• Over 240 new laws were enacted, including one that prohibited texting while driving. Despite an existing ban on distracted driving, the governor urged lawmakers to pass legislation specifically prohibiting texting while driving. This call followed a tragic incident on Interstate 40 where two Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers were struck by a vehicle while investigating an accident. Trooper Nicholas Dees died at the scene, and Trooper Keith Burch was hospitalized. The driver was using a smartphone at the time of the collision. As a result, Law HB 1965, known as the Trooper Nicholas Dees and Trooper Keith Burch Act of 2015, was passed, making Oklahoma the 46th state to ban texting while driving.

• Henryettan tailback Avery Moore was featured looking for running room in a road game against Holdenville. Moore had a 213-yard, 4-touchdown performance, totaling his rushing to over 1,000 yards on 138 carries with 11 touchdowns so far that season, with five games rushing 100-plus yards.

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• Henryetta Elementary students received a visit from the American Exchange Bank employees Kitty and Michelle Brown, who shared important Halloween safety tips. Kitty and Brown advised children to look both ways when crossing roads and stay with a trusted adult. They also encouraged students to remind their parents to review safety tips before Halloween night. The children went home with treats and safety facts for a fun and safe Halloween.

• To start preparing for Christmas, the Henryetta High School Spanish Club announced the launching of their “Shoebox Christmas Boxes” initiative. Students were encouraged to fill shoeboxes with new school supplies, small toys, and grooming items for impoverished children in Mexico. The club would then wrap and send those boxes, which were often the only Christmas gifts the children received. The deadline for students to bring their filled shoeboxes to the high school was Nov. 27.

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