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Dear Editor, Oklahomans for Public Education and the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition are proud to announce their joint fundraising initiative aimed at helping struggling families and school districts pay off student lunch debt. With many school districts in Oklahoma burdened by substantial lunch debt, families find themselves unable to meet these financial obligations, leading to potential consequences such as collections at the end of the school year.

The race is on with just one day left until the bill request deadline on Friday, Dec. 8. I’m working on several bills for the upcoming session, and I’ll be sharing these with you in the coming weeks.

The Pioneer Library System is turning a new page with a change its communities can celebrate: the elimination of fines for all ages on overdue materials.

In last week’s issue of the Pacer, we published a photo from the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce annual banquet but named the wrong business in the photo description.

Newcastle Library honored Michael Salsman and Zach Solbach, who are City of Newcastle employees, for their ongoing efforts to make the library a space capable of providing innovation, engagement, and learning in the community, according to Librarian Kendall Watson. Also pictured is Melissa Capps, Pioneer Library System board member. Michael created a fruit replica (below) of the library’s StoryWalk.

New members of the National Honor Society were inducted Tuesday, November 28 at Newcastle High School’s auditorium. New inductees are pictured along with current members. New inductees are: Isabella Allen, Eyan Barker, Abby Barnes, Emma Bell, Chloe Chmil, Madison Claypool, William Dupler, Ezekial Duran, Amber Ellis, Rylee Furnish, Kennedy Herndon, Cooper Hood, Katherine Johnson, Rylee King, Gavin Lackey, Wylie Lamb, Chapman McCully, Mya Miller, Kaitlyn Morgan, Bryce Moslander, Jackson Schanuel, Devon Shiner, Brooklynn Self, Aden Shumard, Chelsea Sifers, Meredith Strange, Kennedy Sylvester, Ella Whitmore, Tayte Widdison, Payton Wolfe, and Heather Woods. Current members are: Clare Bebout (Student Council representative), Jackson Bergt, Chloey Boldin (reporter), Tugger Bolles, Leah Bradley, Brayden Brumley, Landen Brumley, Rhett Carter, Jacob Cunningham, Carlee Davis, Aubree Ferguson, Scarlett Fountain, Bryson Furnish, Charles Gentry, Evan Goold, Gracin Griffin, Grahm Griffin, Matthew Henderson, Dale Hodge, Kaylin Holmes, William Huff, Jaxon Lamb, Jaycen Lea, Bentlee Lindsey (president), Brooklyn Lyles (secretary), Layla Olvera (vice president), Yesha Patel, Avery Phillips, Lynzie Pinkerton, Aubree Rutledge, Abigail Scott, Collin Seely, Presley Shelton, Chloe Sheriff, Zaiden Smith, Melia Stucks, Cecilia Tarin, Peyton Towery, Carson Wade, Steven Whitmore, Kaleb Zeka, Hunter Barry, Trey Burchett, Colin Casey, Morgan Doyle, Ayden Elcyzyn, Elizabeth Gladden, Parker Hix, Lyndee Huff, Katelyn Kates, Katelynn Lewis, Rhea Patel (treasurer), Kreas Richard, Abbi Thurman, Carson VanHauen, and Kolson Wood (chairperson).

Fall is a great time to plant flowers that will survive the winter and to prepare ornamental beds for spring. As the summer heat is now gone, along with the destructive insects, ornamental beds can be brightened with annuals, according to the Oklahoma State University Extension Service.

Lack of adequate soil moisture is often a major cause of winter damage. Dry soil coupled with strong winter winds can cause havoc on a plant. All plants, but especially narrowleaf and broadleaf evergreens, use water during winter.

Now is the time of year when we get several questions on when should I prune my roses and other perennial shrubs? Pruning can be very intimidating for many people, but it can improve the health of your plant as well as provide beautiful blooms and foliage for years to come.

Last week we talked about the American Legion’s activities in the 1970s which included being involved in the safety of children at Halloween.

WRESTLING SEASON PREVIEW