The O'Colly, Thursday, April 4, 2024

Thursday, April 4, 2024

School of Accounting will honor alums at Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame Banquet

of his class in 1979.

Oklahoma State University’s School of Accounting will honor three outstanding alumni during the 2024 Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet on April 21 at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center.

This year’s distinguished alumni being honored with induction into the Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame are: Randy Mecklenburg, who earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from OSU in 1973, is cofounder of the law firm of Harrison & Mecklenburg, which has offices in Kingfisher, Stillwater and Watonga.

Jack Murray, who earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from OSU in 1985, is a partner at HoganTaylor and serves as the leader for the company’s nonprofit practice.

The Early Career Rising Star honoree is: Vivian Newton, who received both her bachelor’s (2016) and master’s (2017) degrees in accounting, along with an Honors College Degree. She is serving a two-year rotation as a manager in Grant Thornton’s SEC Regulatory Matter Group in Washington, D.C.

“The accounting profession plays a pivotal role in shaping economies and influencing the lives of everyday individuals,” said Dr. Angela Spencer, head of the School of Accounting. “We take immense pride in our alumni who have harnessed their accounting degrees to make a tangible impact on Oklahoma and beyond. Randy, Jack and Vivian are remarkable examples of how an OSU accounting education can propel professionals toward meaningful contributions.

“As we honor these outstanding individuals, we recognize that they represent a larger community of School of Accounting alumni who continue to elevate the field of accounting. Their legacy inspires our current students and recent graduates, encouraging them to embrace their roles as future change-makers.”

Mecklenburg attended OSU on a basketball scholarship and played for legendary coach Henry Iba. After graduation, he took the CPA exam in November 1973 and received honorable mention for scoring the second-highest grade in the state.

He began his career working for the Big Eight accounting firm of Haskins & Sells, now known as Deloitte. He became a senior accountant in the tax department before choosing to further his career by attending law school. He graduated from Oklahoma City University law school in the top 10%

Upon passing the bar exam, he began working as a lawyer in Kingfisher. He cofounded the law firm of Harrison & Mecklenburg, Inc. in 1987, which now has offices in Kingfisher, Stillwater and Watonga. Harrison & Mecklenburg, Inc. was selected to the inaugural class of the Cowboy100, which recognizes the fastest growing companies owned/operated by an OSU alum. Mecklenburg served the community of Kingfisher as municipal judge for over 38 years. Mecklenburg has served on the board of numerous organizations spanning many different industries and he has been involved with multiple charitable and youth organizations. He and his wife of 53 years, Linda, served as youth directors for The Federated Church for nearly 20 years. He has also served multiple terms as The Federated Church board president and member. The Mecklenburgs have three sons and five grandchildren. Each of the sons are entrepreneurs in their own right. Justin, the oldest, is also a graduate of the OSU School of Accounting and owns two different companies that have been selected for the Cowboy100. They have three grandsons that are currently enrolled at OSU, each following in their grandfather’s entrepreneurial footsteps by majoring in entrepreneurship at Spears Business.

Murray, CPA, was raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, graduating from College High School in 1977. After starting his college career at St. Cloud State University and a stint in construction, he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from OSU in 1985. He then began his professional career at Phillips Petroleum Company. His passion for public accounting soon led him to join SF & Co. in 1987, later transitioning to HoganTaylor, where he has dedicated the entirety of his career.

Specializing in serving nonprofit organizations, Murray has been instrumental in growing HoganTaylor’s Nonprofit Industry Group since 2009, making it the largest industry group at the firm. HoganTaylor has grown from a small, local accounting firm to be the 81st largest advisory and CPA firm in the United States.

Murray has been involved in training technical accounting and auditing topics and has been in high demand for his presentation skills. He has also served on numerous boards and committees, including the OSU School of Accounting Advisory Board and the City of Owasso Audit Committee.

While certain environmental factors can increase a dog’s risk of exposure to mosquitoes and contraction of heartworms, it is important to note that avoiding these environmental factors is not enough to prevent heartworm infection.

Veterinary Viewpoints - Heartworm Disease: Prevention is key

heart to the lungs, and sometimes in the heart itself. They are spread by mosquito bites and can be found in all 50 states.

that put your pet at increased risk. These include: Not being on heartworm prevention

As we all anticipate warmer weather and enjoying the outdoors with our pets, it is important to remember to protect your dogs from parasites. One of the parasites that dogs need protection from is Heartworms. Heartworms are parasitic worms that infect dogs and live in the pulmonary artery, the vessel that takes blood from the

Dogs infected with heartworms may not show any symptoms early on. As the disease progresses, they may develop symptoms which can include weight loss, lethargy, coughing, difficulty breathing, and heart failure. Chronic, untreated heartworm disease can be fatal.

All dogs are at risk of becoming infected with heartworms, but there are a few things

Living in or visiting the southern and southeastern United States

Spending more time outside, especially in warmer months when mosquitoes are more active

Being near areas where mosquito populations are high (e.g., near bodies of water or stagnant water, which is where mosquitoes reproduce)

Karlie Boothe

Terry Tush OSU News Terry

Bedlam baseball series will shrink to one midweek game a year, and it’s for the better

For two years since the announcement of Oklahoma and Texas’ departure to the SEC, fans in Oklahoma speculated what the Bedlam rivalry would look like in the coming years.

That included what would happen with baseball. A midweek home-and-home? Threegame weekend series? Would it even happen at all?

Shortly after Oklahoma State’s 14-5 win over OU in Norman on March 12, OSU coach Josh Holliday confirmed the rivalry’s continuation.

“We are continuing to play,” he said. “We’re on the schedule for years to come.”

There won’t be a threegame weekend or midweek home-and-home series but rather a midweek game every year, with alternating campus sites. To some, it might be a downer. But trimming the series to one game per year could be a good thing for both programs.

Both sides – especially OSU’s – advocated for a weekend series. But it isn’t feasible for either program.

The Sooners will compete in the SEC, the premier conference in college baseball, and it isn’t close. OU will face the likes of Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, LSU, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt weekly. Now, add Texas to that laundry list of SEC juggernauts. Even the conference’s second-tier programs − Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Alabama and Auburn − are quality opponents. The Sooners will face 30 consecutive games of that. And trust me, that will be a grueling task.

OU has only four weekends of nonconference play. One, maybe two, will be against top-tier foes. OU coach Skip Johnson has shown commitment to putting his team in that line of fire, even with his lesser talented teams.

That leaves only two weekends open. Why slot an opponent as talented as OSU in place of a (no offense but…) MAC, SWAC or Southland school that OU is likely to win against, or even sweep? OSU will play the same conference format. Four nonconference weekends along with 10 Big 12 weekends. Obviously, the Big 12 is no SEC. However, the Big 12 remains one of the sport’s best. Adding Arizona and Arizona State, two college baseball bluebloods, will only enhance that.

For OSU, Holliday has expressed his interest to cut down on the number of Bedlam games each year. In 2022, he said he thought the rivalry was “overplayed.” For the past 67 years, Bedlam has been played four, five, sometimes six times each year. Trimming it to one game each year solves that problem. Midweek games make the most sense. From my vantage point, the argument should be made that OSU surrendering a midweek home-and-home series with Wichita State or Missouri State in place of Bedlam makes sense. The same could be done by OU for its an-

Monday - Wednesday: 10:00am - 10:00pm

Thursday - Saturday: 10:00am - 11:00pm

nual home-and-home, say with UT-Arlington.

However, other logistics exist. With the UTA series, OU establishes its DFW presence. And that matters a lot for recruiting purposes, given the area’s talent pool. With the Sooners losing a yearly series with TCU, this helps OU keep its ground in one of college baseball’s high school talent hotbeds.

One could argue OU will already do that with Dallas

Baptist, but the more the better. Not to mention, playing one game every year will make emotions heading in all the more inflated among both fanbases.

I’m sure I speak for most when saying that the rivalry won’t feel the same without watching yearly Bedlam series at L Dale Mitchell Park or O’Brate Stadium. But logistics must be feasible for both sides.

And given the circumstances, it’s not for Bedlam

NICK BECKER

baseball.

That said, when OSU hosts the Sooners this weekend at O’Brate Stadium, the series finale will be bittersweet. Perhaps nostalgia from the college baseball diehards, such as myself, will grow stronger in the new format.

The landscape of the Bedlam baseball rivalry is changing. Embrace the current format one last time.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Shrinking the Bedlam baseball series from four, five or even six games a year down to one is the right choice for both OSU and OU.

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

Cowboys dominate Oral Roberts for second shutout of season

Garrett Queen Staff Reporter

Oklahoma State earned its second shutout of the season. The Cowboys have struggled against Oral Roberts recently, with a 9-16 record against the Golden Eagles since 2000. ORU made the College World Series a year ago, but only three of its starters on Tuesday at O’Brate Stadium were in that Omaha lineup, and the Cowboys came out with a 9-0 win.

Starting on the mound for ORU (10-19) was Trent Martin, who made his first appearance as a Golden Eagle, but it didn’t go quite as planned. Jaxson Crull drew a walk, and Zach Ehrhard drove both of them home on a shot into the visitor’s bullpen in right-field.

Martin’s night only lasted one inning before he handed the ball to Owen Reynolds, who shut out the Cowboys (19-10) through three innings.

Crull earned the first hit off Reynolds, a double to shallow right field. A sacrifice fly and a passed ball allowed him to advance to third and then score to extend the lead to three.

Ehrhard continued his hot streak at the plate, going 1 for 3 with a home run and two walks. In his past four games, he’s 11 for 16 with a home run and three walks.

Crull has also become a quiet run producer for the Cowboys, boasting a team-high 1.012 OPS entering Tuesday. That number wasn’t hurt, either, as Crull went 1 for 3 with two walks. He and Ehrhard combined for five of OSU’s nine runs against ORU.

“Jaxson Crull, I think, has been the greatest thing that’s happened to Zach,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said. “Jaxson getting on base and playing with a disciplined brand of ball gave us another option at centerfield that forced Zach to lock in… I started using them as a duo against righties and lefties, and Zach didn’t like that. So now we have two players going in the right direction, because they’re pushing each other. And that’s what teams should do.”

Janzen Keisel, OSU’s starting pitcher, allowed only one hit in four innings but walk three batters to load the bases in the fourth inning. A wild pitch nearly plated a run for ORU, but catcher Ian Daugherty blocked it, and Keisel struck out the batter to end the inning, which ended his night.

“I felt like it wasn’t my best execution tonight, but (I) found ways to get outs,” Keisel said. “I started throwing a little bit more sinkers than fourseams this last outing, and I was kind of missing down with it.” The third pitcher to take the mound for OSU was Ryan Ure. He might have had some sibling rivalry motivating him – his brother, Jared, is a pitcher for ORU – as he threw two strikeouts in a scoreless first inning of work. This was Ure’s first pitching appearance at home since 2022. Tommy John surgery has largely kept him sidelined.

O’Colly Media Sales Manager Needed

The O’Colly Media Group is now accepting applications for a full time summer Account Manager, Media Sales. This position is responsible for contacting and selling local, University and Oklahoma businesses OMG advertising opportunities. Specifically print, online and mobile and video streaming service.

Job duties include developing sales, marketing and promotional strategies and create materials to support this effort and propose additional special issues and revenue streams and implement said issues and revenue streams.

Qualified applicant should be able to work with and train students, develop advertising and agency expense budgets, create and monitor daily revenue goals, determine credits and adjustments for advertising errors, serve as liaison between O’Colly and local retail community, university advertisers and other college newspapers. Serve as part of a long term strategic planning to further determine marketing strategies and additional revenue opportunities. Build relationships with prospective clients by attending local Chamber of Commerce meetings and making non sales calls.

Send resume to Lori@ocolly.com for consideration.

“He’s been rehabbing for a long time. Rehabbing and competing are not the same,” Holliday said. “So now he’s having to reestablish competitive endurance, the ability to concentrate in a competitive setting. But I thought his one inning was obviously pretty impressive.”

Davis Cordova Jaxson Crull has become a quiet run producer for OSU, and he produced two more runs in the Cowboys’ 9-0 win against Oral Roberts on Tuesday.

The best thing you can do to protect your dog from heartworms is to keep them on year-round heartworm prevention.

Disease . . .

not enough to prevent heartworm infection. Mosquitoes do come indoors. And, even though Oklahoma has cold winters, we do have enough unseasonably warm days during the winter for mosquitoes to be active and spread heartworms.

While certain environmental factors can increase a dog’s risk of exposure to mosquitoes and contraction of heartworms, it is important to note that avoiding these environmental factors is

The best thing you can do to protect your dog from heartworms is to keep them on year-round heartworm prevention. All heartworm prevention medications are in the same drug class, macrocyclic lactones. However, these medications come in a variety of formulations to meet your needs and your pet’s lifestyle. They can be monthly oral products, monthly topical products, or injections given either every 6 or 12 months.

About the author: Dr. David Bailey is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Small Animal Primary Care Service. Veterinary Viewpoints is provided by the faculty of the OSU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Certified by the American Animal Hospital Association, the hospital is open to the public providing routine and specialized care for all species, as well as emergency care. Call 405-744-7000 for an appointment or see more information at vetmed. okstate.edu.

Continued from 1 news.ed@ocolly.com

Banquet . . .

Continued from 1

Outside of his professional endeavors, he enjoys family time with his wife Donna of 25 years, and their three children and three grandchildren. Together, they share a love for scuba diving in the Caribbean and wildlife watching in Yellowstone National Park.

Newton spent her college years staying busy with various campus organizations and has fond memories of her time with both the School of Accounting

and the Spears School of Business. As an OSU student, she participated in two study abroad courses — one in Dijon, France, to study international business through Spears Business and another in New York City and Washington, D.C., to learn about the various regulatory organizations in the accounting practice.

As part of her Honors College Degree, Newton worked with Drs. Brad Lawson and Angela Spencer to research, write and ultimately publish in an accounting journal, her thesis regarding the future of the critical audit matters in the audit report. These experiences helped open her mind to the vast career

opportunities available with her accounting degree and sparked a career interest that led to her current role.

After six years in the audit department at Grant Thornton LLP in Oklahoma City, Newton is currently serving a two-year rotation as a manager in GT’s SEC Regulatory Matters Group in Washington, D.C. While at GT, she has served in a small group of professionals on beta-testing and implementing their new cloud-based audit program, created content and a presentation for the SEC Update session of the 2023 GT Energy Symposium, and planned several events with the Women @ GT business

resource group to promote and nurture leadership for women in the firm.

Newton loves volunteering in her community and is actively involved in the Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s Festival of the Arts where she has served in a variety of roles and leadership positions. She also chaired ACOKC’s Artisans Young Professionals Committee and has volunteered for the Homeless Alliance and Junior Achievement of Oklahoma.

Newton and her husband, Justin, currently reside in Washington, D.C., and plan to return to Oklahoma City in 2025 after Vivian’s rotation is complete.

Jack Murray and Randy Mecklenburg will be honored with induction into the Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame and Vivian Newton will be recognized as the Early Career Rising Star by the OSU School of Accounting.

Center for Legal Studies and Business Ethics to host former governors

The Center for Legal Studies and Business Ethics (CLSBE) will host the third annual “Conversations on Ethical Leadership” at 3 p.m., April 23, at the Student Union Theater on Oklahoma State University’s Stillwater campus.

Former Republican Gov. Frank Keating and former Democratic Gov. Brad Henry will join in a conversation with Spears School of Business Dean Jim Payne about what ethical leadership means to them. The event is free, and students and the public are invited to attend.

“The CLSBE is pleased to bring these two former governors to campus this year for this annual event, especially since it is a presidential election year,” said Laurie Lucas, director of the CLSBE. “This is an exciting opportunity for our students to hear from two chief executive officers who may bring different policy perspectives but who both demonstrated the ability to reach across the political aisle and move Oklahoma forward during their time in office. I hope their conversation with Dean Payne helps our students remain optimistic about the possibilities for a positive future in Oklahoma.”

Keating and Henry are two of only five former governors elected to serve two consecutive terms in Oklahoma. Keating was the state’s 25th governor, serving from 1995 to 2003, and Henry was the state’s 26th, serving from 2003-11.

“I am looking forward to an insightful discussion on ethical leadership from former Oklahoma governors Frank Keating and Brad Henry,” Payne said. “Such a discussion will provide a forum for our students to listen and learn, and hopefully the importance of ethical leadership in making effective decisions for the betterment of Oklahoma and its citizens.”

After receiving his law degree from the University of Oklahoma, Keating worked for the FBI. He also served in the Oklahoma legislature. President Ronald Reagan appointed Keating as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and later as assistant secretary of the Treasury, then to associate attorney general in the Department of Justice. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush elevated Keating to general counsel and acting deputy secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Three months after his election as governor, Oklahoma City suffered the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing. His leadership is credited with helping Oklahoma handle that crisis, and he and his wife, Cathy Keating, worked tirelessly to assist victims and their families. Since leaving the governorship, Keating served as president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers and president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, among other pursuits.

Henry also received his law degree from OU, then practiced law in Shawnee, while serving 10 years in the Oklahoma State Senate prior to his 2002 election to the governorship. Recognized as one of the most popular governors in the state’s history, he was re-elected in 2006 by the largest vote margin in modern times.

In 2020, Henry was appointed by President Barack Obama as a charter member of the six-member Council of Governors. Henry also served as Chairman of the Council of State Governments, the Southern Growth Policies Board and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. He currently serves on numerous boards, including as Chair of the national board of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Chair of the board of directors of the Regional Transportation Authority of Central Oklahoma. Henry is of counsel with the national business law firm of Spencer Fane LLP and is a founding member of Henry-Adams Companies LLC, a general and business development consulting firm.

Launched in 2019, the CLSBE promotes business and professional ethics and regulatory compliance through research exploring the intersections between law and business.

news.ed@ocolly.com

TRUST THE LORD! (Part #2)

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Is.30:15 NIV) This is what God was saying to his people, but their reaction was to reject his counsel, then struggle and try to work out their troubles in their own way.

God was telling them to turn to him (repentance), stop your fretting, quiet yourselves and look to me; trust me! Let God be the objective of your faith. God never gets tired, but he strengthens the tired and weary. (Is.40:28-29) It is so easy to go the way of his ancient people; trying to work things out ourselves.

When we talk of quieting ourselves; this is not passiveness or inactivity, but a turning in our thoughts to the one who has promised so much to those who will trust him. Look at Ps.123:2, “As the

eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master...so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.” How about Ps.131:1-2 “...I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother.” Our activity is turning and quieting ourselves before the one who is truly our helper.

Returning to Is. 30; verse 18: Here is God’s attitude toward us; “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.” Isaiah finishes by saying; “Blessed are all who wait for him!” God is good toward us because of Christ. He wants to take action, so He says stop! (seems contrary) Spent some time with him and trust him in the challenges of life. He will lead and work his way!

OSU News

Former Democratic Gov. Brad Henry (top) and former Republican Gov. Frank Keating will be the featured speakers at the “Conversations on Ethical Leadership” on April 23.

Terry Tush OSU News

Classifieds

Business Squares

Come check out the wide variety of elegant clothing at Formal Fantasy!

Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater

The best selection of beer, wine and liquor that Stillwater has to offer! Perfect for all your game day needs, come to Brown’s Bottle Shop located on 128 N. Main

“The Original Hideaway, located on the corner of Knoblock and University. Serving quality pizza and more since 1957.”

Murphy’s Department Store

815 S Main, Downtown Open 10-6 Monday thru Saturday

Houses for rent

O’Colly Media Sales Manager Needed

The O’Colly Media Group is now accepting applications for a full time summer Account Manager, Media Sales. This position is responsible for contacting and selling local, University and Oklahoma businesses OMG advertising opportunities. Specifically print, online and mobile and video streaming service.

Job duties include developing sales, marketing and promotional strategies and create materials to support this effort and propose additional special issues and revenue streams and implement said issues and revenue streams.

Qualified applicant should be able to work with and train students, develop advertising and agency expense budgets, create and monitor daily revenue goals, determine credits and adjustments for advertising errors, serve as liaison between O’Colly and local retail community, university advertisers and other college newspapers. Serve as part of a long term strategic planning to further determine marketing strategies and additional revenue opportunities. Build relationships with prospective clients by attending local Chamber of Commerce meetings and making non sales calls.

Send resume to Lori@ocolly.com for consideration.

Cowboy Calendar

Thursday, April 4 Blackwater Live @ 7 p.m.

Location: Stonecloud Brewing Company

https://stonecloudbrewing.com

Clay Art Academy @ 3:30 - 5 p.m.

Admission: $100 (Ages 8 -10)

Location: Prairie Arts Center

https://artscenter.okstate.edu

Cowboy Classic Boer Goat Sale @ 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Location: Payne County Expo Center

https://pcexpocenter.com/events/month/2024-04/

Kids’ Night @ 11a.m. - 11 p.m.

Location: Louie’s Grill & Bar

https://www.facebook.com/LouiesStillwater

Kids Night @ 5 - 9 p.m.

Location: Eskimo Joe’s

Admission: $1 w/ Buffy meals

KiKi’s Karaoke @ 7 - 9 p.m.

Location: EM Curators of Craft

https://curatorsofcraft.co/pages/weekly-events

College Night @ 8 p.m

Location: Tumbleweed DanceHall & Concert Arena

Admission: $8.00 Cover Charge and free entry for 21+

https://www.calffry.com

Songwriters Circle w/ Dylan Moss @ 7 - 9 p.m.

Location: Bad Brad’s Bar-B-Q

Drop & Draw @ 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Location: OSU Museum of Art

https://museum.okstate.edu

Karaoke

Location: The Union Beverage Co

Admission: Free Karaoke and Beer Pong but you must register by 9:30 Fiber Arts Group Thursdays @ 6 - 8:30 p.m.

Location: Prairie Arts Center

https://artscenter.okstate.edu

Troubadour Thursdays @ 7:30 p.m.

Location: Stillwater Community Center

https://www.sccfoundation.org/troubadour

Poverty Simulation: An Interactive Experience @ 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Location: First United Methodist Church-Stillwater

https://www.stillwatercares.org/simulation

Singo Thursday’s @ 8 p.m.

Location: Louie’s Grill & Bar

https://louiesgrillandbar.com/locations/stillwater/ The Laramie Project @ 2:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Location: Town and Gown Theatre

Admission: Musicals Adults: $16 Students or Military: $14 Seniors (Sun. only): $14 Plays Adults: $14

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (04/04/24). Rake in a healthy bundle this year. Realize personal dreams with disciplined plans and actions. A personal transition next summer leads to exciting insights and plans this autumn. Your partnership shifts direction this winter, before springtime practices strengthen your physical performance. Conserve surplus resources. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 9 — Your luck in love improves immensely, with Venus in your sign. Take action for matters of the heart for the next month. You’re irresistible.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 7 — Enjoy private productivity. For four weeks, with Venus in Aries, fantasies abound. Discover hidden beauty from the past. Finish old jobs and relax peacefully.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is an 8 — Friends make the world go around. Get public over a month, with Venus in Aries. Social activities benefit your career. Group collaborations thrive.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 9 — Assume authority this month, with Venus in Aries. It’s easier to advance your professional agenda. Take on greater leadership. Career advancement is distinctly possible.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Explore and discover new beauty this month, with Venus in Aries. Make travel plans and venture forth. Investigate subjects of curiosity, fascination and passion.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 9 — Generate increasing assets, income and wealth this month, with Venus in Aries. Budget carefully. Invest in family, home and beauty. Divert funds to savings.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Listen to intuition. Collaboration and partnership flower over the next month, with Venus in Aries. Things could get deliciously spicy. Follow your heart.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 9 — Find your rhythm. Move your body this month, with Venus in Aries. Physical action gets results. Your efforts seem energized. Get your heart pumping.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 9 — Creativity and passion fuse. You’re especially lucky in love this month, with Venus in Aries. A powerful attraction pulls you toward someone beautiful.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — Beautify your space. Settle into your lovely nest, with Venus in Aries over the next month. Share domestic bliss with family and friends.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Communication flourishes. Creative arts provide satisfying results, with Venus in Aries for a month. Write, publish and broadcast your messages from the heart.