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Thursday, 31 December 2009 16:37 |
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By Amber Hanneken
Staff Writer
On the last day of 2009, we look back at the news stories that shaped Choctaw County over the last year. This was a year of opportunities — new businesses opened and construction began on major projects. It was also a year of drug busts as the law cracked down on drug users and producers in the community. The top stories were, as follows:
• Jeffrey Pierce arrested on drug charges and 16 area residents busted in a drug sting.
• Choctaw Casino Resort opens in Grant bringing numerous jobs to county residents and offering new dining and entertainment options.
• Choctaw Wellness Center begins construction. The project was given the OK this year and construction is well under way with the walls and roof installed. The new center will offer health care to members of the Choctaw Nation.
• The majority of the Old Glove Factory was demolished to make room for a set of new community pools and the Boys & Girls Club recreation facility. The project is to be completed by May 2010.
• Some Messer area residents brought deannexation to the polls this year in a Hugo Schools special election. The district voted no on the issue of converting Messer lands into Rattan School District.
• Both Soper Schools and Fort Towson Schools faced Title IX lawsuits in 2009. Soper had to pay $13,000 in legal fees and made changes to its program so girls would not be discriminated against. Official settlement details have not yet been released in the Fort Towson case.
Read the whole story, subscribe to the online edition: http://www.hugonews.com/transitionHDN.html
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