Tedd Arnold, children’s book author and illustrator, was born on Jan. 20, 1949, in Elmira, N.Y. He grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania with three brothers before returning to Elmira when he was ten year...

As we begin the new year, you may be receiving various tax statements from your financial services provider - so it’s a good time to consider how your investments are taxed. This type of knowledge is ...

Have you ever had a bad day, when everything you touched just soured? Sure, we all have had those kinds of days, nothing new to any of us. And when you had one, didn’t you find that it was difficult t...

Iza Trapani, author and illustrator of books for young children, was born in Communist-ruled Warsaw, Poland on Jan. 12, 1954. She and her family of five lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment.At the ag...

My chicken yard is fairly large. It’s about 3,200 square feet with two sides made of chain link and two sides 2”x 4” horse fence. Over the last few weeks, I added a layer of chicken wire about knee hi...

What comes next?El Niño is here! El Niño is here! El Niño is here! (at least for a while).If you follow the weather news (and if you live in Oklahoma and the Southern Plains, you should), you already ...

There has been a great deal of news coverage regarding Oklahoma’s refusal to accept federal funds to support children who qualify for free and reduced school lunches during the summer months.The fact ...

I have made the decision to reduce the number of times my column prints. This was not easy for me to decide and I wrestled with my options because I love my column and I love my readers. That being sa...

Drew Daywalt, American author and filmmaker, was born the youngest of six children in his family on Jan. 5, 1970, in Hudson, Ohio.Supposedly, the house he grew up in was haunted and his older brothers...

My Great Aunt Mamie once shared with me some memories of Oklahoma during the great depression.One time, my grandpa, grandma and aunt Mamie were in grandpa’s old ford truck when a dust storm hit. It wa...

A gripe taken from the lips of one frustrated lady, who was recently overheard in a public place.“I had the family holiday dinner at my house last week, just like I have for years. My daughter was to ...

When you plan to retire at a certain age, you can follow a strategy that incorporates your investment moves, your health insurance and other factors. But what happens if you’re forced to retire earlie...

Roy Madden was named Henryettan of the year. The Henryetta Free-Lance promoted the Henryettan of the year contest since 1949 and was honored to shed light on the great deeds of the people who worked t...

As we reflect on this past year, we are so very thankful for all the donations we receive; your generosity has been astounding. We appreciate the assistance from members of our community and beyond wh...

When it comes to conservation policy I generally like to brag on Oklahoma. Many people don’t realize what a great job the Sooner State does when it comes to protecting natural resources on farm and ra...

With a new year ahead of us, it is customary to make resolutions. I hope each of you resolves to help improve your community, your state, and your nation by getting involved.I encourage you to join a ...

December is National Tomato Month. (It’s also Watermelon Month. Why two fruits in season in the dead of summer are celebrated in the dead of winter is beyond me.) We all know tomato is a hotly debated...

Grandma lay in the hospital bed, a shadow of the vital, energetic woman she had been just a year ago. Her strong hands that were endlessly involved in her family’s life, providing, comforting, and dis...

Molly Bang, American author and illustrator of children’s books, was born Dec. 29, 1943, in Princeton, N.J. the second of three children in her family. She grew up in Baltimore, and her mom was an ill...

Who knows where the time goes? We’ve reached the end of another year, so it’s appropriate to reflect on the nature of time and how it affects us. And time certainly is a key element in the pursuit of ...