Blessings for a Defiled People 10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: 11 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’ ” The priests answered, “No.”

Four teams from the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority (CNHSA) have been honored with the 2024 Director’s Award from the Indian Health Service, recognizing their outstanding contributions to improve the health and well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The Choctaw Nation Talihina Community Clinic (TCC) is moving locations to better serve patients and the community. The new location, at 818 Dallas Street, Talihina, Okla., officially opened on Monday, May 11, 2026 as Choctaw Nation Health & Community Care.

Choctaw County Election Board officials recently completed their biennial County Election Board training sponsored by the Oklahoma State Election Board. Local businesses contributed refreshments for the training session, with El Kanelo Restaurant donating bottled water and Pruett’s Food Store, through Kendall Ward and Brandon Wofford, providing snacks for attendees.

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) congratulates the following students on being named to the Spring 2026 President’s List. The spring terms run from January to May.

The deadline to register for the June 16 primary election is Friday, May 22. Any application mailed must be postmarked by midnight on May 22 and any voter who registers online must be timestamped prior to 5 p.m. on the same day.

Two widely used medications may prevent heart disease in people living with HIV, an Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist has discovered. If confirmed through further study, the findings by Jasim Ahamed, Ph.D., could improve both the lifespan and quality of life for those with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Oklahoma Tennis Foundation is bringing a free Tennis Clinic to Hugo and the surrounding areas from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 26 at Ansley Park, 304 E. Loyd St. in Hugo for first through eighth graders.

Ja’Miya Johnson: The 2026 Hugo High School Valedictorian is Ja’Miya Johnson. Ja’Miya is the daughter of Rebeca Wood and Jahmahn Johnson. Currently, Ja’Miya holds a weighted GPA of 4.22, which includes 15 college credit hours and seven semesters of AP coursework. She has been in cheerleading for four years, Student Council for three years, Leo’s Club for two years, National Honor Society for two years, FCA for two years, Interact Club for two years –– where she currently serves as president –– tennis for two years, and Hugo Schools’ Youth Advisory Council for one year. She is planning to attend Oklahoma State University and major in Psychology.

A Valliant man has died following a motorcycle crash recently in McCurtain County, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The collision occurred at approximately 12:55 p.m.