Alva Review-Courier -

I have changed what I wanted to share with you this week because I have a concern on something that could have a major negative impact on our area. As many of you have heard, the governor and the director of the Department of Corrections is...

An important deadline is about two months away. I’m not referring to tax day on April 15. Everyone living in the 50 states, District of Columbia and five U.S. territories should receive an invitation by April 1 to respond to the 2020 Census. Each...

During the day, Aunt Blanche pretty well ran all selection of TV shows at her house in Wichita, Kansas. But at night she turned control of the set over to us youngsters, and we soon found that there were some great spook shows, such as...

I recently attended Eldon Easterly's funeral service. Upon arrival, I observed two firemen in the chapel clad in their beautiful uniforms. I had forgotten the 91-year-old we were putting to rest was a volunteer fireman. Many of the family members...

The Capitol has been busy the last few weeks as legislators have been finalizing bill language and preparing to file their legislation by the deadline, which was Jan. 16. The final count tallied 840 Senate bills and 19 Senate joint resolutions filed....

The legislative session is just a few short weeks away, so it’s time for me to get back to writing my regular column to inform you of what is going on at the State Capitol. We’ve had two years of increased revenues to fund state services. This ye...

It was a rough time for our newspaper family last week. On Tuesday night as we were printing the Newsgram and getting it ready for distribution, we learned one of our Tuesday night employees was in an auto accident. Marvin Pshigoda was on his way to...

Otto Spradling, as Aunt Blanche’s husband, was living proof that opposites attract. Uncle Ott was a very quiet demure man who rarely said anything in the presence of others. Each day at 7 a.m. he would quietly disappear to make his bus commute to...

As citizen leaders, individual school board members face complex and demanding challenges. Yet few people fully understand the scope and far-reaching implications of board members' responsibilities. All Oklahoma citizens should recognize the vital...

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? If your goal is to get in shape or quit smoking, you might be able to get some help from your health plan and the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID). OID is partnering with healthcare organizations...

Some days it seems like my to-do list multiplies with each hour. The things I planned to accomplish that day keep being pushed aside by more pressing matters. For instance, I accidentally dumped half a diet soda on my desk and phone Monday. Dealing...

While growing up, just about everyone needs an older person who makes them feel special. For me that person was an elderly relative named Aunt Blanche who loved to talk about, fuss over, and do numerous things for her relatives. Aunt Blanche must...

There’s a lot of talk about New Year’s resolutions in January. My resolutions have involved weight loss or exercise, but now I don’t make them. I have decided to improve my diet starting this month, but it was more a reaction to overdoing the...

The holidays are behind us now, and the new year has begun. I wish each of you health and happiness throughout 2020. As we get closer to the start of the new legislative session in February, I’ve continued holding town hall meetings throughout the...

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a safe and enjoyable New Year celebration. As we ring in a new decade, I encourage you to join me in filling out the 2020 census, which aims to count every person living in the United...