News
Peter Wright
For supporters of Hobby Lobby, the fluorescent bulbs that light store aisles have perhaps become a beacon of righteousness. The Oklahoma City-based chain stepped into the political fray late last year with a controversial lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a case that has garnered praise from some of the most prominent evangelical figures in the country.

News
Peter Wright
A mariachi band played as dancers from a traveling circus last week unveiled plans to reshape Crossroads Mall. With a new name and new tenants, future renovations and a busy schedule of events, developers hope to transform the once-thriving mall into a commercial hub for Oklahoma City’s Latino community.

News
Peter Wright
Conserving water hasn’t always been a high priority in Oklahoma City. Last year, residents set a record for gallons consumed in a single day while lake levels sunk to new lows.

News
Peter Wright
When the Oklahoma Lottery’s first instant ticket was sold in October 2005, the odds were that the numbers underneath the scratch-off film would be worthless to whoever bought it. Yet the dollar exchanged for that card was intended to be the first of millions raised for education.

Kids
Peter Wright
Workers already are making way for a new children’s museum inside Science Museum Oklahoma.

News
Peter Wright
The house at the corner of Green Valley and Apple Valley Drives doesn’t look too different from the other suburban oases around it. Inside, however, is a home to as many as five elderly residents and at least one visiting nurse at all times. It’s part of a new trend in Oklahoma to make the assisted living center small enough to fit in a four-bedroom home and homey enough to lose the stigma of the institution.

Sports
Peter Wright
Table tennis tournament
8 p.m. Thursday
Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewing Company
50 Penn Place
eastersealsok.org
239-2525

News
Peter Wright
The Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007, better known as House Bill 1804, was tough for its day. It remains the gravitational center of illegal immigration arguments in Oklahoma, even as it has been dissected by lawsuits, eclipsed by bills in other states and rendered less relevant by an increasingly young and legal Latino community.

News
Peter Wright
Only two states cut per-pupil spending more than Oklahoma in the last five years, according to a recent think-tank report. While it appears nearly impossible to determine what funding is adequate for education, it is inarguable that funding for public schools in Oklahoma has decreased. With an eye on unpredictable state and federal budgets, education leaders are talking about the need for more money.

Features
Peter Wright
Downtown OKC Bike Tours
6 p.m. Tuesdays through Oct. 16
Various locations
downtownokc.com/downtownokcbiketours.aspx
235-3500
Free

News
Peter Wright
Thousands of undocumented residents living in Oklahoma now can apply for a deportation protection program initiated by presidential order in June. For one group of undocumented students and their friends, the application is not only a reprieve, but also a call to help others who may be eligible.

News
Peter Wright
A term-limited state representative will face a longtime employee of the Oklahoma County Court Clerk’s office in an Aug. 28 runoff that could become a referendum on what role politics should play in county government.

News
Peter Wright
Following a divisive session for Oklahoma Republicans, the founder of a prominent conservative club is challenging a four-term incumbent in the House District 39 primary on June 26.

News
Peter Wright
Tweaking gun laws was a specialty of the state Legislature this session, passing several gun-related measures that will take effect in November.

News
Peter Wright
The medical significance of the helix can’t be lost on anyone who knows about DNA, but the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation is putting the shape to use in an unusual way.