The Hugo board of education met in regular session on Sept. 14, and approved the employment of two recent Hugo High School graduates, Vincent Gonzales and Sergey Dotsenko, along with Vi- Nikki Nguyen and Tonya Frazier. We welcome these new hires to the HPS team. Several polices were revised and new policies were adopted as recommended by the Oklahoma State School Boards Association. These policies mostly deal with new laws and the pandemic. An agreement with Choctaw County EMS to provide ambulance services for school events was approved. The board revised our school calendar in order to include the four days missed at the beginning of the year. These days will now include a virtual day on Sept. 18 and in-person days on Oct. 2, Oct. 30 and Nov. 13. Our Schooling During the Pandemic Plan was revised by the board to include our new mask mandate. This updated plan along with COVID-19 updates can be found at www. hugoschools.com.

• Health data analysis provides a clearer picture to treat those with COVID STILLWATER –– An analysis of digital health records from thousands of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals around the country has led to the development of technology to predict the risk of death for those with COVID. Researchers at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Systems Innovation (CHSI) in Tulsa and Stillwater are using digital health data to build predictive models of disease risk that could improve treatment and outcomes.

• Sherman area senior care experts offer tips and tools to help older adults stay healthy and happy at home as COVID-19 impacts continue SHERMAN –– Staying home. It’s what we were all asked to do to protect ourselves and our community since the arrival of COVID-19 in mid-March.

WILBURTON –– The Oklahoma Agriculture Enhancement and Diversification Board recently awarded Eastern Oklahoma State College a $600,000 grant to fund renovations and purchase new equipment for the college’s meat processing facility. The State of Oklahoma received 196 applications for the $10 million available in grant funding.