Our varsity cheerleaders have advanced to state! We will be competing next Saturday, Jan. 30 at Union High School.

ATOKA — The No. 2 rated Hugo Buffaloes brought home the big Championship Trophy from the Atoka Invitational Tournament this past weekend after spanking Latta, 56-19 and host Atoka, 84-55 before closing with a 47-42 Championship game win over No. 6 rated Kingston.

WAPANUCKA — Thanks to a buzzer-beating three pointer by Rebecca Napier, the Moyers Lady Tigers claimed the Championship trophy at the Wapanucka Invitational Basketball Tournament over the weekend and took the big iron home.

• Chief, Assistant Chief lead effort to build convalescent plasma supply DURANT — The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) today hosted a convalescent plasma drive to aid Oklahomans diagnosed with COVID-19. The Choctaw Nation held the plasma drive in Durant, hosting Choctaw citizens and members of the community.

DURANT — The Eastern Oklahoma State College nursing program was recently recognized as one of the top associate nursing degree (ADN) programs in the region. Eastern Oklahoma State College has been a partner institution in McCurtain County since the campus was established as a higher education center in 1976.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the names of individuals who will hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C.

With the current pandemic, terms such as “herd immunity,” “infection rates” and “contact tracing” are now part of daily conversations. You’d hear the same if it were a foreign animal disease, such as foot and mouth disease, hitting the United States. In such situations, animal disease traceability is critical to emergency response efforts.

Comments to: andybowman839@gmail.com Coffeetimecolumn.com Several years ago, Andy contracted an illness that landed him in the isolation unit of our local hospital for two weeks. Visitors had to wear a mask, gown and gloves.