DURANT –– Consumers can skip the grocery store meat market and order their beef directly from Choctaw Ranches with the new Freezer Beef Program. Through this program, consumers can purchase a quarter, half or whole side of beef and work directly with the processor on packaging preferences.

The Kiamichi Conservation District has announced that funds are available for cost-share assistance on selected conservation practices benefiting conservation. The State of Oklahoma has provided limited funds to our conservation district to help landowners implement measures that will help conservation.

s demand for solar energy continues to grow, the co-location of solar and agriculture –– also known as agrivoltaics –– offers opportunities for conservation, food production, increasing pollinator habitat, and adding farm revenue streams while producing affordable renewable energy.

Hugo Intermediate School Gifted and Talented students Kimberlee Corey, Braxton Henson, Raeleigh Jones, Jaxen Lopez, Kira Nelson, Carson Parra and Kameron Walton, under the direction of the HIS Gifted and Talented Coordinator, Dana Scoggins, worked outside, clearing the raised garden in the playground of the school. In the garden, they planted several fruits and vegetables including onions, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, watermelon and cantaloupe. “I am very proud of the hard work these students put in to make the garden a success,” Scoggins said. Much appreciation to Tim Lemmons as all plants and seeds were donated by Jackson Street Nursery.

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TVSHKA HOMMA –– On Saturday, May 20 the Trail of Tears Memorial Walk will mark the 192nd anniversary of the first Choctaws who came from their ancestral lands in Mississippi and Alabama to their new home in Indian Territory. Nearly 15,000 tribal members made the forced journey which came to be called “the Trail of Tears and Death.” It is believed about one-quarter of those who were removed perished along the way.

Felony 036 – Quautus Jaineil Ewing: Robbery with a weapon. 037 – Brittany Anne Stewart: Larceny of auto, aircraft, or other motor vehicle.

DURANT –– Oklahoma Baptists, in partnership with Southeastern Oklahoma State University and several local churches and community leaders, broke ground on a new Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) building at Southeastern on March 26.

Fort Towson Corinth Baptist Church is having a gospel meeting April 30 to May 3. Meetings will begin at 6:30 each evening. The speaker will be Dr. Jerry Wells from Ada, teaching on how the signs of the end time fit into today’s world of events. Everyone is welcome.

We have all heard the chant, mindlessly recited, “Separation of church and state.” Many believe this phrase is in the Constitution and that it forbids any Christian influence in the public square. But that is false. It was in a letter, not in the Constitution, and it is not a constitutional principle.