• In “Most Affordable Online Colleges for Master’s in School Counseling Degrees” DURANT –– Southeastern Oklahoma State University was recently ranked No. 2 nationally in a listing of the “Most Affordable Online Colleges for Master’s in School Counseling Degrees” by www.Best-Universities.net.

HUGO –– Members of the Hugo city council met in regular session last Tuesday to tackle a full agenda. With Mayor Ernest McCarty absent, Vice-Mayor Darren Frazier conducted the meeting.

MUSKOGEE –– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Chase Lane Rocha, age 21, of Boswell, Okla., was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country. The jury trial began with testimony on Oct. 2, 2023, and concluded on Oct. 4, 2023, with the guilty verdict.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, as the first batching date for applications submitted for Fiscal Year 2024 funding through either the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) or Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Small nonfarm businesses in eight Oklahoma counties as well as neighboring counties in Arkansas and Texas are now eligible to apply for low interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced Director Jeffrey Lusk of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West. These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in the following primary counties that began Sept. 19.

The meeting for the Hugo District with Superintendent Michael Frazier and District Missionary Bobbie Akins will be Oct. 11-13, at 7 p.m.