Corporation Commission Candidate Dana Murphy Picking Up Endorsement

Ouch. OkieDoke has a pretty unflattering blog post about Corporation Commission candidate Rob Johnson (pictured here). Johnson faces fellow Republican Dana Murphy in the primary race. Michael Bates' Batesline blog has great things to say about Dana Murphy and she is picking up endorsements including one from the Oklahoma Conservative PAC. Turns out integrity, honesty and being smart, informed and well qualified for the position actually matters to voters. (Disclosure: Dana is a friend and has supported several of my projects including N.E.W. Leadership and the Oklahoma Women's Legislative Coalition.)

BlogOklahoma on Kate Barnard

BlogOklahoma.us has a nice blog post on Oklahoma's Kate Barnard with lots of useful links, too. You can read the blog post here.

Terry Stuart Forst Is President of Oklahoma Cattleman's Association

Terry Stuart Frost runs the Stuart Ranch, the oldest operating family cattle ranch in Oklahoma. She is the newly elected president of the Oklahoma Cattleman's Association. The Journal Record did a nice spread on Forst June 2, 2008. If you can break into their closed archives, it is worth a read. Try viewing the article here.

Susan Illgen Named Director of Smart Start

Congratulations to Susan Illgen who has been named Executive Director of Oklahoma's Smart Start. Illgen was the 2005 Oklahoma State Teacher of the Year and early childhood director with the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Susannah Rankin State's First Pew Scholar

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation's Susannah Rankin is Oklahoma's first Pew Scholar. Only 20 were named in 2008 and we have one of them right here in Oklahoma City. Very cool. Rankin is a cell biologist whose research could lead to a reduction in birth defects and possibly cancer, too. The honor includes a $240,000 award to help with her research. Go, girl!

Billie Letts Book Signing at Full Circle Bookstore

Oklahoma author Billie Letts will sign her new novel, Made in the U.S.A., on Friday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the Full Circle Bookstore in 50 Penn Place, Oklahoma City.

Bestselling author of Where the Heart Is, returns with a heartrending tale of two children in search of a place to call home. Lutie McFee's history has taught her to avoid attachments...to people, to places, and to almost everything. With her mother long dead and her father long gone, 15-year-old Lutie lives in the town of Spearfish, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, Fate, until they are forced to head off to Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he left behind. Join Billie Letts at The Full Circle Bookstore and celebrate her much anticipated new novel. For a map to the store, click here for the Full Circle website.

Nominate Wanda Jackson

Yikes. Look at all the performers and songs that have been nominated so far to be the Official Oklahoma Rock Song. Have you nominated a song/performer yet? If not, may I suggest Wanda Jackson? Her Funnel of Love is a good pick as in Let's Have a Party. (Just a friendly suggestion!!) Go here to make your nomination: http://www.oklahomarocksong.org/