The Good

Back to school season is in full swing across Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, and the Tecumseh community showed once again why it's one of the best places around to raise a family. Before the first bell rang this year, Mission Tecumseh hosted its 12th annual Back to School Bash, and families from all over Tecumseh turned out in a big way to kick off the school year on a high note. Doors opened at 9 am, and kids had the chance to pick out their own school supplies for the year

Two years ago, a group of women from Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Shawnee pooled their money together to buy a new mom and her young family a high-quality car seat for their new baby. The kind that swivels around, making it easy to buckle in an infant before turning them to face rearward. Today, she finished cleaning the car seat and converting it back into infant mode, preparing to pass it along to her brother, who is expecting his first baby. Always a good move to pass the

Some projects don't happen in the spotlight. They happen under the Oklahoma sun. This summer, Shawnee Middle School student Kellan Neely spent his own time giving back to Will Rogers Elementary by staining the school's picnic tables and benches. It was a scorching hot day, but Kellan stayed with the job from start to finish, determined to make sure it was done right. By the time he finished, he was absolutely drenched in sweat, but because of his hard work, Will Rogers studen

Story originally published in the August 2026 issue of Shawnee Outlook A woman at a local Shawnee care facility had just been done up with makeup and styled hair when a staff member walked in, looked at her, and joked that she didn't recognize her. The woman didn't miss a beat. "My name's Miss America," she said. She was ready for her glamour shot session. It was a small exchange, but for Kelly Brown, founder of the Rose Colored Lens Foundation, it captures exactly what she's