Staff photo by Doug Russell
Hopeful shoppers gather for the second Shop Stigler Cash Giveaway outside of the Stigler-Haskell County Chamber of Commerce office Dec. 10. The next drawing, the last of the season, will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 17. The drawings give shoppers a chance to win $75, $150 or $300. You must be present to win.

Five injured in HWC accident

Staff photo by Doug Russell
Stigler police work the scene of an accident in front of the Stigler Health & Wellness Center shortly after 11 a.m. Dec. 9.

By Doug Russell
News Editor
A Stigler woman remained in intensive care at St. Francis Hospital Tuesday, where she had been since a Friday morning accident near the Stigler Health & Wellness Center.
A medical helicopter flew Melissa K. Hale, 20, to the Tulsa hospital after she was first stabilized at Haskell County Community Hospital. She suffered a broken hip, five broken ribs and lacerations on her liver and spleen, according to her mother, Rose Hale.
According to Rose, one of Melissa's lungs collapsed after she had arrived at St. Francis, requiring a chest tube to reinflate it. That tube remained Tuesday morning, but other tubes to help Melissa recover have been removed, Rose said. (more on this story in this week's Stigler News Sentinel)

Sparse crowd, fast draw

Staff photo by Doug Russell
Winners of the Dec. 10 Shop Stigler Cash Giveway are, from left, Clara Broyles, $75; Ann Roach, $150; and Chris Garman, $300. The next drwing will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 17.

By Doug Russell
News Editor
Four people entered the Stigler-Haskell County Chamber of Commerce office Dec. 10 and were turned away. They wanted to put their tickets in the hopper for the Shop Stigler Cash Giveaway, but were advised that the Chamber only accepted tickets from merchants.
"This is the only way we can make sure that no one cheats," explained Chamber representative Valerie Crase. "You can buy the tickets at a store — we did — and the whole purpose of the drawing is to encourage people to shop locally. The only way we can be certain that people got their tickets that way is by not accepting tickets from the public.
"I know all of the people who came in this morning, and I don't think a single one of them would have tried to cheat, but we have to be fair to everyone."
When 10 o'clock rolled around a few minutes later, the hopper went outside and the second Stigler Cash Giveaway of 2011 was on.
The crowd hoping to win Saturday was relatively small and the drawing moved quickly, with young participants pulling the winning tickets from the mix in the hopper.
Clara Broyles of Stigler had the first winning ticket, for $75. Also winning Saturday were Ann Roach, Stigler, $150, and Chris Garman, Keota, $300.
"It's actually my wife's ticket, but she couldn't be here," Garman said. "I'm sure glad I was."(more on this story in this week's Stigler News Sentinel)