August 2025

August Book Reviews

• •Local magazine offers August book reviews for subscribers and readers
• •Patterson's "The #1 Lawyer" delivers unexpected courtroom twists and surprises
• •Coming-of-age tale "The Misfits" explores themes of belonging and invisibility

Voices From the Homestead—Part Two

• •Liz Threlkeld shares homesteading wisdom exploring food ethics and local eating practices
• •Local homesteaders prioritize seasonal, ethical eating while acknowledging challenges with non-local imports
• •Oklahoma food deserts could improve with more local growers and people learning to grow food

Margie Stinson

Miller Stahl Funeral Home

Margie Stinson, 78, beloved Mother, grandmother, and sister, was called to her eternal resting place on August 20, 2025. She entered this world on December 20, 1946, in Los Angeles…

Catherine Tavanello

Miller Stahl Funeral Home

Catherine (Cathy) Jean Tavanello passed away from this life in the early morning hours of Tuesday, August 19th, 2025.Funeral services will be held 10: 00 a.m. Saturday, August 30,…

[PCM+) CRA – ConocoPhillips Retirees Association

• •ConocoPhillips Retirees Association founded in 1992 to support retirees and foster community connections.
• •CRA organizes monthly Bunco games, quarterly tours of local attractions, and annual social events.
• •Group provides information on Social Security, company benefits, and facilitates volunteer opportunities.

August Chamber Buzz

• •Chamber hosts New Teacher Luncheon Aug. at Country Club to welcome educators to Ponca City
• •Stuff the Bus event on Aug. 16 at Walmart aims to collect school supplies for local students
• •Partners in Education program connects local businesses with schools for 30+ years of support

[PCM+) Ponca City News:

• •Ponca City News founded in 1893, now owned by Kay Media since 2018
• •Director Nick Theodoran leads the publication with experience across 20+ newspapers
• •Longstanding Muchmore family ended century of ownership, praised new leadership direction

Stew On That

• •Grand Avenue downtown has new flower beds, added parking, and reduced lanes for traffic calming.
• •The changes were designed by traffic engineers to improve safety and reduce collisions.
• •A similar lane removal on South Avenue a decade ago had no negative impact.

Leslie (Les) Johnston

Miller Stahl Funeral Home

Leslie (Les) Johnston, 86, of Newkirk, Oklahoma, went to be with the Lord on August 6, 2025. Born and raised in Newkirk, Leslie lived a life marked by service, hard work, and quiet…

The Mission

• •Hazel Riggs founded The Mission in 1992 after retiring, driven by her dream to nourish people physically and spiritually.
• •After a 2002 fire destroyed the original building, the community helped rebuild with city grants and private donations.
• •Gary Jackson, Hazel's son, took over operations after early retirement and has run The Mission for over two decades.

Shelter. Support. Solutions.

• •Northern Oklahoma Youth Services operates a 12-bed emergency youth shelter serving kids ages 7-17 in five counties.
• •NOYS has provided free shelter and preventative programs to at-risk youth and families for over 50 years.
• •The shelter averages 7-8 kids daily and stays typically last three weeks, with 24/7 trained staff on site.

Steven Campala

Miller Stahl Funeral Home

Steven Don Compala Left our world on August 3rd, 2025 to be with our creator. He was 49 years old. He was surrounded by family and love when he ended his battle with cancer. Steven…

Kenneth Marlatt

Miller Stahl Funeral Home

Kenneth Lee Marlatt, a devoted husband, loving father, proud grandfather and great-grandfather, and Navy veteran, passed away peacefully, leaving behind a life defined by hard work…

Facts Coupled with Inspiration:

• •Annie Vanhoose returned to Ponca City in 2017 and was inspired by local history figure Lydie Marland to write novels.
• •She published two children's books under pseudonym Payden Hall while living in Colorado with her husband Justin.
• •Her children's books explore themes of belonging and embracing differences through relatable characters and perspectives.