Little did I know nine months ago that I would birth a newsletter that would have an actual, real-life customer. It’s true, and I’m feeling a bit of pride and a ton of gratitude.

The mission of ‘Oklahoma Memo’ is to connect you to local news in a way that gives you breadth and depth faster than anywhere else you can go. I have always intended on selling ads, but I do not intend to host advertising in a way that detracts from the newsletter.

That’s why I’m leaning into the power of storytelling.

But first, I want to introduce you to Andy Bigbie, a self-described serial entrepreneur from Norman who is starting an insurance and employee benefits company this week. I think he’s debuting Bigbie Insurance & Benefits today. (Congratulations!)

He reached out to me about advertising in the newsletter, and I gave him a sense of where an ad would live and what it would look like — but then I said, “Hey, let’s do a podcast together. I’d love to tell your story.”

And that’s not a ruse either. Andy has started lots of ventures, and here I am starting my first, what’s turning into a tiny media company. I need to hear stories from other Oklahoma entrepreneurs. Maybe you’d benefit from hearing Andy’s story, too. In the video podcast below, we talk about starting a business, Oklahoma’s business environment, and some entrepreneurial wisdom.

Of course, Andy also has a business, one that’s unique and timely as we’re almost a full month into Q4. Andy works 1:1 with businesses on their employee benefits and open enrollments, and what differentiates him from virtually anybody else in this space is his passion for teaching and coaching folks on how to get the most out of their benefits, not only for health care but also as a tool to strengthen your finances.

I’m super grateful that the newsletter has hit this milestone, and I’m grateful to Andy for making it happen. Here’s our conversation (directly below), and his ad will live all week in between our top stories.

🎧 LISTEN: YouTube | Spotify | Apple

Message Andy at [email protected].

And you can message me anytime at [email protected].

***

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

‘Oklahoma Memo’ is on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. There is also a YouTube channel — and it’s all growing day by day.

Windy and warm start to the week.

🌡️ Monday's high in OKC 83°
🌡️ Monday’s high in Tulsa 82°

By Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY — More than 1,000 people joined a No Kings protest Saturday outside City Hall in Oklahoma City, donning ponchos and inflatable costumes in the rain to rally against President Donald Trump. 

The No Kings protests, which took place in hundreds of cities across all 50 states and in the nation’s capital, are intended to denounce the Trump administration and rally against “chaos, corruption, and cruelty.” 

Many protest signs and speakers focused on anger with Trump’s deportation campaign using Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Congress’ failure to release the Epstein files and the conflict in Gaza. 

Rosa Valdez said she’s never been involved in politics, but that seeing immigrants removed from their homes without due process brought her to the protest.

“There’s a lot of people that have been around me in my lifetime that have fallen victim to what is going on right now and have, unfortunately, been deported,” she said. “And just the way that everything has gone down, I know that they didn’t get any court (date) or anything like that.”

Click here to finish the story.

After 20 years leading hundreds of benefit meetings across Oklahoma, I’ve seen how employees tune out when things get too complex — and that’s where real dollars are lost.

At Bigbie Insurance & Benefits, we make renewals clear, personal, and human again — helping employers cut through the noise so their people actually understand their benefits.

For more information: [Start a Conversation] or [Info + Watch]

If you’d like to advertise in the Oklahoma Memo newsletter daily, reach out to me at [email protected].

Your advertisement could include a headline, photo, story and a link to anywhere you’d like it to go! 🔗

By Graycen Wheeler, KOSU
Click here to read the story
Donate to KOSU

At least three people were injured in a shooting on Oklahoma State University’s Stillwater campus early Sunday morning, according to the OSU Police Department.

OSU Chief of Police Michael Beckner said although no suspect has been apprehended, there’s no immediate danger.

“As the investigation goes on, you know, we feel that we're moving in the right direction,” Beckner said at a press conference Sunday. “We feel there is no threat at this time, an imminent threat for the public or the campus.”

The shooting happened at Carreker East, an on-campus apartment complex for undergraduate students. OSUPD officials said the shooting happened after those involved attended a “large, private party at an off-campus location.”

When the event ended around 3 a.m., some partygoers headed to Carreker East, where a disagreement in the parking lot escalated into shooting.

Police say they learned about the shooting just before 4 a.m., after one victim drove about a mile to a McDonald’s off campus, where he collapsed.

OSUPD believes the shooter quickly left campus after the altercation. But Beckner said officers spoke with about 20 people who were present in the parking lot at the time of the incident.

Click here to finish the story.

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• 18-year-old ends up in coma after spending less than a day at the Oklahoma County Jail (KFOR)

• Oklahoma leaders warn political misinformation threatens public safety (News 9)

• D.C. Digest: Mullin says Young Republican chat no joke (Tulsa World)

• Ethics Commission lawsuit targets Oklahoma City lawmaker (Oklahoma Voice)

• 'It's affecting us all': Locust Grove food pantry feeling government shutdown (2 News Oklahoma)

• Oklahoma Chronicle: Why are Oklahoma's home insurance rates so high, and what's being done? (KOCO)

• Osage Nation is ready to revive the fight for their reservation (Tulsa Flyer)

• Winter Shelter preps to open for OKC’s homeless population (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• Oklahoma should add special education support amid federal uncertainty, state lawmaker says (Oklahoma Voice)

• University of Tulsa denies rumor of financial incentive to hire congressman as its next president (Tulsa Flyer)

• Oklahoma health professionals participate in interim study on lung cancer screening (KGOU)

• Tulsans participate in nationwide No Kings protest against Trump administration (Public Radio Tulsa)

• ‘Not done yet’: Oklahoma-Bred program audit lingers as Horse Racing Commission plods along (NonDoc)

• ‘Okmulgee deserves our attention’: Dinsmore explores challenges and opportunities (NonDoc)

• Bill Haisten: Bixby owes an apology to no one for its 92-0 victory (Tulsa World)

• New children's biography explores life of Ralph Ellison (Public Radio Tulsa)

The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ mission is simple: Reignite the daily local news habit by connecting Oklahomans and those who love Oklahoma to quality sources of news and vetted information.

✅ Save you time.
✅ Make you smarter.
✅ Protect Democracy.