Raynee Howell

Raynee Howell is a Stillwater-based journalist and contributor to Oklahoma Watch.

Health

A Medicare trial program is helping Oklahoma dementia caregivers, but only 128 aatients are enrolled

Raynee Howell, Oklahoma Watch

A Medicare trial program called GUIDE is helping Oklahoma dementia patients stay home longer and reducing caregiver burden through care navigators, 24/7 hotlines and $2,500 in annual respite funding.
Education

"It's hard to stay afloat": Oklahoma borrowers describe life under the new student loan system

Raynee Howell, Oklahoma Watch

Oklahoma borrowers are navigating a rapidly shifting federal student loan landscape, with 24% of state borrowers falling into default as payment plans change, the SAVE plan is phased out and monthly payments are surging.
Health

Oklahoma's ballyhooed Naloxone vending machine program is gone, leaving communities scrambling to fill the gap

Raynee Howell, Oklahoma Watch

Oklahoma's statewide naloxone vending machine program, once the largest in the nation, has been dismantled, with machines redistributed to community organizations now paying out of pocket for supplies.
Business and Economy

Trade war, fertilizer tariffs, Strait of Hormuz: How global events are crushing Oklahoma farm margins

Raynee Howell, Oklahoma Watch

Oklahoma soybean farmers are navigating a cascade of financial pressures: trade war fallout that cut China's soybean purchases by 78%, fertilizer prices driven up by tariffs and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, and fuel costs up more than 50%. Government assistance has helped, but margins remain deeply negative.