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Carl's Capitol Comments: Remember why we celebrate
As we approach the Fourth of July holiday, I’m reminded anew of the love I have for the United States of America and the desire I have for all citizens of our great nation to appreciate our country and remain loyal to its cause. The level of...
Grief and resilience
While we usually think of grief in terms of a death it can be more broadly defined as an emotion following a loss. During all the coronavirus pandemic restrictions, closings and cancellations, most...
A Civil War love story
This is the story of John and Eliza. It is a Civil War love story. It is also a story of war, death, disease and battle. But most of all, it is a story of the trials, triumphs and tribulations of...
Those Democrats are pretty tricky sometimes
I found out why “The Donald's” trip to Tulsa was a bust. The Democrats sent tickets for a free Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen to all the Republicans attending, valid during the rally. Cleo and I have...
G.O.A.T.
Bill Strecker’s quote was: “People do not want to hear your opinion, they want to hear their opinion coming out of your mouth.” GOAT stands for Greatest of All Time. Mohammed Ali was the greates...
Celebrate Independence Day without an insurance claim
For many Oklahomans, Independence Day means celebrating with a cookout, fireworks, road trips and boating. Independence Day reminds us each year of our country’s beginning and the freedoms we enjoy. The annual holiday allows us to spend more time...
A life punctuated by protests
The recent widespread protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police have caused me to think about other protests that have marked my life. Protesting has been a...
Celebrate Independence Day without an insurance claim
For many Oklahomans, Independence Day means celebrating with a cookout, fireworks, road trips and boating. Independence Day reminds us each year of our country’s beginning and the freedoms we enjoy. The annual holiday allows us to spend more time... Full story
Toilet paper
March 13, 2020: the beginning of the Great Toilet Tissue Panic. According to Arist Mastorides, president of Cottonelle and Scott, toilet paper sales grew by 734% in dollars, from the same day the year...
Random Thoughts The Blizzard of 1886 – part 1
With summer and its blazing hot 100-degree days upon us, perhaps this is a good time to tell the story of a blizzard that happened near here once upon a time. The year was 1886 and I am happy to...
Carl's Capitol Comments Vote on June 30
Oklahomans have a statewide election coming up on June 30 in which they will be asked to vote on primary candidates for statewide legislative and U.S. Congressional seats, a state question and county and municipal special elections. I hope that every...
Senate Review: Faith, hope and love
Last week marked a busy one across District 19 as we continued with wheat harvest in western Oklahoma. I was honored to have Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell join me to see first-hand the hard work and...
Memories of a controversy
Each of us had an opinion, and many voiced their views emphatically. It wasn't a comparison of presidential candidates. We were female high school students discussing the idea of uniforms for physical...
The facts on State Question 802 and our hospital
When you go to the polls on June 30, you will have an opportunity to vote for State Question 802, Medicaid expansion. As a hospital administrator, I have received questions about this in the past weeks and wanted to provide a few facts about the...
Murdock's Minutes: As we move into Phase 3, keep following health guidelines
I want to continue to remind everyone that even though Oklahoma has moved into Phase 3 of the governor’s plan to open up our state and our economy, the COVID-19 virus has not gone away. Please continue to follow health guidelines on hygiene,...
William 'Billy' Ross. Ponder this name for a few paragraphs
Happy Father's Day to all the stand-up men in the world! Especially to my dad for all he has done for his family. Your reward? There is a casino in your future. Brian and I went to the meeting on the...
Radio Flyer
When I was young, facial tissue was Kleenex; refrigerators, Frigidaire; cameras, Kodak; and coaster wagons, Radio Flyer. Another great American brand diluted by Chinese manufacture, Radio Flyer now pr...
Random Thoughts: Oklahoma profile: Sarah Rector, part 3
When Sarah Rector was born in 1902, she became the owner of 160 acres of Oklahoma land thanks to her status as a descendant of former slaves of the Creek Nation. Eight years later, her parents tried...
Carl's Capitol Comments
Oklahoma voters on June 30 will be asked to vote yes or no on State Question 802, which seeks to add a new article to the Oklahoma Constitution to expand eligibility for Oklahoma’s Medicaid program to include low-income, able-bodied adults. A yes v...
Watch for wrong-way drivers in Alva
Last week I saw two instances of drivers in the wrong lane in downtown Alva. Wheat harvest and summer classes at the university have brought new people to town. We’ll probably see many drivers who...
Senate Review
It’s been busy across District 19 the past few weeks as my fellow farmers and I have been preparing for harvest. I’d like to send my best wishes and blessings for all of those working tirelessly i...
This is a blatant case of deja moo
It's Sunday afternoon and in the spirit of social distancing you load up in the family truckster and go for a spin to one of our state's nice lakes to have a picnic and enjoy the birds and fishermen....
Auto artifacts
I skipped over the article in this month’s Hot Rod Magazine on how to build a 501 cubic inch Ford torque monster and settled on an article called “Automotive Artifacts” by David Freiburger. I...
Random Thoughts: Oklahoma profile: Sarah Rector, part 2
Sarah Rector was born on March 3, 1902, in a rural area that is today part of Muskogee County, Oklahoma. In 1904 the local post office and the land surrounding it became the all-black town of Taft....
Carl's Capitol Comments: Instead of violence, respond in love
I try to keep you updated on the events at the Capitol and legislation that affects your lives. In the past few weeks our nation, states and communities have been saddened by the unjust death of George Floyd. The death of Mr. Floyd as evidenced by...
