Good morning, Lawton.

Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations from chamber members for its 2025 celebration awards until May 16 and will announce winners on June 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Federal prosecutors indicted Misty Dawn Burton and Neil Collin Willmon in Oklahoma City’s federal district court on April 16 for allegedly conspiring to commit wire fraud by embezzling over $377,400 from a Hydro healthcare company between August 2022 and November 2023—other conspirators are also implicated in using unauthorized checks and funds transfers.

The Carnegie Library Arts Classes, held annually at the Carnegie Library, are set to begin with the first class scheduled for later in May (exact start date pending).

Local residents can look forward to a series of art classes that offer hands-on learning opportunities.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce held its State of the State Luncheon where Sterling Zearley, Executive Director of Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation, said the state spends only $5.7 million annually on tourism marketing and highlighted unique attractions such as outdoor recreation + 400 miles of Route 66. Tourism, the third-largest industry, brings in about $12.3 billion each year, and Governor Kevin Stitt was expected to speak but did not attend.

Fort Sill Transition Assistance Program will host an in-person hiring event on May 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Building 2502, EXPO Room, Soldier for Life – Transition Complex, where over 30 employers will meet active duty service members transitioning through September 2025, spouses, working-age dependents, retirees and veterans.

Bailey Crotty, deputy director of the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission, said the Legislature will consider HB 1546 which would bar foreign governments—China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia—from owning agricultural or forest land and property within 200 miles of military installations or critical infrastructure. The bill aims to close loopholes in the 2023 law while keeping it easier for residential buyers such as doctors to purchase homes.