At age 82, Jim Harris still drives his car to work at Baker Harris Hopkins Insurance nearly every day unless he is riding on a tractor at the farm.
Anyone who visits his office will notice his hobbies and interests. Pictures of his wife Peggy, his daughters Renee, Leslie, and Paige along with his grandchildren line the walls.
Memorabilia from Oklahoma State University serves as reminders of his involvement in football and basketball as both a Cowboy player starting in 1958 and leading to his being a lifelong fan. Jim’s love of “the game” steered him into coaching men and women’s basketball and football starting in 1966. His ladies’ volleyball team produced two State Championship titles at Kremlin-Hillsdale High School.
After establishing an insurance business in 1978, he has served his clients while also volunteering at KHS as an assistant to several head football coaches. He enjoys watching young men mature and succeed in the ‘’greatest game ever.” He took pride in countless hours of mowing and grooming the football field and says, “It needs to be grass, not weeds. I notice!”
A “Semper Fi” logo hangs in his office and illustrates his pride in serving his country as a Marine. In 1963 He graduated from Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. While stationed there, he traveled up and down the East coast playing basketball, but that fun ended when he was sent to Vietnam for a year to protect a MASH unit.
Jim is often found exercising at the YMCA, and for years he was a regular player with the noon basketball group. That led him to travel across the United States and Canada with the Oklahoma Senior Olympics basketball team. For over two decades, he graduated from one age bracket to the next. After a broken foot in Houston and a “small” heart attack in Minneapolis, he retired from competition, but he has never lost his desire to be his best.
Pictures of his dogs on point speak of his passion for quail hunting with friends during the winter months. He says that watching his dogs work a field brings him true joy for the sport.
Jim still enjoys boating and water sports and is happy that he can still ski at his age. He awaits every lake season to see if he is good to go for one more year. Jim often states, “When you think of me, I hope you don’t think of insurance, but when you think of insurance, I hope you think of me.” He expects to remain active and “stay in the business of working with people” for a long time. Jim Harris is a true “Local Legend”
Local Legends is proudly presented by Humphrey and Guarantee Abstract Company!
Wow, has it been hot! Since it will be August when you read this, I doubt we have had any respite from the heat, but hopefully we have had a little rain (spoiler alert, we did!). This month’s cover story highlights three area superintendents. They have all been a part of the Enid community for some time, so I am sure you will recognize their faces, but hopefully you will learn a bit more about who they are, where they have come from and what their general educational philosophies are. The three districts highlighted are very different, but after reading their stories, I am sure you will agree that what they have in common is being led by people that love kids. Stay cool!
April 23rd, 1635 A.D. — Boston, Massachusetts established the first public school in America. Created in the shadow of the Free Grammar School of Boston, England, the Boston Latin School in Boston, Massachusetts was a boys-only college preparatory. Serving as a secondary school in English settlements of The New World, it was led by Puritanical Settler and Schoolmaster Philemon Pormont. The name does easily suggest one of the areas of study, but the Bostin Latin School taught young men attending daily lessons in both Latin and Greek, while focusing on the humanities. While we have come a long way from that first school, our area schools still have many common elements, some new faces this year, but the same smiling children excited for their first day. With that in mind, we got to know three area superintendents while preparing for the new school year.
Chisholm Public School Superintendent – Dr. Dudley Darrow
True born-and-bred-football-playing-Oklahoman, Dudley Darrow was born in April of 1978 to two teacher parents in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Moving to his eventual hometown of Shattuck, he graduated from SHS in 1997. He played high school football, followed by some time at NAIA at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, where he considered himself a “role player” as a tight end. “I adore football, I revere it. I would play it to death if I could. I love the team concept of eleven guys doing their job—doing their job effectively—and, the product it produces.” His time on the field gave him a euphoric sense of comradery, but it was the level of commitment and preparation needed to win championships that re-affirmed the values and principles he maintained throughout most of his life. “We won a national championship in 1999 [at NWOSU]. Getting to be a part of that was special, but the hard work that goes into it—all of those weights you lift, all those sprints and running—to be able to go out and be successful with your teammates that have experienced that with you, it’s just awesome. It wasn’t just Saturdays. You had to train all year for those 10, 11, 12 Saturdays. That’s why I love football.”
Dudley received his undergraduate degree from NWOSU in 2002, before marrying his college sweetheart, Megan Dippel who is a Dentist at Dental Arts in Downtown Enid. They have two children who will be attending Chisholm in the fall. He earned a Master’s degree from UCO in 2005. Feeling happy with his positions as football coach and math teacher for Enid High for over a decade, Dudley was surprised when Enid High School Head Principal, Jim Beierschmitt, approached him about becoming the new Assistant Principal for EHS. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Darrow’s rigid work ethic as a football coach, in conjunction with his affable personality as a high school math teacher and family man, was about to open his career to a whole new trajectory.
His career in EHS administration wasn’t always as calm and collected as Dudley’s demeanor might suggest. Mentioning the importance of supporting his teaching staff during the teacher walkout of 2018, Dr. Darrow shares his experience demonstrating at the Oklahoma capitol alongside his fellow teaching colleagues, and how they repaid this honor when covid-19 created difficulties for him as principal. As proctors were needed for ACT testing, teachers volunteered at the drop of a hat for their leader who always did the same for them. The struggles changed over time, as he advanced from teacher & coach to Assistant Principal, to Head Principal, to Assistant Superintendent. Albeit, the goal always remained the same: practice what you preach, stay consistent and always work hard. The same life philosophies that brought him success on the football field actively framed his leadership style; and, his successes in moving up the administrative ladder are indicative of the quality of conviction he holds for his own values. “Sometimes…when you’re a coach and a teacher, you can see it immediately—that day, or in that week. You get in leadership, such as principal or assistant superintendent, or this new role [as CPS Superintendent], you implement policies and procedures and you don’t see the benefits for a while—it just takes time, you’ve got to build it.” Some of his proudest moments at Enid High are bringing secure vestibules to ensure a more locked-down facility, as well as adjustments to the bell & lunch schedules. All of this success led to Dudley tackling the objectives and adversity plaguing his final years at EPS during the Covid pandemic. “It was so hard to get traction. It was difficult to take three steps forward and two steps back for a while…but, we got through it. June 18th, it was a Thursday night. Probably my proudest moment as High school principal was getting those kids graduated.
In May 2022, the same month he received the offer from Chisholm Public Schools, he graduated from OSU with a doctorate in Educational Leadership. Although the new frontier of North Enid seemed like a daunting new reality at first, Darrow’s pragmatic mind decided to grab life by the horns (natch) and move his family towards this new opportunity. With his son entering 9th grade and his daughter entering 5th grade in the upcoming school year, the establishment of their family’s identity within a new culture at Chisholm initially felt light-years away—especially from the comforts of being Plainsmen for 17 years. Ultimately, he decided to leave Enid Public Schools, to expand his educational pasture. With an easier-than-expected transition over the summer so far, The Darrows quickly found a welcoming home among the Longhorns. “Loyalty is a big thing to me, so I want people to know I’m 100% invested.”
On being asked who influenced him, Darrow said, “My mom and dad, being educators, instilled a lot of respect in me. My parents were also devout Christians, and I try to emulate that, as well. I think being a good Christian person, like my parents, and an educator, are very much parallel.” Donny and Carol Darrow joined Dudley in May 2022 to watch their son receive his doctoral degree from OSU, “It was very fulfilling for my parents to be educators and to see their son continue it…how much my coaches meant to me, and trying to emulate that for somebody else. That’s really what I got into education for—the teaching and coaching aspect. I had no idea they would move my way up, but God puts you where he wants you.”
You don’t need to walk down the hall and tell everyone you’re the boss. They’ll know,” Dudley says with a chuckle. “I had a student contact me about a reference for a job in Maryland; and, it’s just really good to have that feeling—that people remember you…You form relationships; and, ultimately, it’s extremely fulfilling.”
Enid Public Schools Superintendent – Dr. Darrell Floyd
At the beginning of the sixties in November of 1961, Dr. Darrell Floyd was born to Dean and Nancy Floyd in Andrews, Texas. Although Andrews is around the Odessa/Midland area, his father was born in Cement, Oklahoma, where he grew up until beginning work as a roughneck, driller, and toolpusher in the oilfields of West Texas. His mother, Nancy, worked in Andrews Independent School district (where she was recently recognized for 50 years of service) in school cafeterias around Andrews. Darrell shares two children, Tyler and Brittany, with his ex-wife, Dr. Cheryl Floyd.
He attended Andrews ISD for his primary and secondary education, before receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in 1985 from Texas Tech University. Among his favorite activities as a child were participating in sports, music, and furthering his academics. Education was always an important aspect of Darrell’s life, and he attributes this love to four specific teachers/coaches within his academic career. Now in her 80s, 1st-grade teacher, Mrs. Cleta Garms, who still receives an email from Dr. Floyd every year on her birthday in August. Along with Mrs. Garms, his 7th-grade coach Jim Evans, senior honors English Teacher Mrs. Dorothy Davis, and his varsity head baseball, Joe Ray Halsey all left impressions that would help graft his future philosophies in education as an administrator. Active with athletics and band through his student-tenure at Andrews ISD, his most special memory from high school was a band trip to perform at Disneyland in California.
Initially starting as a teacher and coach, and foreseeing this as his ultimate career path, Dr. Floyd was taken out of the classroom and brought into the administration office by several supervisors who saw something special in him. As a teacher and baseball coach in Odessa, Texas during the period of the famed book-turned-movie-turned-tv series, “Friday Night Lights”, he references actively living in the same vicinity to finish his master’s degree and administrative certification. In 1990, he completed his Master’s degree from the University of Texas-Permian Basin, with his Doctorate from Texas A&M University-Commerce being awarded in 1995. From there, he moved to Waco, Texas for a position as Middle School Assistant Principal; followed by, Junior High Principal at Pewitt CISD in Omaha-Naples, Texas; then, proceeding to High School Principal in Queen City, Texas (near Texarkana) and Castleberry ISD (NW Ft. Worth). Becoming Superintendent was a new jump in expectations, but Darrell was more than ready to learn his way to the top. He became Superintendent in Linden, Texas from 1997-2000, and described the experiences he encountered as simply learning lessons. Darrell states, “My first year as superintendent, I was very green. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. But I asked a lot of questions, absorbed everything I could, made mistakes, and learned from them.” Following his “green years” in Linden, he moved to Stephenville, Texas with his newly acquired sense of self-assurance from his years of practical knowledge and training. Being in school leadership for Stephenville from 2000-2014, his skills increased, and he was beginning to find his own administrative philosophy, “Over the years, I became a good planner, organizer, motivator, coordinator, and evaluator. Each of those skills, combined with the three Non-Negotiables that I live by as an administrator, have served me well,” he notes. “My three Non-Negotiables are: 1) always keep the students’ best interest at heart at all times, 2) be professional at all times, and 3) as problems arise, follow the chain of command in solving those problems.”
Chosen as Dr. Shawn Hime’s replacement for EPS in 2014, Dr. Floyd brought his tenets of Non-Negotiables to Enid, where they would become a part of the Plainsmen philosophy. “I just finished my 8th year here in Enid, and I can honestly say that EPS has some of the hardest working faculty/staff members that I have ever worked with.” Enid has seen a boom in early childhood programs over the past decade, and Dr. Floyd has supported that growth from the start, by placing trust and guidance into those who are assets to EPS, “Enid Public Schools has been a leader in the field of early childhood education for many years. Folks like long-time school board member Willa Jo Fowler and Early Childhood Director Christine “Chris” Smith have led the way. Our partnership with the community, businesses, benefactors/donors, and parents have all greatly benefitted students…and will continue to do so for many years.”
Through his eight years with EPS, his leadership helped local students and staff navigate the rough waters of Covid’s unexpected storms, and Floyd became integral in finding talent within the hiring pool of EPS to promote within Enid Schools’ chain of command, “their work ethic and expertise constantly amaze me, and I thank them all for doing what is best for kids daily…Covid was something that none of us had ever been through or dealt with. I just finished my 36th year in education, and nothing I had done had fully prepared me for dealing with Covid.” In 2021, the school board for EPS unanimously voted to extend Dr. Floyd’s contract for an additional three years through the Year 2024. Although the unprecedented battle with Covid-19 brought on times of questioning and uncertainty for us all—especially for public school educators and administrators—it also brought opportunities to rise above. Dr. Floyd finishes, “I’d like to say a great big THANK YOU to all of our community members, voters, and taxpayers for so generously supporting our efforts to improve facilities and educational programs for students districtwide…I am honored to serve as the Superintendent of Enid Public Schools”
Andrew “Andy” Wilkins was born in Mustang, OK, and graduated from Mustang High in 1999. Enjoying basketball and the general nature of competition, he found a way to continue the game from high school into college, where he attended and played at Oklahoma Baptist University. During his college years in Shawnee, he began a job as a youth pastor, where he eventually met his wife, Sarah, through the church. While she was attending OU and he was attending OBU, they found love with one another in their shared relationship with God. Sarah grew up in McLoud, OK, and coinciding with Andy’s schooling experience in Mustang, easy options for a Christian education weren’t really available. The revelation Andy had, while attending Oklahoma Baptist University, revolutionized his ideas of incorporating Christian ideals and scripture into the classroom.
Eager about his newly acquired career path, and feeling confident about his purpose in life, he sought to complete his Master’s Degree in Christian Education from Dallas Seminary. Upon graduating from seminary school, the Wilkins moved to Enid, OK 14 years ago to work at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Sarah does part-time ministry work at Emmanuel, as well as being a mother and caregiver to their three daughters, Remey (8th grade at OBA), Miriam (5th grade at Emmanuel), and Damaris (2nd grade at Emmanuel). In his free time, he spends the day at Emmanuel Baptist with the children’s ministry and youth ministry, as well as leadership coaching. His family became the new owners of a fixer-upper in Indian Hills recently, and he enjoys the time spent making this new house into their home.
After experiencing the personal benefits of Christian education, he quickly found himself becoming a conduit for providing this experience to as many students as possible. Growing up in Mustang and McLoud Public Schools, Andy and his wife feel thankful their children will have a Christian Education—one they both would have enthusiastically accepted in their youth. Andy said, “Really understanding how our Christian faith influences all of our life, and not just part of our life. A big turning point for me was our faith is not just a part of us. The bible teaches that our faith becomes integrated into all of us, and is the most important thing for all of us—for each part of us…I became really convicted and convinced to do education as a believer. It’s the truth of God, who he is, and what he said about his creation. He gets to define what is good, and true, praiseworthy, and important. He gets to define who we are as his creation.”
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when many other districts were racing to figure out the best solutions to a novel problem, students and faculty at OBA found themselves spacing out a lot more to retain a level of normalcy. Serving approximately 250 students, the conditions around OBA offered a much different experience from public schools. Though following CDC guidelines and monitoring the ever-sliding scale around Covid safety, the small number of students enrolled made it easier to fight outbreaks of the illness, “Here at OBA, we are blessed with a lot of square footage. The generations prior invested in great facilities, so the biggest key to our success in moving school along at a regular pace over the last two years, was we could spread everyone out—where everyone was 6 feet apart, which they said was the safest thing to do.”
This fall 2022, OBA is launching new academic services to cater to even more students within the local Enid community. The new academic service, called Discovery Academic Support Programs, includes Cognitive Therapy for students with learning differences in a therapy specifically coined as “discovery therapy.” “Instead of an educational-outcome-focus, it’s more of a focus of ‘how do we get the brain to actually develop’ in those with learning differences,” he explained. Some of the current staff are receiving specialized training for these additional support programs, with Mr. Wilkins’ anticipating providing more resources to even more people, especially those with learning differences. Hosting a fast-paced and rigorous college preparatory curriculum, Senior ACT Scores have been in the top 10 for the State of Oklahoma in 2020 and 2021. Hoping to expand their outreach on who will be able to benefit from the educational options provided, and all on the same Trojan campus, OBA is proud to host a wide spectrum of diverse socio-economic backgrounds. With many financial options and scholarships available, he reiterates the accessibility of admission to Oklahoma Bible Academy for anyone interested in a faith-based education for grades 6-12.
Andy Wilkins gleams with pride, as he describes the philosophy of the 3 stools he’s tried to incorporate into Oklahoma Bible Academy’s philosophical daily practices, “Three stools…There are three legs to a stool when raising a child: home, church, and school. If all are united in what they’re teaching, then the kid will have a good foundation to stand on.” The importance of integrating religious beliefs into the class curriculum means more to Mr. Wilkins than the worldly knowledge students gain from studying textbooks, and this philosophy brings an equal focus between home life, church life, and school life. “We have a lot of tools we can use because of our faith. We rest in God’s control; we can talk about that. We can pray with our students. We can talk about how our faith provides us strength and encouragement that comes from God, not from the things changing in the world.” Since state tax dollars are not used in funding the operations of private schools, the implementation of religious scripture, symbolism and prayer in the classroom is common. State-approved academic curriculums manage to level out an even playing field in terms of educational standards, but private school students are continually reinforced with the importance of their faith throughout daily life. Andy has made efforts to conceptualize within OBA’s culture how Christian beliefs should influence all aspects of life, every day of the week—not just on Sunday. The experience of an educational environment among other devout Christians, while at OBU, gave Mr. Wilkins a renewed love for his religion. His original love for Christ became his life’s work and passion; and, from this passion, he forged existential goals into providing Christian Education among fellow brethren. Having known the two worlds of public and private education himself, he feels honored to uphold his religious beliefs in an academic capacity, “The social dynamic when there’s a unity of ultimate beliefs and ultimate truths…it can help the social community work out well.”
Author: Jack E. Davis Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa, Putnam Six Bookstore
Your first thought may be that an entire 400-page book about the history of a single animal couldn’t be anything other than tedious and dull. But author Jack E. Davis, past winner of the Pulitzer Prize, proves otherwise in The Bald Eagle, released in March. Davis discusses the different biological facts of the eagle – its diet, habitat, etc – but more importantly, he explores what the bald eagle has meant in the cultural history of America over the years. It’s been revered and idolized, and at the same time vilified and scorned.
For each main topic of the book, Davis starts with a broad lens before gradually zooming in to focus on the eagle. For example, Davis opens by talking about coats of arms and their importance in the Revolutionary War Era. With that context established, he then describes the process by which, after many other failed designs, the bald eagle came to be on the new nation’s Great Seal. The book moves on through history, contrasting how Native Americans treated the eagle with how Manifest Destiny led to its hunting and deforestation. The last large section of the book – its most moving – is when Davis discusses the use of the pesticide DDT in the mid-20th century, and how it very nearly brought bald eagles to extinction.
The one complaint about this book is that it seems a little disorganized, especially in the beginning. Some of the tangents don’t seem to be connected to the main thread and feel instead like they have just been dropped in. But overall the book is really quite interesting. Davis very clearly did a lot of research, and he presents it well. The writing is lively – at times, almost jovial – and very readable and accessible. So, whether you’ve been following the new eaglet born at the National Arboretum or you’re in the patriotic mood after celebrating July 4th, you can read a fascinating book on an iconic symbol of America.
Visit us in Sunset Plaza or call 580-297-5089 to get your copy of The Bald Eagle today!
Author: Casie Bazay Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa, Putnam Six Bookstore
Not Our Summer is the debut Young Adult novel by Casie Bazay, released in 2021. The author actually lives in Northeast Oklahoma, and that region, along with Northwest Arkansas, is where the story is based. The book alternates perspectives between the two main characters, with a third voice interjecting from time to time. Not Our Summer is the tale of a family feud, mixed with once-in-a-lifetime trips and an unforgettable summer.
KJ and Becka are cousins who despise one another, ever since a rift between their mothers fractured the whole family. After their grandfather dies though, in order for all four to receive their inheritance, the two cousins must complete five tasks together over the course of their summer vacation. They set out to ride mules down into the Grand Canyon, hike in Yellowstone, whitewater raft in South Carolina, scuba dive in Key West, and participate in a hometown rodeo. As they go on these adventures, they find that their sky-high walls are slowing starting to come down. When they receive shocking news, though, the real reason behind the tasks, their new friendship is quickly put to the test.
The writing in Not Our Summer can feel quite clunky at times; it lacks that beautiful, descriptive flow. But the overall plot is fun, the trips are envious, and there are some good messages to take away. Maybe readers aren’t dealing with a life-changing inheritance like the characters, but they can still relate to all the emotions and difficulties of that coming-of-age phase of life. The book comes in at only 280 pages, so it is very accessible – it would make for a quick, pleasant summertime read!
Visit us in Sunset Plaza or call 580-297-5089 to get your copy of Not Our Summer today!
I recently came home from a tour through Arizona and part of California. The types of gardens were so varied and each one lovely in its own way. The alpine gardens with drought-resistant, cold hardy plants near the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona were very green. Vivid purple seemed to be the theme of the tropical floral gardens and jacaranda trees of southern California. The succulent gardens and xeriscaped gardens in southern Arizona were very, very different than we have here in Enid. But one garden all areas had in common were rose gardens.
Roses are such a popular flower throughout the United States, but especially in our gardens here in Oklahoma. Oklahoma climate is well-suited to growing roses. Rainy spring and early summers help to establish the plant roots. Our hot, dry weather is conducive to lovely blooms, while our relatively short, mild winters help the rootstock to survive from year to year.
Preparing for planting roses ideally should begin in the winter by determining what kind of roses you want and where you plan to plant them. An open, sunny planting site protected from strong wind is preferable for roses. Rose plants should have at least six hours of full sun. This will dry dew and overnight rainfall collected on the plants and reduce the occurrence of mildew and blackspot. We will talk about these diseases later. If you want to plant your roses close to a wall, be sure to keep it at least eighteen to twenty-four inches from the wall to prevent sunburn from reflected heat.
Bushes or vines? Bush roses such as hybrid tea roses, floribunda and heirloom roses are very popular. Hybrid tea roses can grow from two to six feet and have one bloom per stem. They make great cut flowers for vases. Floribunda roses have clusters of flowers which bloom prolifically for constant color all season. This rose is a vigorous bush that is hardy and requires less care than hybrid tea roses. Floribundas are useful for bed plantings, massing in a shrub border, or even for containers. Old-Garden Heirloom or Antique Roses produce abundant spring flowers, but are generally less attractive than today’s varieties. However, they are much more fragrant. Cabbage or Moss roses are typical types that open to fragrant pink blooms.
Vine or climber is a general term for roses that produce long, vigorous canes that cannot support their own weight. They are usually trained on trellises, fences, walls, posts, or arbors. Many of these varieties can be used as ground cover to add both texture and color to your garden. Ramblers are one the most vigorous climbing roses. The small flowers bloom in clusters in the spring on the previous season’s growth. Most are hardy and require little or no winter protection. Climbing Floribunda and Polyantha roses are climbing cultivars of bush-type plants. They flower continuously and are hardier than climbing hybrid teas.
To care for your roses, be sure to grow them in a grass-free area. Keep them mulched to maintain moisture and reduce weeds. Water your roses only after the soil becomes rather dry. Soak the soil to a depth of 18 to 24 inches. Frequent light waterings cause shallow root systems which are easily damaged during drought. Soaker hoses or trickle irrigation are ideal to apply water slowly and prevent the wetting of foliage.
Wet foliage can lead to fungal plant disease in roses. Black Spot is a fungal disease characterized by circular black spots on leaves that vary from a half inch to more than one inch in diameter. When plants are badly infected, leaves drop prematurely and canes may become completely bare eventually killing the plant. Spores of the fungus are spread mainly by splashing water or rain. They germinate in water and infection takes place when water remains on the leaves for six hours or longer. Another common fungal disease is powdery mildew – a powdery, whitish coating on the leaves and other plant parts. Some plants may become stunted, leaves may curl, become dried, and drop off. To prevent and treat powdery mildew, keep roses trimmed with plenty of room for air to circulate through the canopy. Apply a fungicide weekly from spring until the weather dries out.
Another disease of roses is called rose rosette disease or RRD. Unfortunately there is no cure or treatment for this. It is easily transmitted to other rose bushes. Any roses with RRD need to be destroyed. Contact the Oklahoma Extension Office to learn more about RRD.
Roses should be pruned to keep roses looking their best. Prune to maintain plant shape, remove dead or diseased wood (often dark or blackened canes), and regulate desired flower size. Additionally, pruning causes new growth. Spring blooming roses should be pruned only after the flowering season. Most modern roses should be pruned annually. If only a few large flowers are preferred, cut the plants more severely. Prune for an open‑centered plant. Make all cuts just above outward‑facing buds, slightly above and angling downward away from the bud. Remove branches that grow toward the center of the plant. When two branches cross, the smaller one should be removed.
With just a little planning and care, you can have beautiful, healthy roses in your garden. Be sure to check out the Oklahoma Extension Offices publications HLA-6403 – Roses in Oklahoma, EPP-7329 – Rose Rosette Disease, and EPP-7607 – Diseases of Roses available on-line at https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/index.html.
African American doctor talking to a patient in the corridor of a hospital while wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic
According to the American Cancer Society®, approximately 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Urologist Rodney L. Worthen, II, MD, discusses the causes, risk factors and early detection of prostate cancer.
Q. Who is at risk for being diagnosed with prostate cancer?
A. White and Black males are most at risk for prostate cancer, followed by Latino men and then Asian and Native American men.
Q. What are the causes or risk factors associated with prostate cancer?
A. The causes of prostate cancer are generally unknown. Men with family members who have a history of prostate cancer are at higher risk of developing the disease. Some people believe that organic herbicides and pesticides, such as Agent Orange, which was used during the Vietnam War, may be a cause.
Senior man discussing with female ophthalmologist. Aged patient is sitting in doctor’s office. They are in hospital during COVID-19 crisis.
Q. How is prostate cancer detected?
A. Detection is best made with an annual digital rectal exam and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. The PSA is a simple blood test that takes just minutes and it can save lives. At my practice, we are finding too many advanced stage-three and -four cancers.
Q. How is prostate cancer treated?
A. It can be treated with surgery that removes part or all of the prostate. Radiation, hormone and proton therapy are also options. When appropriate, we also use the non-surgical, non-invasive CyberKnife® System. It is an advanced treatment that pinpoints tumors to accurately deliver the radiation to destroy the cancer.
Q. What is the best way to get tested/screened for prostate cancer and what age should screenings begin?
A. Men with no family history should begin screening at age 50. Those with a family history of prostate cancer should begin earlier at age 40. Annual rectal exams and PSA tests are the best way to get screened.
To learn more about the Cancer Center, visit stmarysregional.com/cancercenter
Physicians are on the medical staff of St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website.
It is summertime here in Enid, and that means everyone is pulling out their grills. Back yard bar-b-ques, cookouts, and family get-togethers are happening all over town. So I thought this is the perfect, easy recipe to throw on the grill, or cook in the oven or air fryer. You can use any flavor brat you like, I just happen to have Cheddar & Bacon Brats available today. I like to use thick-cut bacon for this because it seems to stay in place better. And you can use any type of cheese you choose, but I am a big fan of a good old sharp cheddar. This is definitely a crowd pleaser and once put on the table, they will not last long!
BACON WRAPPED BRATS
Ingredients:
5 brats, uncooked
5 slices of bacon
3 slices cheese, cut into 8 straps
Preheat grill, oven, or air fryer to 400°.
Cut open a “pocket” in each brat the length of your cheese slices. Divide cheese evenly between all brats & place it into the open pocket in each brat. Then, starting at one end, wrap a slice of bacon around each brat. Place on baking sheet for oven or cooking basket for air fryer. Cook at 400° for 15 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking. For the grill, place directly on the grill plate and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on your grill. (All brats should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°)
The Bacon Wrapped Brats can be eaten naked or on a bun with your favorite condiments. Serve with a nice potato salad or green salad for a fantastic meal!!
LinkedIn: Do you use it? Do you have one that simply sits there because everyone is supposed to have one?
Honestly, LinkedIn can be one of the biggest thorns in my side. It’s difficult to master, and when a post takes off, it’s difficult to know why it took off versus another that went flat. Do not lose heart! I have received some great news recently that is giving me more hope in this social platform for professionals.
Check out my top 4 tips for growing your LinkedIn Audience.
USE PDFs
Did you know that the average post reach on LinkedIn is a mere 3.49%? Have you felt the pain of LinkedIn posts receiving zero love or likes?
Native Documents receive three times the engagement of other LinkedIn posts, according to a recent Socialinsider study. This means that uploading a PDF can take your LinkedIn engagement to the next level.
I encourage you to get creative with this. A PDF could cover some free training, i.e. “10 Tips to Become More Employable,” posted by a Human Resources Company. A PDF could also simply be an informational business flier.
This concept isn’t surprising for the platform whose goal is to connect professionals. What’s more businesslike than swapping PDF content?
Encourage Employee or Client Advocacy
Encourage your employees to tag your company on their LinkedIn resume. Depending on the size of your company, this can spread your reach like wildfire.
If you’re a smaller company, encourage your clients to engage with your content by commenting on or sharing your posts.
Whatever your company looks like, encouraging employees and clients to engage online is key to growing your following. Encouraging LinkedIn post and page shares with a positive review of your business, from a customer or employee perspective, goes a long way.
Sidenote: Have you invited your personal friend list to like your Facebook business page? This concept is important on all platforms.
Do You Really Need a Business Page?
If you are a one-person operation, I encourage you to use your personal page as a business page. Otherwise, you’re managing posts and engagements on both. It’s harder to drive traffic to two locations than to simplify with one.
Use a business page if you’re a company with employees who can tag themselves as working there. Use only a personal page if you’re a small LLC that is struggling to grow page traffic.
For example, if you’re a business coach, you could title your personal page, “Elizabeth Cummins, Leadership Coach,” because marketing your business is really marketing yourself.
Consumers will feel less torn on which page to visit, and you’ll get all eyes in one spot on prime content, while giving you more room to share personal content and show your personality.
Linkedin social media internet drawing (Computer and Communication) linkedin,social media,internet,network
Enter Creator Mode
The newest word on the street is that LinkedIn has added elements to its Creator Mode. Ready to become your own digital marketing guru? Check it out!
LinkedIn Audio Events allow you to host audio discussions within the app. Start streaming your own form of a business podcast. LinkedIn recently shared that more than 10 million users have turned on Creator Mode.
Think of using Creator Mode and Audio Events as a way to promote your brand and host online networking or learning opportunities for a larger audience.
Hello, new digital marketing friends! Let’s have a digital Lunch and Learn to connect with digital marketers across the globe!
I’m about to begin my Creator Mode journey. Stay tuned!
I wish you the best in your online business endeavors.
What do you like and dislike about LinkedIn? What has driven your LinkedIn engagement the most? Are you open to exploring Creator Mode? We’d love to hear on Facebook or the blog!
Janna Jackson grew up on a farm in northwest Oklahoma and attended Ft. Supply Public Schools. After graduation, she moved to Enid to attend Phillips University, completing her Bachelor of Arts in English. She found her niche working in the non-profit sector at Community Development Support Association, and left to stay at home with her children while they were young. After serving as a Trustee for two and a half years for the Enid Public School Foundation, she returned to the workforce as the Executive Director of EPSF in 2016, a position she continues to hold. She was an active member of Junior Welfare League for six years and was granted Honorary member status upon her exit. Her heart for children and their welfare has driven her to volunteer countless hours for numerous organizations, including several local school PTSA’s and booster clubs where she continues to maintain leadership positions.
Of special note, Jackson has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) since September 2002 where she has had 12 cases, served 25 children, and worked 1090 hours on casework alone. She participates in trainings to educate new volunteers about the role of the CASA. 10 of her 12 cases ended in Reunifications, 1 case went into guardianship and 1 other case the children were adopted into their forever home. This tireless work has earned her the distinction of CASA of the year twice during her tenure. CASA Program Manager Shelia McHenry said “We can always count on Janna to take on some of our most difficult cases and she has been the perfect fit for each case. She can get people to work together and make the system work for them. She is willing to stand up for what she feels is the best interest of the child and voice her concerns and recommendations in court, even when that means not seeing eye to eye with others involved on the case. We appreciate her drive and commitment to being a voice for the children in our community. Her wisdom and dedication to the program are valued more than she will possibly know. She takes time out of her busy schedule of work and her own children’s activities to focus on children in the community who need her voice.”
She lives in Enid with her husband Kevin and their daughters Ava and Danielle. Her daughter Lauren is a senior at Texas Tech University and is part of their highly decorated pom team, and her eldest, Brianna recently returned to Oklahoma after living and working in the Pacific Northwest.
Humphrey and Guarantee Abstract Company is proud to present Local Legends!
