Payne County Weekly

In 1976, Bo Stark is enjoying the second semester of his freshman year at Oklahoma State University majoring in journalism while working for Wal-Mart. His sweetheart, Sally Ann Winters is finishing her senior year at nearby Perkins High School with plans to attend OSU in the fall.When Bo took her out for Valentine's Day, Sally Ann informed him she was pregnant. Bo did the right thing and married Sally Ann right after her graduation in May. He quit college and in the next eighteen years, advanced to the position of store set up supervisor with Wal-Mart. They built a happy and prosperous life in Memphis and seldom returned to Payne County until sally Ann's cancer diagnosis brought them back.Battling cancer is hell for Sally Ann, Bo and their daughter Debbie who is a senior in high school. Although Sally Ann is encouraging Debbie to move forward with life, she wants to put off attending college at Oklahoma State to care for her. At Sally Ann's request, they make a trip back to Perkins during spring break, 1994 for what may be her last homecoming.They discover Payne County has also gone to hell with the Red Dirt Mafia in control of elected officials, law enforcement, the daily newspaper and is running the largest methamphetamine lab in the central United States. Bo, Debbie and others fight for their own survival as they assist one of Bo's high school friends, the owner of a struggling weekly newspaper in Stillwater to publish a story exposing the corruption and drugs.