July 28, 2025

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“IT ALL STARTS WITH A STAND-OFF”
News
June 10, 2022
“IT ALL STARTS WITH A STAND-OFF”

Husband has had a horrible time at work that day. Feeling kicked around, unappreciated and definitely out of sorts, he pulls into the driveway, only to find that his three-year-old has left her tricycle blocking the garage door… again. He leverages his tired body out of the car and lumbers slowly into the house, ready to snap the head from the first person he sees.

Husband has had a horrible time at work that day. Feeling kicked around, unappreciated and definitely out of sorts, he pulls into the driveway, only to find that his three-year-old has left her tricycle blocking the garage door… again. He leverages his tired body out of the car and lumbers slowly into the house, ready to snap the head from the first person he sees.

Wife is loading the dishwasher when he walks in the kitchen, her tension headache consuming her attention. Their six-month-old sick baby is screaming in her arms, the pot of spaghetti is boiling over on the stove behind her, the seven-year-old twins are fighting loudly, and she accidentally left the handle of the dirty mop in his way to trip over.

Not exactly the calming scenario he was needing at that point. Tired, discouraged husband erupts in anger and frustration. And the harried and exhausted wife, who has also put in a hard day at work and arrived home just an hour before him, responds in kind.

Can we say World War, with the twins disappearing up the stairs to play the role of Switzerland?

Who is at fault? A hurting husband and dad? A depressed, tired wife and mother? More importantly, which of them is going to make the first move towards apologizing and trying to see the situation from the other person’s point of view?

And worse, what happens when nobody decides to try to be the bigger person?

Well, Switzerland decides to eat spaghetti up in their bedroom. The sick six-month-old feels the tension, and that causes her to fret even louder. The three-year-old reacts to the negativity surrounding her and acts out the fear she feels building within. And husband and wife add another layer of resentment and anger to the wall that lately has been building between them.

If no adult in this situation suddenly realizes what is happening, and puts an abrupt halt to it all by putting their gun back in the holster, then the problem is probably only going to escalate in intensity. And when that kind of scenario happens often enough in a marriage, then those two pseudo-grownups will eventually begin to wonder if being in this union is worth it.

“I am so sick of this! And my kids? Shoot, they’re acting out worse than ever before. Probably because all we ever do is fight around them. They’ll be a lot better off if one of us just gets the heck out of here. After all, they’re just kids, and everybody knows kids are flexible and adaptable. They would be just fine.”

Yeah, right.

That’s why we have so many depressed and angry kids who are being reared in single family homes. Kids who are either having to adjust to being shuffled back and forth between Mom and Dad’s houses, or have to live without the benefit of one of their parents in their life.

New HPS Board Member Welcomed
A: Main, Lifestyle...
New HPS Board Member Welcomed
July 26, 2025
Willem Vandenborn is welcomed by Henryetta Public Schools Superintendent Jason Price after he was sworn in to fill the Ward 2 seat on the HPS board. The action came during a special meeting Thursday, ...
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Patrons Bank warns community of rising phone scams
A: Main, Lifestyle...
Patrons Bank warns community of rising phone scams
July 25, 2025
Patrons Bank is urging the community to be on high alert as phone scams targeting bank customers continue to rise across the country - and right here at home.Scammers are spoofing legitimate bank phon...
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Christmas in July is today
A: Main, Main...
Christmas in July is today
July 25, 2025
Downtown Henryetta is set to come alive with holiday spirit and summer sunshine today, as the Henryetta Chamber of Commerce presents its annual “Christmas in July” celebration. The event, scheduled fr...
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Back-to-School excitement builds
July 25, 2025
As summer winds down and the school year quickly approaches, Henryetta Public Schools and Dewar Public Schools are rolling out the red carpet for students and families with a series of exciting back-t...
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Main Street Crossing Temporarily Closed
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Main Street Crossing Temporarily Closed
July 25, 2025
The City of Henryetta has announced that the Main Street railroad crossing is currently closed to all traffic. Residents needing to cross the tracks are encouraged to use the Trudgeon Street crossing ...
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Sales Tax Holiday returns Aug. 1-3
A: Main
Sales Tax Holiday returns Aug. 1-3
July 25, 2025
Shoppers across Okmulgee County and throughout the state will soon get a much-needed break on back-to-school expenses, as Oklahoma’s annual Sales Tax Holiday kicks off Friday, Aug. 1, and runs through...
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Editor Picks
A: Main
Historical Museum open Saturday
July 25, 2025
The Henryetta Historical Museum continues to welcome guests through its doors this summer with its special every-other-weekend schedule - and this Saturday is no exception. The museum will be open Jul...
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News
OCEM Report
July 25, 2025
This report is a summary of activities Okmulgee County Emergency Management participated in and does not reflect all activities performed by or participated in by Okmulgee County Emergency Management....
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Plans underway for Okmulgee County Fair
News
Plans underway for Okmulgee County Fair
July 25, 2025
Planning is in full swing for the much-anticipated 2025 Okmulgee County Fair, with the event officially set to take place Sept. 4-6 at the Okmulgee County Fairgrounds.Members of the Fair Volunteer Com...
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Lions Club celebrates new members, history and upcoming events
News
Lions Club celebrates new members, history and upcoming events
July 25, 2025
The Henryetta Lions Club held a lively and productive meeting on Thursday, July 17, at The Shack 2.0, welcoming new members, celebrating local heritage and preparing for several key community events o...
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News
Preston Schools announces Child Nutrition Program
July 25, 2025
Preston Public Schools announced they are participating in free lunch and/or breakfast program for the 2026 school year. All students enrolled in the district or the listed sites may participate in th...
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