Fatcow Icon
News
Breakdown of winners and losers in proposed budget
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — About half of the 76 Oklahoma agencies, commissions and organizations covered by the state budget proposal unveiled Thursday will see their budgets shrink or stay the same, with education and health services getting the lion’s share of additional funding. Below is a breakdown of the largest increases and some notable snubs. INCREASES: —Education: $74 million, a 3.2 percent increase from this year, much of which wi...
full story
President of First United Bank of Durant Bert Davison presents their Red Cross Hero donation to Lynn Edwards of the Red Cross.
Local bank gives to the Red Cross
Chapter Director of the Southeastern Oklahoma Chapter American Red Cross Lynn Edwards came to Durant Tuesday to accept a donation from First United Bank and Trust. Edwards was given the check donation by President of First United Bank of Durant Bert Davison. This is the third year the bank has given to the Red Cross Hero campaign. “The Red Cross plays and important role” said Davison. He said that the Red Cross serves the communities that...
full story
Pointe Vista says it won’t meet deadline for Lake Texoma project
Under pressure from Gov. Mary Fallin and the Commissioners of the Land Office board, Pointe Vista project developers say they won’t meet the May 2014 deadline for “substantial completion” of the project’s hotel. In a letter to the governor and the Land board, Pointe Vista operations chief Scott Fischer indicated he will seek an extension to complete the expansive development at Lake Texoma State Park. Acting on repeated requests by the Dura...
full story
Jason Parks
Man charged with procuring a minor to make pornography
A Mead man has been charged with filming a girl while she was undressing. Jason Benjamin Parks, 50, was arrested Wednesday by investigators with the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office. Parks is charged with procuring a minor for the purpose of manufacturing pornography. He is accused of secretly video taping a 10-year-old girl while she was undressing. According to Sheriff’s Investigator Nathan Calloway, Parks can be seen in the video hidin...
full story
Oklahoma House Democrats decry education funding
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Democratic lawmakers huddled with school superintendents, principals and students from across the state Wednesday to urge the Legislature to boost funding for public education. Democrats in the Oklahoma House urged Republican legislative leaders to make funding for the state’s public schools a priority as budget negotiators from the House, Senate and Gov. Mary Fallin’s office work to craft a budget for the fiscal ye...
full story
Okla. House gives final approval to income tax cut
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma House gave final legislative approval Wednesday to a bill that would slash the state’s income tax rate to 5 percent in 2015 and provide $120 million for improvements to the state Capitol, both top priorities of Republican Gov. Mary Fallin. The Republican-controlled House voted 65-35, mostly along party lines, to send the bill to Fallin, who is expected to sign it. It would cut the state’s top income tax...
full story
Lawmakers call for testing moratorium after mishap
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Some state legislators called for a moratorium on public school testing Wednesday after a number of computer glitches were reported by state education officials. The Department of Education said there were problems with online assessments for grades 6 through 12 on Monday and Tuesday. Testing company CTB/McGraw Hill reported problems with their servers while uploading student assessment results and students were kno...
full story
Okla. Senate derails armed teacher proposal
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Senate has for a second time rejected House efforts to allow some teachers to carry guns to schools. The Senate removed an amendment to a law enforcement training bill that would have let school districts decide whether teachers could be armed after going through a training program. The bill now heads to conference committee between the two chambers. Earlier this session another House proposal to allo...
full story
Health care coverage option drafted
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A group of Republican lawmakers has developed an alternative plan to provide health coverage to uninsured Oklahomans that would require most recipients to work and pay modest copayments, The Associated Press has learned. A draft copy of a bill obtained by the AP on Tuesday shows the Oklahoma Plan for Consumer Health Choice and Accountability would apply to Oklahoma residents who earn up to 138 percent of the federal...
full story
Law Day to be held Thursday
Attorneys across Oklahoma will provide free legal advice on Thursday May 2, 2013, in a statewide celebration of Law Day. Attorney Jimmy Speed serves as Bryan County Law Day chairperson and has been working in conjunction with the state bar’s Law Day Committee to coordinate the “Ask A Lawyer” call-in event. The number to call is 800-456-8525. Bryan County will have local attorneys taking calls from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. on ...
full story
Okla. Senate sends workers’ comp bill to governor
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday approved a Republican-backed plan to overhaul the state’s workers’ compensation system and to cut more than $100 million annually from injured worker benefits, sending the proposal to Gov. Mary Fallin for her likely signature. After weeks of rewrites and adjustments before it passed the House, the bill cleared the Senate with a 35-12 vote Tuesday along party lines. All Democrats pr...
full story
Bill of rights summarizes Oklahoma insurance laws
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — As tornado season intensifies, Oklahoma’s top insurance official said Tuesday he is compiling a consumer bill of rights to let home and car owners know what their legal rights are when they are affected by severe weather or some other calamity. Commissioner of Insurance John Doak said the index will summarize consumer rights under state law and Department of Insurance rules and will help consumers who file a claim w...
full story
Tracy Letts is shown when he visited Southeastern several years ago.
Letts received Tony nomination
Former Durant resident playwright and actor Tracy Letts received a Tony nomination Tuesday for his role as George in the 50th anniversary Broadway revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Letts, 47, was nominated along with Tom Hanks, Nathan Lane, Dave Hyde Pierce and Tom Sturridge for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play. The winner will be announced on Sunday, June 9 on CBS. In 2008, Letts won a Tony and the Pu...
full story
Exhibit honoring fallen soldiers to come to Durant
The Three Valley Museum in Durant will soon be hosting an exhibit that memorializes Oklahomans lost in the War on Terror. The exhibit, “Remembering Our Fallen,” is a Photo Exhibit of Oklahoma’s Fallen. The exhibit stands as a reminder of the sacrifice made by over 100 Fallen who called Oklahoma home that were killed in The War on Terror while wearing our country’s uniform in Afghanistan or Iraq. The General Tommy Franks Leadership Institu...
full story
Battles rage over tobacco measures in Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Battles over the regulation of tobacco products have played out throughout this year’s legislative session, but the real fight could come after lawmakers adjourn. Gov. Mary Fallin, who announced earlier this session that she wants to push for a statewide vote on an anti-smoking initiative in 2014, plans to begin working in earnest on the details once the session ends, a spokesman said Monday. “It’s definitely stil...
full story
Choctaw Casino expands Pocola site
POCOLA (AP) — The Choctaw Casino Hotel on the Oklahoma-Arkansas border has expanded to include a hotel with luxury suites, a new restaurant and live entertainment. The new facilities are to open on Wednesday, and a formal opening ceremony will be held in May. The casino opened in 1994 in a strip mall and has had several expansions. The Southwest Times Record reports ( http://is.gd/C6IaaV ) that Choctaw Nation gaming executive directo...
full story
First Place Team members with Sponsors and Bryan Conservation District Directors from left to right are: Clay Jones, Jeff Brown, District Directors, Zack McMillan; Vernon Anderson, District Director, Ryan Minyard; Keiller Haynie, District Director; Delanee Henderson; Sam Smith, District Director; Donnie Beshear, Caddo FFA Instructor; Casey Rapier, First Texoma National Bank; Chris Gerlach (not shown).
Land judging contest for FFA and 4-H held
The annual land judging contest for FFA and 4-H students in Bryan County was held March 27. Area students judged the soil from four different sites at the land judging contest. Some of the characteristics judged were texture, depth, slope, erosion, permeability and surface runoff as well as recommending land treatments. The contest was sponsored by the Bryan Conservation District. Thirty-five FFA and 4-H students from Bryan County partici...
full story
Okla. reps say they’re left out of budget process
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Republican officials are keeping a tight lid on who would get how much money under next year’s state budget proposal, and several legislators — Democrat and Republican alike — are complaining they haven’t been included in the negotiations. Gov. Mary Fallin, House Speaker T. W. Shannon and a handful of other high-level Republicans say they meet regularly to negotiate the budget’s outlines, which could be int...
full story
Silo Elementary School to hold 20th Annual Science Fair
The 20th Annual Silo Elementary School Science Fair Open House will be held in conjunction with the Book Fair (3:00-6:00 p.m. in the library) and Silo Information Bond Rally. On April 30, the doors will open in the elementary gym at 6:00 p.m., with a “Hot Diggity Dog Welcome.” Free hot dogs will be served. The Science Fair awards will be presented at 6:30 p.m. and the Bond Rally will begin at 7:00 p.m. They usually have between 170-180 proj...
full story
Annual prayer breakfast to be held Thursday
In conjunction with the National Day of Prayer on the first Thursday of May, the annual prayer breakfast will be held at 6:30 a.m. Thursday in the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Ballroom. Gil Stricklin is the featured speaker for this year’s breakfast. He is the founder, president and CEO of Marketplace Ministries. Headquartered in Dallas, Marketplace Ministries provides a faith-based contracted chaplain care service to business min...
full story
Weather
Sponsored By:

Lottery
Sponsored By:

Stocks
Sponsored By:

Gas Prices
Sponsored By:

Featured Businesses
Recipes
Sponsored By: