It's a bit ironic that in a town where we regularly hear the booming sounds of freedom, the local mayor, city council, and city manager choose to restrict citizen access to open and public meetings on social media.

Facebook has been quite the buzz the last few days over the potential go/no-go of a new controversial Lawton annual business licensing. While we always know there are two sides to every story, it was beyond challenging to find a single fan of more City of Lawton nickel and diming...

If you've ever logged on to watch a council meeting, they're generally pretty boring. Politics usually are, but once in a while, a hot topic comes up that brings out the passion in the people.

If you can't beat 'em, silence 'em.

At some point last year (likely fallout from the 18+% water bill hike) Lawton started turning the comments off on their live streams, effectively silencing every citizen that couldn't just leave work in the middle of a work day to voice their opinions in person.

While the comment section of these broadcasts wasn't particularly popular until the price-gouging when inflation hit last year, this practice of silencing the people has become the norm.

Facebook, Lawton Oklahoma, City Government
Facebook, Lawton Oklahoma, City Government
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If you compare today's (2/17/2023) meeting to previous videos on the page, the uptick in online activity could have been a great forum for debate.

Our confidential City of Lawton mole insists the comments are now always turned off because it annoys the mayor and city manager to see viewpoints that don't align with theirs... but that's just the opinion of our inside person until one of those two grows the balls to publically say it.

As a workaround, there are ways to contact literally anyone in city hall... Here is where you'll find the contact details for the mayor, our city councilors, and the city manager.

If you're curious about the outcome of today's special meeting surrounding the uber-unpopular new Lawton business license, the city posted a notice that they've nixed it for now.

Things Goodwill Doesn't Want You to Donate

Goodwill has always had an impossibly solid business model... People give their stuff to them for free. Goodwill sells it in-store and online. Instant profits... but there is a limit to what they will accept on the back dock. Here's a quick rundown of what Goodwill might turn away.

The Most Expensive Places to Live in Oklahoma

When you think of expensive places to live in Oklahoma, most people envision the ultra-wealthy areas like Nichols Hills or Cedar Valley... but having money doesn't always equate to being the most expensive. Compared to most places on this list, even Edmond would be a thrifty place to live. Here are the most expensive places to live in Oklahoma.

25 hilarious Oklahoma personalized tags DENIED by the DMV

A great way to personalize your vehicle is with a custom license plate. There are some pretty creative and funny tags running around the Sooner State. Some are easy to get, others will have you scratching your head trying to figure it out what it says. Personalized plates are very popular and we're seeing more of them on the road every day. However, there are some rules and restrictions when it comes to what you can and can't put on your plate. If it's considered obscene, vulgar, demeaning, or includes any mention of drugs, alcohol, or illegal activities it will be DENIED. Check out the photo gallery below of some of the most hilarious tags that were rejected by the Oklahoma Department of Motor Vehicles. WARNING: some of these could be considered offensive so if you're easily offended proceed with caution. You have been officially warned.

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