CHOCTAW COUNTY –– Two Choctaw County residents were airlifted to a Texas hospital Monday afternoon after a motorcycle accident on Hwy. 70, approximately one mile west of Hugo.

Sharp and critical words flowed from the recent Oklahoma Independent Stock Growers Association board meeting. Board members are cautioning, “Meat buyer beware.” The United States is importing three billion pounds of beef and two million head of cattle per year or 20% of beef consumed by American households. Very little of the imported beef is inspected before it receives the USDA inspection stamp and is shipped to various parts of the county. Tim Bryant, Ardmore rancher, said, “We will fight the USDA recommendation for traceability. We understand the need to trace cattle with disease, but how can you ask American ranchers to place traceable Radio Frequency Identification (RIFD) tags on our cattle when billions of pounds of foreign beef is imported from countries like Namibia? “ R-CALF, the national representative for OISGA filed a lawsuit alleging the USDA RFID mandate was unlawful. In response, USDA withdrew their mandate, yet shortly thereafter, USDA contracted with three cattle ear tag companies for millions of RFID tags.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the extension of more than a dozen flexibilities ensuring participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) continue receiving the food and health support they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. USDA’s proactive extension of these waivers throughout the national public health emergency will ensure nutritionally at-risk mothers, babies, and children receive the critical nutrition benefits and services they count on in a safe manner while allowing the program to operate based on local conditions throughout the pandemic.

STILLWATER –– Harmful algal blooms are a growing problem in water across the nation, but OSU researchers may have one piece of the solution thanks to groundbreaking research and new funding. OSU is one of seven institutions that won $6,487,188 in funding from the U.S.

MUSKOGEE — United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester today announced the results of the August and September 2020 Federal Grand Juries. The combined grand juries returned 32 unsealed and four sealed indictments on crimes ranging from kidnapping, federal firearms offenses, robbery, drug trafficking/distribution, child exploitation, aggravated sexual assaults in Indian country, and murder in Indian country.

26 Hugo Lake invites everyone to come join in a clean-up day around the river and lake. Participants are welcome to help out in their favorite park, camping area or fishing hole. At the Overlook, there will be a Trash Bag Trade-In with prizes for your clean up efforts. This will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. For more information, contact Sarah Whorton at 580.326.3345.

Officials with the Oklahoma State Election Board cautioned voters about a mailing from a Tulsa based organization, “OKVOTE,” after state and county election offices received several complaints from voters this week.