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Family-owned Oklahoma City bar named one of the best bars in US

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Family-owned Oklahoma City bar named one of the best bars in US


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Edna’s, a longstanding fixture in Oklahoma City’s bar scene, the origin point for a beloved signature cocktail and a local watering hole for both residents and their visiting friends and family is one of 27 bars included on the 2024 USA TODAY Bars of the Year list. 

The list was created by USA TODAY Network food writers across the country and includes everything from humble dives to high-end cocktail bars. 

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“It’s pretty crazy and quite an honor,” said Tammy Lucas, owner of Edna’s and daughter of the bar’s originator and namesake Edna Scott. “My mom just built such a legacy there. That place has a life of its own. It’s bigger than us. She’s just always there with her hands on everything and we’re just blessed.”

What makes Edna’s stand out

Edna’s has been offering up Lunchboxes and love to the community since the day Scott opened the doors 35 years ago. Today, Edna’s is owned by Lucas, who’s own children are also involved in the day-to-day running and management of the bar.

“It’s always going to be a family business,” said manager Kate Kezpers, who is Lucas’ daughter-in-law. “There aren’t as many these days. A lot of things have gone corporate, and I like that it’s still within the family and that it continues that legacy that Edna built.”

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Edna’s is perhaps best known for the Lunchbox, created, in fact, by accident when Edna mixed a shot of amaretto with Coors Light and orange juice. The blunder became a menu staple that has grown into a full list of variations available at the bar, including secret off-menu options.

“We’ve now developed many flavors of Lunchboxes. … Try the original first because that’s the one that’s been around for 30 years. That’s the classic one, and then all of the other ones are just based off of that,” Kezpers said. “If you get the right person at the right time, you might just learn a secret one. We have a little Lunchbox bible behind the bar with all of them in it.”

What to know about Edna’s — beyond the Lunchbox

Edna’s also offers up a selection of tasty bar snacks — wings, chicken fingers, loaded fries, fried green beans and more — to satisfy the cravings that often come with a trip to the bar.

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The most well-known visual feature at Edna’s is the hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollar bills lining the walls, ceiling and even a few epoxy-resined tables throughout the bar at this point.

There is an unspoken understanding amongst guests that the dollar bills stay on the walls and are not to be disturbed and any guest who comes into the bar can decorate a bill of their own and add it to the wall. There are some less cluttered places in need of decoration in the newly expanded and renovated area of the bar that was added during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That expansion also gave new life to the patio, which gained additional square footage for added seating and games. Patrons can play cornhole or oversized Connect Four on the patio during the bar’s regular hours. But don’t be surprised if seating is limited on nights and weekends when Edna’s gets busy and stays that way.

‘We’re just blessed’

Kezpers said you also shouldn’t be surprised if, on your first visit, a regular offers to buy your first Lunchbox, a common occurrence at Edna’s she’s seen too many times to count.

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“I think the Lunchbox is a big part of it, but I also think we have a good community here. I think everyone that comes in is just instantly welcomed by the staff or the other people in the bar,” Kezpers said.

With three and a half decades under its belt, a committed family running it, strong community support and daily hours from noon until 2 a.m. Edna’s does not appear to be going anywhere.

“All I ever wanted to do, and my family, too, is just honor [my mom] and what she’s done and brought to Oklahoma City and how she wants people to be treated,” Lucas said. “You know we’ve had our ups and downs, but we’re hanging in there and we’re just blessed.”



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‘We will forever feel this loss’: Victims with Oklahoma ties lost in DC plane crash

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‘We will forever feel this loss’: Victims with Oklahoma ties lost in DC plane crash


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 Investigators on Friday forged ahead with search and salvage operations after the collision of a passenger plane and a U.S. Army helicopter that killed 67 people, as families and communities across the U.S. and in other countries mourned the victims in the deadliest aviation disaster in over two decades.

Among the victims were people with ties to Oklahoma State University, Tinker Air Force Base and Oklahoma’s agriculture community.

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Shortly before 9 p.m. on Wednesday night, American Airlines flight 5432 plunged into the Potomac River when it collided with an Army UH-60 Black Hawk conducting a “routine” training exercise. All 64 aboard the plane bound from Wichita, Kansas to D.C. are presumed dead, as are the three soldiers who occupied the helicopter.

Wednesday’s collision is the worst crash involving a U.S. airline since February 2009.

Here’s what we know about some of the victims who had ties to Oklahoma:

Lindsey Fields: Dedicated to ‘changing students’ lives every day’

Forgan native Lindsey Fields was headed to Washington, D.C. to advocate for excellence in life science education.

She was president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers, a role she was eager to step into because it was the same position her father Todd Carter held in 2008.

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For the past decade, Fields taught biology at Butler Community College in the Wichita area. She was beloved at the school, who praised her energy and dedication to her craft.

“Lindsey was a colleague, friend, and educator who dedicated her wisdom and talents to changing students’ lives every day. We owe her much gratitude for sharing her light with us and we will forever feel this loss. We send much love and support to her family and friends during this most difficult time,” the school said in an announcement Friday morning.

Fields, a graduate of Forgan High School in the Oklahoma Panhandle, earned a master’s degree in zoology from Oklahoma State University. After that, she took an internship with the Oklahoma City Zoo working with big cats. According to an online biography, Fields’ graduate research led her to Kansas where she examined water quality of reservoirs on the central plains.

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Oklahoma State Professor Andy Dzialowski was her coursework adviser at the university. He said that Fields took on the rare job of being an undergraduate teaching assistant, which is a role usually reserved for post-graduate students.

“If you asked people in her department who would have been one of the most successful teachers, it would be Lindsey. She was a really good teaching assistant,” he said. “She was a really nice person. A great big smile.”

Dzialowski feels humbled to see that Fields became so successful in her field.

“Students appreciate someone who’s dedicated to teaching them. Even if you don’t become a biologist, it’s important that you understand science,” he said. “Being a biology professor and teaching general biology courses really has a significance in our society.”

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Andrew Eaves, a Black Hawk instructor pilot, served at Tinker AFB

One of the pilots on board the U.S. Army Black Hawk was Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, who was serving as an instructor pilot.

Before joining the Army’s warrant officer program to fly helicopters, Eaves was a sailor stationed at Tinker Air Force Base.

Eaves was a native of Brooksville, Mississippi. His wife, Carrie Eaves, shared the news in a post on Facebook.

“We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today,” she wrote.

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The Army said the Black Hawk, from the 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was on a training mission when it collided with the American Airlines jet.

Bob and Lori Schrock: Compassionate, eager to help others

Robert “Bob” and Lori Schrock were known in their community as compassionate people.

Bob, 58, and Lori, 56, lived in Kiowa, Kansas, which sits on the border with Oklahoma near Alva. Bob worked there as a farmer, their daughter Ellie told The Washington Post. The Oklahoman, which is part of the USA Today Network, reached out to Ellie, who wasn’t immediately available to speak about her parents.

The couple was flying out of Wichita that week and planned to ride the train to visit their daughter in Philadelphia. It was a typical trip the two took.  

Michael Simpson, a longtime family friend, shared that the couple were quick to lend a hand. Bob was one of the few men who encouraged him, Simpson said on social media, and he often sought Bob out for advice throughout his life.

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“[They were] always silent in the background and never looking for any appreciation. They had a strong, vocal relationship with the Lord and I look forward to seeing my friends again. One of the last times we talked was about how amazing heaven will be and how excited we were about the hope we have, but until then we have a job to do for the Kingdom,” Simpson wrote on Facebook.

Simpson said while he misses his friends, he is praying for Ellie’s future.  

“Biggest heartbreak that we’ve been both praying about is their daughter because I can’t imagine how lonely that is going to feel. For me, for Mark, we’re going to hurt; it’s going to be painful, but we know we’re going to see our friends again,” he told KSN News.

Ellie’s close friend Grace Cantrell shared with reporters that she mourns the moments that the three will no longer be able to share.

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“All the things that her parents won’t be there for, her wedding, her first boyfriend, her first kid, she’s planning on going to med school. If she becomes a doctor, they won’t get to see her achieve that,” Cantrell told KSN News.

Lici Beveridge of the Hattiesburg American contributed to this story.



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Quinerly leads No. 21 West Virginia against No. 24 Oklahoma State after 26-point showing

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Quinerly leads No. 21 West Virginia against No. 24 Oklahoma State after 26-point showing


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Oklahoma State Cowgirls (18-3, 8-2 Big 12) at West Virginia Mountaineers (16-4, 6-3 Big 12)

Morgantown, West Virginia; Saturday, 12 p.m. EST

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BOTTOM LINE: No. 21 West Virginia hosts No. 24 Oklahoma State after JJ Quinerly scored 26 points in West Virginia’s 77-62 loss to the Arizona Wildcats.

The Mountaineers have gone 11-0 in home games. West Virginia has a 16-1 record in games decided by 10 points or more.

The Cowgirls are 8-2 against conference opponents. Oklahoma State is seventh in the Big 12 with 15.1 assists per game led by Jadyn Wooten averaging 3.8.

West Virginia averages 79.6 points, 21.0 more per game than the 58.6 Oklahoma State allows. Oklahoma State averages 8.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.8 more made shots on average than the 5.0 per game West Virginia allows.

The Mountaineers and Cowgirls meet Saturday for the first time in conference play this season.

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TOP PERFORMERS: Jordan Harrison is averaging 13.7 points, five assists and 2.1 steals for the Mountaineers. Quinerly is averaging 20.1 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 42.7% over the past 10 games.

Stailee Heard is scoring 17.0 points per game and averaging 8.0 rebounds for the Cowgirls. Micah Gray is averaging 2.1 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mountaineers: 7-3, averaging 72.6 points, 31.6 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 13.5 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 42.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 58.9 points per game.

Cowgirls: 8-2, averaging 72.1 points, 33.1 rebounds, 12.3 assists, 7.9 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 65.1 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




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Oklahoma Board of Regents to discuss Cameron University president search

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Oklahoma Board of Regents to discuss Cameron University president search


OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) – Cameron University administrators attended the regularly scheduled University Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, Jan. 30.

It’s taking place at the University of Oklahoma’s Robert M. Bird Library along with administrators from OU, and Rogers State.

Current actions proposed include the possible discussion and voting in of a new Cameron University president

Interviews, discussions, and considerations will be made during an executive session that will not be open for public viewing.

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