At just 23 years old, Laine Forrest has already found what many spend a lifetime searching for — meaningful work that blends passion with purpose. Since October 2025, Forrest has served as print lead ...

For Melynda Rogers, teaching at Roland Public Schools isn’t just a career — it’s the fulfillment of a childhood dream rooted deep in Sequoyah County soil. A lifelong resident of Roland, Rogers has nev...

In Sarah Richards’ third grade classroom at Roland Elementary, learning is more than worksheets and tests. It’s laughter, encouragement, creativity and the kind of confidence-building that follows stu...

At just 27, Stormie Knowlton of Vian balances many roles—devoted mother, dedicated paraprofessional and lifelong Sequoyah County resident— all with a quiet determination to make a difference where it ...

Aaron Johnson, 66, of Blackgum, said he loves living the simple, country life that Sequoyah County offers. Growing up on Blackgum Mountain north of Vian, Johnson was raised cutting wood, hanging out w...

Joseph Spencer’s life began the way many stories from Sequoyah County once did – simply, humbly and surrounded by the forces of nature. Born on May 3, 1943, in Bird Flat north of Marble City, Spencer ...

Bessie Edwards, 97, of Muldrow, said she has lived in Sequoyah County for a very long time. “I spent my youth in Middle Ridge and went to school there,” Edwards recalled. “And later, to high school at...

Every year on December 26, Santa Claus says he wakes up with the same feeling every other person gets when they realize it’s Monday. “The North Pole is quiet, too quiet,” Santa says of the day after C...

On a crisp winter afternoon just off Hwy. 10 in Gore, the smell of pine drifts across the fields at Cal-2Homa Christmas Tree Farm. For Rachelle and Brian Batsole, this small, family-owned operation is...

For Sarah Christie, the heart of her story has always centered on two things: family and the children she serves. At 31, the wife, mother of three and early childhood educator has woven those passions...

When Tara Cato packed up her life in northern Illinois and moved more than 600 miles south to Sequoyah County, she didn’t know she was heading not just toward a new home, but toward a new beginning. C...

If you’ve spent any time around Vian, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Camry Jett — whether through her bustling small businesses, at the local lake, or surrounded by fabric and thread in the mid...

Lillian “Lily” Holmes of Muldrow never expected to find herself on camera, walking through dark corridors of one of Arkansas’ most haunted sites. But when longtime friend and indie filmmaker Gavin Web...

For Jessica Johnson, life in Sequoyah County feels like a breath of fresh air — literally and figuratively. A native of Illinois and a 2006 graduate of United Township High School, Johnson traded the ...

For Vian native Julie Spears Hunter, life has come full circle. A 1988 graduate of Vian Public School, Hunter has returned to her hometown to give back to the same community that shaped her. After ear...

Brittany Bunting of Sallisaw has spent 37 years living in Sequoyah County. A 2006 graduate of Vian High School, she grew up north of Vian on Lake Tenkiller. “I was a lake baby,” she said. She also has...

Tra Lowder, 48, has lived in Sequoyah County since she was 8-years-old. For the time that she has been here, she has made a name for herself at Liberty Public Schools as school secretary, where she is...

Dea Smith, 62, has been a resident of Sequoyah County for 38 years. Growing up, her father was employed as an Oklahoma Highway Patrolman, so she said she moved around the state quite often. After grad...

If you ask Becky Partain where she learned the value of hard work, she won’t point to a classroom or a corporate office—she’ll point to the racetrack where she grew up. Her parents trained and raised ...

Shelley Maddox is a mother to many and has called Sallisaw home for about six years now. During that time, she’s worked as a KATS bus driver, a job she’s grown to love. Before moving to Sallisaw, she ...