CPN

Milo, Julian, and Adelaide Edmison, of Shawnee, get hands-on experience with a bomb-detonating robot, as Deputy Matt Wagner and Sgt. David DeFord tell them about it. The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Bomb Squad robot was a popular attraction during the Touch-A-Truck and Beyond event at the CPN Festival Grounds on April 1. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan

Milo, Julian, and Adelaide Edmison, of Shawnee, get hands-on experience with a bomb-detonating robot, as Deputy Matt Wagner and Sgt. David DeFord tell them about it. The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Bomb Squad robot was a popular attraction during the Touch-A-Truck and Beyond event at the CPN Festival Grounds on April 1. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan

Touch-A-Truck Grows in Participation & Attendance

The Touch-A-Truck and Beyond event has grown in both participants and attendance in its second year.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett and Vice Chairman Linda Capps drape a blanket on the shoulders of the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee. Chairman Barrett said, “The giving of a blanket carries more than just the giving of a gift. If you’re given a blanket, in Potawatomi tradition it means that we’re going to keep your memory warm in our hearts from now on.” Lee kept the blanket on throughout the rest of the event. Countywide & Sun/Suzie Campbell

Citizen Potawatomi Nation Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett and Vice Chairman Linda Capps drape a blanket on the shoulders of the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee. Chairman Barrett said, “The giving of a blanket carries more than just the giving of a gift. If you’re given a blanket, in Potawatomi tradition it means that we’re going to keep your memory warm in our hearts from now on.” Lee kept the blanket on throughout the rest of the event. Countywide & Sun/Suzie Campbell

The Grandmother of Juneteenth Visits Shawnee

Opal Lee is known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth. On Saturday, Aug. 20, she spoke about Juneteenth at a public event hosted by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation at the Cultural Heritage Center. Opal Lee is not only a national figure, but as of Saturday morning, she is a finalist for the Nobel Prize.
A record number of people attended the Fifth Annual FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival on Aug. 12-13. There were 25 hot-air balloons from seven states that participated in balloon launches, tethered rides, and balloon glows, such as this one on Sat. night. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan

A record number of people attended the Fifth Annual FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival on Aug. 12-13. There were 25 hot-air balloons from seven states that participated in balloon launches, tethered rides, and balloon glows, such as this one on Sat. night. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan

FireFlight Balloon Festival Draws Record Crowd

Word has gotten out. If you went to the Fifth Annual FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival on Aug. 12-13 and tried to find a parking spot, you understand.