• Chahta Nittak or Choctaw Day Set for Oct. 13 The Choctaw Nation will shine its own light on Indigenous Peoples Day this month.

Only those voters who live in the Rattan School District and are registered voters within Choctaw County Precinct 120319 are qualified to participate in this election. For those interested in voting prior to election day, early voting for this election will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9 and Friday, Oct. 10 outside of the Choctaw County Election Board Office located on the ground floor of the Choctaw County Courthouse at 300 E. Duke St. in Hugo. The Rattan School Board is asking voters to approve a $600,000 bond to provide for renovating, repairing and/or remodeling the cafeteria, constructing, equipping, repairing and remodeling school buildings, as well as providing for additional equipment and/or other assets as required.

Final Instructions 12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Wives for the Benjamites 1 The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.” 2 The people went to Bethel, a where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. 3 “Lord, God of Israel,” they cried, “why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?” 4 Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

• A little shot goes a long way –– stay healthy this flu season As flu season approaches, Choctaw Nation Health Services encourages everyone to take a simple but powerful step to protect themselves, their families, and their community, by getting the annual flu vaccine. The flu shot remains the best defense against influenza, reducing the risk of illness, hospitalization, and serious complications.

• Limited time offer will provide eight weeks of support This October, the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, a program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), is offering a special bonus to Oklahomans thinking about quitting tobacco. Starting Wednesday, Oct.

A discovery from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation could prevent vision loss in babies born prematurely and in people with diabetes. The new findings by Courtney Griffin, Ph.D., and Eric Ma, Ph.D., hold the potential for developing drugs to prevent or treat diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), both of which damage the retina and can lead to blindness.

The Rural Health Association of Oklahoma recognized Dr. Victoria Pardue’s work in rural health last week. Victoria Pardue, D.O. received the “Rural Health Physician of the Year” award at the Awards Reception for the Oklahoma Rural Health Conference held in Broken Arrow, Okla. Kevin Khoury nominated Dr. Pardue and in his nomination noted, “Over the years, Dr. Pardue has made a profound impact on the lives of her patients, particularly in underserved areas where healthcare access is often limited.”

Contributing Writer SOPER –– The Soper Town Council has spent recent meetings reviewing, rewriting and preparing to enforce town ordinances. Mayor Carey Lester explained that many of the ordinances already existed but had not been enforced.

Frank Wolf, of Hugo, was this week’s winner of the Hugo News Football Contest after choosing 16 out of 18 games correctly. Pictured, Wolf (right) collects the $50 weekly prize from Rikki Rosenthal of Pruett’s Grocery, where he obtained his winning entry blank. Sponsoring this year’s Hugo News Football Contest are: Dr. Wade Rowland DDS, First United Bank, Jiffy Lube, TWFG Insurance, Buffalo Grill, Sonic, Hugo Lake Marina & Cabins-LIFT, Homestead of Hugo, Security First National Bank, First Bank, Pruett’s Food, Red River Co-op, Shelter Insurance-Julia King, Ed Wallace Ford, Hugo Express Pharmacy, R.E. McGuire Insurance-Ernie Taylor, Jay Hodge, Diamond D @ Linda’s Place. Game selections can be found in each Wednesday edition of the Hugo News.