and landscapes are diverse – and I feel like inspiration is all around,” he says. “Having been inspired by many Native American artists and growing up in a state with 39 sovereign nations, I draw a lot of inspiration from Native American culture and art.”
However, in the last couple of years, Long has been using old, black and white photos from his family as references for his art.
“It allows me to use history as a lens and subject matter for my art and connect with my past,” Long says. “Obviously, the viewer won’t know my family history or stories behind the reference photos but I’m pretty certain they’ve seen old photos of their own families with men in cowboy hats and overalls, ladies on horses, or guys standing around after a Sunday dinner, and can relate or make up their own stories.”
Long says he likes to take a modern approach with his art even though the subject matter is mainly from the past.
“My degree is in history,” Long says. “I’ve looked through that lens in my approach to art. I like to create work that is not quite finished and leave the viewer with the ability to fill in the blanks or finish the story of that piece.”
His work is ever-expanding and in the future, he would like to do a series of paintings on Oklahoma musicians, past and present.
“There are so many musicians and influencers who come from this state, and people hear them every day and don’t know they are from Oklahoma,” he says. “I would like to shine a little light on them.”
Oklahoma, he says, has all the inspiration he needs as an artist.
The Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, alongside running the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, works to eradicate issues targeting women, including domestic violence and human trafficking. Photos courtesy OCSW
Created as a state commission in 1994, the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women (OCSW) is committed to improving the lives of Oklahoma women and girls.
“The Commission is the official voice for women at the state capitol, serving in an advisory capacity to the governor, legislature and state agencies on quality of life and economic opportunity issues,” says Brenda Jones Barwick, founder of Jones PR and the OCSW chair through 2025.
Barwick says that most of OCSW’s accomplishments are realized by raising awareness of challenges women face, and then fulfilled through legislation and creation of non-profits that provide specific services for women.
For example, in conjunction with certified partners, OCSW has worked to explain the types of human trafficking prevalent in Oklahoma, and to assist with highlighting barriers to data collection. As well, OCSW has called attention to the resources Oklahoma needs to rehabilitate human trafficking survivors.
“The areas where the Commission has had the most success include raising the alarm on human trafficking ten years ago,” Barwick says. “Today, there are at least six organizations providing services to survivors.”
Oklahoma remains the state with the highest female incarceration rates. However, OCSW has purposed to reduce the rate of non-violent, low-risk women offenders, while enhancing public safety. Barwick says OCSW has “reduced the incarcerated population of women from No. 1 in the world” through a public agenda action plan.
Photos courtesy OCSW
OCSW has also worked to make some domestic violence-related crimes felonies. And through a non-partisan statewide initiative – designed to assist Oklahoma women who are interested in reaching political parity through government appointments – OCSW identifies, recommends and encourages women to apply for appointments to statewide agency boards and commissions.
“OCSW conducted community conversations statewide, encouraging women to be counted in the 2020 census,” says Barwick. “Most recently, OCSW hosted a summit that resulted in legislation to help women gain access to affordable childcare.”
Barwick says the OCSW biennial Solutions, Initiatives, Strategies (SIS) Summit is the most important programming conducted by the Commission. “It brings together the top subject matter experts on one specific topic that is most concerning to women at that particular moment in time,” says Barwick. “Following the summit, a report to the governor and the legislature is provided on policy and legislation recommendations to address the specific issue that is a barrier to women pursuing quality of life and economic opportunities. OCSW has hosted SIS summits on healthcare, mental health, domestic violence, childcare services, obesity, incarceration, and human trafficking.”
The Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame
Established in 1982 by Governor George Nigh and sponsored by OCSW, the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame honors Oklahoma women who align with the OCSW’s mission to “improve the quality of life for women, children and families in Oklahoma.” Inductees are often pioneers in their fields, and have made significant contributions to Oklahoma while serving as role models to others.
The 2024 HOF class includes Nancy Anthony, Marilyn Maurer Hugon, Edie Roodman, Jane Semple Umsted, Crystal Stovall and Molly Wehrenberg. They were inducted in late September.
“The inductees are selected among nominations submitted by the public by a committee that comprises notable women who lead businesses, leadership organizations, and former inductees,” says Barwick.
Jacob Fincham-Dukes, a long-jump athlete from England, graduated from Oklahoma State University. Photos courtesy Jacob Fincham-Dukes
Coming off a stellar performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, OSU alum Jacob Fincham-Dukes of Harrogate, England, is still relishing in a dream come true. He represented his country in the long jump and placed in the top five.
“It has been something that I’ve been dreaming about for almost the last decade,” Fincham-Dukes says. “The energy was other-worldly. The village environment is cool, but nothing beats stepping out into that stadium, hearing [and] feeling the energy of 80,000 people. I’ll never forget it.”
Fincham-Dukes missed going to the 2021 Summer Olympics due to an injury that kept him out for 11 months.
“I knew after missing that Olympics I needed to be in Paris, and nothing was going to stop me,” he says. “I outperformed my world ranking; I came in ranked 20th and finished fifth, so I’ll be forever pleased at how well I represented myself.”
Fincham-Dukes attended OSU from 2015-2022, earning three undergraduate degrees in sports management, marketing and entrepreneurship, followed by a master’s in business administration.
The athlete says the road that led him to OSU from the UK was simple.
“Coach Z [Zivile Pukstas] recruited me for track and field,” he says. “She found me at a competition in the UK [and] gave me the prospectus. I spoke with her again at the world junior championships back in 2014. I visited campus in, I believe, February of 2015 and the rest is history.”
During college, he mainly competed in the long jump but was also on the 4×100 meter relay for a few seasons.
“I think my favorite accomplishments would be the four All-American awards I received,” he says. “And winning the indoor Big 12 title as a team my freshman year is something I’ll never forget – we won by a point and a half.”
Now in Dallas, Fincham-Dukes trains while working full-time in quality assurance for ISN.
“I thought I would’ve struggled with that balance more than I did when I started working, but I just do it side by side,” he says. “Mondays and Thursdays I’m up at 5 a.m. and head to the gym, go to work then work out again after work. Tuesdays and Fridays, [I’m] up at 6, work, then head to work out again.”
Fincham-Dukes’ road to the Olympics included earning a place as a top 32 long jump athlete in the world.
“I spent the season building up my results,” he says. “I also placed fourth at the European Championships this year and that boosted my rankings further.”
Then he won the British National Championships – cementing his place in Paris.
After the Olympics, Fincham-Dukes didn’t slow down. He continued training a few more weeks to compete at the Zurich Diamond League in September and now plans to take time to “completely relax” before getting ready for next season.
Outside of track and field, Fincham-Dukes enjoys spending time with his wife, Kylie, finding good places to eat, playing video games and hanging out with friends. His favorite place to grab food in Stillwater is Chicos on Perkins — and he’s also a fan of Eischen’s Bar in Okarche.
“Really, I just do anything to completely switch my mind off,” he says. “I spend the week working as well as training seven or eight times a week, so when I relax, I need to relax hard and just switch off.”
As 2024 draws to a close, it’s crucial for individuals to make financial preparations to put themselves in the best position heading into the new year. Here are some tips to help jumpstart your taxes.
Analyze and Assess
Start by reviewing your budget and expenditures. Analyze where you spent more or less than anticipated and adjust your budget for the upcoming year. This review can help identify areas where you might save more or reallocate funds to meet new financial goals.
Assess your contributions to retirement accounts such as 401(k)s, traditional IRAs, and/or Roth IRAs. For 2024, you have until the tax filing deadline in April 2025 to make contributions to an IRA for the current tax year. Increasing your contributions enhances your retirement savings and may provide tax benefits.
“I recommend contributing to and funding one’s retirement accounts to the maximum annual amount,” says David Karimian, financial advisor at Prime Wealth Management – Ameriprise Financial in Tulsa. “Different retirement accounts have different deadlines, so know the deadline for your account and contribute the maximum as soon as possible.”
Another habit to get into is reflecting on your financial goals for the upcoming year. Whether you’re saving for a major purchase, building an emergency fund or reducing debt, having clear goals will guide your future financial decisions and budgeting.
Tax Preparations
Gather and review your income records and deductible expenses. This includes W-2s, 1099s and receipts for deductible expenses like medical costs, mortgage interest and student loan interest. Understanding what deductions you can claim and ensuring you have proper documentation is critical for accurate tax filing.
If you have flexible spending accounts (FSAs) or health savings accounts (HSAs), use these funds before the end of the year, especially if they are subject to “use-it-or-lose-it” rules. Also, review any carryover provisions for FSAs, if applicable, and make sure you’re getting the most out of your accounts.
“Contributions for HSAs, for example, go into the account pre-taxed and [can be used] tax free,” Karimian says. “It’s also possible to invest [HSA contributions] and the growth of those investments are tax free. An HSA is one of the best accounts that one can have and people should be making sure that they take advantage of that.”
Additionally, make sure to evaluate your tax withholding(s) for the year. If you find that you owe a significant amount of taxes, or alternatively, if you’re getting a large refund, it may be wise to adjust your withholding to better match your tax liability and avoid surprises next year.
Impact of Charitable Giving on Taxes
Contributions to qualified charitable organizations that are made by Dec. 31st may be deductible from your taxable income for the year. Keep accurate records, obtain receipts for all donations and ensure they are in good condition. If you’re over 70 ½, consider making a Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) from your IRA. This can directly satisfy your required minimum distributions (RMDs) and exclude the distribution from taxable income, which could reduce your overall tax liability.
“People over age 70 ½ are typically taking money out of their retirement account(s) for various reasons,” Karimian says. “One reason could be they need the money to live on, others may make withdrawals for tax advantages, or, if they’re subject to required minimum distributions, those dollars could be donated to a charity and become non-taxable to the investor and the charity, and do count toward the minimum distribution.”
Resources for Financial Planning
It’s a great idea to consult with a certified financial planner or advisor who can provide personalized advice based on your individual financial situation.
“The tax firm or certified public account that prepares one’s taxes typically has a worksheet that goes through any examples that have taxable implications,” Karimian says. “As you go through that worksheet, you’re checking off the things that apply to your situation.”
If you file your own tax returns, utilizing tax preparation software can streamline the process. Websites like the IRS.gov, financial news outlets and personal finance blogs often provide valuable insights, as well.
Oklahoma Swing, a Western swing eight-piece, is set to play at the Pawhuska Western Swing Festival on Nov. 15-16.
Photos courtesy Greg Burgess
Although it’s been well over a half-century now, Edmond’s Greg Burgess still remembers with crystal clarity the first time he ever heard a Bob Wills song.
“We were horse people, and me and my dad were going to feed horses one day when ‘Roly Poly’ came on the radio,” he recalls. “I’d never heard that style of music before. I didn’t even play music then. But it immediately touched my soul, you know? It just reached out and grabbed hold of me and I thought, ‘Man, I love that.’”
That style of music, he would come to find out, was known as Western swing, the danceable musical amalgam honed and nationally popularized in the 1930s by Wills – a Texas expatriate working out of Tulsa – and his Texas Playboys band. As things turned out, the love Burgess had for it never faded, leading him to take fiddle lessons from Oklahoma Western-swing giant “Famous Amos” Hedrick, among others, and ultimately to a 40-year career as a professional fiddler and guitarist. For half that time, he was a member of the late musical innovator Byron Berline’s band, based out of Guthrie.
Although Berline’s group was known primarily as a bluegrass outfit, its members – including Berline himself – could swing with the best of them. They even did a terrific all-Western-swing CD, 2014’s Swingin’.
And right here may be a good place to briefly note the similarities and differences between bluegrass and Western swing. While both are predominantly played by stringed instruments, Western swing is a dance music, arising out of the ranches and, later, the honky-tonks of the American Southwest. Bluegrass music’s origins, on the other hand, blended folk tunes with gospel. Coming out of the South’s Appalachian Mountains, it continues to have more to do with playing and listening than it does with dancing. Musicians proficient in both styles, like Burgess, have many other ideas about how the genres differ. He believes, for instance, that “bluegrass is as far from Western swing as jazz is from Western swing – totally different. Western swing is more laid back, more about phrasing and timing.”
For many years, Burgess and Western-swing-savvy bandmates like bassist Richard Sharp and drummer Steve Short transitioned easily between swing and bluegrass, working steadily with Berline’s group. After their bandleader’s 2021 death, those three and other Berline band members continued playing together, predominantly bluegrass gigs.
Then, says Burgess, he was contacted by a musician named John Blair. Blair was the son of still another great Oklahoma Western-swing figure, Ramona Reed, the former Bob Wills vocalist who had passed away in the summer of 2022. Soon afterwards, members of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame contacted her family about honoring her at their next induction ceremony.
“John reached out to me because I’d played at Ramona’s memorial service,” remembers Burgess. “He asked if I would help him put together a swing band that could do a little tribute to his mom at the induction. So I did, and when we got through playing that, we realized how much fun we’d had, and how much we loved playing Western swing. So we said, ‘Well, let’s just keep the band together and see if we can play some.’ None of us were really interested in how much money we might make; we just wanted to play good music and have fun.”
In addition to Sharp and Short, Burgess also recruited Blair, a vocalist and fiddler, and another performer with the same skill set, Wetumka’s Bo Posey; well-known Oklahoma guitarist Joe Settlemires, one of a vanishing number of musicians left on the planet who actually played with Bob Wills; Claremore-based steel-guitarist Bobby Baker, another veteran player with vast and impressive Western-swing credentials; and mandolinist Henry Byron Burgess, Greg’s 17-year-old son. (Yes, his middle name is a tribute to Greg’s former bandleader.)
“We’re an eight-piece band,” Greg Burgess says. “John Blair lives in Virginia, so he’s not with us all the time, but his kids go to OSU and he’s hoping to move to Stillwater. Then he’d be with the band more. And Henry actually works for Rick Faris, a Grammy-nominated bluegrass guy out of Kentucky. He plays with us every chance he can.
“Joe Settlemires and Bobby Baker – those guys are just great players,” he adds. “And Steve and Richard are just amazing. Richard is probably the best swing-bass player around, and of course Steve’s played with everybody, from Reba McEntire to Leon McAuliffe. Joe plays that old-style rhythm, like [Western-swing great] Benny Garcia, so when you get Joe and Richard and Steve, that rhythm section, together – oh, my gosh, it’s just incredible.”
Just out of the starting blocks, Oklahoma Swing landed a regular gig at the Guthrie Depot, where they’ve since been playing dances to steadily increasing crowds. “It’s a wonderful ballroom,” says Burgess, “and the people at the Depot, Adam and Abigail Ropp, have been gracious enough to let us call that place home.
“When we decided to do this, we said, ‘Well, we’re going to play swing.’ And that’s what we do. I’ve had people come up and make requests, and I’ll say, ‘Well, we can play that, but I made a vow to everybody in the band we weren’t going to play shuffles [or other non-swing styles]. We were going to play Western-swing music.’ So that’s what we do, and now we’re starting to get some traction, and people are starting to take notice, and we’ve got a new album out.”
The band also has an appearance scheduled for Nov. 16 as a headliner at the Pawhuska Western Swing Festival. The event, which also features the Brazos Valley Boys, includes a fiddle contest that, Burgess hopes, will offer a competition for younger players as well as an open division.
“We want to get the kids over there and kind of introduce them to Western swing,” he explains. “A good way to preserve and promote that music is to get younger people involved. So we’re trying to re-introduce it to the people who knew the music when they were younger – maybe their parents listened to it – and then to try to introduce it to younger people. We have family-friendly dances, so people under 15 are free to get in. And we do get some parents bringing their kids.”
But whether an audience member is a preteen or an octogenarian, the mission of Oklahoma Swing’s members remains the same: to share this classic feel-good music once again with as many people as they can.
“We played a barbecue and dance at a retirement community here in Edmond, and I watched the people making their way up to the buffet line,” says Burgess. “When we started playing, they perked up, and they were listening, and by the time they got their food and headed for their tables, they were dancing. And then, some of ‘em started singing. I had a lady come up to me and say, ‘I haven’t heard this music since I was a kid. But I know the words to every song.’ They were all just so happy.
“Western-swing music took this country, especially Oklahoma and Texas, through a lot of hard times,’ he concludes. “And, you know, it still has the power to create those good feelings.”
The new Oklahoma Swing CD, Somewhere North of San Antone, is available on internet streaming services and in a hard-copy format. More information on the band and the disc is available atoklahomaswing.com. For details on the Pawhuska Western Swing Festival, set for Nov. 15-16, see pawhuskawesternswingfestival.com.
Port of St John's; photo by Gina Michalopulos Kingsley
If you’re looking for variety on a Caribbean island, Antigua is the place for you. Also called Antigua and Barbuda, this charming island cluster is full of surprises.
The colorful port entrance immediately charms and ingratiates you. This travel writer was welcomed by jovial boat operators dancing and posing atop their boat for the camera. The barracks style buildings remind you of a bygone era when Antigua was first established. The skyline is defined by the St. John’s Cathedral and its Baroque towers. A historic site is Nelson’s Dockyard, an original maritime hub located in the English Harbor. It also serves as a yachting hub now.
Touring around the island, the wilderness leaves a strong impression. A distinguishing feature from other Leeward Islands is the absence of forests, mountains, rivers and springs. There’s a rustic beauty and a vast expanse of sea.
Port of St John’s; photo by Gina Michalopulos KingsleyShirley Heights, Antigua view; photo stockA child on her way to school; photo by Gina Michalopulos KingsleySaint John’s Cathedral; photo by Gina Michalopulos Kingsley
Swimming with the stingrays is a specific excursion to enjoy in Antigua and is a major part of the island’s tourism business. Sailing out to the stingrays is a breathtaking way to appreciate Antigua’s beauty. The stunning water and horizon is relaxing and intoxicating as a pontoon boat ferries you to the stingray area. Guides give directions on how to interact with the stingrays and pose for pictures. The experience is both communal and thrilling. You’ll feel like a kid again engaging with the sea creatures, until the end of the excursion, which includes a drink of rum, of course! What is more Caribbean than that? Other popular activities include deep sea fishing, golfing, snorkeling and sea kayaking.
Driving around the terrain of banana and sugarcane crops, you’ll also see the whimsical art of Antiguans. For example, a fence made out of car parts is both quirky and creative. Murals and graffiti decorate the neighborhoods and landscape. The homes are as eclectic and vibrant as the people.
There’s a large mangrove ecosystem comprising much of the terrain. Acres of wilderness make it seem astounding that the Cricket World Cup was held in Antigua in 2007. Another impressive detail is that there are 365 beaches; one for every day of the year.
The sister island, Barbuda, has its own unique features – and it reportedly houses Princess Diana’s favorite Caribbean beach. Also called “the coral island,” Barbuda boasts a beach with pink sand, which is created by the combination of crushed coral blending with sand. Bird watchers should know that Barbuda is also home to the largest nesting Frigate bird colony in the western hemisphere.
As for the cultural highlights, a stroll through the city center exposes you to the friendly townspeople and their daily lives. People gather at the spice and craft market or shop at the fruit vendors. The street scene is stimulating as you watch the activities of the locals. From school children in uniforms to men in rasta turbans, the array is both welcoming and diverse. Gazing at the architecture of St. John’s Cathedral is a must. Poised on a steep street, it’s a stunning visual. Heritage Quay Shopping is the district for finding local crafts, duty-free shops and souvenirs.
Trying the cuisine is also recommended. West Indian, French and West African influences offer an infusion of flavors. Some specialties to try are the Dukuna dumpling, chicken stew, and vegetables cooked in a spicy Creole sauce. Luxuriate in the resorts while immersing in the culture.
One draw in Altus is the Museum of the Western Prairie, which explores the history of the area. Photos courtesy the Museum of the Western Prairie
Never mind that Altus, population an estimated 18,000, is somewhat isolated in Oklahoma’s southwest corner. And never mind that the city is surrounded by some of the most unusual, albeit hauntingly beautiful, landscape this state can offer. Local leaders attest, with ample evidence, that the quality of life in Altus, the county seat of Jackson County, is better than good – not only for its residents, but for tourists attracted to the Jackson County seat by a smorgasbord of activities throughout the year.
Most events are sponsored by the Altus Chamber of Commerce, Altus Main Street or the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Western Oklahoma State College offers its own slate of attractions, and the Museum of the Western Prairie traces the area’s history. Nearby, the State of Oklahoma’s Quartz Mountain State Park beckons with outdoor recreation and scenery.
Altus Parks and Recreation director Michael Shive says his department’s charge is to enhance life’s richness for residents, while increasing tourism.
“We’re tasked with bringing a better quality of life” to Altus, he says. With an array of offerings nearly every weekend, “people can stay here and enjoy quality events and not have to travel.”
One draw in Altus is the Museum of the Western Prairie, which explores the history of the area. Photos courtesy the Museum of the Western Prairie
Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jenny Groves put it another way.
People, she says, “usually move here kicking and screaming because they think there’s nothing to do here – but they leave kicking and screaming because there’s something to do all the time.”
Altus is the home of Altus Air Force Base, one of four major military installations in Oklahoma. Established in 1943 as Altus Army Airfield, with a mission of training young pilots, the base has become the United States Air Force’s premier air mobility training location, home to the Air Force’s 97th Air Mobility Wing. According to its website, more than 2,000 U.S. and foreign students are trained at Altus AFB annually.
Major events scheduled in town this fall, Groves says, include the Altus Balloon Festival Nov. 9-10 at the city’s Hangar 36 at the Quartz Mountain Regional Airport, and the Chamber’s annual Christmas Parade, set for Dec. 14. Groves mentions that the parade will include between 60 and 75 floats, with participants joining the parade from all over southwest Oklahoma.
A major event scheduled for April 12-13 of next year is the Altus Air Power Stampede.
“That’s one that everyone looks forward to,” Groves says. “People will line the streets to watch it.”
The giant air show is held every three or four years and draws thousands to the Altus AFB.
Shive says the city recently completed renovation of its aquatic center, and that the downtown Altus Reservoir with its fishing pier and swim beach draws visitors each year. Lynna Wilmes, executive director of Altus Main Street, says the city’s downtown was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 as part of an effort to refurbish the historic Orient Hotel for senior residents.
“Most of our downtown is over one-hundred years old,” she says.
A few miles north of the city, Quartz Mountain State Park cradles the shores of Lake Altus-Lugert, and offers an array of outdoor activities. Since the 1970s, the park has been home to the Oklahoma Arts Institute’s summer and fall arts programming with a stone amphitheater built for outdoor performances.
Stacy McNeiland, Shelby Lynch, Camden Ottaviani, Aaliyah Shearer, Savannah Jones; United Way kickoff event, The CARE Center, OKC
Heather Turner, Bo Beaudry, Bishop David Konderla, Yogesh Mittal M.D.; Ribbon cutting for new Jenks facility, Ascension St. John Health System, TulsaHastings Siegfried, Patsy & Tim Hepner M.D., Maggie & Dustin Cates, Alecia & Terrell Siegfried; Ascension St. John Street Party, Ascension St. John Health System, TulsaBill & Tracy Schloss, Melissa Cox, Monica & Jason Collington; Ascension St. John Street Party, Ascension St. John Health System, TulsaGayle Singleton, Jalen Williams, LaTreshia Roebuck; Champions of Health Gala, BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma, TulsaStacy McNeiland, Shelby Lynch, Camden Ottaviani, Aaliyah Shearer, Savannah Jones; United Way kickoff event, The CARE Center, OKCTaryn Norman, Tami Benson, Katie Knoll; DIVAS 4 HOPE: DIVAS Got Soul, H.O.P.E. Testing, TulsaJulie Zumwalt, Miki Farris, Ginger Shaw, Cindi Rapp; 40th anniversary celebration, Infant Crisis Services, OKCLorae & Cole Davis, Lindsey & Matthew Bristow, Sarah Steele; Cooking for a Cause, Iron Gate, TulsaEdie Roodman, Eli Reshef, Erin & Jason Engelke; Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, OKCSuzanne Reese, Eleanor Payne, Sam Combs, Leigh Goodson; TCC Vision Dinner, Tulsa Community CollegeKathy West, Sanjay Gupta M.D., Bob West; Sanjay Gupta speaking event, Tulsa Town HallAmy Welch, Brynna Wagester; Donor and volunteer appreciation event, YWCA OKCMike Neal, Mayor GT Bynum, Sen. Kevin Matthews; TCC Vision Dinner, Tulsa Community College
Historian and author H. W. Brands will be honored Dec. 5-6 with the illustrious Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. Photos courtesy the Tulsa City-County Library
The study of history is a quest for understanding what it means to be human, according to renowned historian H. W. Brands.
For nearly 40 years, the New York Times bestselling author and University of Texas at Austin professor has engaged and enlightened scores of students and readers about America’s past with his rich explorations of human nature and the challenges of human existence in his thought-provoking lectures and books.
“There are few human challenges more universal than dealing with the death of a loved one,” wrote Brands for a June 12, 2024, post on A User’s Guide to History for substack.com. “Those of us who are spared this trial are those who themselves die early, becoming the object of grief rather than the subject. Long life is judged a blessing, and so it is. But one of its drawbacks is the greater grief it exposes us to.”
In his poignant post, titled “The wounds that never heal,” Brands explores the universal anguish of a parent losing a child by recounting the heartbreaking story of Congressman Henry Clay through a letter he wrote to his wife in December 1835 about the death of their daughter.
Brands often uses excerpts from diaries, journals and letters to bring the voices of the past to life.
“I try to put my readers inside the heads of my subjects. That’s what makes a good story, whether fiction or nonfiction,” says Brands, who will be in Tulsa Dec. 5-6 to receive the 2024 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, given by the Tulsa City-County Library and Tulsa Library Trust.
Since 1988, the prolific author has written nearly 40 books on U.S. history, economics and foreign affairs, including The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin and Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which both were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. His most recent works are Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics (2023) and America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War (2024).
Brands’ in-depth knowledge of American history is almost seamless. He has written on a plethora of historical figures and subjects, ranging from Andrew Jackson to Ronald Reagan, the California Gold Rush to the Cold War.
“There are lots of stories I’d like to tell,” says the writer, who always has a work in progress.
When asked how he finds the time to both teach and write all those books, Brands says his teaching reinforces his writing and vice versa.
“Because I teach broadly about the subjects I write about specifically, the writing and the teaching are mutually supportive,” he says.
If Brands could go back in time and actually meet one of the many historical figures featured in his books, he said he would pick William Sherman, a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
He was a “brilliant, tormented man who had something interesting to say on most topics,” says Brands.
The 2024 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award Featuring H. W. Brands
The Grand River Dam Authority’s environmental stewardship efforts are central to its overall mission. Photo courtesy GRDA
Doing a World of Good
Besides the obvious contributions of providing employment and bolstering the state’s economic infrastructure, oil and gas companies help improve the quality of life for all Oklahomans with their employee volunteerism and charitable giving.
“The energy industry does a really fantastic job of supporting the communities including Oklahoma City, where our headquarters are,” says a spokesperson for Expand Energy. “We believe that giving back strengthens the areas that we call home.”
Expand Energy was created by the Oct. 1 merger of Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Southwestern Energy Company and is now the nation’s largest natural gas producer. The company has about 1,000 employees. The headquarters will remain at the longtime Chesapeake campus in Oklahoma City, with another presence of about 420 employees in the Houston area, where Southwestern Energy had been based.
“It’s a very engaged set of employees who have the spirit of innovation,” the spokesperson continues. “Our employees love giving back, it’s the soul and spirit of our company. We are thrilled that we are remaining in Oklahoma.”
An example of its generosity is the community garden space on the company’s Oklahoma City campus, which was donated to the Lynn Institute. The 65-bed garden now hosts programming for youth in the juvenile justice system courtesy the Institute.
Recent gifts from Tulsa-based Williams Companies to the University of Oklahoma will allow OU to grow student support and mentorship programs across the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, the Gallogly College of Engineering and the Price College of Business.
Some $500,000 of the gift will support the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy’s new Sustainable Energy Systems program, which will offer a geoenergy engineering degree with courses in modern sustainable energy.
Williams Companies handles approximately one-third of the natural gas in the United States, which is used every day to heat homes and generate electricity. Photo courtesy Williams Companies
Williams’ $680,000 investment in the Gallogly College will fund mentorship and development programs including the Engineering Catalyst program and the Wayfinding Program, which offer engineering students personalized support and community to help them thrive.
“Our college relies on industry partners like Williams – not just to keep raising the bar on our academic offerings but to connect our students with top professionals during their time with us,” says the dean of the Gallogly College of Engineering, John Klier. “This remarkable gift will expand so many resources for engineering students, offering them critical academic and community support that is sometimes the only thing standing between a student and a decision not to return to school.”
A $320,000 gift to the Price College will support the Dean’s Speaker Series, the JCPenney Leadership Program, the Center for Management Information Systems Studies and other enrichment programs that provide students with connections to established professionals.
“Williams is investing in the workforce of tomorrow through this gift to the University of Oklahoma, a respected leader in curriculum for energy and related emerging technologies,” says Alan Armstrong, Williams’ president and CEO. “Providing students with educational experiences that are aligned with evolving industry needs creates a pipeline of energy innovators who are ready to help the natural gas industry lead the charge in the clean-energy future.”
A Major Player
Formed in 1902, Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) is Oklahoma’s oldest and largest investor-owned electric utility. Photo courtesy OG&E
Oklahoma is a key player in the oil and gas industry.
In 2023, Oklahoma was the nation’s sixth-largest producer of marketed natural gas. Overall, the state produces almost three times more energy than it consumes, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Oklahoma’s 5 crude oil refineries had a combined processing capacity of about 547,000 barrels per calendar day in 2023, which is about 3% of the U.S. total refining capacity, the EIA reports. The benchmark price in the domestic spot market for the U.S. crude oil known as West Texas Intermediate is set at Cushing, which is home to about 14% of the nation’s commercial crude oil storage capacity.
Oklahoma has more than 6% of the nation’s total proved natural gas reserves and ranks sixth after Texas, Pennsylvania, Alaska, West Virginia and Louisiana.
“The industry is very important for the nation. It provides national security,” says a spokesperson for Expand Energy. “The U.S. produces probably the cleanest energy in the world. It is very important for us to have energy produced from America, and we are an energy-friendly state.”
Expand Energy is the largest supplier of natural gas to Gulf Coast liquefaction facilities, with production in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Ohio and West Virginia. The company is becoming more focused on liquid natural gas, which will take its gas globally, the spokesperson says.
“In a world short on energy, billions of people lack access to affordable, reliable, lower carbon energy, which is crucial to human flourishing,” says Expand’s website. “Addressing this crisis is one of today’s greatest global challenges, and we believe natural gas is the best-positioned solution to answer that call. By safely and responsibly delivering critical energy to markets in need, Expand Energy will help address one of the great threats to human prosperity.”
The discovery of oil transformed Oklahoma’s economy. By the time Oklahoma became a state in 1907, it was the largest crude oil producer in the nation, according to the EIA. Important oil and gas conservation practices and organizations trace their origins to the state. In 1935, the voluntary Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, headquartered in Oklahoma City, was created to ensure responsible development of crude oil resources through the coordinated efforts of crude oil-producing states.
Thinking Green
Natural gas plays an essential role in the transition to a low-carbon economy, according to the Tulsa-based Williams.
“With 116 years of experience serving the world’s growing demand for natural gas, we are well positioned to invest in emerging energy opportunities,” the company’s website says. “Since 2018, expansion projects and acquisitions have increased Williams’ energy throughput by 47%, while our emissions intensity decreased by 26%, indicating a strong ability to gather, treat, process, transport and store natural gas with increasing efficiency as we grow.”
Energy provided by renewables increased by three and a half times between 1981 and 2021, according to Expand Energy. Even with this dramatic increase, renewables still only contribute to 12% of the total energy mix. Historic energy demand increases have quickly outpaced the growth in renewable energy, which is why it is essential that the United States continues producing clean, affordable, and reliable oil and natural gas, according to Expand Energy.
“We embrace a lower carbon future as a safe operator and dedicated community partner. It’s why we’re constantly innovating across all aspects of our business, challenging the status quo and driving solutions to make us stronger and more competitive,” the company’s website says.
The Grand River Dam Authority’s environmental stewardship efforts are central to its overall mission, says Justin Alberty, communications director for the GRDA.
“Since 1940, GRDA has been producing renewable hydroelectricity by harnessing the waters of the Grand River at Pensacola Dam. It expanded that effort in the 1960s with the completion of Robert S. Kerr Dam on the river, which also turns the power of falling water into renewable hydroelectricity,” Alberty says.
In 2017, GRDA completed its Unit 3 combined cycle gas generating unit. The facility was the most efficient 60 hertz power plant in the world when it first went online.
Fueled by clean-burning Oklahoma natural gas, the unit took the place of GRDA’s Unit 1 coal generator, which was decommissioned in 2019. In 2012, GRDA also incorporated wind generation into its diverse electric generation portfolio.
“On the water side, the GRDA Ecosystems and Watershed Management Department was established in 2004 to bring a greater focus to stewardship issues in the Grand River watershed. The department is active in many areas including water quality, habitat enhancement, watershed education and conservation and ongoing environmental related research,” Alberty says.
The department has received numerous awards from state and federal entities for its environmentally focused programs such as its Rush For Brush (habitat enhancement) workshops, Guard the Grand Watershed Education Program, conservation easement programs and community education.
Tulsa-based Public Service Company of Oklahoma is the electric company for more than 575,000 customers in 232 communities across the state. Photo courtesy PSO
Our State’s Electric Utilities
Oklahoma’s electric utilities providers embrace many of the same core values as its gas and energy companies, including environmental stewardship, charitable giving and playing a key role in the state’s economic infrastructure.
The GRDA was created in April 1935 to be a conservation and reclamation district for the waters of the Grand River, says Alberty. Between 1939 and 1940, GRDA constructed Pensacola Dam. The dam, which created Grand Lake, was the first hydroelectric facility in Oklahoma and is still producing renewable hydro power. GRDA provides wholesale electricity to 15 Oklahoma communities, as well as communities in Kansas and Arkansas.
GRDA is Oklahoma’s largest public power electric utility; funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes, Alberty says. Public power utilities are publicly owned and not-for-profit. It has an environmental stewardship mission over the waters of the Grand and Illinois Rivers and manages over 70,000 surface acres of lake waters.
“The availability of low-cost, reliable and abundant electricity, produced by GRDA, is an attractive inducement for business and industry to establish or expand in the area. Also, GRDA’s stewardship role over so much of Oklahoma’s most valuable water assets supports a thriving tourism and recreation industry, and broad tax base, which rests upon these waters,” Alberty says.
Tulsa-based Public Service Company of Oklahoma is the electric company for more than 575,000 customers in 232 communities across the state. PSO has more than 4,300 megawatts of diverse generating capacity that primarily includes wind and natural gas, says Whitney Emerick, director of corporate communications.
In 2023, PSO’s Fuel-Free Power Plan was approved by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. The wind and solar projects will add nearly 1,000 megawatts of new power to PSO’s portfolio and result in lower customer bills starting in mid-2026.
American Electric Power’s Feeding Communities initiative focuses on food and housing security across AEP’s 11-state footprint. As part of that effort, PSO partnered with Tulsa-based Food On The Move and its effort to fight food deserts and the legacy issues created by living without food security. In April, PSO and EPRI donated a high-tech container garden that produces fresh produce for Food On The Move’s Community Food and Resource Festivals. In August, the AEP Foundation donated $100,000 to Food On The Move’s Urban Farm project, which will produce 180,000 pounds of fresh produce a year.
Formed in 1902, Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) is Oklahoma’s oldest and largest investor-owned electric utility.
“We are extremely proud that we have some of the most affordable rates in the country,” the company’s website says.
OG&E serves nearly 900,000 electric customers. It’s the largest ad valorem taxpayer in Oklahoma, contributing $90 million annually, which funds public education, libraries and career techs. Employees also give their time and money to support their communities, the company says.
With about 7,116 megawatts of capacity, OG&E’s generation portfolio represents a balanced approach to generating electricity through a diversity of fuel types – 67% natural gas, 22% coal and 7% renewable energy via solar and wind power.
Photo courtesy Williams Companies
A Spotlight on Oklahoma Energy
ONEOK
Headquartered in Tulsa, ONEOK is a midstream service provider that connects natural gas liquids supply in the Rocky Mountain, Mid-Continent and Permian regions with a network of natural gas gathering, processing, storage and transportation assets.
Founded in 1906 as an intrastate natural gas pipeline business in Oklahoma, ONEOK is a Fortune 500 company and is included in the S&P 500.
It applies core capabilities of gathering, processing, fractionating, transporting, storing and marketing natural gas and natural gas liquids through vertical integration across the midstream value chain. ONEOK continues to invest in organic growth projects to expand in its operating regions and provide a broad range of services to crude oil and natural gas producers and end-use markets.
ONE Gas
ONE Gas is a 100% regulated natural gas utility and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “OGS.” ONE Gas is included in the S&P MidCap 400 Index and provides natural gas distribution to 2.3 million customers in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Headquartered in Tulsa and founded in 2014, its divisions include Kansas Gas Service, Oklahoma Natural Gas and Texas Gas Service.
Its largest natural gas distribution markets by customer count are Oklahoma City and Tulsa; Kansas City, Wichita and Topeka, Kan.; and Austin and El Paso, Texas. ONE Gas serves residential, commercial, industrial, transportation and wholesale customers in all three states.
Continental Resources
Continental Resources is a top ten independent oil producer based in Oklahoma City.
Continental is the largest producer in the Bakken play of North Dakota and Montana and has significant positions in the SCOOP and STACK plays of the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma and the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Permian Basin of Texas.
With a focus on the exploration and production of oil, Continental has technology and resources vital to American energy independence and leadership in the new world oil market.
The company dates to 1967 when Harold Hamm founded Shelly Dean Oil Co., Continental’s predecessor. In 2007, it became a public company via an initial public offering in which Hamm sold $300 million worth of its shares.
Devon Energy
Devon Energy is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company with operations focused onshore in the United States.
Founded in 1971 by John Nichols and his son, Larry, Devon has grown from five people to become a major public company with hundreds of employees.
Devon’s second quarter 2024 daily production was 335,000 barrels of oil, 182,000 barrels of natural gas liquids and more than 1.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Devon is a Fortune 500 company and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Its common shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DVN.
Williams Companies
Williams handles approximately one-third of the natural gas in the United States that is used every day to heat homes and generate electricity. It works with customers to provide the infrastructure to serve growing markets and safely deliver natural gas products to fuel the clean energy economy.
Brothers Miller and David Williams started a construction business in Fort Smith, Ark., in 1908, and within a few years began building cross-country pipelines. In 1918 the business was moved to its current-day headquarters in Tulsa.
In the decades since, Williams has acquired and merged with several other companies to expand its interstate natural gas transportation system and grow its natural gas storage assets. It has paid a quarterly dividend to shareholders without interruption since 1974. Williams common stock (WMB) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
What is Fracking?
Fracking, which is shorthand for hydraulic fracturing, is the process of extracting gas or oil deep underground using a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals to break up rock.
There are downsides to this technique. The drilling maneuver hasn’t resolved the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, for one. Drilling for and transporting gas can lead to the leakage of methane, a greenhouse gas that warms the planet faster than carbon dioxide. Research has also shown that fracking depletes water levels, produces air pollution and generates noise in nearby communities, National Public Radio reports. It’s been linked to drinking water contamination.
Hydraulic fracturing can also trigger minor seismic activity — and the underground disposal of wastewater used in the process has caused larger quakes, according to the U.S. Geological Society.
Those in favor, however, highlight its upsides, according to NPR. It’s allowed oil and gas companies to tap into energy reservoirs that once seemed impossible to develop. The fracking boom has additionally lowered the price of oil and gas around the world, cut U.S. reliance on foreign oil production and brought new jobs.
It’s also helped the U.S. shift away from coal production for power plants and toward natural gas.
