Funeral services for James Browning were held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at First Baptist Church of Hugo with Pastor Byron Smith officiating. Burial followed at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. James passed away Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Hugo, Okla., at the age of 92.

were rewarded for meeting their reading goals during the course of the 2022-2023 school year. In addition to weekly and monthly reading rewards, students were also rewarded field trips during the months of April and May. Field trips included going to the Public Library, Urban Air, Incredible Pizza, Cinemark Movie Theater, Medieval Times and Geocaching. A visit was also made to Gingerbread Preschool to encourage reading to younger students. All rewards and trips were sponsored by a grant received from the International Paper Foundation to help HPS campus libraries promote literacy in Hugo Public Schools.

A ground breaking ceremony was recently held at the Tribal Complex in Hugo. The 51,000-square-foot expansion will increase housing, education, Indian Child Welfare and vocational rehabilitation services in Hugo and the surrounding areas.

gathered in Idabel for the annual Tri-County Bar Association Law Day meeting and banquet. The Association consists of McCurtain County, Pushmataha County and Choctaw County attorneys. These three counties comprise the Oklahoma 17th Judicial District and the Oklahoma 17th District Attorney District. Several State dignitaries joined local attorneys, including Oklahoma Supreme Court Vice-Chief Justice Dustin Rowe, Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA) President Brian Hermanson and most of the OBA Board of Governors. Attorneys and retired judges John A. Benson (McCurtain County), John DeWitt (McCurtain County) and Hack Welch (Choctaw County) were all recognized for 50 years as members of the OBA. Retired attorney Carl LeForce was recognized for having been licensed to practice law 60 years ago in 1963. Pictured are (l-r) Choctaw County Associate District Judge Bill Baze, District Judge Emily Maxwell, McCurtain County Associate District Judge Timothy Ragland, Benson, Hermanson, McCurtain County Bar Association President Don Shaw, Rowe, and LeForce (seated).