Okmulgee Lions Club

08/27/2026

Wilson Public Schools Kidsight eye screening today!! 👓🦁

08/26/2026

Marilyn Mabrey Sulivant was our speaker yesterday! She came to share about Mabrey Banks history and their 100th year celebration! She shared how Mabrey Bank is important to her and how it’s really a family affair! Her husband Dan blessed us with some multi tool flashlights to carry with us wherever we go! We are appreciative to both of them for taking time out of their busy schedules to visit with us.

Pictured: Dan Sulivant, Marilyn Sulivant, Program chair, Duaine Janzen and 1st VO, Ed Osborn.

08/24/2026

Join us tomorrow!!

08/21/2026

08/18/2026

The Okmulgee Lions Club heard from Okmulgee Co Treasurer, Lindsay Bunch regarding State Question 844.

Lindsay started by giving us a packet of FAQs, below are some insights from the packet:

“What is State Question 844?
State Question 844 asks Oklahoma voters whether they want to change who decides how much, if any, counties, and other local governments are reimbursed when manufacturers and research and development companies receive a property tax exemption.
This question will appear on the statewide ballot on August 25, 2026. The measure would amend the Oklahoma Constitution by removing the constitutional guarantee that local governments receive reimbursement for lost ad valorem tax revenue associated with qualifying manufacturing exemptions.

What does State Question 844 propose to do?
Currently, when a manufacturer or research and development company qualifies for Oklahoma’s five-year ad valorem tax exemption, the Oklahoma Constitution requires the state to reimburse counties and other affected local governments for the property tax revenue they lose.

If State Question 844 passes:
• The constitutional guarantee for reimbursement would be removed.
• The Oklahoma Legislature would determine whether reimbursements are provided and, if so, how much counties receive.
• Future Legislatures could leave the reimbursement as is, reduce reimbursements, change the reimbursement formula, or eliminate reimbursements altogether.”

Lindsay shared currently, 2.5 million is for exempt manufacturing and there’s only one manufacturer in Okmulgee County. They apply every year during this five-year term and can use it for new equipment every year if need be. Once they receive funds, most of it goes to Okmulgee Public Schools, the rest goes to career and Vo-techs, county general and county health department. Tax money is not right away; it is disbursed over a year. There are currently 41 counties in Oklahoma that receive money due to this exemption. Lindsay shared that 1% of what they receive in from income tax goes into reimbursement fund. She also stated that it’s a long process to apply and is a thick packet which could deter other counties from applying or simply because they may not have a manufacturer in the county to apply. As of now, the Oklahoma Tax Commission denies or approves these exceptions.

Pictured: Lion President, Kelly Baehler, Chief Land Records Deputy, Latrice Pannell, Okmulgee Co Treasurer, Lindsay Bunch and Lion Secretary & program chair, Beth Flud.

08/18/2026

Happening tomorrow!!

08/11/2026

We provided free eye screenings today for Muscogee Creek Nations back to school event! 👀📚✂️✏️📓🦁

08/04/2026

The Okmulgee Lions Club welcomed Chet Cottom as their speaker for Tuesday’s meeting.

Chet Cottom is the President of Bridges out of Poverty here in Okmulgee and came to give some insight on what Bridges out of Poverty is all about. He’s been the pastor of First Freewheel Baptist Church of Okmulgee for eight years and this is where the meetings/sessions are held. It is facilitated at the church but is not a church organization. Chet shared that we are in forth and fifth generational poverty in Okmulgee. He explained how often drugs, homelessness, etc comes with poverty. He quoted a saying that states “all it takes for evil to win is for good people to do nothing.”

Bridges out of Poverty is an international program but each individual group is its own entity. The Muskogee bridges group helped Okmulgee get started. Chet shared that 86% come off government assistance after attending the program. Students are called “investigators” because they don’t give them the answers, they want them to grow and investigate themselves. The course is eighteen weeks, and they hold one class per week. There is an application process, and you must be accepted into the program. They started hoping for twelve participants and got seven which decreased to five that graduated. Of the five that graduated, two have purchased a house and one is about to finish with their GED. He shared one investigator shared “this is the first time I’ve ever graduated anything.”

“Our first, biggest donor was First Family Federal Credit Union, and they’ve been extremely helpful in multiple ways,” Chet said. Their second semester is coming up and it’s a full class of twelve! Investigators typically stay in program for three to four years. It’s been a great success because the community is coming together to help. Individuals, churches, organizations, and businesses have been a crucial part. Chet stated it takes $24,000 to fund one semester of Bridges and there’s four to six hours of homework per week. He stressed for the community to come together. He wants every civic organization in the community to be involved and volunteers and donations are needed. They feed each investigator and family each week, a few churches help provide meals and would love if anyone else wanted to help provide meals as well.

“We don’t have to sit back and watch the mindset of poverty affect generations to generations. Can you imagine what a difference they’re going to make for their children and grandchildren?” He shared.

08/03/2026

Our Lions were out serving in the community this weekend! Each year the Okmulgee YMCA puts on a school supply giveaway event, and we help get the community in line, literally! 😆 We enjoy serving and directing traffic for this event! 🚗

We love serving our community! 🦁

Lions pictured are Mark Baker, Dale Fillmore, Beth Flud, Larry Howell, Bernard Kohnen and Mike Morrison!

07/29/2026

Tuesday, our speakers were Kevin & Liz Thompson, and our program chair was Lion, Dale Fillmore!

Kevin and Liz are chaplains at the Okmulgee County Jail. They were hired three years ago by Kenneth Barnham and currently work with Head Chaplain, Jerry Campbell. They spend about an hour and a half to two hours once a week spreading the word of Jesus to those housed in the jail. There are two buildings, the county jail building and the annex which houses federal. The county runs the jail but it is privately owned and OCCJA runs both sides. Currently, the jail is housing around five hundred residents between both buildings. The jail and annex are essentially holding facilities while awaiting trial, sentencing, or transfer.
Liz ministers to the women and leads a ladies bible study, she currently has eleven women involved.
Kevin ministers to the men and has had as many as thirteen men at one time. There’s a lot of turnaround time since it is a holding facility, they may see someone one time. Making an impact, even just once is their focus. Kevin has been ministering to the same two men for six months now which is a good amount of time for a holding facility.
The amount of stay depends on the defense. Most residents they minister to aren’t from here, they see a lot from Texas. Inmates have a loose schedule other than eating times so they are never sure how many they will have attend bible study.
Liz stated the women are housed in one pod and they’re overcrowded. The pod holds about 25 women and right now they have around 50 in there. She shared about a transformation she saw in a lady. This lady was hateful, claimed she was innocent numerous times and didn’t want to attend bible study until someone invited her, so she went. During her last court hearing, she finally admitted she was guilty and told the judge she didn’t care where he sent her because God would be with her. Also, she stated wherever she was placed, she would start her own bible study to help others! What a testimony!
Typically, they do baptisms in a horse trough on the property. During one of the baptism events they helped with, twenty three women were baptized! They just had another two weeks ago where another nine people were baptized!
Before becoming chaplains at the jail, Kevin and Liz were missionaries. They served as missionaries in New Mexico for ten years over a children’s ministry. They ended the program by talking about the Okmulgee Prayer 365 page. Kevin stated anyone can submit a prayer video for them to post!

We are thankful to the Thompsons for attending our meeting and sharing just a piece of their story with us!

Pictured is Lion, Dale Fillmore, Kevin and Liz Thompson and Lion President, Kelly Baehler.