JANUARY 7, 1930 HIGH SCHOOL BLDG. BURNED TUESDAY MORNING Plans for the rebuilding of the Holdenville High School building which was destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning are being worked out, Aubrey White, member of the Board of Education from the 4 th ward, stated early Thursday morning.

Hughes County has received its first round of COVID-19 vaccines, with more expected in the near future. Holdenville General Hospital (HGH) received 42 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, December 17. Because of their extremely valuable importance in the fight against this virus, the health care workers on the front line were the first to receive these doses. This included the HGH staff as well as Hughes County EMS workers. It is important that these caretakers are able to remain on the job without contracting the virus themselves.

On Tuesday, December 22 at 2:30 a.m. a Holdenville police officer came upon a single car accident on Rogers Drive near Pizza Hut which led to the seizure of 95 grams of suspected methamphetamine, cash, several items of drug paraphernalia and a firearm. The estimated street value of the meth is more than $9,000 making it the largest drug bust of 2020 for the Holdenville Police Department.

It’s time for Christmas music! Technically, of course, if you’re traditional about these things, it’s time for Advent music. Advent is the beautiful four-week season that precedes Christmas, a time of waiting in darkness for the light of Christ to dawn. During this tumultuous year of 2020, the season of Advent, and all that comes with it, has much to say to worshippers (read an essay I wrote on Advent and the hymns and carols particular to that season here).

Merry Christmas to you and your families. Did you know that the promise of Christmas began in Genesis 3:15? GOD told the serpent that a descendent of Eve would appear one day and crush him. The promise was made more specific with Abraham. GOD called Abraham to be the father of a people who would bring blessing to all the world (Genesis 12:1-3). Eventually through Abraham’s great grandson Judah (Genesis 49:10), and his descendant Jesse and Jesse’s son David (Isaiah 11:1).

Every family approaches Christmas lists a little differently. Some families never make lists and whatever presents are received on Christmas morning it’s a surprise (and often returned!). Other families, like ours, make detailed and specific lists, complete with pictures of the desired item, clipped from a catalog, with color and size circled. Over the years I’m sure the types of items on your Christmas list have changed. In my younger days my list was lined with toys and outdoor sports items. When I was an eight year old I put a sled on my list and was disappointed Christmas morning when, after unwrapping all the gifts, no sled appeared. Then Dad feigned forgetfulness and said, “Oh, I almost forgot. I think you have one more gift in the next room!” There was the sled. The best gift ever.

A class action lawsuit filed by a group of Native Americans seeking to “disgorge” cities and towns located in Indian Country of “ill-gotten gains” has been dismissed. Nearly 50 defendants, including Governor Kevin Stitt, Hughes County District Attorney Paul Smith and the City of Holdenville, were named in a lawsuit filed July 13 by Attorneys William B.

ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE DONATIONS - Hughes County American Farmers and Ranchers Insurance Company of Holdenville made donations to a trio of local organizations that Agent Robert Taylor and the board members of American Farmers and Ranchers Insurance had voted on to help with needs in the Holdenville community. President Leon Barrett, Vice President Gary Vinson, and Agent Taylor presented checks to the Holdenville American Legion, Holdenville Future Farmers of America (FFA), and the Holdenville Ministerial Alliance on Friday, December 11.