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Oklahoma’s SNAP Policy Shift: A Step Towards Healthier Choices and Healthier Children

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Oklahoma’s SNAP Policy Shift: A Step Towards Healthier Choices and Healthier Children Starting February 15, 2026, #Oklahoma will implement a new Healthy Food Waiver that prohibits the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ) benefits to buy soft drinks and candy in grocery stores, convenience stores, and online retailers across the state. Under this waiver approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture ( #USDA ), the state government is amending the definition of “eligible food” to exclude: Carbonated sodas, sweetened teas and lemonades, sports and energy drinks, flavored waters with sweeteners, and similar beverages marketed with added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Candy products including chocolate bars, gummies, hard candies, licorice, taffy, mints, and chewing gum. Allowed items still include essentials like fruits, vegetables, proteins, milk, coffee, unsweetened tea, and 100% fruit or vegetable juice. The waiver is part of a t...
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Trash Fire Spreads to Grass in Ottawa County | Incendio de Basura se Extiende a Pastizales

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Trash Fire Spreads to Grass in Ottawa County, Oklahoma OTTAWA COUNTY, Okla. — A trash fire that spread into nearby grass and ignited a pile of tires was quickly extinguished Saturday afternoon, authorities said. Crews from the Wyandotte Volunteer Fire Department , the Quapaw Nation Fire Department , and assistance from BIA Wildland Fire responded rapidly to the scene after flames escaped from a trash burn and spread through dry grass. “The people were burning trash at a trash pile and it spread to the grass and caught a bunch of tires on fire,” said Jodi Francisco, fire chief for the Wyandotte Nation Fire Department and Captain for Quapaw Fire Department and EMS. Firefighters extinguished the blaze after dumping more than 4,000 gallons of water onto the burning tires to fully cool the area, Francisco said. No injuries were ...
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Warming Facility Opens in North Miami, Oklahoma | Centro de Calentamiento Abre en Olive Street

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Warming Facility Opens on Olive Street in North Miami, Oklahoma NORTH MIAMI, Okla. — A warming facility in North Miami, Oklahoma , located at 600 Olive St. , is now open and providing shelter, food, and basic support to unhoused residents as cold weather continues across Ottawa County and northeast Oklahoma. Organizers with The Good Neighbor Project announced the opening via social media Sunday and are encouraging community members to notify individuals who may be living outdoors that the facility is currently welcoming those in need. Services and Ongoing Improvements While the warming center is not yet accepting pets, organizers said plans are underway to expand services. Donated sheds are scheduled for review Friday and could be used to safely house pets in crates with electricity and heat. Organizers said even basic protection from wind and cold would be a significant i...
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Higher Power Garage Sets 2026 Goals to Expand Transportation Access and Career Support

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Higher Power Garage Sets 2026 Goals to Expand Transportation Access and Career Support JOPLIN, Mo. — As the new year approaches, Higher Power Garage is accelerating its mission to provide reliable transportation and workforce support to individuals and families facing economic hardship across the region. The nonprofit announced its 2026 goals this week, emphasizing that dependable transportation is often the difference between steady employment and continued instability. Leaders say removing transportation barriers remains one of the most effective ways to help people break the cycle of poverty. 2026 Goals: Moving Toward Empowerment Community support directly funds programs designed to remove roadblocks to work and long-term self-sufficiency, including: Repair Program: Providing essential mechanical repairs that keep families safely on the road and...
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The Courage to Welcome: The Fourth Sunday of Advent

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On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the waiting grows quiet, and more demanding. The Church turns its attention not to proclamation or spectacle, but to a single, intimate instruction, delivered in a dream. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take #Mary your wife into your home.” With those words from the Gospel of Matthew, Advent’s final Sunday shifts the lens from anticipation to action. Joseph stands at the center of this year’s liturgical reading, not as a speaker, but as a listener. #Scripture records no words from him. Instead, it tells of his discernment, his fear, and ultimately his obedience. Faced with circumstances that threatened his reputation, his future, and his understanding of righteousness, Joseph chooses trust rather than retreat. He does exactly what is asked of him. He takes Mary into his home. The Fourth Sunday of Advent has always been a threshold moment. Earlier weeks call believers to prepare the way, to watch, to repent, and to #hope. This final...
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A Historical Lense, Ottawa County OK Courthouse

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MIAMI, Oklahoma - December, 2025  For more than a century, the seat of justice in Ottawa County has shifted as the community grew and civic priorities changed. From the earliest courthouse sites downtown to the modern judicial complex today, each iteration reflects a chapter in the county’s history.  In the earliest years after Oklahoma statehood in 1907, Ottawa County’s government operated without a permanent courthouse. County business and court proceedings were conducted in rented downtown spaces until a dedicated building could be constructed.   In 1916, county leaders completed the first purpose-built Ottawa County Courthouse on East Central Avenue, replacing the temporary rented quarters.  The structure quickly became a civic centerpiece for Miami and the expanding county. As the population and administrative needs of the county continued to grow, county officials undertook an extensive expansion and moderni...
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14 Indicted in Eastern Oklahoma Drug Conspiracy; Miami Police Part of Multi-Agency Investigation

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14 Indicted in Eastern Oklahoma Drug Conspiracy; Miami Police Part of Multi-Agency Investigation By Miami News-Digest — Dec. 8, 2025 A sweeping, multi-agency investigation has resulted in federal indictments against 14 people on charges of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine across the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced. The Miami Police Department was one of 13 agencies participating in the operation. The indictments were unsealed Nov. 21 by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The office’s news release provides the indictment details and the list of defendants. Read the full federal press release on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website . Defendants named in the indictment The indictment names the following individuals, who were charged with Drug Conspiracy under Title 21 of the U.S. Code: JERRY LEE GRIST, 66, of At...
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