Hugo News

In the mid-60s, Hugo News Publisher Jack Stamper was elected to serve as Hugo Little League Commissioner. Stamper had previously searched for a celebrity to throw out the first ball to kick off the summer baseball season. One of his celebrities was former Major League Pitcher Pepper Martin. This time Stamper found a major television star who had a grandmother who lived in Choctaw County. It was Jon Provost, star of the multi-year television hit... LASSIE. (TIMMY). Stamper made the connection and picked Provost up in Fort Smith. Shull-Bywaters baseball park was packed when Timmy threw out the first ball and lots of pictures were made and autographs as well. Stamper introduced Jon to the Hanson family that lived next to some property Stamper owned on Fallon Road. The attached photo is of the Lassie Star with the Hanson Boys on the family's front porch. Stamper later had "Bullet Bob Hayes" the star receiver of the Dallas Cowboys to speak at a Hugo All-Sports Banquet while L.D. Baines was head Coach.
Provost enjoyed his 2-week summer visit with the Stamper family and called a few months later to ask if he could return the next summer for more canoeing, hunting and fishing on Little River and Glover River. The Stampers were happy to oblige and remained friends with the TV star for many years.

There are many wonderful stories and technologies that arise out of the American Aerospace journey... This is one of them that shines a light on the incredible people who risk their lives to support this important mission... — Stan Stamper

'We all pretty much broke down right there': Inside the Artemis 2 astronauts' emotional moment near the moon "That was, I think, where the four of us were the most forged, the most bonded, and we came out of that really focused on that day ahead."