She has been called the face of a movement. Twenty-six-year-old Kayla Jo Jeffries stepped out of prison on Dec. 5 a free woman, thanks to a commutation declaration that was signed by Gov. Mary Fallin the same day. Smiling from ear from ear, release papers in hand and holding back tears of joy, Jeffries told […]
Nazarene Harris
Posted inNews
Outdated hate
Students from Del Crest Middle School in Del City told Oklahoma Legislature members on Dec. 7 that the state’s laws concerning AIDS prevention need a makeover. On national Civics Day, Aaron Baker’s eighth-grade civics class students presented state Legislature members at the capitol with reasons AIDS prevention education in the state is both outdated and […]
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Free speech?
Oklahoma City mayor David Holt is preparing for his State of the City address early. Most of the speeches he gives are ad-libbed, he said, but the State of the City speech is a big deal. “I’m hoping everyone will hear it,” Holt said. But if you’re looking for a free show where you can […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Access granted
With the donation of a dozen Google Chromebooks to Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County came the first time Sophia Stoller, a 45-year-old mother of four, witnessed children who were too excited to eat cupcakes. “They didn’t blink an eye when I told them we had dessert for them too,” Stoller said. “They were […]
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Painful consequences
In October, chronic pain sufferer Dan Freeman (not his real name) received a letter from his pain management doctor stating that a severance of treatment was necessary due to a new law on the horizon. “Please be advised,” the letter stated, “that this practice will no longer be able to treat you as a patient […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Warmth needed
On a sunny but chilly afternoon in late November, 49-year-old mother of four Linda Debard said what so many of us say during this time of year. “I’m cold,” she said. But Debard didn’t confess to the sensation with a smile on her face, gloves on her hands or a coat on her back. She […]
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Drawing MAPS
For the hefty price that it takes to fund a Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) plan and for the awe effect that such projects can have on Oklahoma City’s residents, mayor David Holt admits that the process behind choosing a project is fairly simple by comparison. “Since the inception of MAPS in 1993, the responsibility to […]
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City man
Oklahoma City’s new city manager is receiving a welcome that is remarkably similar to the farewell given to his predecessor. Newly selected city manager Craig Freeman has received roughly the same level of approval and praise that city employees and Oklahoma City Council gave to Jim Couch in September, when Couch announced his plans to […]
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Political yearbook
The Nov. 6 election results ushered in a new class of elected officials in Oklahoma scheduled to begin work during the start of a new legislative session in February, or in some cases, before then. Oklahomans showed preference for female candidates like never before and demonstrated a newfound respect for political outsiders. Those outsiders include […]
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Jail time
In 1991, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the corner of Robert S. Kerr and Shartel avenues in downtown Oklahoma City. The occasion marked the opening of Oklahoma County Detention Center. The jail was designed by architects HTB Inc. and RGDC Inc., and completed sooner than expected. However, what was unknown to onlookers at the […]