Brad Clonch and Quin Tran interview the first Native American in space—Chickasaw astronaut John Herrington. And you'll enjoy his insights.

"I got to leave Earth," he remembers, talking about the actual 30-second countdown. "I kind of chuckled to myself as I'm actually going to space."

Herrington took flight for nearly 14 days, half of which were docked to the International Space Station. As a mission specialist II he was a flight engineer, riding between the pilot and commander. He also "put himself out there," on a tether during a spacewalk to install a truss. "Nothing between me and whatever else was out there—a remarkable experience." His mother's advice? "Don't let go."

Now retired, John Herrington encourages children to focus on their education and explore STEM fields. He hopes they will recognize if he can go to space, they can, too.

The Chickasaw Nation tribal blood challenge is underway. The nation joins the Muscogee Creek Nation and the Choctaw Nation in partnering with the Oklahoma Blood Institute for this year's challenge. The goal is to surpass former blood donations as a single donation can potentially save up to three lives. Dr. Judy Goforth Parker talks about the importance of the blood drive saying,"There is always someone in need."

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare have recognized the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center with a perfect five-star rating. CNMC joins an elite group of national hospitals for the second time in three years. The ratings involve a variety of measurements—safety of care, readmission, mortality, patient experience, and timely and effective care.

And then be inspired by this incredible story, as trombone virtuoso Adam Hanna comes back to Oklahoma after spending years abroad. The Chickasaw musician grew up in Durant and went overseas to earn his masters at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He now embarks on a journey with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, which for him includes finding his authentic voice for what it means to be Chickasaw and what it means to be indigenous. "I like that idea of being more of a painter of sound rather than a mechanic on a machine," says Hanna. "I mean, it's just a bunch of metal pieces, but it can also be like the tools to create art."