On the Horizon: Hee Haw- A New Appreciation

Maybe I was just too young to fully appreciate some of the finer aspects of the long running show Hee Haw, but in working on this week’s story I noticed something for the first time.  The women on the show called the “Hee Haw Honey’s” are as we would have said in high school… Stone Cold Foxes.

I promise this week’s video blog is much more than me leering at girls in daisy duke shorts and bandana tops, but I have to admit they sure made this week’s segment a lot of fun to put together.  Salute!

Rob McClendon

On the Horizon: Water for Everyone

Here in the United States, we take water for granted.  We turn on a faucet, out comes water.  Flush a toilet, more water.  Need to wash your clothes, not a problem.  Unfortunately, that isn’t the case in a lot of the world.  In many places, water, while being a necessity, isn’t an on-hand commodity.  Many times, it has to be lugged from a well that could be a mile or two away…daily.  There isn’t running water in the home or even close to the home.  Women and children are the main people who have to do the lugging as part of their daily life.  A lot of times this means that some children can’t even go to school because they have to help bring water to their home which could mean many trips to the well with whatever container they have to haul it in.  It’s not a picture we like to think about but one we really shouldn’t ignore.

I wasn’t really crazy about going to do a story on the demonstrations being done about how to dig water wells in other countries.  It was a very cold morning and I didn’t know what to expect.  What I found was a group of people who were very dedicated to solving the world’s water crisis.  They were very passionate about it and many of them had seen first-hand just how bad the need really is.  My heart became softened as I realized just how big the problems really is and how many people it affects…especially children.  Without clean drinking water, many children become sick and die.  It’s a shame really because the need is really about the ability to drill for water and filtrate it to make it clean.

And that’s what this week’s video blog is about, some solutions to drill for water and clean it up in remote areas and as one person put it, available clean water equals people freed up to go to school and learn equals peace in the world.  All because of clean, drinking water.  My hope is for you to realize the need and that you, too, can help.

Alisa Hines

On the Horizon: Vince Orza--Entrepreneur Extraordinare

Vince Orza has truly done it all and he is the type of person that I aspire to be.  For years Orza called television home and then eventually took a job teaching.  In the meantime, he ran for governor of Oklahoma, became the Dean of Business at Oklahoma City University and opened up a chain of restaurants.  Eventually his career would come full circle and he would step back under the bright lights to save a dying television station.

If his lifetime of careers is not impressive enough, in this week’s video blog, just listening to Vince Orza is sure to enthrall you.  His voice comes easy, much like you would expect from anyone working in television, but what may be surprising are his values on life and the advice by which he lives by.

Courtenay Dehoff

On the Horizon: Monumental Task

Old Station Monuments and More is barely one mile from my own home and I had yet to step foot inside.  Like so many people, my mom and I would always discuss what a “cute little place” it is as we flew by on Highway 33.  Little did I know, there was not only a unique story about the property, but a truly unique story about the couple behind the business.

In this week’s video blog, I’ll show you the quirkiness that will keep you coming back and an atmosphere that is sure to please.

Courtenay Dehoff

On the Horizon: Prescription Addiction

Across the country, pharmacy robberies are on the rise, partly because of the increasing demand for prescription drugs.  According to law-enforcement, prescription painkillers rank second behind marijuana as the country's most common illegal-drug problem.

Prescription drug abuse cuts across all age groups and economic classes; often times sneaking up on people and taking over their lives.  Prescription drug addiction is a problem that often does not end up in rehab; in this week’s video blog we explore the impact prescription addiction is having on our prisons.

Alisa Hines

On the Horizon: A Marine’s Love Story

My experience with doing stories with war veterans is those who have seen the most, talk the least.  I think there are some memories they had just rather forget.

Put Charles Migliorino in that category.  It was only by chance I heard his story.  He was interviewing for an associate district judge appointment, and I was a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission interviewing him.  It was after the interview was over, he added, almost as epilogue, the thing he was most proud of in life was letting a sister hear her dead brother’s voice for the first time in 40 years.

I was fascinated, as I think you will be in this week’s video blog, with this Marine’s Love Story.

Rob McClendon

On the Horizon: If you build it, they will come

Many rural communities around Oklahoma are building tech parks in the hopes of attracting big business and in Pryor, that gamble is paying off.  Google announced in 2007 that it would build a data center right here in Oklahoma.   All because of availability of land, electrical infrastructure, a very high quality excellent workforce, and a business climate that was really conducive to making things fast and simple; which is what many rural communities have to offer.

Now because of the recession, it’s taken quite a while to get up and running but just recently, they held the grand opening of their newest Google data center.  In this week’s video blog, see the connections going on in Pryor, Oklahoma.

Alisa Hines

On the Horizon: Financially Strong

The U.S. economy is on the minds of many Americans and is it is not a positive thought to most. From unemployment to a failing stock market, people are unsure of their future. What lies ahead? What about my children? What about my retirement?

For those living in Oklahoma there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is a bright one. The market crash did not hit the state nearly as hard as the rest of the nation and jobs are springing up all over. In this week's video blog see how from aerospace and energy to small business the economy in Oklahoma is on the up and up.

Andy Barth

On the Horizon--Boo!

We all remember those spooky stories by the camp fire and when grandpa would tell us ghost stories right before we went to bed. But what happens when those ghost stories come to life?

In today’s video blog we take you to a business in North Central Oklahoma where the past life is still present. From creaky doors to items flying off shelves, the paranormal takes spooky to whole new level. Turning skeptics (me) into believers, and believers running for their lives.

Andy Barth