May 2025

Everything published in May 2025.

Community·May 27, 2025

The Hard Truth – Part ONE

•Liz Threlkeld launches "The Sunny Side" column exploring homesteading ethics and philosophy.
•Ethics shape homesteading choices and influence how we interact with land, animals, and community.
•Thought-provoking questions hijack our brains, enabling powerful self-reflection and deeper thinking.

Food Crush·May 23, 2025

•True workplace unity thrives when all employees feel valued and can fully participate.
•Humor and shared humanity, even awkward moments, can foster genuine workplace connections.
•Laughter during stressful workdays breaks barriers and encourages open communication among colleagues.

Mental Health Minute·May 20, 2025

•May honors mothers, teachers, and law enforcement—take time to thank them.
•Everyone can be both a teacher and student if willing to learn from others.
•Local leaders Riley Calhoun and James Devinney prioritize mental wellness alongside professional success.

Chamber Connection·May 16, 2025

•Cash Mobs happen first Thursday monthly at 11:30 a.m. at a randomly selected local business.
•Program has united Ponca City since 2014, generating community energy and direct economic support.
•Pop-up shops now allow home-based and online entrepreneurs to participate at the Chamber office.

Business Spotlight·May 13, 2025

•Dandelane Boutique is a women's boutique downtown at 200 E. Grand Avenue, celebrating its one-year anniversary.
•Owner Cally Tull left a 17-year career at Hospice to pursue her long-held dream of opening a boutique.
•The boutique's name blends her late father Dan's name with her mother's maiden name, Delaney.

•Pioneer Tech's Business and Industry Services hosts annual BBQ on May 16 to thank local business partners and clients.
•The event celebrates Small Business Month and National Barbecue Month with free food from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
•BIS serves over 9,000 individuals yearly with training in management, safety, leadership, marketing and business incubation.

Learning with Leaming·May 9, 2025

•School superintendent emphasizes state testing from April through May for all 4,500 students.
•District uses Professional Learning Communities to analyze assessment data and improve instruction.
•Test scores are one tool among many to guide educational decisions and strategies.

Community·May 6, 2025

•Sheriff Steve Kelley leads Kay County Sheriff's Office in his third four-year term after 26 years in law enforcement.
•The department has grown from 8 employees in 2003 to 30 staff, including 20 street-level law enforcement officers.
•Deputy Ian Ewing's memory inspires Sheriff Kelley; Ewing was killed in the line of duty in Kay County in May 1999.

Business Spotlight·May 5, 2025

•Frocks & Fashions is a formal wear boutique owned by Roxane Denton at 213 E. Grand Avenue.
•The store has operated for over 40 years, starting in Blackwell under Roxane's mother Edie Denton.
•Edie opened the boutique after a memorable dress shopping trip inspired her to serve her community.

Community·May 1, 2025

•Leadership Ponca City Class 38 created Passport 2025 to boost community engagement and support local businesses throughout the city.
•Ponca City Passport 2025 runs April 1 through July 15, encouraging residents and visitors to explore local businesses, landmarks and nonprofits.
•Participants visit locations across six categories, complete tasks and collect stamps to enter prize drawings at the Chamber of Commerce.