OKLAHOMA CITY –– The Oklahoma Department of Corrections announced that the new Orange Alert notification system is operational and ready for citizens to opt in. ODOC worked with Rave Mobile Safety to set up the text message network to ensure Oklahomans can conveniently register to receive alerts about prison escapes.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Emerging Aviation Technology Center (EATC) on Tuesday, October 24. The state-of-the-art facility, located near Redden, Okla. will serve as a hub for cuttingedge research, development, testing, and evaluation for crewed and uncrewed aerial system technologies.

OKLAHOMA CITY –– To protect Oklahoma’s pork producers from needless and excessive regulation, Attorney General Gentner Drummond is opposing a new Massachusetts law that bans states from selling or shipping pork through Massachusetts if they do not meet strict hog-housing requirements.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack previewed the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) final rule. This new rule establishes clear, strong and consistent standards for organic livestock and poultry production, levels the playing field for organic livestock farmers, ranchers and businesses and promotes fairer, more competitive markets for their products, while providing consumers with more transparency about their purchases.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ashton Boyd Smith, age 19, of Hugo, Okla., was sentenced to 121 months in prison for second degree murder in Indian Country relating to his role in a September 2022 robberyhomicide. The charges arose from investigations by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Hugo Police Department, the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Alexandria Campbell, of Hugo, was this week’s winner of the Hugo News Football Contest after choosing 14 out of 18 games correctly. Campbell guessed closest (387) to the OU Sooners’ total yardage (440) to edge out Bobby Yandell and Aaron Loftin. Pictured, Campbell (right) collects the $50 weekly prize from April Hughes of Pruett’s Grocery, where she obtained her winning entry blank. Sponsoring this year’s Hugo News Football Contest are: Dr. Wade Rowland DDS, First United Bank, Jiffy Lube, AmeriState Bank, Red River Counseling, Sonic, Hugo Lake Marina & Cabins-LIFT, Homestead of Hugo, Security First National Bank, First Bank, Pruett’s Food, Red River Co-op, Shelter Insurance-Julia King, Ed Wallace Ford, Hugo Express Pharmacy, R.E. McGuire Insurance-Ernie Taylor, Jay Hodge, U.S. Cellular. Game selections can be found in each Wednesday edition of the Hugo News.

During Friday morning’s re-grand opening celebration, Walmart store manager Crystal Reed (pictured, red shirt) highlighted the Supercenter’s transformed departments, as well as the new interactive features now available to customers, including: