ENID, Okla. — Gail Box, who recently was appointed to the board of Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, remains motivated daily by the untimely death of her son, Austin Box, who died of a prescription pain medication overdose on May 19, 2011. Box said Austin’s death was the culmination of a long … Continue reading Using tragedy to fight opioids
Enid
War letters recount a Marine’s fight in the Pacific
ENID, Okla. — Squire Utsler, of Enid, was barely out of high school when he enlisted and shipped out to fight in some of the bloodiest campaigns in the Pacific Theater of the Second World War. Daily letters home chronicled Utsler’s service, from the first day of boot camp on Aug. 18, 1943, until he … Continue reading War letters recount a Marine’s fight in the Pacific
Unity requires an honest view of history
Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 will mark the 125th anniversary of the Cherokee Strip Land Run, the largest land run in history. The following post is a reprint of a column originally published Sept. 14, 2018 in the Enid News & Eagle in Enid, Oklahoma. “History is the version of past events that people have decided … Continue reading Unity requires an honest view of history
‘A generational fight’ — Protest organizer recalls desegregating Enid restaurants
This post originally ran as an article in the Sept. 4, 2018 edition of the Enid News & Eagle. It is the third article in a three-part series on sit-in protests and restaurant desegregation in Enid, Oklahoma. ENID, Okla. — On Sept. 4, 1958, 60 years ago today, Enid restaurant owners concluded a meeting with … Continue reading ‘A generational fight’ — Protest organizer recalls desegregating Enid restaurants
Turning failure into success
When Alton Carter was a child, surviving to adulthood was by no means a given. Surrounded by addiction, poverty, abuse and neglect, rising to be nationally-recognized success as an adult was beyond a long shot. But, Carter did overcome those barriers, and now spends his days speaking to schools, prisons, businesses and civic clubs about … Continue reading Turning failure into success
Learning across generations
This post is a compilation of two articles I have written for the Enid News & Eagle about intergenerational early childhood education, where preschoolers have class in and are taught with the help of residents of a nursing home. This model has tremendous benefits for both age groups, and has drawn repeated international attention. But … Continue reading Learning across generations
The Church beyond England
This is the second installment in a series of synopses of the meaning behind stained glass windows at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Enid, Oklahoma. While these windows are closely associated with and loved by the parish of St. Matthew's, their symbolism reaches far beyond any parish - or in this case, any diocese or … Continue reading The Church beyond England
The road to Damascus
If you've spent much time in church - of almost any Christian denomination, but not all - you've probably at some point marveled at the beauty of stained glass windows. These incredible works of art depict scenes from the Bible, from church history, from the lives of saints and martyrs. Among the immediately recognizable figures … Continue reading The road to Damascus
The most segregated hour
ENID, Okla. — More than half a century after Martin Luther King, Jr. called 11 a.m. on Sunday the most segregated hour in America, eighty percent of the nation’s congregations still are made up of predominantly one race. That statistic is slowly shifting toward more diverse congregations — in 2012 all-white congregations made … Continue reading The most segregated hour
A story of growth
Most stories you'll read today about Christian church attendance highlight trends of decline -- fewer people showing up in the pews on Sunday. But, some denominations and local churches are bucking that trend, with Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) leading the way in growth rates in the … Continue reading A story of growth
James R. Neal 