• The agency reports decreases in both initial and continued unemployment claims OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) officially launched the application for the $1,200 Back to Work Initiative Monday. “The application for the governor’s Back to Work Initiative is officially live on the OESC website,” said Shelley Zumwalt, OESC Executive Director.

Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) is now accepting online applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This federally-funded program helps income-eligible families with their summer cooling utility bills, and applications are accepted online at OKDHSLive.org.

Special 100th birthday celebrations for Henry Lyles will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 11 at Hugo’s First Christian Church and from noon to 2 p.m.

Awesome Adventures –– Getting up close and learning about Asian elephants is a daily treat for summer campers at Awesome Adventures in Hugo. Above, Christian Loyal supervises as the campers feed Becky and Traci. Not pictured is Camp Director Karyn Olmos, who also teaches and supervises each day’s activities. Hugo News / Stan Stamper

Lots of sunshine for southeast Oklahoma this week with high temperatures mostly in the low- to mid-90s and lows in the low-70s. Rain chances will be quite low with nothing more than 30%.

• America’s Drive-In thanked public school teachers by donating $1.5 million to requests for learning supplies across the country To honor the creative efforts teachers have made to maneuver their ever-shifting learning environments and keep students engaged this past year, SONIC Drive-In donated $1.5 million to teacher requests on national education nonprofit site DonorsChoose on Teacher Appreciation Day, May 4. As part of SONIC’s ongoing Limeades for Learning initiative, the $1.5 million donation helped fund more than 7,000 teacher requests across the country in need of critical resources, including a special teacher in Hugo, Okla., who received a combined donation of $75.

Most people who live to be 100 years old can look back and account for a whole-lotta-livin’. If you want to trace the activities, war record, business record, play directing activities and accomplishments of Hugo’s Henry Lyles… you better pack a lunch.

During my first year at Hugo Schools, I was honored to become acquainted with a dynamic and intelligent student by the name of Kelli Stacy. In her letter of recommendation for college, I wrote: “I have had the privilege of working with Kelli during her senior year.

AWESOME ADVENTURES! — It’s a rare day in America when you get to get up close enough to touch three massive Asian elephants and feed them, unless of course you’re one of the summer campers at the Awesome Adventures Summer Camp here in Hugo. Above, Asian elephants Becky, Traci and Lisa are getting some delicious snacks from young men at the Awesome Adventures summer camp as Camp Director Karyn Olmos and Christian Loyal tell them about the three massive elephants. Awesome Adventures campers come from all around the U.S. and traveling the farthest this past week was a camper from Tampa, Fla. Awesome Adventures officials expressed their appreciation to several Hugo-area groups or organizations for supporting their summer camp program. Included were the Hugo Lions Club, Hugo Public School Foundation, Chamber of Commerce and Youth Services of Choctaw, Pushmataha and McCurtain Counties.

• $10,000 reward offered The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murder of 27-year-old Jatavion Alexander (pictured). Alexander was found deceased in the early morning hours of July 4, 2020.