Oklahoma
Oklahoma teacher turns PB&J’s into a lifeline for students
Teaching is easily one of the most challenging and rewarding professions anywhere. And while most deserve to be recognized, when we heard about Deanne Strothers, we had to come meet her.
The Harding Charter Prep teacher has been teaching life through math for 30 years.
“My goal is to make them understand that they can get through tough stuff,” said Strothers.
But seven years ago, there was some tough stuff put on her plate that was really tough to swallow.
“I had kids that would come in, and they didn’t have any. They didn’t have a lunch card, so they couldn’t eat,” said Strothers.
She recalls one student in particular, at a previous school.
“She came in, and she’s like, I’m hungry,” said Strothers.
After giving the student the peanut butter and jelly sandwich she had brought for lunch, Strothers made a decision: as long as she was teaching, no child would go hungry.
“And so, I’m like, I’ve got to get something that is universal, and we landed on peanut butter and jelly,” said Strothers.
So, for the past seven years, each night she and her husband have prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, totaling over 30,000 sandwiches.
It’s always grape jelly, you don’t have to be in any of her classes and the sandwiches are typically gone before 9 a.m.
“I would rather have a well-fed child than a child sitting here, not having the capability to really pay attention because they are hungry,” said Strothers.
As word spread of her personal feeding program, it prompted a visit from Oklahoma’s Secretary of Education, Dan Hamlin, who didn’t come empty-handed.
“Well, we wanted to give you a check for supplies,” said Hamlin.
“I think it’s incredibly important that we recognize the great work that our teachers are doing across the state,” said Hamlin.
“I’ll keep doing this as long as I am teaching,” said Strothers.
As expected, Mrs. Strothers says she will use the check for more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The $250.00 donation will paY for about one semester of sandwiches.
Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order on Sunday, declaring a disaster emergency for Creek, Okfuskee, and Tulsa counties following damage caused by floods in parts of eastern Oklahoma.
“The State and local emergency managers continue to assess damage after significant flooding in eastern Oklahoma,” said Governor Stitt. “Keep an eye out for neighbors that might need help. Thank you to the first responders who are working quickly to clear roads and keep Oklahomans safe.”
This executive order will activate the State Emergency Operations Plan, which directs state agencies to make resources available to protect those impacted. These efforts will be coordinated by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency
Anyone with a home or business impacted by damage should report damage at damage.ok.gov.
The governor said additional counties are still being assessed and may be added to the declaration.
A pedestrian was killed early Sunday morning after being struck on I-235 Northbound in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers say 49-year-old Corey L. Williams of Oklahoma City was walking across the interstate when he was hit in the middle of the roadway around 1 a.m. at the junction of NW 23rd Street.
Two other vehicles were involved in the collision. Neither driver nor any passengers were injured.
One driver is a 19-year-old woman from Edmond. The other is a 23-year-old woman from Oklahoma City.
This remains an active investigation.
Editor’s note: We used AI tools to help with editing and formatting this story. A human journalist reviewed everything before publication.
The Sooners got half of the job done on Saturday.
Oklahoma defeated No. 15 Kansas 8-1 in Game 1 of the Super Regional series between the Sooners and the Jayhawks. OU can clinch its first College World Series appearance since 2022 with a win over KU on Sunday.
The Sooners controlled the game at the plate, on the mound and in the field.
Almost all of OU’s offense came in the middle of the contest.
Outfielder Dasan Harris scored the game’s first run on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning. And one at-bat later, infielder Dayton Tockey blasted a three-run home run to left-center field to make it a 4-0 game.
The Sooners were able to separate themselves even further from the Jayhawks in the fifth.
Infielder Camden Johnson hit a two-run home run to give OU a 6-0 lead. And later that inning, Trey Gambill blasted a solo shot to center field.
OU got one more insurance run in the seventh, when Brendan Brock singled and drove Deiten Lachance across to score.
The Sooners combined for 11 hits as a team. Eight of the nine batters in OU’s starting lineup registered at least one base hit.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
On the mound, freshman Cord Rager controlled the Jayhawks throughout his six innings.
Rager gave up only one hit, and it came in the first inning. The left-handed pitcher struck out six Jayhawks and allowed only four baserunners during his outing.
LJ Mercurius pitched the rest of the game for the Sooners. He allowed Kansas to score its only run on a solo homer in the eighth. Mercurius allowed the one run on three hits in three innings.
Oklahoma’s Game 1 win follows its heroics at the Atlanta Regional last week. After losing to Georgia Tech in the 1-0 game, the Sooners won three games in a row — against The Citadel and twice against the Yellow Jackets — to advance to the Super Regionals.
OU improved to 37-22 overall with the win. The Sooners are 5-1 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Their recent success is a total flip from how they performed in the weeks preceding the tourney, as OU lost four series in a row to end the regular season and dropped its SEC Tournament opener to LSU.
Kansas dropped to 45-17 after losing Game 1. The Jayhawks won both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles and defeated Arkansas, Missouri State and Northeastern in their home regional last week. Dominic Voegele collected the loss for KU, as he surrendered seven runs — three earned — on seven hits and a walk.
The second game of the Super Regional series will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
If the Sooners win Game 2, they will go to Omaha. If they lose, they’ll be forced to play a winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday, with first pitch time to be determined.
Follow
-
World3 seconds ago
Hezbollah’s secret ‘kill, wound and maim’ bomb network exposed as Israel strikes Beirut
-
Politics3 minutes agoRaman overtakes Spencer Pratt in razor-thin race, AP count shows, but race remains uncalled
-
Health15 minutes agoScientists reveal surprising brain benefit of laughter: ‘It’s a mental workout’
-
Sports18 minutes agoKetel Marte frustrating Diamondbacks by opting to take days off with trade deadline looming: report
-
Technology23 minutes agoAntares reaches reactor criticality under Trump pilot program, marking major nuclear milestone
-
Business30 minutes agoEx-girlfriend of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt ordered to pay him $10 million after rape accusations
-
Entertainment33 minutes agoTony Awards 2026: “Schmigadoon!” wins best musical in a season saved by revivals
-
Politics45 minutes agoMainstream California Democrats survived election night, but their brand remains challenged
