Laura Dennis

Odessa

Editor at Odessa American

Editor of Odessa American.

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Articles

Courthouse MOU approved by commissioners

3 days ago | oaoa.com | Laura Dennis

Ector County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a memorandum of understanding with the United States Post Office that will allow the county to begin the job of building a new courthouse after an impassioned speech by County Judge Dustin Fawcett eventually led to a 4-1 vote.
Breathing room: The Spring’s new transitional living program provides opportunity for those affected by violence and abuse to start again

4 weeks ago | tulsapeople.com | Laura Dennis

In 2023 the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board reported more domestic violence homicides than any year on record. In 2024 Oklahoma led the nation with the highest rates of violence and domestic abuse cases against women, according to data from the World Population Review. Leslie Clingenpeel, CEO of the faith-based shelter The Spring, believes these alarming statistics demonstrate a deeply rooted problem.
All they ever wanted: Grand Lake home is updated to suit a growing family

1 month ago | tulsapeople.com | Laura Dennis

Avacation getaway is what Julia Kirkendall’s clients dreamed of when they purchased their secondary home on Grand Lake nearly 10 years ago. Kirkendall, owner and founder of Kirkendall Design, says the home had great bones, but the interior needed some updates. “When they initially bought it, we designed each space throughout the home and have continued to furnish and update it over the past several years,” she says. “Unfortunately, they recently had a water leak that caused the house to flood.
Designer Francie Winchester shares a glimpse inside her personal home

1 month ago | tulsapeople.com | Laura Dennis

Designer and business owner Francie Winchester was always determined to turn her passion for home design into a career. After earning a degree in interior design from Oklahoma State University, she moved to New York City where she spent 12 years honing her skills in high-end interior design. Most notably, she earned the position of senior designer for one of the nation’s top design professionals, Tom Scheerer.
Go Red for Women: Hendricks pushing for heart health

2 months ago | yahoo.com | Laura Dennis

Apr. 25—Odessan Jay Hendricks is familiar to all of us through his more than three decades as a leading and award-winning news anchor. His easy-going manner and calm delivery of the news has kept him a favorite in West Texas during all of those years. This year he is taking on a new role as the chair of the Go Red for Women event, which is the American Heart Association's movement designed to improve the health of women. It's not a role Jay ever thought he would have.
County improving roads near new school site

2 months ago | oaoa.com | Laura Dennis

Ector County Commissioners paved the way Tuesday for road improvements near the site of a new ECISD school as well approved the first steps of construction on the juvenile detention facility and coliseum upgrades. Commissioners also:>>>>Approved allowing the City of Odessa to use the HealthDepartment parking lot July 3-4 for their annualFirework Fandango Event; a Certificate of Insurance has already been provided.
Wrangler Dunda fighting back from horrific accident

Mar 13, 2025 | oaoa.com | Laura Dennis

Many Odessans have cheered on and supported bull riding champ Wrangler Dunda since he was a toddler competing in mutton busting all the way through his pro rodeo bull riding career. Wrangler, 34, has endured six surgeries during the last two weeks and lost both his legs below the knees after being shocked by 400+ volts of electricity while working on a metal building.
A Letter to My Constituents

Mar 3, 2025 | ngazette.com | Laura Dennis

We live in a time of division, a time when differences seem to overshadow our shared humanity. It is easy to see the fault lines that separate us. Ideologies, parties, backgrounds, and beliefs. But what if, instead of seeing these differences as walls, we viewed them as bridges? What if, rather than fearing what divides us, we celebrated what unites us? History has shown us that our greatest triumphs have come not from division, but from unity.
Changing it up: An attic bath renovation leads to more functionality with ample style

Jan 31, 2025 | tulsapeople.com | Laura Dennis

Tulsa natives Valerie and Evan Wei-Haas purchased their Florence Park home in 2020. They fell in love with the historic architecture of the 1930s build, but they wanted to add a personal touch to a few things. “The second floor used to be an attic,”Valerie says. “The previous owners converted it into a second story that (became) a bedroom suite, but we wanted to fully enclose and reorient the layout of the bathroom.”The Wei-Haases hired Kirkendall Design for a full upstairs bathroom renovation.
Simmons says bid process wasn’t proper

Jan 28, 2025 | oaoa.com | Laura Dennis

A longtime Ector County Commissioner accused the County’s top official of essentially trying to rig the bid process for the new county courthouse. Commissioner Greg Simmons called a Tuesday news conference and said he wasn’t contacted for an Odessa American story about last week’s county commissioners meeting and he wanted taxpayers to hear why he voted against moving forward with the firm Butler Cohen to build the courthouse.