Miami News-Record

11/13/2025

America's Outdoor Adventure Park Presents the 12 Day of Christmas with 400 Acres of Excitement from Lasers, Fireworks, Snowmachines, 30' Christmas Tree and much more.

11/12/2025

With the changes in health care, we all need a little help figuring out what the best health insurance coverage is for us. Call Darren and let him and his team help you out.

11/12/2025

The 5th-ranked Fairland Owls (8-2), on the strength of a 53-14 regular season-ending victory over Woodland, now move onto the playoffs and host a first-round playoff game against the 10th-ranked Wewoka Tigers (6-4) at 7 p.m. Friday evening. Fairland Owls Head Coach Ryan Laverty says that this team is senior-led and is focused on the task at hand.

“It has been a lot of fun to coach these guys. When I stepped in last year to coach this team, they had made a huge commitment before this season started not to have this season end like it did last year,” said Coach Laverty. “They showed up in the off-season to the weight room, they put in the time and they pushed each other. And what’s so great about this team is that it’s a player driven team, not a coach driven team. Any time you have that type of team, those are usually your most successful.”

Laverty added that the seniors have played a lot of football together since their freshman year, and now their experience is paying off. Wewoka has lost four games on the season; however, two of their losses have come against Class A-II #1-ranked Talihina and 8th-ranked Allen. Read the full story in Friday's Grove Sun.

11/12/2025

The Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Golden Norsemen will host Trinity Valley Community College in the first round of the Southwest Junior College Football Conference postseason at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Red Robertson Field. The Golden Norsemen finished the regular season with a 5-4 record, and were 5-2 in conference play.

NEO defeated Kilgore College 65-48 on the road to close out the regular season and secure the number two seed in the conference along with home field advantage for the semi-final game this Saturday.

“I am proud of our players and staff,” said Head Coach Zach Crissup. “They have earned everything that has come their way. This is what happens when you believe, stay disciplined, and show up every single day with purpose. I thank God for giving us the strength and opportunity to do what we love. These young men have fought through adversity and grown into a team that represents NEO with effort, attitude and toughness. We are not done yet.”

This will be the team's first postseason appearance under the direction of Coach Crissup and the first since 2018. Read the full story in Friday's Miami News-Record.

11/12/2025

An Arkansas jury convicted and sentenced a Joplin man last Wednesday to 35 years for trafficking a minor. Daniel Smathers, 47, of Joplin, Missouri, was convicted in Benton County, Arkansas, Circuit Court.

He was arrested in September 2022, after an investigation showed he traveled to Rogers, Arkansas, to have s*x with a 15-year-old. According to the Prosecutor’s Report of Circumstances, Smathers trafficked the girl from the time she was 15 until she died from a fentanyl overdose at the age of 17.

Arrest records showed that Smathers was a former tutor at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and a pastor at a Baptist Church in Diamond, Missouri. NEO officials said Smathers was no longer employed with the college at the time of his arrest. Diamond First Baptist Church leaders confirmed that Smathers had not been on their staff since 2017. Read the full story in yesterday's issue of the Miami News-Record.

11/12/2025

Featured in yesterday's issue of the Miami News-Record: Thanks to the incredible generosity of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College alumni, friends, partners, and community supporters, the 2025 NEO Foundation Golden Gala raises a record-high $155,000. Every dollar raised directly supports NEO student scholarships and funds new campus resources to enhance student life and success.

11/11/2025

The historic Charles Banks Wilson Building, across Main Street from the Coleman Theatre, was originally built in 1910, as Annie Green’s Millinery Shop, in the heart of Miami’s Main Street on Route 66. It has recently become a topic of interest again as more efforts continue to revitalize portions of Route 66.

Charles Banks Wilson, a graduate of Miami High School and a famous Oklahoma artist, used the upstairs for his studio for many years and was often referred to as “the artist on Main Street.”

He established the permanent studio above his parents’ paint store when he returned to Miami in 1943, and began teaching night classes for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) while he continued illustrating books and printing lithographs. Wilson used his surroundings as subject matter and, influenced by the American regionalist tradition, his work was often characterized by Oklahoma landscapes and commonly portrayed farmers, cowboys, miners, and Native Americans. Read the full story in today's Miami News-Record.

11/11/2025

11/11/2025

The NEO A&M Volleyball team lost a heated battle on Wednesday, Nov. 5, in the semi-finals of the Region 6 district match. NEO was led by freshman Jaynea Manning with 22 kills and 18 digs hitting at .333. Sophomore Kaesha Walter had 12 kills and 18 digs, sophomore Karsen Hart had 12 kills, and sophomore Brooke Walker finished with 49 assists.

“We lost to the #6 team in the nation tonight by a total of five points. We had a great crowd and our student section is bar none the best in the region,” said Head Coach Sarah Wall. “Our girls showed heart and just didn't get the breaks they needed at the right time. Any other night the scores of the match could have been reversed. The coaching staff is beyond proud of this group. We have accomplished a lot this season and still have a chance at an at-large bid.”

Read the full story in today's Miami News-Record.

11/11/2025

Miami native SFC Kayla Wolf has retired after 20 years of service in the United States Army. Wolf, who is a 2001 graduate of Miami High School, officially retired in September at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

In retrospect, Wolf said, “Throughout my career of 20 years, I have maximized opportunities which were recommended by some of the best professional coaches and mentors one could ask for. With multiple deployments and moving throughout my time, I learned and loved the many cultures and diverse facets of people—people who allowed me to enter their homes as a perfect stranger and soon treated me like family. Once again, this was my honor. As I have a long list of people to thank, truly words will never amount to the time or magnitude of memories that were made but humbly speaking—thank you. Thank you for all the warm generosity.”

Wolf comes from a long line of veterans. But her path to service did not start immediately after high school graduation.

“My story truly began with my family. My father was a Vietnam veteran, my grandfathers were war veterans, my brother has multiple deployments, and my uncle, great uncles, and cousins have all selflessly served.”

Her leadership and ability to adapt led to new, unique opportunities once back in the U.S. Wolf used her experience to inspire others. A great fit for her was as a recruiter. Her ability to lead and motivate others was on full display. Read the full story in today's Miami News-Record.

11/11/2025

Several members of the Miami Junior High and High School Wardog bands earned a spot in the District Honor Band. Two high school students, Madison Wright and Ronan Lamb, also qualified as All-State finalists. Read the full story in today's Miami News-Record.

11/11/2025

Welcome Grand True Value Rental to the Reid Newspapers All Things Auto page.