Gift buying isn’t just for two-legged family members. Many parents of furry “children” are in the final holiday rush to find presents for their four-legged family, too.

Oklahoma Secretary of Human Services and Early Childhood Initiatives and Human Services Director Justin Brown launched the Oklahoma Clearinghouse for Early Childhood Success to promote wellbeing for Oklahoma children and their families recently.

Holiday spirit in the library

Fifth-grader Drezden Corbridge places a bow and wrapping paper on the side of a bookshelf inside the Clinton Public Library.

Mission House bell ringer

Walter Murphy rings bells as he waits for customers at United to donate money into the bucket.

State officials announced recently that Oklahoma has successfully received all of its initial allotment of 39,975 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from Operation Warp Speed, allowing distribution efforts to ramp up across the state. That includes 33,150 doses to five Oklahoma hospitals and 6,825 doses through direct federal allocations to tribal nations through Indian Health Services and the VA.

Here is a look at Tuesday's headlines

- Hise stepping down as local hospital CEO 

- Howard named to state posts  

- Noon Lions giving free turkeys, hams

- Letters to Santa inside

- State deaths

- Mark DeWayne Lumpkin Sr. obituary

Letters to Santa

Sixth-grader Evelyn Aispuro ponders over what she wants Santa Claus to bring her this year and writes it down on her Christmas list.

Howard named to state posts

Senator Brent Howard has been appointed chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary as well as vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee for the 58th Legislature.

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