Lifestyle

Named to the Maple A Honor Roll for the third nine weeks, front row from left, Braxten Birdsong, Halle Hunt, Presley Swigart, Kara Ellis, Katie Ellis, Caroline Phillips, Andrew Eisenhour, John Prince, Easton Horn, Addison Brandley and Kinsley Bonilla; middle row, Audrey Eisenhour, Zuri Lewis, Gavin Basler, Kassidy Ferguson, Bella Hart, Cheyenne Kubicek, Garett Moss, Lane Hudson, Zoey Pawnee, Kaelyn Racca and Hayden Rosholt; back row, Quinn Charmasson, Payton Blagg, Ellie Shamblin, Jackson Arnold, Presley Bilderback, Brantlie Charmasson, Pierson Brandley, Ethan Brooks, Alice Park and Halli F

Named to the Maple AB Honor Roll for the third nine weeks, front row from left, Brennan Ayers, Levi Bass, Christopher Barker, Lyla Smith, Jasper Whitman, Tace Tech, Stoney Baker, Brody Crawford, Raina Crawford, Rowdy Penwright, Hunter Lorenzen, Ayvah Fudge, Grady Menz and Leyla Johnson; second row, Makenzie Caldwell, Jaci Pitchford, Piper Siler, Erica Niles, Chandon Porter, Ayden Overholser, Daughtry Swigart, Dominic Steinbruck, Micah Pafford, Josh Bass, Colsen Blagg, Rhett Davis, Jentry Cullen, Lainey Rowell and Brinely Porter; third row, McCray Whitman, Candice Barker, Raquel Seymour, Ryl

The Okarche High School Speech Team won its 25th Southwest Regional speech and debate title and advanced 17 students in 28 events to the state contest. Okarche won the team sweepstakes trophy, with Crescent High School placing second and Lawton Academy taking third.

Okarche also swept the top four places in two events and the top three places in two other events.

Area author Dorothea Paulk has won first prize for her short story, “The American Dress” in the Soul-making Keats Literary Competition.

The competition is a literary arts outreach of the National League of American Pen Women.

Paulk will be reading an excerpt from the selection on Zoom on Sunday, April 10 during the awards ceremony.

The event will be available for public viewing a week or so later.

Recognized as Calumet February Students of the Month, from left, Payton Black, Camryn Griffith, Brylee Bone and James Daughety.

Riverside February Citizens of the Month, front row from left, Anderson Childers, Serenity Burdine, Aldo Saldana-Martinez, Destine Gonzalez, Jasmine Gonzalez and Lexi Matias; back row, Jazleen Robinson, Daniel Smith and Mia Matias.

Not pictured: Michael Castanon, Paulina Calzada, Keely Studdard, Theoryn Schultheiss, Rylee Crone and Samuel Powell.

Students from Okarche Junior High’s eighth grade recently swept the top three places in the annual Delta Kappa Gamma essay contest. Izabella Beam was the first-place winner, Ethan Kirby took second, while Easton Roby placed third.

The multi-county essay contest is sponsored each year by the Theta chapter of the professional organization of women educators.

The three will be honored at a reception in Kingfisher on April 9.

Beam’s essay will be entered in the statewide competition. All three are students of Lyndal Westmoreland.

Eight Okarche High School speech students brought home the Class 3A sweepstakes trophy from the Crescent High School Invitational Speech Tournament.

Senior Kenzie Beard placed first in poetry and fourth in original oratory. Senior Marley Hill took second in dramatic interp and original oratory.