• Highlighting the critical role of blood donation September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, a time to bring attention to the challenges faced by people living with sickle cell disease and the lifesaving role of blood donors in their care. Our Blood Institute is committed to educating the community about this inherited blood disorder and the importance of regular blood donations to support those who rely on transfusions.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) served nearly 30,000 students and 650,000 meals this summer through two essential food assistance programs: the Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) Program and the Summer Food Service Program. The initiatives fill gaps in food assistance left by the absence of school meals during the summer break.

Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority’s (CNHSA) hospital, Choctaw Nation Health Care Center, located in Talihina, Okla. received a Five-Star rating in the latest patient survey data according to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). Collected between October 2023 and September 2024, the data is based on patient survey questions. Choctaw Nation earned an overall patient survey five-star rating from patient surveys.

For five years, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Pengchun Yu, Ph.D., led experiments aimed at better understanding a disorder called lymphedema. Days after a scientific journal published Yu’s findings, a family member began her own battle with the condition, and suddenly his studies took on extra significance.

Our Lands, Our Legacy: A Journey Through Choctaw Natural Resources: Hvpi Yakni, Hvpi Nan Ilhpita opened July 26, on the fourth anniversary of the Choctaw Cultural Center. It is the largest temporary exhibit ever hosted at the Center.

Ninety Oklahomans are earning teaching certificates while working at schools through a new initiative, the Teaching to Teach Apprenticeship Program. The program is a partnership among Oklahoma CareerTech, the Regional University System of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Workforce Commission.

Comments to: andybowman839@gmail.com Coffeetimecolumn. com If you have ever watched the old movie “Conagher,” a western based on a rough ‘n tough cowboy with a gigantic sense of right and wrong, then you might well remember the story line’s leading lady. An attractive young widow with two children, left in a lonely shack out in the boonies after the supposed death of her husband.

Choctaw Nation’s drone program celebrates proposed FAA rule The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a new rule Tuesday that addresses and enables Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations for drones, also called unmanned aircraft systems or UAS. This is part of larger efforts to safely integrate new emerging aviation technologies into the national airspace system.

• Deadline Aug. 29 to have artwork submitted All artists are invited to enter their artwork in the 44th annual Waterfowl Stamp Design Contest, but the clock is ticking.

• Sculptures of three historic Choctaw figures to be unveiled The 2025 Choctaw Labor Day Festival will mark a milestone for one structure on the festival site. Also, new art will be shown to the public for the first time.