Good morning to you. Isn’t this season great? I wish it would stay fall for about two months. God sure created some pretty scenery for us to enjoy. Did you ever wonder where the expression “the signs of the times,” came from? It came from Jesus. And His warning to the religious leaders of His day is just as relevant today as it was back then. The future is unfolding all around us. The question is, are we wise enough and discerning enough to see the signs of the times? If sailors and farmers adjusted their plans based on the weather, how much more should we incorporate the signs of the times into our lives? The religious leaders weren’t the only ones that asked Jesus for a sign. The disciples asked Jesus what sign they should look for indicating His return and the end of the age. His answer contained many signs and clues but today let’s focus on the sign of the days of Noah.

Projects at Holdenville Public Schools that were made possible by the $2,140,000 School Bond issue voters approved on September 10, 2019, are moving along “hard and heavy,” according to Superintendent Randy Davenport.

A man suspected of stealing a trailer from Seminole Public Schools’ bus barn is now in custody. According to police reports, SPS Transport Supervisor Jolene Doucette reported a white box trailer was stolen on Sept. 5, around 3:30 a.m. and she made the report the next day. Lt. Michael Mason reviewed footage from a surveillance camera, which showed a white male with chin-length hair cut the chain to the yard, pulled a silver quad cab GMC pickup truck into the yard and then left with a Cargo Craft Enclosed Utility trailer.

The Holdenville Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture will be hosting the annual Fall Festival and Car Show this Saturday, October 3, centered around Main Street and Broadway. The festival is traditionally scheduled for the first Saturday in October and offers the citizens of Holdenville an opportunity to enjoy a day of fellowship with family, friends, neighbors, and guests. It also helps promote the community, especially the local businesses and organizations, to the many visitors the festival attracts from across the state and beyond.

VACANT HOUSE FIRE - The Holdenville Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 924 South Gulf on Wednesday, September 16. According to the department’s report, the alarm was received at 8:20 a.m. and Chance North and Jarrad Rogers arrived at the vacant and unsecured structure in Engine 39 at 8:23 a.m. They began protecting the surrounding structures from the fire as they were quickly joined at the scene by Rick Branscum and JD Conley in Engine 38, Shon Taylor and Colton Bridger in Tanker 22, and Willie Dority and Colton Cox in Brush Pumper 42. After the fire was extinguished the last unit to clear the scene departed at 10:18 a.m. The report shows that the structure and its contents were a total loss. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.

With fall quickly approaching, many area residents are already starting to take advantage of the cooler weather to start pruning back the summer growth. Others may have dead limbs and branches from the summer storms that need to be cleaned up. Street Commissioner Jim Thetford reminds Holdenville residents that the City of Holdenville will be providing the traditional Fall curbside pickup of brush and limbs during the month of October so they can begin planning their yard work strategy.

ADAMS STREET TOWER REPAIR - The City of Holdenville drained the Adams Street water tower last week so the source of a leak could be located. Mayor John Massad states there were a few small holes on the floor that were patched on Monday, October 21. The tower will be refilled and returned to service until the entire floor can be upgraded next month. Citizens are asked to conserve on water as much as possible until these repairs are made.

David Clark representing the Hughes County Historical Society is shown accepting a $250.00 donation from Kendal Logan of Security State Bank, Holdenville. David is the Resident Historian with the Hughes County Historical Society and is a 2011 graduate of Holdenville High School.

The Holdenville City Council met on September 1 in one of the shortest meetings of the year, wrapping up in less than an hour. Although there was little action taken, the committee reports gave an idea of what the City has been accomplishing recently.

My Dad and Mom (C.A. {Charlie} and Mattie Sims) ran a grocery store in Holdenville from the early 1930s to the mid 1960s. Before that they lived in Yeager during the 1920s. My three older brothers, Jimmy, Leo and Bill, were all born in Yeager while I was born in Holdenville. I was in my teen years before I found out that Jimmy’s name was really Charles Douglas. Apparently an old man in Yeager started calling him Jimmy and that stuck with him his whole life.