[Tom Curtis]

I guess it is what one is accustomed to. As to rebel flags all over the place, that person is mistaken. I am frequently in Idabel, OK for work reasons, and don't recall seeing any. Weyerhaeuse Lumber company has done much for the country, building lumber mills, processing and logging in general. One must have a love of the outdoors and adventure to see the real beauty in Idabel, Oklahoma and the region. Weyerhaeuse has paid enough taxes that they got new schools a few years ago. So people not familar with the area only see the 'shell' or what they want to see.

[Megafoxy]

It's covered in trees, that's all I remember.

[Tom Curtis]

I had posted an answer to the question about living in Idabel, Oklahoma, several days ago and I can't find it

Can anyone point me to it

Tom Curtis

[Tom Curtis]

I found it.

[Archaeogal]

Idabel and it's surroundings are many things. Remote and beautiful are two of them. But it is definitely run down and backward. There was a post about crime rate, that it was possibly high bc mire people in a small town report crime. That couldn't be more wrong. A LARGE portion of crime in Idabel goes unreported. An even larger portion of 'petty' crime goes fairly unpunished. Meth use and production are very high. Local government has little interest in curtailing that activity bc the fines from 'Drug Court' are so lucrative. See an OETA special called "McCurtain Co and Meth" people are murdered and dumped in one of the counties beautiful water ways all the time. And that stuff never makes the statistics seen on city data sites. The residents embrace willful ignorance, teen pregnancy is high, drug abuse astronomical, murder rates unknown and local governments are absolutely corrupt. The schools are underfunded, employment is scarce, especially of any white collar variety. Any natural resource the place has was long ago exploited and all profits from forestry and tourism are shipped out with the resource. It is an awfully sad place, I would never suggest raising your children there.

[StillwaterTownie]

It's also pretty bad, if all they do with drunk drivers is to just keep fining them to make money.

My dream for the young people there is for them to dream big enough to get out of that town to find better opportunities.

[Rubi3]

It's been too many years since I've been in Idabel to even remember what it looks like, but, the op asked about schools. I would be surprised to learn the schools are topnotch. Even many years ago, it was considered a depressed part of the state. Not quite as bad as the "Deliverance" area, but, depressed, nonetheless.

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by rjmoreland

I'm a nurse and I've been offered a job in Idabel, OK. What is the town like? I need to move somewhere with a good school district because I have 4 kids that I need to think about. Are there any close towns that are better to live in?

Give us and update I assume you didnt move and take the job but curious

[Ted_Foster]

I work at DFW Airport, driving shuttle buses that take people back and forth between parking lots and terminals.

Recently, I had two passengers from far SE Oklahoma, one from Broken Bow and one from Idabel, one after the other.

The man from Broken Bow had gone to Colorado to hunt mountain lions, and he had been successful. He was taking his trophy to a taxidermist so that it could be displayed somewhere.

The man from Idabel runs a road assistance service there, and he was outbound to someplace.

Both of them tipped quite nicely, more than what most people would do. I sure hope that both towns make a great comeback.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Ted_Foster

I work at DFW Airport, driving shuttle buses that take people back and forth between parking lots and terminals.

Recently, I had two passengers from far SE Oklahoma, one from Broken Bow and one from Idabel, one after the other.

The man from Broken Bow had gone to Colorado to hunt mountain lions, and he had been successful. He was taking his trophy to a taxidermist so that it could be displayed somewhere.

The man from Idabel runs a road assistance service there, and he was outbound to someplace.

Both of them tipped quite nicely, more than what most people would do. I sure hope that both towns make a great comeback.

They aren't that bad, at least as far as small southern towns go. Broken Bow isn't very big and Idabel is quite nice on the side of town where the money is.