Podcasts about Western Oklahoma

Join us as we explore Jessica's inspiring journey from eastern Oklahoma to becoming an integral part of a diversified farming operation in the northwest. She shares her experience transitioning from the wetter, more humid climate of eastern Oklahoma to the drier conditions of the west, adapting to new challenges in soil health, crop insurance trends, and unpredictable weather patterns. With deep roots in agriculture, Jessica and her husband, Clint, have grown their operation while raising a family that values hard work and the land.We also dive into the benefits of no-till farming, how soil conservation plays a key role in long-term sustainability, and what it takes to balance farming, family, and a career in crop insurance. Jessica reflects on her time at the assessor's office, where she gained valuable insights into her new community in Major County. Plus, we reminisce about our days working together at OSU under Dr. Karen Hickman. Don't miss Jessica's take on the power of networking among producers and how changing weather patterns continue to shape the future of agriculture in Oklahoma. RedDirtAgronomy.com

Oklahoma's first execution of the year takes place this morning.Financial help is coming to agriculture producers.A Western Oklahoma community is rallying behind a church burned in last week's wildfires.You can find the KOSU Daily wherever you get your podcasts, you can also subscribe, rate us and leave a comment.You can keep up to date on all the latest news throughout the day at KOSU.org and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Blue Sky and Instagram at KOSU Radio.This is The KOSU Daily, Oklahoma news, every weekday.

Saturday October 26https://cci.auction/orgs/96/auctions/4445Cream Of The Crop Show Cattle Sale

On October 8, an Oklahoma City man who was born in Afghanistan was charged in federal court for an alleged terror plot. 27-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi faces one count of conspiring to conduct a terrorist attack, according to an affidavit filed by the FBI. While the story has made international news and went viral on social media, few are examining the potentially negative impact it could have on Oklahoma Muslims, including over 1,000 Afghan refugees who resettled in Oklahoma after the Taliban seized power. Shonda Little spoke with representatives from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Western Oklahoma about the positive impact this community brings to Oklahoma.In a state grappling with the boundaries of religion in public education, State Superintendent Ryan Walters' directive to incorporate Bible teaching in classrooms has sparked controversy and confusion. As schools reopen, the implementation of this mandate remains unclear, with educators, students, and religious leaders voicing diverse opinions on its appropriateness and constitutionality. Venson Fields has the story.⁦Tuesday, November 5 as people across the country head to the polls to vote for President, and in other federal and local elections, history will be on the ballot in Tulsa. Monroe Nichols is running for mayor. FBO was at Nichols's election watch party as the results came in showing Nichols had won the most votes in the mayoral primary. If he wins the vote on the first Tuesday in November, he will be the first Black Mayor of Tulsa in the city's history. In the fall of 2020, Michael Hill, a Black citizen of the Cherokee Nation, woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone banging on the windows of his home. He called police for help, but the police arrested Michael in his own front yard. When trying to get his case heard in tribal court he was rejected because though he has tribal citizenship, he has no blood quantum and by federal law is not legally an Indian. His story is told in a newly released Audible Original documentary called Tribal Justice: The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land, reported and written by two award-winning indigenous journalists, Allison Herrera and Adreanna Rodriguez. The following excerpt is the first installment of FBOs broadcast of the documentary.Ever been thrown from a horse? If you have, congratulations! You've just experienced the rodeo rite of passage: the ground's unwavering embrace. It's a lesson learned from Chaz Stephens' father, a retired cowboy with a knack for sage advice and questionable humor. But while rodeos might seem like a wild ride of bucking broncos they're also vibrant celebrations of Black culture, where community ties are as strong as calving ropes. Chaz Stephens brings us the first of a three part series on Oklahoma's Black Rodeos This series, as well as a photo exhibition featuring Black Rodeo photos by Jamie & Richard Glisson of ImpressOK Studio, is funded by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities. Please visit rodeo.kosu.org and sign up to receive further details on the February 1st, 2025 exhibition opening event.

About my Guest:  Dr. Marcus Smith grew up in Oklahoma City, OK and joined CardioVascular Health Clinic in 2016. He earned his Doctorate of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center where he served as Chief Resident. He remained at the University of Oklahoma to complete fellowships in General and Interventional Cardiology. He specializes in the management and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral vascular disease (PVD), heart failure, and cardiac imaging. He is Board Certified in interventional cardiology. Patients are drawn to his quick wit and personality. He is dedicated to helping his patients find non-invasive treatments and lifestyle modifications to live a better quality of life. Dr. Smith serves patients in Central and Western Oklahoma with complete cardiac care.   Dr. Marcus Smith: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Summary: Dr. Cassie Smith and Dr. Marcus Smith discuss postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and its increasing prevalence, especially since COVID-19. They explore the inflammatory autoimmune nature of POTS and the impact it has on younger individuals. Dr. Marcus Smith shares his experience as a cardiologist specializing in POTS and his dedication to helping patients find non-invasive treatments and lifestyle modifications. They emphasize the importance of taking an active role in one's health and the need for better education and food choices to reduce chronic disease. They also discuss the challenges in diagnosing and treating POTS, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach. In this conversation, Dr. Cassie Smith and Dr. Smith discuss the diagnosis and treatment of dysautonomia and POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). They emphasize the importance of education and knowledge in managing these conditions, as well as the role of lifestyle changes such as hydration, salt intake, and compression socks. They also touch on the topic of diet, highlighting the benefits of a plant-based diet for reducing inflammation and promoting cardiovascular health. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the importance of taking initiative in one's own health and making health a priority at any age. Time Stamps:  00:00 Introduction and Overview 02:14 Dr. Marcus Smith: A Cardiologist Specializing in POTS 04:51 Motivation and Taking an Active Role in Health 08:05 The Impact of Lifestyle on Health 14:56 The Underdiagnosed Nature of POTS 18:12 POTS as Menopause for Young Girls 20:10 The Multidimensional Nature of POTS 22:32 Diagnostic Tests for POTS 28:34 Objective Validation with the Tilt Table Test 29:03 The seriousness of dysautonomia and POTS 31:00 Hydration and lifestyle changes 32:21 The role of salt in managing symptoms 35:05 Choosing the right electrolyte replacement 41:04 The benefits of a plant-based diet 43:00 The potential benefits of a carnivore diet for weight loss 47:30 The antioxidant effects of berries 48:50 Taking initiative in one's own health Connect with Modern Endocrine: Check out the website Watch the episode on YouTube Follow Cassie on Instagram Follow Cassie on Facebook Follow Cassie on YouTube Follow Cassie on TikTok Sign up for Modern Endocrine's newsletter Disclaimer 

Lane Hale and Justin Rader of 100th Meridian Ranching in Canadian, TX joined me to discuss their experience with the Smokehouse Creek Fire. A wildfire that burned 1.2 million acres of the Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma in February and March of 2024. We discuss what they did to get ready for the fire as...

It's Frontal Lobe Friday!Today, a powerful tool to help you heal by making one important mental switch in your life. Leave a voicemail with your question or comment!Five Ways You Can Support this show:Pray for us!Subscribe, like, and share it with your friends! (We even have a YouTube channel!)Leave reviews and comments wherever you listen to podcasts!You can become a paid partner of the podcast and get special bonus episodes and lots more content by clicking here. Visit one of our affiliate partners and consider using their products (we use them every day):Support and boost your immune system with Armra! Use DRLEEWARREN code at checkout for a discount!Improve your gut health, immune system, and protect your brain with Pique!Other Helpful Links:Click here to access the Hope Is the First Dose playlist of hopeful, healing songs!Be sure to check out my new book, Hope Is the First Dose!Here's a free 5-day Bible study on YouVersion/BibleApp based on my new book!Sign up for my weekly Self-Brain Surgery Newsletter here!All recent episodes with transcripts are available here! (00:01) - Welcome to Frontal Lobe Friday (01:47) - A Day in Western Oklahoma (06:55) - Making a Decision Together (11:07) - Stop Saying "Why," Start Saying "What" (13:03) - Changing Chairs: A New Perspective (14:24) - Redefining Traumas and Dramas (17:20) - Trauma is the Response (20:06) - Operating on Your Experiences (20:56) - Two Roles in Life (22:14) - Self-Brain Surgery with Your Creator

The United States has been at the forefront of the global war on terror for more than two decades. Now one Oklahoma lawmaker, District 19 Republican State Representative Justin Humphrey, proposed House Bill 3133 seeking to expand that conflict by introducing a bill to designate people of Hispanic descent as “terrorists” if they're convicted of certain crimes. Francia Allen speaks with Francisco Treviño of Casa de la Cultura and Blanca Zavala to examine the proposed bill and the amended version.Venson Fields takes us to Enid where voters preparing for a heated city council election. Allegations of white supremacist ties emerged and swirl around Commissioner Judd Blevins of Ward 1. The white supremacist allegations include Nazi ties to a white supremacy group, Identity Evropa. That group has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, or SPLC and a white supremacist group by the Anti-Defamation League, or ADL. Identity Evropa participated in the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally in August of 2017 where three lives were taken and dozens more injured. Led by Reverend Father James Neal of the Orthodox Catholic Church of America, at the Holy Cross-Enid parish and Kristi Balden, chairperson of the Enid Social Justice Committee and one of three incorporators of the Enid LGBTQ Plus Coalition. Balden credits Connie Vickers, Nancy Presnell, and Lanita Norwood for the research that turned up the ties and the Enid Social Justice Committee for mounting a campaign for Blevins's recall, aiming to confront hate in the community. The recall election will take place on 2 April 2024 and will pit recalled commissioner Blevins against Cheryl Patterson who has served on many public boards and committees in the past including the Enid Public School Board, the Enid Public School Foundation, the Human Services Alliance, and Foster Grandparents Board. On February 26, Texas's largest wildfire broke out north of Stinnett in the panhandle. The next day the Smokehouse Creek fire crossed into Western Oklahoma, resulting in damaged property and the evacuation of multiple communities. The efforts of containment are being lead primarily by local volunteer fire departments with little budgetary help from the state of Oklahoma. Shonda Little speaks with survivors. The fire has amassing nearly 1.1 million acres to date and the fire is considered 89% contained. The National Weather Service and emergency management officials caution that embers and continued high winds could easily result in new fires that stem from it. Two human fatalities have been reported along with at least 3,600 dead cattle and that number is expected to grow. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller speaking with the New York Times said "just my prediction, but it will be 10,000 that will have died or will have to be euthanized." In Oklahoma Ellis and Roger Mills counties and the communities of Gage, Shattuck, Durham, and parts of Reydon were evacuated. Approximately 100,000 acres of western Oklahoma have burned. the deadly fire is now believed to be from a downed powerline, a constant threat during the area's high fire risk days due to drought conditions. Xcel Energy said in a statement released on March 14th that "our facilities appear to have been involved in the ignition of the Smokehouse Creek Fire.” Shonda Little talks with Levi Blacketter the emergency management director for Roger Mills County, Derek Wood, and Kristal Slavin to relay more details from those living in the impacted areas.The Oklahoma Eagle, the 10th oldest Black-owned newspaper in the United States still publishing at 101 years old, has engaged in a new initiative to develop stronger relationships with its readers: The Trusting News Project. This is a campaign spearheaded by the Oklahoma Media Center in partnership with The Ecosystem Engagement Project. Oklahoma Eagle Managing Editor Gary Lee explains the goals of the project.The 25th White Privilege...

This week we begin with Kidvation Global Chief Operations Officer Harold Lee and Chief Imagination Officer Brent Wheelbarger. https://kidvationglobal.com/ Our second segment features Judy Startzman, Chief Product Program and Marketing Officer for The Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma. She also brought Jennifer who is a troop leader, and Anna a scout. https://www.gswestok.org/en/Membership/join.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Segment one this week features two people from the Paseo Arts Festival, Theresa Hultburg, Program Manager and Amanda Bleakley, Executive Director https://www.thepaseo.org/festival Second is The Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma's Chief Product Program and Marketing officer, Judi Starzman. https://www.gswestok.org/ https://camp.gswestok.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why should you never BBQ on your roof? The steaks are too high.   Today we are discussing Jigg's Smokehouse in Clinton, OK.   For smoked meat lovers, it doesn't get any better than Jigg's. Founded in the early 1970s, this restaurant serves towering sandwiches stuffed with some delicious combinations. Try the kitchen sink, a combination of beef summer sausage, smoked ham and pork link sausage, along with mayo, cheddar cheese, tomato relish and the house barbecue sauce. Not enough for you? How about the wooly burger, a mammoth concoction featuring a staggering 31 ounces of hickory-smoked ham and seven slices of beef summer sausage, finished with mayo, chow chow relish, cheddar cheese and the house barbecue sauce. https://jiggssmokehouse.com/location.html   Known as the “Hub City of Western Oklahoma,” Clinton has become a major city along Route 66 and is home to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum. Let the audio tour and exhibits guide you through over sixty years of history, catch a movie at the drive-in theater or browse replicas of 1950s-style diner replicas and antique cars. After touring the museum, stop by the gift shop located in the world's largest curio cabinet, where you can pick up a keepsake before continuing your journey on the Mother Road. Other must-see Clinton attractions include the Cherokee Trading Post & Boot Outlet, Lucky Star Casino Clinton and Acme Brick Park, which contains nearly 150 acres of family fun, including the nature trail and miniature train. The Water-Zoo Indoor Water Park is a year-round destination for splashing, swimming and relaxing by the pool during any season. See all Clinton has to offer including wineries, cultural centers and Native American attractions just off Route 66. https://clintonok.gov/   Also discussed: Onlyinokshow,  Travelok and The Oklahoman.   Subscribe to the Only in OK Show. https://onlyinokshow.com/   #TravelOK #onlyinokshow #Oklahoma #MadeinOklahoma #oklaproud #podcast #okherewego #traveloklahoma #rt66

This episode brought to you by Performance Livestock Analytics. Shannon Ferrell is currently an Associate Professor in the Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Economics, where he specializes in Agricultural Law. He grew up on a cattle and wheat operation in Western Oklahoma, and obtained his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Agricultural Economics from OSU before obtaining his Juris Doctorate from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. Shannon reached out to me after I put out a tweet about talking about our faith journeys and how it applies to mental health. I appreciate Shannon so much and was so happy when he reached out! Reach out to Shannon at shannon.l.ferrell@okstate.edu

Ready, Set, Go! Personal and Group Fitness Trainer Mary Eagan of Akin Fitness in Western Oklahoma joins Courtney and Carley for this inspirational episode about the importance of movement in our daily lives. Mary reminds the sisterhood to try new exercises and be aware of food intake. Tune in for this fast and fun PE class; part of the Hey, Sister! Back to School series, airing August-September 2022.  Call to Action Be honest with yourself regarding your health status. Journal your food intake for 2-4 weeks. Assess your steps and activity level. (This is a crucial first step to recognize trending food/energy habits in order to make realistic health goals and adjustments)   Show Timeline 0:00 Introduction of monthly theme, topic and guest expert 3:45 Similarities and differences between childhood PE vs health as an adult; movement is not optional 5:45 Oxygen mask analogy; fitness helps us think more clearly + have energy/strength 6:15 Exercise time amounts; fear of losing energy as an excuse to not exercise (not true!) 10:00 Mary's health and fitness mottos: “it's okay to be uncomfortable”, “live with passion”, “I'm so grateful I never quit” 11:45 Mary's ongoing research about neurology + fitness; skipping and reading correlation 14:00 Mary's most intense physical undertaking—“Dominate the 48” (David Goggins) 16:30 Call to action, trending habits discussion, concluding thoughts, outtakes   Referenced Episodes Hey, Sister! Science Class: Ep 42 Rub Some Dirt In It // Kathleen Mooney Hey, Sister! Music Class: Ep 43 Sound of Music // Maren Paris Cline Hey, Sister! Math Class: 44 Mind over Money // Mikayla Ockey   Referenced Videos, Links and Resources Mary Removing/Putting on Shoes Challenge Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins Food Tracking Websites/Apps https://www.myfitnesspal.com https://cronometer.com   Connect with Mary Eagan of Akin Fitness https://akinfitness.com https://www.instagram.com/akin_fitness/   Connect with Hey, Sister! Podcast https://heysisterpodcast.org https://www.instagram.com/theheysisterpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/heysisterpodcast

In Part 2 of this special edition of Stuff You Should Know about Oil and Gas, we travel back to to Western Oklahoma to talk with Production Superintendent Jobey Toho. In this episode, he describes how different seasons affect his production, what it takes to be a pumper, and how new technology has changed his work.

In this special edition of Stuff You Should Know about Oil and Gas, we travel to a working oilfield in Western Oklahoma and introduce you to a Production Superintendent named Jobey Toho, who explains how his operation is set up to produce, separate, and sell oil and natural gas. Topics include: How Jobey's oilfield career got started What's a typical day for a pumper like? Equipment walkthrough What to look for when troubleshooting Where the resources go after they are separated

Farm and Ranch News for Thursday, July 7, with KC Sheperd In today's farm and ranch news, KC Sheperd Hears from Dr. Rosslyn Biggs at OSU on the Ranchers Lunchtime Webinar Series, and Reports of Toxic Johnson Grass in Western Oklahoma.

1. Soybean Futures Drop in Overnight Trading; 2. Ethanol Output Jumps to Five-Month High While Inventories Plunge; 3. Storms Expected in Parts of North Texas, Western Oklahoma

1. Soybean Futures Drop in Overnight Trading; 2. Ethanol Output Jumps to Five-Month High While Inventories Plunge; 3. Storms Expected in Parts of North Texas, Western Oklahoma

Legends Of The Industry Discussed:-Kent Orrel-Dean Kephart-Wendall Dunn-Brandon Horn-Bobby Maddox-Shane Sturgeon-Colby Collins-Mark CopusText Chad Chaplin Encouragement To Make His First Appearance On The Big Show A Weekly Segment @ (580) 774-7602 #HighlyEntertaining #NeverBoring #TheBigShow #BreakingViewershipRecords #FirstWeekOnline

Brought to you by these Sponsors and MORE...Bareknuckle Leather CompanyWestern Oklahoma State CollegeTop Branch Tree Service

This was our final episode of the program as Chuck has accepted a position with another station in Western Oklahoma. Chuck, Jeremy and Cory Hogue close out the program as the Unholy Triumvirate for the final time.. John Moore from The Texas Rangers Baseball Podcast checks in and gives us the Rangers unparalleled arbitration record and Robyn Hearn from KAUZ Sports visits to tell us the stress involved with breaking MLB news.. Lawdogsports.com

Chase Hendley shares how a producer in Western Oklahoma dealt with sandy, erosive fluid that was causing premature valve washouts. Resources mentioned in this episode: https://kimray.com/training/t-body-field-study-western-oklahoma

Gun Talk Hunt's Kevin “KJ” Jarnagin recaps a recent coyote hunt in Western Oklahoma, and the importance of predator control. Plus, some additional thoughts on warmer weather set-up adjustments, ammo choices, surprising statistics on predators and much more. This Gun Talk Hunt is brought to you by Savage Arms, Lockdown, Silencer Central, Brownells and Timney Triggers.

6 People disappear from a small town in Western Oklahoma; 40+ years later their cars are found side by side in a murky Oklahoma Lake. Is it a serial killer? Tragic accident? You decide.  Photos of the cars can be found on Instagram @ur_doing_fine_ok_pod Sources for photos and story include: The Daily Oklahoman The Joplin Globe The Clinton Daily News Please remember to Rate, Review, Subscribe. Thanks y'all!

Ed Copelin grew up in Western Oklahoma and came to Norman to work in the energy and banking industries until establishing his office supply company amid the 1980s Oil Bust. Copelin's Office Center has been a fixture near the corner of University Boulevard and Main Street for many years, evolving with the times to capture new business in a changing market. Today, the store is known as much for its teaching tools and toys as it is for its office supplies and its office furniture. Ed has been married to his wife, Lin, for 50 years, and they share the family business with their three children, Jill, Chad and Brad. Abram Beck Atchley is a vivacious ten year old who enjoys baseball and choir. Alongside his business partner, fellow 4th grader and best bud, Duke Alvis who loves math, football, and ice cream, they joined the Loveworks Business Boot Up program and started The Bros Know company in order to begin their journey of entrepreneurship. Key Takeaways: -Entrepreneurs take risk -Relationships are key/be involved with your community -Adapt to your customer -The value of a good partner

Ed Copelin grew up in Western Oklahoma and came to Norman to work in the energy and banking industries until establishing his office supply company amid the 1980s Oil Bust. Copelin's Office Center has been a fixture near the corner of University Boulevard and Main Street for many years, evolving with the times to capture new business in a changing market. Today, the store is known as much for its teaching tools and toys as it is for its office supplies and its office furniture. Ed has been married to his wife, Lin, for 50 years, and they share the family business with their three children, Jill, Chad and Brad. Abram Beck Atchley is a vivacious ten year old who enjoys baseball and choir. Alongside his business partner, fellow 4th grader and best bud, Duke Alvis who loves math, football, and ice cream, they joined the Loveworks Business Boot Up program and started The Bros Know company in order to begin their journey of entrepreneurship. Key Takeaways: -Entrepreneurs take risk -Relationships are key/be involved with your community -Adapt to your customer -The value of a good partner

We are pumped for Christmas and you are going to be pumped to hear about Kingfisher Winter Nights in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.   Your holidays aren't complete unless you take a journey through Kingfisher Winter Nights, one of Western Oklahoma's most beloved Yuletide attractions. Located in Kingfisher City Park, Kingfisher Winter Nights features hundreds of lighted trees, more than 60 animated displays, completely light-covered historic swing bridge, Christmas train, Santa Sightings, music, food trucks, ice skating rink and more.   With a rich history predating statehood and progressive planning to prepare for tomorrow, Kingfisher is the ideal place to live, work and visit. As the county seat of Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, our city is most notably recognized as the birthplace of Sam Walton. Kingfisher is situated on a part of the Chisholm Trail. Main permanent tourist attractions include the Chisholm Trail Museum, Gov. Seay Mansion, Veterans Memorial, and Jesse Chisholm statue.   On this episode of the Only in OK Show, we also discuss the latest unemployment numbers for the state from Governor Stitt's office, Chickasha and the Coleman Company.   Check out our sponsor for this episode - MasterThreads   #TravelOK #onlyinokshow #Oklahoma #MadeinOklahoma #oklaproud #itunes #podcast #okherewego #traveloklahoma #christmas #lights  #attraction #tourism

In #DevDC Podcast Episode 11 we have a career journey discussion with Rusty Pickens. This includes talking about leading the implementation of Salesforce for the Obama White House and how cloud first began in the US Government. Today Rusty helps run 580 Strategies to help establish digital practices in all types of organizations. We talk about his journey, his technology passions (which include #DevSecOps, #Agile and Human Center Design ,#HCD) as well as the motivations that brought him to where he is today.Rusty has managed annual budgets north of $60M and served as a U.S. Department of State Senior Advisor for Digital Platforms. Interestingly he also has a lot of experiences working with startups. He believes supporting such diverse organizations was key to his growth and he encourages others to "pull the parachute rip cord out of Government and do something radically different"!Rusty is passionate about his community and roots. A proud Chickasaw, he cut his teeth in IT working as a Network Admin for Smokesignals Computer Company (a subsidiary of Chickasaw Nation Industries). Today he helps lead “Agile Academy” which is available through his firm and at East Central University in Oklahoma - where he graduated and serves as a Guest Lecturer. The 580 in 580 Strategies comes from his area code in Southern and Western Oklahoma. Rusty also served as a VP for Out in STEM and Co-Founded Out in National Security.It is important to Rusty that he help set up the next generation and believes mentorship is key. Contact Rusty if you would like to connect in general or if 580 Strategies' mission to help establish digital practices in your organization is something that interests you!

Melissa Pepper has served as the Chief Development Officer of Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma since April 2017 when she was recruited to manage fund development, business and community relations and a $13.2 million dollar capital campaign to build a new urban STEM camp.  Prior to Girl Scouts, she worked for OETA Foundation as their Major Gifts Officer and Myriad Botanical Gardens as their Director of Festivals and Events.   Before moving to Oklahoma City in 2012, she was the Event Manager for The Kansas City Zoo.  A graduate of The University of Kansas, she earned a BS in Journalism and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.  She has been a long-time community volunteer in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma for organizations such as Head Start, Children's Mercy Hospital, Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, and Ronald McDonald House, just to name a few.  Melissa was a member of Leadership OKC Class 37 and a proud mother of her five-year-old son, Jack. Please welcome Melissa to action city!           

Brady Butler has been leading the abolitionist charge in Western Oklahoma as one of the co-founders of Western Oklahoma Christians for Liberty. Now he's running to replace a pro-life compromiser in State Senate District 26. Hear Brady talk about his radical testimony and his plans for leading Oklahoma's government toward a more just future. Find Brady on Facebook: https://bit.ly/39y6ujW Check out his website and donate: https://www.butlerforoksenate.com/

On this episode I chatted with Leah, Maile and Bria about this years Cookies & Cocktails event!! Happening this Friday!! Located at the incredible GS Western Oklahoma HQ - Camp Trivera. If you dont know what Cookies and Cocktails is listen in for all you need to know! BUY TICKETS HERE!! https://www.gswestok.org/en/Donate/Cookies-Cocktails.html Huge shout out to our sponsors for their contained support.  The Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's story through its people since 1927. For more information go to www.oklahomahof.com and www.instagram.com/oklahomahof   RCB Bank. Get rates as low as 1.79% APR on new, used and refinanced cars, boats, campers and ATVs. Visit www.RCBbank.com or come into any of our 40 locations across Oklahoma to learn more. Until August 31st. Rate and financing with approved credit. Restrictions Apply.   #thisisoklahoma   

The NJCAA Division II final series between LSU-Eunice and Western Oklahoma was one for the ages. It also included a pair of players with ties to Alberta. We previously chatted with Airdrie's Ayden Makarus about becoming a national champion, and this week, we bring a conversation we recently had with fellow Dawgs Academy grad Jackson Fraser. The freshman right-hander hails from Buena Vista, Saskatchewan, and is no stranger to hopping on a plane to keep his baseball dreams alive. He's now playing in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League in New York and joined us to talk about his journey in the sport, including a memorable time at the Tournament-12 in Toronto.

Ayden Makarus can now add "national champion" to his impressive baseball resume. The Dawgs Academy product was part of the LSU-Eunice squad that captured the NJCAA Division II title over the weekend in an exciting 5-4 extra innings win over Western Oklahoma. Makarus has been an immediate contributor to the Bengals offensively after a successful high school career, including a spot on Baseball Canada's Junior National Team. We talked about it all, plus a few other questions that we didn't get a chance to ask when we first met him on Episode #27 of the podcast.

Western Oklahoma is on a roll right now with the recent legalization of marijuana.  Farm and land prices have been driven significantly upward with this emerging market and one of the well training land use experts (Payton Hamm) from Elk City, Oklahoma joins us on the show.  Payton offers great insight on market growth, permit and licensing statistics, as well as some in-depth knowledge around water, electricity and other factors that big money investors are searching for.  Don't miss this episode.   Payton Hamm Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority  

Western Oklahoma native, Jeff Dixon, attended Oklahoma State University. While at Stillwater he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management. He then spent the next 15 years in Edmond where he became a General Manager & Proprietor for the Hal Smith Group.  Today, Jeff serves as Co-Founder and CFO of Provision Concepts Jeff Dixon. Check out The Great Game of Business: The Only sensible Way to Run a Company by Jack Stack as mentioned in today's episode! Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!) Favorite success quote or mantra: "If you don;'t like something about yourself, change it." In today's episode with Jeff Dixon we will discuss: BOH organized chaos Early mentors Taking a 1.5 year break from the industry Best interview tactics and advice Opening vs. running a restaurant Building a team Building an energy drink company Budgeting Raising capital Operational expenses Trust, checks, and balances The Trust and Track method Sales and labor Opening a restaurant during the COVID pandemic Collaboration Today's sponsor: 7shifts is a modern labor management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. Effectively labor management is more important than ever to ensure profitability and restaurant success. Trusted by over 400,000 restaurant professionals, 7shifts gives you the tools you need to streamline labor operations, communicate with your team, and retain your talent. Best of all 7shifts integrates with the POS and Payroll systems you already use and trust (like Toast!) turning labor into a competitive advantage for your business. Restaurant Unstoppable members get 3 months, absolutely free.   99designs is the global creative platform that makes it easy for designers and clients to work together remotely - no matter what your budget. From logos and brand identity, to menu and packaging, 99designs has helped more than tens of thousands restaurant owners build their brands. 99designs will match you with the right professional for your project from their curated community of talented creatives, and stay with you every step of the way so you love the outcome. Head to https://99designs.com/unstoppable to learn more or get $20 off your first design contest! Ecolab: Streamline your clean with Ecolab’s new EPA-registered 2-in-1 solution, Sink & Surface Cleaner Sanitizer. It will help reduce risk, simplify your procedures and help ensure compliance. This solution cleans and sanitizes hard non-porous surfaces with a single product, eliminates the rinse step and equips your staff to clean more efficiently. Clean simplified, confidence delivered. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Fire under my ass always What is your biggest weakness? Organization What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? Outgoing What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Juggling the growth Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Embrace change What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Don't be an order-taker, be a salesman. Care about your guests! What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? the Bible GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough? When you scale you need to invest personal time in ALL of your stores Give more praise Name one service you've hired. A Closer Look - Customer Experience and Mystery Shopping What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations? Front App Chowly Toast POS If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? Treat others how you want to be treated Go for no You can do it Contact info: Email: jeff@eatdrinkpc.com Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Jeff Dixon for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!   Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/RlApib9rLQk   The FDA and Hiland Dairy are recalling Hiland Dairy 1% low fat chocolate milk.  Some of this product may contain food-grade sanitizers that would trigger illness if ingested.  These products were sold in Oklahoma City and its metro area, Western Oklahoma, Dallas, San Antonio, and Tyler TX.  If you bought this product, return it to the point of purchase for a refund.  Those with additional questions may contact Hiland Dairy online at www.hilanddairy.com/contact-us.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hiland-dairy-announces-recall-hiland-dairy-half-pint-1-low-fat-chocolate-milk-cartons   #chocolate milk #hiland #contamination  

This week on Raising OKC Kids, we are focusing on STEM and STEAM in preparation for national STEM day on Sunday, as well as the opening day for Geekapalooza, a virtual STEAM Festival for Kids, hosted by MetroFamily and Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma and presented by Boeing. Listen in as we chat with Kristin Holland, who is the Boeing Global Engagement site leader in Colorado, Oklahoma and Utah. Kristin talks about potential careers in STEAM, how kids can get involved in STEM-related activities now and a teaser of Boeing’s interactive workshop, coming up at Geekapalooza!

In this special episode of the Southern Plains Podcast we again talk about the drought conditions with Victor Murphy, Climate Services Program Manager for the National Weather Service Southern Region out of Ft. Worth.  Victor talks to us about the worsening conditions drought in West Texas and Western Oklahoma and the outlook for the next few weeks.  

Kellie & Thomas discuss a recent "black market" marijuana bust on I-40 & remember the days of District Attorney Jason Hicks' concerted civil forfeiture program centered in Western Oklahoma. (Original Air Date: September 8, 2020). --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/talkjive/support

On today's episode of the Only in OK Show, we discuss the Route 66 Museum in Clinton.     The Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK is the ultimate Route 66 experience. The museum offers visitors a personal journey through the history of the nation’s most revered highway. Encounter the iconic ideas, images, and myths of the Mother Road. Learn about the dreams and the labor needed to make the road a reality. Experience the Dust Bowl as thousands streamed along the road, away from drought and despair, and towards the “land of promise.” Listen to the sounds of the Big Band era, when the roar of the big trucks and the welcome home cries to returning soldiers dominated the road. Sit at the counter or a booth in the 1950s diner and feel the open road as America’s families vacationed along the length of Route 66. You just might overhear the family’s chatter as they eat their lunch. The museum also offers changing special exhibits focusing on the Route 66 experience.   Located in the heart of the Western Oklahoma on Historic Route 66, Clinton is known as the Hub City of Western Oklahoma and is the birthplace of country music superstar, Toby Keith.   When you visit the museum, be sure to check out Episode 76 - The Clinton Water Zoo & Episode 71 - White Dog Hill Restaurant in Clinton   #TravelOK #onlyinokshow #Oklahoma #MadeinOklahoma #oklaproud #BetterTogether #SupportLocalEverything #positivenews #itunes #podcast #bestinclass, Rt66

Gabe has spent two-decades in radio all at the same place and as a result, he has achieved some great things in some very small towns. Gabe is GM at Paragon Communications in Western Oklahoma. His operation offers advertisers a variety of ways to market including a near dozen video streams of high school sports, various promotional events like Fishing Derbys and classic car shows, and believe it or not a print publication. All driven by the 6 radio stations he oversees in two small markets. Gabe acknowledges managing people can be a real challenge especially the creative ones, because as Gabe says "Creatives will be creative." He shares his secrets to the hiring process plus the real hands-on training they receive. Listen to learn what he teaches- "precise radio skills." He calls himself a real "spark plug guy" and it shows in his energy and his success. Gabe is someone doing it all- using modern technology tools combined with old school media while thriving in small market radio.

Coming to you from a barn in Western Oklahoma, it's episode 1 of Our Own Truth with Dave and Jason. Today's episode we'll be covering why the year 2020 is a big piece of shit and how we're gonna survive it. We hope you enjoy.

Some people believe they deserve to be happy. Is this really true? This is what we explore in today's podcast episode. Many people believe they are supposed to feel happy all of the time and then get flustered and even downright upset when they feel anything other than happiness. They are plagued by anxiety because they aren't happy. People do so many different attempts at not feeling that anxiety that they start to fight all emotions. It is almost like a child who doesn't get their way they pack up all their toys. Life is 50%/50% The part many people who suffer from constant anxiety and fear fail to realize that life is 50/50 or half of your life is going to great, happy and joyous. While the other 50% of your life is going to be painful negative emotions, and that is a good thing. You don't want to be happy when someone dies. You want to feel grief and sorrow. You break up from your love. You don't want to feel joyous. That is the death of a relationship so you should mourn the loss of an emotional connection. The sad part is that many people demand that they be happy. People believe that they deserve to be happy and that others should be making them happy and there is a fault in that line of thinking. That fault is that people can't make other people feel a particular emotion or any emotion. To feel an emotion you must first have thought. That thought is needed before you can feel. For that thought to happen, there is an event or circumstance. This is where many people believe they receive their emotions. Yet, events are neither positive nor are they negative until you put your thought on it. Look at the times your kids have done something they are proud of, for instance drawing on the wall. You can see that as a destructive act and respond with anger and harsh words or you can see that junior is just trying to exercise his creativity. This is where you can have more than one emotion and that emotion isn't wrong. The event is the same the thought is different and that thought creates the emotion of being angry or just put out. You don't allow yourself to be happy Many people talk about how they want to just be happy. Yet anytime something happens they don't choose to be happy about it. Often this is the pessimist's line of thinking. They could look at the glass to be half-full but they can only see that their glass is half gone. They don't allow the feeling of joy in their lives because they are too busy worrying about when the other shoe is going to drop. Yet because they are, the only ones who can make themselves feel joy happiness and love they are the force that keeps themselves miserable. They have chosen to be unhappy. You have to earn happiness Another part of being happy is often you have to earn happiness. That is because happiness is the reward for a job completed. That sense of accomplishment is the reward we are craving. To be able to earn that reward you have to get yourself out of your cave. You have to deny yourself the pleasure of Netflix or seeing what baby Yoda is up to so that you can go out and do something that will propel yourself forward toward your happiness. Therefore, get outdoors do something that gets you closer to your goals. One way you can do this is with the Camp and Coach event that I am hosing in Western Oklahoma. If you would like to change, you think so you can find the life you have been dreaming of then sign up for the Camp and Coach Event that is happening on May 7-10

On this episode I sat down with Rep Cyndi Munson to talk a little about Oklahoma politics but mostly about her story, how she got into politics and how life in the house is in 2019. Munson became the first Asian-American woman elected to the Oklahoma Legislature. She has concentrated her legislative efforts on providing equal pay for equal work, strengthening the rights of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, assisting Oklahoma’s veterans, and working to make life easier for our loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia.Originally from Lawton, Cyndi developed her passion for public service at an early age. Her father’s military service taught Cyndi and her sister, Sandra, the importance of giving back. A first generation college student, Cyndi graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she earned a Master of Science in Leadership Education. Cyndi also spent a semester of her college experience studying at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.Before her election to the Legislature, Cyndi spent a decade working and volunteering in Oklahoma City’s non-profit community. In her most recent work with Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma, she provided leadership programs for thousands of girls in low-income schools, juvenile detention centers, and public housing.Cyndi is a member of Leadership Oklahoma Class 31 and an alumni member of Leadership Oklahoma City’s LOYAL Class VIII. She serves on the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, is a member of the Oklahoma Messages Project Board of Directors, and is the past chair of the Infant Crisis Services Young Professionals Group.Thanks for listening, follow Cyndi on Instagram here @cyndimunson Please leave a review, if you liked this episode I'd love to hear your thoughts. Cheers, Mike

OKC is mostly known for the OKC Thunder and recently Westbrook leaving us. However, OKC has a badass food scene that's been popping off for a few years now. Not your first choice in the midwest but its becoming one of the best.  I interviewed Logan about his food blog called @edibleexcellence on Instagram. He’s turned his passion and hobby into a thriving blog and budding business. Hosting monthly events connecting with restaurants, other local bloggers and serving on many non profit boards such as the Girls Scouts of Western Oklahoma. I met Logan at one of his influencer brunch events at En Croute. Logan organizes a monthly event for local food blogegrs to get together, have brunch and network. The event was really cool, i got to meet a lot of faces behind the instagram accounts which is always nice. A few years ago Logan challenged himself to eat at a different resturant every week for one year. This took him on quite a journey, eating goat was one of the things he mentioned. As well as finding the best hole in the wall places that he would never have found if he stayed in his normal routine. Half way through this challenge a friend asked if he was sharing his challenge with anyone and that this would be perfect for Instagram. After that, it was off to the races and Edible Excellence was born. Logan’s passion isnt just food. He’s a hige fan of cocktails. Mentioning his favorite places like R&J, 602 Bistro in Guthrie and PonyBoy in Uptown. OKC is thriving with new restaurants and most recently a food court concept, The Collective has recently opened and The Parlor is coming soon to Broadway this fall. All these concepts are great for OKC’s tourism, it puts our city on the map and keeps our brains busy with choice. What better place to live than a place that has so much variety for any meal of the day. If you want follow search @edibleexcellence on instagram to follow Logan’s recommendations. Thanks for listening, as always leave us a review 5* preferred. If you’d like to recommend anyone for the podcast send me an email thisisoklahomamedia@gmail.com and follow us @thisisoklahoma on instagram. Thanks  

Today's awesome podcast sheds some light on an incredible event coming up in OKC this Thursday called Cookies and Cocktails. This event is presented by the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma to raise awareness and money for their new camp here in OKC. Learn more about what the Girl Scouts are doing to make a change in this area and this incredible event. 28 restaurants incroporating GS Cookies into their new creations. Foodies from all over the state will be in attendance to raise money for this amazing organization. Follow them here at @gswesternok get tickets here www.gswestok.org use discount code FRIEND See you there at the OKC Farmers Market this Thursday 6th August 5.30-8pm 21 and over event. #thisisoklahoma  

Paige Taylor is an alternative model from Western Oklahoma. An active ambassador for the cannabis industry, married mom of 3, and published Just Inked model. We discuss everything from modeling to why Amazon thinks i should read books about dating married men and Wish trying to sell meth pipes (WTF is that about anyways?) You can follow all of her work on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/metalmomm/, you can also find her on Instagram @metalmomm. This episode is brought to you by Ryan BJJ in Tulsa. Check them out on FB as well at https://www.facebook.com/Ryanbrazilianjiujitsu/.  

With most southern seasons winding down we are headed to hunt Rio Grande Turkeys in Western Oklahoma! On this strut report we discuss the cost of a trip like this and how you can make it happen! Check out our friends at houndstooth game calls at the link below!  https://houndstooth-game-calls-2.myshopify.com

Jeff & Will talk about their upcoming trip to the 2019 LA Times Festival of Books. They also discuss two series they’ve been watching: Comedy Central’s The Other Two and Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. Books reviewed this week include Kim Fielding’s The Spy’s Love Song, Ari McKay’s Take Two and Erin McLellan’s Clean Break. Jeff interviews Erin McLellan about Clean Break, the second book in her Farm College series, and about why it’s important for her to tell stories based in her home state of Oklahoma. They also talk about her Love Life series, what got her started writing, her author influences and the TV she likes to binge watch. Complete shownotes for episode 182 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. -------- Here’s the text of Jeff’s book reviews: The Spy’s Love Song by Kim FieldingRock star and secret agent on a mission to a foreign country to topple a dictator all wrapped up in a Dreamspun Desires package. That combination pushed all of my romantic suspense buttons and I had no choice but to pick up this book. And I loved it every bit as much as I thought I would. I was in tropey goodness heaven with the rock star thing, a bodyguard vibe plus lovers on the run and some occasional forced proximity. Jaxon Powers is a jaded rock star who’s at the end of a long tour. After waking up in a hotel room barely remembering what happened the night before, he might also be ready for a change in lifestyle. He gets a lot more than he bargained for when his manager brings him to a meeting with the State Department. It seems the dictator that runs the small country of Vasnytsia is a fan and wants Jaxon to perform a private concert as well as a large outdoor one for a worker’s festival. The U.S. wants Jaxon to do this because it’s a chance to improve US relations with the Russia-supported dictator. The only person going with Jaxon on the trip is secret agent Reid Stanfill. Besides keeping Jaxon safe, Reid’s got an agenda that has global ramifications. I fell in love with this book right from the beginning. Kim plays with expectations from the beginning. While Jaxon appears to be the spoiled rock star we quickly find that’s not what he wants to be. He’s a small town boy, doing what he loves to do but he wants more substance to the way he’s living. The trip to Vasnytsia does exactly that as his world view gets a complete makeover. Not only does Jaxon end up traveling without the entourage he’s used to, as Reid’s mission goes sideways the two end up on the run. Reid’s mission is to try to destabilize the country and force elections and that makes him an enemy of the state. Despite his fear, Jaxon won’t leave Reid to fend for himself. Jaxon knows his celebrity can protect both of them and he sticks by Reid even as Reid tries to force the star to safety. Through all of the crazy events that could result in either of them dying, Jaxon and Reid manage to start a romance. Reid tries to keep it from beginning since they’re in a country where homosexuality is illegal but they give in to their passions. That’s just the beginning as they share stories about their pasts, which only endears them more to each other. The mix between the romance and suspense is perfect, giving our guys time to fall in love even while things around them go crazy. I liked that Kim avoided the usual Dreamspun scenario of having alternating points of view. Everything in the story is Jaxon, which works perfectly so we don’t know Reid’s mission or anything else too early. It makes for a very snappy read going on the roller coaster that Jaxon experiences. Kim brings Vasnytsia to life through its people. It starts with the guides taking Jaxon around the country, giving him peek behind the propaganda. As he meets fans who must covertly speak to him as it wouldn’t be proper for anyone to talk with the American he begins to understand why Reid’s mission is so important. Ultimately it’s these people who shelter Reid and Jaxon and help complete his mission–with a particularly awesome assist from Jaxon. Drew Bacca does a great job on the audiobook, including having to sing a couple of Jaxon’s songs. This is the first book in the “Stars From Peril” series that Kim has in the Dreamspun line. The second book, Redesigning Landry Bishop, comes out in May and I’m already looking forward to it.  -------- Clean Break by Erin McLellanI almost didn’t pick this book up because I couldn’t imagine reading a book that included the characters taking care of Madagascar hissing cockroaches. I’m not a fan of bugs and the trigger warning page discusses more about the bugs than anything else. However, I’m glad I listened to the re-assurances I wouldn’t be creeped out because this is a terrific book–and the bugs really are a non-thing. This book, the second in Erin’s “Farm College” series, throws together Connor Blume and Travis Bedford–two guys who very much don’t like each other in the aftermath of an awkward, failed hookup. As their final college term begins, Connor and Travis are taking Entomology 101 and because the professor likes students to sit alphabetically, they’re next to each other and end up becoming class partners. Their dislike for each other radiates from them during that first class. Connor’s OCD and anxiety flare up just being near the guy, who he’s still wildly attracted to and wants to have a real discussion with. Travis has the attraction too but carries the anger from their previous hookup. It only gets worse as they get the assignment that they’ll be caring for Madagascar hissing cockroaches for the semester or that they’ll have to answer discussion questions together. It doesn’t take long for the sparks of dislike to turn into sparks of desire and they end up spending time after class in a storage closet making out. Neither of them is particularly happy that they’re giving in to their desires, which makes the scenes cuter and hotter. Travis wants the fussy farmer and Connor very much wants the stand-offish English major. Even as their make out sessions start to cool their hatred, they realize they’re constrained by time. At graduation, Connor is set to take over management of his parent’s farm, even though he doesn’t necessarily want that. Meanwhile, Travis can’t wait to get out of the small town for his legal aid internship and then on to law school. The guys have their futures mapped out and there’s no space for the other. That doesn’t stop them from getting emotionally entangled. Erin does a terrific job of bringing these two together. As they move their hookups to the bedroom, Travis discovers he likes Connor’s controlling side and gives himself over to it. Connor though never takes advantage, making sure that he’s always got Travis’s consent and that Travis enjoys himself. That continues as Travis reveals he’d like to be spanked. Both guys discover this is exactly what they need. Beyond the sex though, their efforts to not get too attached aren’t helped by their post-sex talks. Travis usually wants Connor to tell him a story and it’s here that he opens up bit by bit about his anxiety, his OCD and his pre-determined future. There’s so much going on for him, as a reader I wanted to wrap him in a hug and do whatever I could to ease the load he carried. Travis talks a lot too and over time we learn what makes him so driven–it turns out he lost one of his dreams due to an accident and he doesn’t want to let anything or anyone cost him this one. Just a she was great at bringing them together, Erin tears the guys apart just as expertly. It’s a tough go as Connor and Travis force themselves apart as graduation nears. Erin does a number on the characters as they emotionally hurt themselves and each other as they keep to their plans. Both guys want to talk to the other so badly and yet they’ve promised not too. For Connor, this is particularly bad for his OCD. Of course, this is a romance, so all must end happy. Thankfully how Erin gets the guys back together his as satisfying as everything she did earlier in the book. There is a way for them to be together–it just takes time for them to get there. -------- Interview Transcript - Erin McLellan Jeff: Welcome, Erin, to the podcast. Erin: Hi. Thanks for having me. Jeff: Very excited to have you here. You’re a new-to-me author and I just finished reading “Clean Break,” which I have to tell you, I adored so much. I’m reviewing it right before we get into the interview segment I’ll have reviewed it to kinda tell everybody about it. Erin: Yay, thank you. Jeff: It is the second book in your “Farm College” Series. So before we dive into “Clean Break,” tell us more about what the “Farm College” Series is about. Erin: Okay. So it’s just two books so far like you said and they are set in a fictional college in Western Oklahoma. And I would say kind of the overarching themes are… Since they’re college stories, they’re new adult that’s kind of coming of age and self-discovery, finding your authentic self, finding a home is kind of a big one. I think that’s kind of important at that age. You’ve moved out of your parent’s house or wherever you grew up for a lot of people and kinda figuring out what is home, what is family, that kind of thing. So those types of themes are kind of follow both books. They’re both kind of angsty to be honest though “Controlled Burn,” more so than “Clean Break” actually. Jeff: Oh, my goodness. Erin: So be prepared. But, yeah, and I think in terms of… The setting is really important to me at least as the author and those books is important to me. I’m from Oklahoma. I live in Alaska now, but I’m from Oklahoma. And it’s important to me to write stories that are set in Oklahoma that have, you know, LGBTQIA+ characters in Oklahoma. And I know as somebody that reads a lot of romance, I don’t see that very often. I don’t see romance set there or it might be… I have seen it where it’s, you know, characters that are like, escaping Oklahoma which certainly is the case for a lot of people, but it’s also the case that people live and love, and make their lives there. And I kinda wanna show that. Jeff: Does a farm college like this exist in Oklahoma? Is it based on a real place? Erin: No. Kind of I guess. A lot of the kind of small details mirror Oklahoma State which was my alma mater for undergrad, but Oklahoma State is so much bigger than the college that I created. So Farm College is kind of a smaller college in Western Oklahoma that I’ve created, but in terms of being, you know, having a strong agriculture program, but also kind of having this liberal arts situation that’s going on and a pretty vibrant LGBTQIA community, I’ve kind of made most of that up. So… Jeff: And I agree that we don’t see, I mean, besides books set in Oklahoma, really the more rural settings kinda, it’s always escaping from those places. And I like that you kind of built a place as if this is what you’d like to see even if it doesn’t quite exist there now. Erin: Right. And I think it’s kind of funny when I started writing “Controlled Burn.” It was pre-2016, right? And I kind of had this, you know, I kind of had this idea that it’s getting better, right? It’s looking up for lots of communities and I’m not sure if that’s necessarily the case anymore. I hope it will be and I hope it is eventually. But, you know, there’s good and bad, I think, about places like Oklahoma and Kansas, and Texas. And, you know, Oklahoma is really special to me. It’s really important to me. Kansas is the same, but there’s also problems and, you know, I wanna kinda write those stories. And I also, thinking about Oklahoma or Texas probably more so, a lot of the romances that I’ve read that are set there are like, ranch, you know, the cowboys, the farmers which there is kind of a farmer in “Clean Break.” But there’s a lot of people that live in Oklahoma and in Texas, in Kansas that aren’t cowboys. So I wanted to tell that story too. Jeff: Right. And you really hinted that a little bit with some of the dialogue between Travis and Connor in “Clean Break” too as they kind of talk about the difference between cowboy and more the farmer type that Connor and his family are. Erin: Right. Jeff: And so, as we kinda move this direction, tell us what “Clean break” is about and kind of who Travis and Connor are. Erin: Right. So “Clean Break” is about Travis and Connor. Travis is…he’s the best friend in “Controlled Burn.” So if you read “Controlled Burn,” you see quite a bit of him. He’s an English major. He’s from Houston, Texas, very ambitious. He’s got these kind of life plans and nothing’s gonna slow him down, right? He wants to go to law school. He’s got an internship after for the summer. He’s planning to move to Saint Louis eventually to work at this legal aid charity. He has this very, you know, set goals and he’s also kind of a unique, quirky, funny character to me. And then you have Connor who comes in and I don’t know if I would say at the beginning of the book, it’s more like pre-book before the book happens, they have a little bit of a failed hookup in a lot of ways. Some misunderstandings and so, they don’t like each other very much. And then in the first chapter, they get paired together as class partners in a class. And Connor is a farm boy. He’s kind of a townie, right? He’s from Elkville which is the city that’s it’s set in. He’s expected to take over the family farm and so, he’s got this, you know, he kind of his future plans are set, right? He doesn’t have a say over them and he’s… I have a big soft spot in my heart for him. He’s got anxiety, he has OCD. I really wanted to kind of write against the archetype of the like, lackadaisical cowboy or even like, the kind of the hard cowboy or, you know, that kind of archetype that I had in my head. I wanted to write a sensitive farm boy who’s in therapy and, you know, it doesn’t really match some of the people or the characters that I have seen written that way. And kind of the main issue between them, first is that they don’t like each other, but they’re attracted to each other, right? But the kind of the main two things that I wanted to do with the book is I wanted to write a complex authentic characters that are really well-rounded and hopefully, I accomplish that. And then the other thing that I really wanted to do was kind of write to people that are heading towards their future which is graduation and then, you know, the future beyond. And then their futures don’t mesh. There’s not really a way to come together at the end of graduation. They’re moving in different directions and I think that’s a really universal thing for people in college that are dating and dating seriously… do you compromise your future for somebody else? Do you change it? How do you make it work? So those are kind of the two things that I really wanted to hit on and of course, there’s, you know, there’s some kink that happens in the book and kind of self-discovery with that especially on Connors’ part. So there’s a lot going on, but those two things. The characterization and the conflict there with their futures not meshing are the two things I really wanted to hit. Jeff: And I think you did them both, I mean, really well. This book has so much going on in it and yet it never…the story also never gets way down either with the weight of everything that’s kind of moving around here. Erin: Thank you. Jeff: And really, you started them off as enemies who sort of move to friends to sort of get to lovers. Erin: Right. Jeff: Just that progression was so fun to watch unfold as they both pick at each other and then also help each other grow at the same time. It’s like, they lift each other up and kinda tear each other down at the same time. Erin: Right. And I hope that that is realistic. I think people… Because in a lot of ways they are kind of mean to each other at certain points and people can be mean to each other in real life. Especially, they’re not very old, you know, they’re 21, 22. So they kinda make stupid mistakes sometimes and say things that can be hurtful and then have to figure out how to make it better. Jeff: And I think with Connor too, you talked about writing against the archetypes and just having kinda the anxiety plus the OCD. And being, you know, a young gay man in that setting really just sets up so much for him in that situation. Erin: Right. Yeah. He has a lot going on. He’s bi actually and… Jeff: Right. I’m sorry. You’re right. Yes. Erin: And so, kind of a lot. I mean, it’s just a lot and I think it’s a lot for him to kind of deal with all at the same time. Jeff: What was your research on the mental health side of it to kind of figure out what traits to weave into his personality? Erin: So I did a lot of research and I had some readers too that read it for me. One of the main things that I really looked at was kind of the myths especially with OCD, kind of the myths surrounding OCD. I think a lot of people think it’s just, you know, a cleanliness thing or even an organizational thing where they, you know, people with OCD have an impulse to organize or clean. And that’s not really how it presents for a lot of people. A lot people have intrusive thoughts which he has or, you know, they have checking where he checks the expiration dates on food and he can’t kind of stop doing that even though he knows he shouldn’t be doing it, and it’s not healthy for him to do. And so, I did a lot of research about the myths and the different ways that it presents for people and kind of the hardships that it causes them. And I also really wanted to make sure that I kind of made it clear. It’s something that he’ll always deal with, right? It’s not going away and so, it’s really… I did a lot of research on how to manage it, how, you know, how to kind of continue life dealing with a mental health problem like that. Jeff: Yeah. I just… So often I wanted to just give him a hug when he was starting to lapse into it. It’s like, “Oh, I’m so sorry this is happening.” What you did through the black moments and I don’t wanna give spoilers for folks who, you know, need to read the book. But what you did to the black moments for both Connor and Travis as they dealt with their emotions and for Connor how those emotions kinda manifest themselves in his OCD was really just, I really liked seeing two young adults kinda come to grapple with all of that. Erin: Yeah. And I think it’s pretty normal when you’re more stressed, right? Or when there’s more and more stress for, you know, the OCD to kind of build on itself. The same with anxiety like, whenever I am really stressed about my anxiety, it’s gonna be worse about small things, you know, you can kind of blow them out of proportion. I know I do that and so, I was kind of trying to show that how it’s like as things got more stressful for him with graduation moving and with kind of this relationship with Travis, that’s not going away he wants it to go. It does kind of snowball for him and it kinda snowballs for Travis too just in different ways because he doesn’t, you know, he doesn’t have anxiety or OCD of course, but, you know, he struggles just kind of the same way. Jeff: Yeah. When you were talking about with this books about you left out one of its major points. Erin: The bugs? Jeff: That is the inclusion of the the hissing cockroaches. Where did that idea even come from? Erin: So I knew I wanted to put them in a class together and I wanted them to be class partners. But Travis is an English major and Connor is agriculture sciences, agribusiness major. And so, I knew it had to be like a gen ed class for at least one of them. And so, I really started thinking about the gen ed class that I had taken as an English major whenever I was an undergrad trying to figure out what class would make sense. And then I realized that I actually had taken an ag class that was Entomology 101. And I loved it, I, you know, I held like, tarantulas and I held millipedes. And I could see myself being that like, weird bug girl a little bit. I just loved it. And so, that’s kinda how I decided to put them in an entomology class. And it’s funny because, I mean, I do think that college is one of those times to take the weird class and do the weird thing. And so, I think it kind of made sense there and I also felt like, I gave a degree of what kind of humor and lightness I thought it would to the story. But I realize now that a lot of readers maybe don’t like bugs. So it’s something that’s like a little distracting to some people. When I had took the entomology class, we had an assignment where we had that exact assignment with the Madagascar hissing cockroaches where we had to take them home and observe them. And so, you know, for an entire semester, I had a Madagascar hissing cockroach in my dorm room with me. I never took it out of its box. I like, you know, I fed it, like, carrots through the little hole that it couldn’t get out and so, that would be fun to put that in the story. And I can tell you for the readers, the cockroaches do not escape ever. They never… There’s no, like, unexpected cockroach scenes. I promise. Jeff: Yeah. And I can vouch for that. There are no unexpected scenes and in fact, I had to check… I had to ask about that before I took the book to read and I’m like, “Bugs, I don’t know about that.” Erin: I know. I have put it in the trigger warnings for the book and on my website, it really does lay out kinda scene by scene where they’re at and kind of the degree that they’re on the page. And they’re not on the page that much. Jeff: No, they’re not and I never got squirmy reading it either because I really don’t like bugs. But I was totally fine with how this turned out. So… Erin: Yeah. I know. I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that it would gross people out. At that point it was too late when it, like, finally hit me. I was like, “Well, I can’t do anything about it.” But I kind of thought that they were funny. Jeff: Well, I think it really fits with the whole ag culture of the college that of course, they’re gonna end up with bugs or whatever and have to learn about them. So it all meshed in together and like you said, there’s no point where they’re escaping or, you know, being gross. They’re just kind of there. Erin: Right. And students… Jeff: I like to, you know, those classes sometimes you take in high school where you’re having to take care of the doll for a week or whatever. And in this case you’re hanging out with a cockroach. So… Erin: Right. It’s kinda like a little pet for them for this semester. Jeff: So is there more plan for the Farm College Series? Erin: I have not kind of set plans. I do want to write a story for Alex. He’s in both books. He’s not in “Controlled Burn” for very much though his part is kind of important in “Controlled Burn.” He’s a friend of Connor’s really in “Clean Break” and I do wanna give him a story and I will. I’ll probably start writing that soon. Kind of be on that. I don’t know how much more I’ll write in the Farm College Series though I do wanna do a spin off that’s kind of several years in the future. So they’re not really in college anymore and I want to do an F/F romance for Desie and Lena. So I would start there for them. Jeff: Yay. Yeah. I would totally read that book because one of the things you did in “Clean Break” and I’m sure you established it back in “Controlled Burn” too, was just the tight community of friends that Travis and Connor both have, and even, like, the strong family presence of Connor’s family and how they support him. So it would be great to see more of all of that. Erin: Yeah. So… Yeah. And I definitely… I think I did a little bit more successfully in “Clean Break” for sure where they have very supportive families and they do have kind of a big wide friend group. And so, yeah, I’m glad that you like that, but I do want to do the F/F romance for Lena and Desie kind of. But Lena is quite young in this book. She’s 20 and so, I wanna give her a little bit of time to grow up, I guess. Jeff: Yeah. That’s cool. Now, you’ve got another series out there called “Love Life.” And tell us a little bit about what goes on in that series? Erin: Sure. So that’s also, they’re both male/male romances. Set in Oklahoma, Eastern Oklahoma for the first book, “Life on Pause.” They’re kind of small town romances there. The first one is about a guy that works at a homestead kind of prairie museum. They’re kind of common in Oklahoma where the people that work there have to dress in like, historical costumes of the time. So he works at that type of museum and then he is paired with a high school choir teacher. And it’s kind of them trying to fall in love and figure out how their relationship will work. It’s definitely kind of lighter in tone than the farm college series, but it’s still a little angsty. The second book in the series, “Life of Bliss,” is more novella link that’s a little short and it’s very tropey. It’s kind of two people that don’t like each other very much, but are fooling around kind of behind their friends’ backs. They agree to be fake boyfriends for a family wedding in Arkansas and Arkansas kind of, well, it has this… Historically in the area, it was the only state that didn’t have a waiting period for marriage licenses. Now, most of the states don’t, but back in the day, you know, they made you like, test for syphilis and all kind of stuffs. But extended the marriage license period. So Arkansas is kind of the place where people go for their shotgun weddings historically. So this is going back quite away, but in this book they go to a wedding in Arkansas, they get drunk at the wedding and basically, end up getting married themselves. It’s set in Eureka Springs, Arkansas for the wedding part and I don’t know if anybody would be familiar with that. But you can get married practically anywhere in Eureka Springs. It’s kind of an economy there. So it’s quite easy to get married and that’s what happens. So it’s kind of fake dating to accidental marriage. Jeff: Fake dating to accidental marriage. I like… Those are favorite tropes right there. Erin: Yeah. It’s a fun one, I think. Jeff: So what is your writing origin story? You’ve got these four books out. How did all this start? Erin: Well, I was a creative writing English major in undergrad, but then I ended up going to grad school for library and information studies. And I was a public librarian. And I had… I kind of had a lot of big changes in my life. I just graduated grad school. I just got married, I just moved away from home like, all of these big changes. I had a full time job for the first time and I had… I was living in Houston, Texas and I had this horrible commute. It was like, an hour and a half each way and… Jeff: Yeah. that’s pretty horrible. Erin: I think most people that have been in Houston know what I’m talking about. And I had all this time to kind of think and I basically on my commute started plotting a book. And some of it came from, I missed kind of the creative outlet writing research papers and stuff like that from school. And so, yeah, that’s kind of how I started writing as I plotted this book on my commute and then finally, I decided that I was gonna sit down and write it. And that book was “Controlled Burn.” Jeff: That’s an awesome story. Erin: Thank you. Jeff: What led you into putting this creativity towards M/M romance amongst all of the genres that were possible? Erin: Yeah. Some of it I think is that I was reading a lot of it at that time, I kind of got into M/M romance I guess if we’re going further back by reading Suzanne Brockmann, right? So she has the “Troubleshooters” series and that has Jules Cassidy who’s the gay FBI agent, right? He’s got that kind of the secondary romance through several books and then the primary thorugh a novella. And then whenever I was in grad school, I kind of didn’t have time to read for pleasure very much. So I wasn’t reading very much and then I took a class about reader’s advisory that we had to read like, the books from the best books of the year for “Publishers Weekly” and “Kirkus,” and stuff. And I just kind of… I can’t remember what year it was, but I grabbed kind of a random book off the romance list and it ended up being “Brothers of the Wild North Sea” by Harper Fox and I didn’t really realize that it was a male/male romance. So I just kinda grabbed it and started reading, and then it became quite clear, you know, very early on what it was. And it’s a beautiful book. Harper Fox is, you know, is a beautiful writer. Everything that she writes is really awesome and so, I kind of gobbled up everything that she had written and then it kind of hit me at that time. There has to be other writers that are doing this and, you know, they weren’t the books that were in the libraries. They weren’t in my libraries. So I kind of started searching them out and, you know, read a lot of K.A. Mitchell and Z.A. Maxfield, and some of those authors at that time that were the most prolific. And I was just very excited because I felt like there are all these authors that I had never heard of that I didn’t know about and they were all really, really good. And they were writing, you know, stories that kind of the themes were very important to me. And so, then when I write finally, eventually, decided to sit down and write a book. I think probably the main thing for me is that I wanted to write characters who are LGBTQIA in Oklahoma and it just happened to be that the first book that kind of came to mind, and that I plotted fully was an M/M romance in “Controlled Burn.” So that’s definitely how I got started. Jeff: That’s very cool and some great authors there to get you introduced to the genre as well. Who do you count as your author influences? Erin: Well, definitely, you know, my gateways were Suzanne Brockmann into romance in general and then Harper Fox. Kind of on a wider scale, I really like Alisha Rai. She kind of, she writes the heroines that are the type of parents that I just love. They are raunchy and rowdy, and wonderful. I would say also Annabeth Albert in terms of contemporary romance. Alexis Hall, I think kind of teaches or his books are like a master class on first person point of view if you look at “For Real” or “Glitterland.” And so, I really, really like his books too. Jeff: Now, your bio mentions that you like binge worthy TV shows. So of course, we have to know what are you binging these days or have binged recently that you would recommend? Erin: So my husband and I have been rewatching “Game of Thrones” of course, because the last season was about to come out. So when you binge that show, you just kind of realize how many awful things happened back to back to back because the first time we watched it, we didn’t binge it. We are watching it week to week, but when you’re binge watching that it’s like, “Oh, my God. That’s so awful, these things that keep happening.” Other than that, I really like… I like true crime, but I’m not watching any kind of true crime right now. And I like comedies. So I’ve watched “Schitt’s Creek” recently which I love, “The Good Place,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “One Day at a Time,” all these sitcoms that I think are really good, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” because I love musicals is really good. And then I also watch a lot of like, reality TV. So I like, like, “Tiny House Hunters,” and “Instant Hotel,” and “Project Runway,” shows kind of like that. Jeff: Very cool. Yeah. Some good stuff on there. Erin: You can tell me I watch a lot of TV. Jeff: “The Good Place” is a particular favorite. Erin: Yeah. It’s so smart. It’s so different than like, yeah, it’s very, very unique. So this is a great list for everybody who’s looking for something to binge the spring right here. So what’s coming up next for you in your release plans? Jeff: So I don’t have anything kind of set in stone. I’m not very good at planning. [I”m working on one about] tornado chasers or storm chasers. That’s a male/male romance that I have on submission right now to a publisher that I’m hoping will pick it up. If they don’t, then, you know, it’ll keep going out and hopefully somebody else will want it. I’m currently writing a book about a rec league softball team and I want this to be really, really tropey and kind of fun and light. The first one is using kind of the one bed trope. So I hope that that would be a lot of fun. I’ll write Alex’s story pretty soon and then I have a book that I wrote. But I’m hoping to put out at Christmas, it’s called “Stocking Stuffers.” And it’s a M/F romance with a bi heroine who sell sex toys. You know, like the Tupperware parties, but it’s like the, you know, the sex toy Tupperware parties kind of. And so, she works for a company kinda is the marketing person for a company like that and she’s hosting one of those parties, get snowed in, you know, with a big red bag of toys basically. Jeff: Yeah. That’s like an interesting forced proximity story. Erin: yeah. So it was a lot of fun to write. Jeff: And I’m very interested in the storm chasers one too because I’m kind of a weather geek at heart. So you kind of got me on that one. Erin: It was a lot of fun to write. Growing up in Oklahoma, you know, tornadoes are such a kind of a constant really. I mean, my parents have lost a house in tornado. I know lots of people that have lost houses in tornado. It’s so common. It’s just kind of a part of your life especially if you’re from Central Oklahoma like me and so, it’s… Yeah. It was a really fun one to write because you are just kind of entrenched in bad weather in Oklahoma in the spring all the time. So… Jeff: Very cool. And how can readers keep up with you online to keep track of all these projects? Erin: So I have a Facebook group called Erin McLellan’s Meet Cute. That’s a good one if you kind of… I do giveaways and book recs, and stuff. On Twitter my handle is @emclellanwrites and I’m on Twitter pretty often. On Instagram it’s @erinmclellanwrites and on Instagram, I would say it’s about 70% Alaska stuff like, every moves that I’ve ever seen and then 30% books. Unless there’s a book released and then it flips. But it’s a lot of Alaska if you follow me on Instagram. And then my newsletter which you can get too on my website or through any of the social media too. You would be able to kind of find the link to my newsletter and that’s probably the best way if you just want like, to know about new releases or sales, or things like that without having to kind of trudge through Twitter. Jeff: Well, fantastic. Well, I thank you so much for coming to talk to us about “Clean Break” and wish you all the success on that one and the upcoming releases as well. Erin: Thank you so much. It was so fun.

Jerod McDaniel is a farmer, rancher, and podcaster from Texhoma, Oklahoma. He joins me to discuss his operation, the challenges of rural western Oklahoma, and the business of agriculture from his perspective. We devote a good amount of time to the topic of cattle but you'll also like Jerod's take on the need for Ag to work with what you're given in any given year and the need for being adaptive to a constantly changing marketplace.

Casey Seymour of 21st Century Equipment and Moving Iron LLC discusses the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey with Shawn Skaggs of Livingston Machinery, a 4-store AGCO dealership in Western Oklahoma and Texas.

Grant Samms was curious about the expansion of wind energy in Western Oklahoma, especially in the oil town of Woodward. He expected to see a lot of conflict there. Turns out there was no conflict. Because of their identity as energy producers, the citizens of Woodward found a way to weave wind energy extraction into their lives and enconomy. Grant is currently at Washington College's Center for Environment and Society in Chestertown, Maryland, where he is witnessing tensions in rural Maryland over proposed windmill farms. He chats with Citizens' Climate Radio host, Peterson Toscano, about what he learned in Western Oklahoma and how it essential for climate advocates to understand how "sense of place" plays a major role in affecting how communities respond to new ideas. Art House Sila_hunting.jpgChantal Bilodeau is a playwright originally from Quebec Province in Canada. Her award winning plays take on climate change. Set in the Arctic, they are beautiful, original, and are moving audiences all over the world. In her Arctic Cycle plays, she has roles for human and non-human characters. Chantal believes live theater experiences create special opportunities for audiences. In order to address the lonliness and isolation that can come with doing creative work around global warming, Chantal created Artists and Climate Change, a website that is connecting artists all over the world and making their work known to climate advocates. She is also committed to bringing original quality climate theater to many communities. She talks about Climate Change Theatre Action. Learn how you can easily and inexpensively host a reading of short climate plays. Puzzler Question The Puzzler is BACK! Our latest question is one that often is thrown in the face of climate advocates in order to silence us. You are at a community event talking to a neighbor, let's call him Greg. You reveal your passion about climate change and climate solutions. Greg looks you up and down and says, "So I guess you don't use any fossils fuels yourself. You don't drive a car, travel by plane, or heat and cool your home? What are you actually doing to address climate change in your life?" Greg's question sounds more like an accusation. How do you answer the question while also addressing the accusation? Send Peterson your answers. Leave your name, contact info, and where you are from. Respond by February, 15, 2018. Email radio @ citizensclimate.org or leave a voicemail of three minutes or less at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) Listen, Rate, and Share! You can hear Citizens’ Climate Radio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Podbean, Northern Spirit Radio, Google Play, and TuneIn Radio. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs in the Citizens’ Climate Radio Facebook groupor on Twitter at @CitizensCRadio. If you listen on iTunes, please consider rating and reviewing us! All music is royalty free and purchased thorough PremiumBeat.com and AudioBlocks

This week’s guest, Dean Rader, has published widely in the fields of poetry, American Indian Studies, and visual culture. His poetry has garnered a number of awards and recognitions including the T.S. Eliot Poetry Prize. His newest collection of poetry, Self-Portrait as Wikipedia Entry, was recently published by Copper Canyon Press. A native of Western Oklahoma, he is now based in San Francisco where he is professor of English at the University of San Francisco.

Today, we're talking drones on the podcast with my friend and Extension Ag Law Specialist at the University of Maryland, Paul Goeringer.  Although neither of us own a drone ourselves, Paul and I have both given numerous presentations and answered countless questions from folks planning to use drones and those who are concerned about how drone use may impact their privacy. Paul grew up on a farm in Western Oklahoma, obtained his degree in Ag Economics at Oklahoma State University (Go Pokes!), his law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, and his LLM from the University of Arkansas.  Then, he headed to the East Coast where he accepted his position at the University of Maryland. We kick the drone talk off with looking at what steps an operator needs to take before flying his or her drone.  This includes registering the drone with the FAA before the first flight obtaining the remote pilot airman certificate and reviewing and complying with all FAA regulations.   Next, we turned to privacy issues and the frequently asked question of "can I just shoot it if it flies over my property."  As we explain, the law is not settled on this issue, and there may be serious consequences to shooting down a drone, including civil and criminal penalties, and potentially charges of shooting down a federally regulated aircraft.  We discuss legal options if a drone is creating an issue for you. We also mention the Texas Privacy Act, which governs drone use in Texas.   On a related note, I asked Paul what law he would like to see changed, and he says he wishes there were more up-to-date privacy laws to deal with changing technology.  Unlike Texas, Maryland does not have a drone statute and their privacy laws were written in the 1970's with the technology from that time in mind.  He'd like to see these laws updated to fit better with the reality of today. We wrap things up with two restaurant recommendations for the next time you find yourself on the East Coast.  He recommends El Taco Rico in Greenbelt, Maryland (order the chicken quesadilla) and the Federalist Pig BBQ in Washington, DC (brisket all the way!)   Contact info for Paul Goeringer (Email)  lgoering@umd.edu (Twitter)  @aglawpaul (Blog)  http://agrisk.umd.edu/  (Podcast)  https://marylandagpodcast.org/    Links to topics mentioned on the show - Information on drone registration  - My blog on FAA drone regulations - FAA Drone Regulations - FAA Testing Centers - FAA test prep materials - My blog on drones and privacy - My blog on the Texas privacy act 

It's a sad fact that so many RVers travel so fast that they miss so much. That's because they travel the interstates, where the country whizzes past in a blur. In this episode of Roadtreing: The RV Lifestyle Podcast, we suggest a better way, through the backroads, the two lane state and county highways. In the interview segment towards the end of the program, Mike interviews RVers Jerry Pavlat [spp-timestamp time="58:32"], who reveals how he makes sure he spends as little time as possible on the Interstate. Then, in an off-the-beaten-path report [spp-timestamp time="51:30"], Tom and Patti Burkett take us to Western Oklahoma and an event far from the Interstate that is worth traveling to just to getthe T-Shirt. Plus your comments, questions and lots of tips.Scroll down for show note details and resources and click the player below to start listening. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast. [spp-player] Show Notes for Episode #92 June 15, 2016 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast: JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time="5:10"] This week's tip is a follow up to the suggestion I made last week about using Zip Lock bags to store all sorts of stuff, from food to spare parts to things like cereal which can be emptied out of those big bulky boxes and stored in much less space. A listener named Diane offers up an alternative suggestion. The system Diane suggested is called Thrifty Vac. It seals all kinds of foods in vacuum bags.. It is very inexpensive, less that $2 . The bags cost about 17-cents each. I'll put a link on the shownotes page for this episode at Roadtreking-dot-com-forward slash-92. If you have a tip you'd like to share with our RVing audience, use the “Send Voicemail” link on the right side of the Roadtreking.com blog. You can use the built-in microphone on your computer or smartphone to record the tip and send it directly to me. You can also reach me at Jennifer@roadtreking com The tip of the week is brought to you by Good Sam, the world's most popular RV organization, now celebrating its 50th year. LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: [spp-timestamp time="9:31"] ===Maribeth asks about hooking her RV up to the house current while its parked in her driveway. Mike recommends a 30 AMP system, especially if she wasn't to run her air conditioning. For the fridge and to charge the house batteries, the normal house system of 20 Amps will work but you will not be able to run the same amount of appliances inside the RV as you could if you were getting power from a 30A or, for the bigger RVs, a 50 A system ===Ann asks about the proper tire pressure in her RV. She checked the door post panels but found a suggestion on the Internet that recommended different settings. The recommended maximum inflation pressures for your tires are indicated on the certification label or in your owner's manual. Since RVs can be loaded with many different configurations, the load on each tire will vary. For this reason, actual air pressure required should be determined based on the load on each individual tire. Inflation pressure should be adjusted to handle the tire carrying the heaviest load, and all tires on the axle should be adjusted to this standard. Each manufacturer provides load and inflation tables specific to their products to help you determine the correct tire inflation pressure for your vehicle's loading. Under inflation brings a higher risk of susceptibility to damage due to road hazards, reduces casing durability, and causes a loss in fuel economy, plus uneven or irregular tire wear. Severe or prolonged underinflation brings about an increased risk of tread It's a common practice for RV owners to lower tire pressure in their search for a smoother ride. This is not only dangerous, it's relatively ineffective, as the difference in ride quality is not significant. When minimum inflation pressure requirements are not met,

Bill Kern from Cordell, OK shares some insight from his experiences as a farmer is Western Oklahoma. He shares the parallels between the natural and the spiritual.

Bill Kern is a Wheat Farmer in Western Oklahoma. He will share insight into the parallels between reaping a Spiritual Harvest and a Wheat Harvest.

Bill Kern from Cordell, OK shares some insight from his experiences as a farmer is Western Oklahoma. He shares the parallels between the natural and the spiritual.

Bill Kern is a Wheat Farmer in Western Oklahoma. He will share insight into the parallels between reaping a Spiritual Harvest and a Wheat Harvest.

Bill Kern is a wheat Farmer in Western Oklahoma. He shares some of the Lessons that he has leaned regarding the Biblical Principle of Seedtime and Harvest.

Bill Kern from Cordell, OK shares some insight from his experiences as a farmer is Western Oklahoma. He shares the parallels between the natural and the spiritual.

Bill Kern is a Wheat Farmer in Western Oklahoma. He will share insight into the parallels between reaping a Spiritual Harvest and a Wheat Harvest.