Happy Halloween from Stigler News Sentinel

Staff photos by Doug Russell
Above, Stigler city employees get into the spirit of Halloween by dressing up while working the city's trash route Monday morning. Left, just two of the many people who handed out treats along Stigler's Main Street as part of the annual Merchants' Trick or Treating. Visitors from out of the area, including one from Florida and another from Colorado, said they were amazed at the way the entire community seemed to come together for the annual event. See more photos on Page 15, as well as throughout this issue. Also check out the News-Sentinel's Facebook page for photos that didn't make the paper.

Need improvement?
Kinta, Stigler, on state ed department's list

By Doug Russell
News Editor

Haskell County schools saw a mixed bag of results when the Oklahoma State Department of Education released its Academic Performance Index Scores Monday.
The scores are used as part of the state's school accountability system, which was created to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Through the system, every school is measured on standardized test scores, attendance rates, graduation rates and dropout rates. The API ranges from 9 to 1,500, and schools can be placed on a "Need For Improvement" if they do not meet state standards in each category.
Schools that don't meet standards for two consecutive years can end up on the list, even if the scores actually go up.
Kinta Elementary School is on the list this year, as is Stigler Elementary School. Although Kinta Elementary School's API scores dropped 29 points for the 2010-2011 school year, other local schools that also saw a decline managed to dodge the Need For Improvement designation — so far. (more on this story in this week's Stigler News Sentinel)

One in four uninsured

By Doug Russell
News Editor

Delia doesn't have health insurance, and neither does one of Charlie's legs. At least, that's the way the numbers play out.
More than one in four people in Haskell County didn't have health insurance in 2009, making Haskell County one of the highest for uninsured people in the state.
Of the surrounding counties, only McIntosh has more people without health insurance, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. McIntosh County has 25.6 percent uninsured, just slightly higher than the 25.5 percent mark shared by both Haskell and LeFlore counties. (more on this story in this week's Stigler News Sentinel)

50 percent sell to minors

By Doug Russell
News Editor

It's illegal to sell tobacco to people under the age of 18, as three Haskell County convenience stores were reminded recently.
KI BOIS/The Oaks Regional Prevention Services recently completed Reward Reminder Visits, or RRVs, in the county, visiting six convenience or grocery stores.
Accompanied by an RPS representative, an underage teen went into each of the stores and attempted to buy tobacco products on Oct. 17.
Of the six stores visited, three actually sold tobacco products to the teen.
No police officers went along on the reminder visits, so none of the three stores were ticketed but, instead of pocketing the tobacco, the buying minor gave cards to the clerks at the three offending stores.
The cards gave the minor's age and also stated that the clerks were seen selling tobacco to minors and reminded them that they could have been fined if they had been caught by police.
"If they do not sell, they are given a card telling them thank you for not selling to minors," said Pamela Davis, regional prevention coordinator of The Oaks.

For Fun

(top photo) Ralph Hendrix of Stigler takes Head Start students for wagon rides on Oct. 28. The rides were given as part of Head Start's Farm Fun Day.

(bottom photo) Right, Roy Stubblefield of Lequire gives Head Start students rides in an Amish-style buggy on Oct. 28. The rides were given as part of Head Start's Farm Fun Day.
Staff photos by Doug Russell