Travel

Somewhere in Time

Mackinac Island, Featured in 1980's Film, Travel Writer's Favorite Romantic Destination Article and Photography by Elaine Warner February is the month for romantics; order your flowers and candy now. But for something really special, plan a summer trip to my candidate for the most romantic destination in the country—Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island. A beautiful setting, no traffic noises, a relaxed pace, sweet summer breezes and an air of an earlier time offer an out-of-this-busy-world...

Wellness

New Year, New Challenge

Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Mark Moses Joins the Ortho Central Team Article by Staci Elder Hensley The new year begins a positive new chapter for local orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Moses, who became part of the team at Ortho Central Surgery Center, effective Jan. 1. Coming from a well-established private practice in Norman, Dr. Moses said he has always admired the Ortho Central program and is excited to be a part of it. In addition to orthopedics, Ortho Central provides state-of-the-art care in a...

Education

A Sky-High Love Story 

Semper Fly Helicopter Flight School Founder, Owner and CEO Brandi Rector Shares Her Journey to the Clouds Article and Photography by Michelle Pipes Ask any pilot how they started flying, and you will most likely hear a love story. Brandi Rector, the founder, owner and CEO of Norman’s new Semper Fly Helicopter flight school, is no exception. With a journey to the clouds that reads like a riveting Ted Talk—she’s been a Marine gunner, A&P mechanic, quality assurance representative, helicopter...

Arts + Culture

Uplifting Voices, Uniting a Community

Norman Philharmonic Expands Its Outreach Article by Murphy Barnett As the culmination of its successful 13th season, the Norman Philharmonic brought together nearly 200 local voices to bring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 to life. The new Philharmonic Chorus, which involved high school choir members, collegiate choir members and others from the local choir community, came together to present this beloved piece in a way that audience members later described as “magnificent,” “stunning” and...

Health + Wellness

Attention Male Readers

GameDay Men's Health Offers Help in a 'Man Cave' Environment Article by Jerri Culpepper 'Have you gained unwanted weight and found that your previous “tried and true” methods of losing weight through diet and exercise just aren’t achieving the results they used to? Or perhaps you’re experiencing sexual health concerns, along with problems sleeping, low energy and difficulty focusing? Or you’ve been working out but haven’t gained the muscle mass you’d hoped for? Maybe you’ve even experienced...

Life + Culture

Backing the Blue

MPAC Foundation Offering Expanded Support to Moore PD Article by Staci Elder Hensley Citizens who want to offer more than moral support to their local police departments don’t always know where to begin. That’s not the case for residents who live and work in the City of Moore, thanks to the newly formed Moore Police Advancing Community Foundation, or MPAC. Established by an active group of citizen volunteers, the foundation’s beginnings were a natural outgrowth that began more than a decade...

Life + Culture

1Oklahoma

Empowering Student Athletes, Engaging Sooner Fans Article by Murphy Barnett If you’ve attended a sporting event at the University of Oklahoma this past fall, you have likely heard of 1Oklahoma. As the new and exclusive Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) partner of OU, 1Oklahoma focuses all of OU’s NIL efforts into a single, market-based group that offers sustainable financial opportunities for student-athletes and brings unparalleled value to Sooner fans through dynamic content, personalized...

Local Services

Bella SPCA’s Healthy Pet Tips for 2025

Have You Scheduled Your Pet’s Annual Wellness Exam? Article by Nancy Middleton, DVM As we head into the new year, now's the time to ensure your pet is healthy and up-to-date on all vaccines. Following are some tips to keep your pet healthy in 2025. From all of us at Bella SPCA, Happy New Year! Visit BellaSPCA.org for information on how to donate and ways to get involved.  Bella SPCA Non-Profit Veterinary Hospital is located at 9101 S Western Ave., Suite 120, Oklahoma City, OK 73139; phone...

Education

The Well

A Space for Everyone Article by Jerri Culpepper You probably don’t think of the COVID-19 pandemic as a good thing. And indeed, it caused many negative things: deaths and hospitalizations, disruptions to our nation’s and the world’s supply chain of food and essential services and products like building supplies, business and restaurant closings... But the pandemic also brought about some beneficial changes, such as advances in remote communications and other technologies allowing employees to...

Fitness

The (Fun) Cure for 'Sitting Disease'

Orangetheory Fitness Offers Workouts for All Ages, Fitness Levels Article by Jerri Culpepper | Photography by Harlea Robinson “Sitting disease." You’ve likely heard this term used in recent years. It’s a term used to describe the health risks associated with being sedentary, or sitting—think couch potato or compulsive video gamers— for long periods of time. And it can lead to many chronic diseases, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, type 2...