Daily Bible verse
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
LeFlore County commissioners’ minutes
The LeFlore County commissioners met in a Regular Business Meeting on Monday with Chairman Jamie Oliver presiding. Also present were Vice-Chair Vallard Campbell, Member Josh Blaylock and County Clerk 1st Deputy Jedd Kirby. Absent: County Clerk Kelli Ford.
The following action was taken by the board:
(1.) Chairman Jamie Oliver called meeting to order.
(2.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve the minutes of regular meeting held May 5, 2025. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(3.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve purchase orders as presented. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(4.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve monthly fee reports as presented by LeFlore County Court Clerk and Election Board. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(5.) Transfers of Appropriations: None presented.
(6.) Blanket Purchase Orders: None presented.
(7.) New Business: None discussed.
(8.) Contract Labor/ Service Agreements, Annual Contracts: None presented.
(9.) Burn Ban. Not needed at this time. No discussion.
(10.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to table division of Title 1 U.S. Forestry Funds. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(11.) Motion was made by Josh Blaylock and seconded by Vallard Campbell to award bid regarding sale of County Property, John Deere Backhoe to Extreme Work and Play in the amount of $40,000 to benefit County Commissioner District 2. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(12.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve terms and conditions of sale regarding OD Security full body scanning machine with effective date of May 6, 2025 and payment in the amount of $165,000 due upon delivery. Estimated delivery date of May 22 or May 23, 2025. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(13.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve Request for Floodplain Services and Permit Application as submitted by Arkansas Oklahoma Gas regarding utility construction within County Right of Way located at Section 27, Township 7 North, Range 26 East, LeFlore County, Oklahoma. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(14.) Motion was made by Vallard Campbell and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve Programming Resolution for Project Number 25-CBRI-D1-RD P101, related to improvements on Liberty Hill Road located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 1. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(15.) Motion was made by Vallard Campbell and seconded by Jamie Oliver to approve Programming Resolution for Project Number 25-CBRI-D1-RD P102, related to improvements on Ash Street located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 1. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(16.) Motion was made by Vallard Campbell and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve Programming Resolution for Project Number 25-CBRI-D1-RD P103, related to improvements on Oak Street, Pine Street, Elm Street, Pecan Lane and Bustin Lane. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(17.) Motion was made by Josh Blaylock and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve Programming Resolution for Project Number 25-CBRI-D2-RD-P083, related to improvements on Calhoun Road located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 2. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(18.) Motion was made by Josh Blaylock and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve Programming Resolution for Project Number 25-CBRI-D2-RD-P084, related to improvements on Latham School Road located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 2. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(19.) Motion was made by Josh Blaylock and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve Resolutions for Disposing of Equipment regarding the following County inventory items:
· G-507.004, 2022 Lucas Metal Arena with original purchase price of $5,159, purchased from Extreme Work and Play on 12/13/2022 to benefit LeFlore County General Government.
· D2-304.034, 2007 John Deere Tractor with original price of $36,167.65 purchased from Green Country Agriculture and Lawn on 8/3/2007, sold to John Russell in the amount of $5,020 to benefit LeFlore County Commissioner District 2.
· D2-304.033, 2007 John Deere Tractor with original price of $36,167.64 purchased from Green Country Agriculture and Lawn on 8/3/2007, sold to John Russell in the amount of $5,020 to benefit LeFlore County Commissioner District 2.
· D2-301.078, 2004 Chevy Truck with original price of $16,738, purchased on 6/4/2004 from Smith Chevrolet, sold to Tevington Farms/ Bary Tevington in the amount of $2,350 to benefit LeFlore County Commissioner District 2.
· D2-348.039, 2012 Belshe Trailer with original purchase price of $16,150, purchased on 5/24/2012 from Belshe Industries, sold to Thomas Trenching/ Brian Thomas in the amount of $5,800 to benefit LeFlore County Commissioner District 2.
· D2-320.007, Hyster Compactor with original price of $32,985, purchased on 4/7/1980, sold to Five Star Paving/ Justin Meyhew in the amount of $5,100.
Motion was approved, all voting yes.
Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to adjourn. Motion was approved all voting yes, Oliver-yes, Campbell-yes, Blaylock-yes
Broken Bow man dies in auto accident
An 18-year-old Broken Bow man died while riding in a 2000 Ford Saturday approximately 15 miles north of Hayworth in McCurtain County.
Korey Nnokam was pronounced deceased on the scene and transported to Claridy Funeral home.
The driver, Brason Watson, also 18, from Broken Bow, was transported to McCurtain Memorial Hospital.
A second passenger, Jacob Routh, 19, of Broken Bow was also transported to McCurtain Memorial.
According to the accident report, the vehicle was traveling north on Cow Crossing Road at a high rate of speed, departed the road to the right, rolled several times and came to a stop on the side.
The condition of the driver was unresponsive. Seat belts were equipped, but not in use. Airbags were equipped, but not deployed.
The drivers and passengers were ejected during the accident.
Saudi crown prince welcomes Trump
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia for the first leg of a trip to the Middle East. He’ll also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, though his most pressing regional challenges concern two other countries: Israel and Iran.
After ending a ceasefire two months ago, Israel is intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip, where a blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is worsening a humanitarian crisis. And Iran, an enemy of Israel and a rival of Saudi Arabia, stands on the cusp of being able to develop nuclear weapons.
See the whole story HERE.
House GOP reveals Trump’s tax breaks
By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans proposed sweeping tax breaks Monday in President Donald Trump’s big priority bill, tallying at least $4.9 trillion in costs so far, partly paid for with cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs used by millions of Americans.
The House Ways and Means Committee named its package ‘ ‘THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’’ in all capital letters, a nod to Trump himself. It seeks to extend the tax breaks approved during Trump’s first term — and boost the standard deduction, child tax credit and estate tax exemption — while adding new tax breaks on tipped wages, overtime pay, Social Security benefits and auto loans that Trump promised during his campaign for the White House.
See the whole story HERE.
Wister loses opener to Caddo, 13-3
Wister lost its opening-round game in the Class 3A state slowpitch softball tournament, 13-3, to eventual state champion Caddo at the Firelakes Ballpark in Shawnee.
Caddo eventually advanced to the finals before defeating Arapaho-Butler, 5-3, in the championship game. Wister finishes with an 18-11 record. Caddo ends the championship season with a record of 31-4.
Wister jumped on top in the top of the first with one run before the Lady Bruins answered in the bottom half of the inning, scoring five runs to take the lead for good. Caddo eventually scored at least one run in all five innings.
Wister added its final two scores in the top of the fifth.
Savannah Nuckolls went 2-2 with a run scored, Bailyn Robertson had a 2-2 outing with a run scored while Kassi Benefield homered while going 1-2 with a run and a RBI and Mia McGowen was 1-2 with a RBI.
Caddo 13, Wister 3
WHS 1 0 0 0 2—3 7 7
CHS 5 1 4 1 2—13 13 1
Whitesboro loses in quarterfinals to Turner
SHAWNEE—Turned jumped ahead in the fifth inning and made it hold up in a 12-4 win over Whitesboro in the Class A state slowpitch softball quarterfinal game Monday.
Turner lost to Soper in the finals while Caney eventually won the state championship.
Whitesboro finishes 21-13 and ranked seventh. Turner, ranked second in the last poll, finished 24-6.
M. Grogan doubled and finished 3-4 for Whitesboro with a run scored and a RBI, A. Wright was 2-4 with a run scored and M. Jones went 2-3 with a RBI while A. James doubled and went 1-3 with a RBI and a run.
Turner 12, Whitesboro 4
WHS 0 0 0 0 0 4 0—4 10 1
THS 0 0 5 2 0 5 x—12 17 3
Mavericks win the NBA draft lottery
By TIM REYNOLDS
CHICAGO (AP) — The ping-pong balls have spoken: Cooper Flagg might be headed to Dallas to start his NBA career.
And a fan base that lost Luka Doncic this season might have a new star to cheer for.
The Mavericks won the NBA draft lottery on Monday night, giving them the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft — and the first chance to take Flagg, the freshman who led Duke to the Final Four in his lone college season and the consensus player of the year.
See the story HERE.
Aggies edge OU for top seed
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Texas A&M earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I softball tournament on Sunday, edging four-time defending national champion Oklahoma for the top spot and leading seven Southeastern Conference teams seeded in the top eight.
Oklahoma won the SEC regular-season title by a game over Texas A&M in its first season in the conference. Texas A&M and Oklahoma tied for the conference tournament title after the championship game was canceled because of bad weather.
See the story HERE.
Temperatures on the rise Tuesday
Temperatures are on the rise in LeFlore County for Tuesday preparing for a possible record-high Wednesday as we should have mostly clear skies in the afternoon for Heavener, LeFlore County and southeastern Oklahoma.
The high is forecast to be 88 degrees with a low of 69.
Sunrise was 6:16 a.m. Sunset is 8:13 p.m.
Monday’s high was 82 with a low of 58. No rain was recording, leaving the monthly total for May at 2.42 inches. Average rainfall for the month is 6.20 inches.
Average temperatures for May 13 are a high of 81 and low of 54. Records for the date were a high of 90 in 1986. The record low was 37 in 1973.
Last year on May 13, the high was 77 with a low of 59.
LeFlore County calendar
LeFlore County calendar of events for the next week. The calendar is a free service for our readers. If you are with a non-profit and want an event publicized, email craig@heavenerledger.com.
Tuesday
Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC
Wednesday
Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC
Thursday
Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon Western Sizzlin
Heavener Utilities Authority and City Council meet 6 p.m.
Heavener VFW bingo 6:30 p.m. Highway 59 North
Saturday
Cardboard boat races
MT VIEW CEMETERY ASSOCIATION MEETINGS and the annual clean-up day
Heavener eighth grade graduation 2 p.m.
Heavener High School graduation 8 p.m.
Monday
LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.
Insurance Opt-Out Becomes Law
By Rep. RICK WEST
My bill that gives state employees the opportunity to opt-out of state-provided health insurance without moving to another group plan was signed into law last week by the governor.
House Bill 1187 should save state taxpayers some money just by removing the word group.
The House last week passed Senate Bill 1027, which would change how signatures are gathered for initiative or referendum petitions that could result in law or constitutional changes. This measure would help ensure voters in rural counties are better represented in matters that could affect their way of life and potentially their taxes. It also would ensure the signatures gathered are legal and valid and that state questions are easier to understand.
We all saw the sweeping changes when medical marijuana was approved and Medicaid was expanded. We want voters to be able to decided these issues. But we want voting to be more representative of the entire state instead of just allowing enough signatures to be gathered from Oklahoma City or Tulsa to make these kinds of changes.
This bill was amended and goes back to the Senate for final consideration.
House Bill 1087 would extend the teacher salary schedule from 25 years to 35 years, offering another pay step to support our veteran educators and to incentivize those with more experience to stay longer in the classroom.
This bill was amended before passing the Senate and will return to the House for final consideration.
Several bills did not make it through the process this year.
House Bill 2288 would have eliminated an existing 36-month waiting period for teachers who retire before they can return to teaching in Oklahoma public schools. This would have allowed career teachers to continue teaching past retirement age while drawing their earned retirement benefits. It was very popular among educators in our district who are nearing retirement age. It passed several Senate committees but was not considered by the full body.
Senate Bill 6 would have moved school board elections from April to November when Oklahoma holds general elections for other elected positions. This would have increased voter turnout in these races, which historically have very low participation. School boards are extremely important, as members decide issues of great significance regarding student learning, teacher pay, facility upgrades and how taxpayer dollars are spent in our schools.
Last week was the deadline for bills to be considered in their opposite chamber. If a Senate bill didn't pass the House or vice versa, it's should be considered dead for this session. Wilder things have happened, and plenty of rules have been bent, so I guess its possible these bills could be resurrected this year. Most likely they'll have to wait until next session to be breathed back to life.
We've got three weeks left in regular session, and we need to produce a state budget. I'll keep you posted.
Remember to listen to my Capitol update on the radio at 7:35 a.m. every Thursday on KPRV.
As always, if I can help you with anything, please call my Capitol office at (405) 557-7413 or email me at rick.west@okhouse.gov.
-END-
Rick West serves District 3 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes part of LeFlore County.
Two special days to be celebrated
By TERRY JOE WILES
May 17 is a special day for several good reasons.
My personal favorite is “World Cherry Cobbler Day”! The second pick is “World Fiddler’s Day,” or to quote the famous line from an Alabama song — “If you’re gonna play in Texas, ya gotta have a fiddle in the band.”
Support local, live music
Now, there are many great fiddlers from our area — too many to mention really. Just off the top of my head, we have Lazy Harris from Wister, J.C. Mitchell from around the Monroe area I think, Hank Abbott from Poteau and Gene Gassaway from Huntington, Ark.
Most of these fiddlers started playing when they were the only musical instrument in the barn dance. Nothing like a 22-minute round of “Boil them cabbage down” to get ’em out there swinging their partners and Do-Si-Do-ing!
However, Shady Point claims one of the best, Sandra Dismuke-Coyle. This lady has style, show, sound and presence. She’s NEVER still, and there’s never a dull moment when Sandra plays with “Asphalt Cowboys.” They are touring several nights a month on the casino circuit and large events in a pretty big loop of states. Sometimes this band will pop up where Billy Hoffman might be playing. Let’s hope they can get back to Poteau soon. This band puts on an awesome
show!
• • •
J.B. Lloyd is putting on the first annual “Musicians Reunion” on Saturday. It’s going to be on Dewey Avenue in downtown Poteau at The Two Twenty Event Park. Just a heads up — bring your own chairs, fold-ups or lawn chairs.
The schedule of bands is “The Stagemasters” at 1 p.m., “Earl Hearon band” at 2:30 p.m., “Rick Ward and Wildhorse” at 4 p.m., Billy Hoffman and J.B Lloyd at 5:30 p.m., “Larry Taylor and The Tribadours” at 7 p.m. and “The Nightlife Band” at 8 p.m. That’s an awesome line-up. You will have lots of time to see and hear your favorites. See you there.
• • •
As for live music this week, on Wednesday, “Rhythm Coalition” will be groovin’ at Hero’s on Garrison Avenue in Fort Smith, Arki. This band has been together a little more than three years, and the hard work and lots of playing live has tightened this band to its finest — but this band ain’t through yet. The band will have new music — originals mixed with red dirt, blues, R&B, rock and more. Catch the band’s first set.
It’s great to see live music returning to The Coffee Cup in Poteau. Friday will be an open mic night, so bring a guitar, bring a song, bring a friend or bring a friend’s song. Just be there and sign up. The music will start at 6 p.m.
Dawn’s Diner in Red Oak will have “The Stagemasters” on Friday. This is the best country dance band in this area. There also will be some good grub, too. The music will start at 7 p.m.
Muldrow City Limits will feature “Backroads” on Saturday. The band is a favorite, so expect a great big parcel of dancers to show up for the event. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the music will begin at 7 p.m.
Here’s a cool springtime event for a great cause. The run-live music-craft beer event will be Saturday at the Rough Day Brewing Company in downtown Poteau. Come sign in for the event, but there is an entry fee required. The music will start at 3:30 p.m. and will go until 9:30 p.m. The line-up of live music will be “Pinkman,” Kary Middleton, “My Last Thoughts,” “Beef” and “Solid States” So, run/watch/listen/drink. What a concept!
Well, that’s sure not all I got to say BUT I’ve been told to stop. Thanks for Supporting Live Music.
For additional information about any live-music events or to let know about any other such venues, call me or text message me at (918) 649-5736, get with me on Facebook or e-mail me at tj.wiles61@outlook.com.
Today in history
1846
U.S. Congress declares war on Mexico
On May 13, 1846, the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly votes in favor of President James K. Polk’s request to declare war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas. Under the threat of war, the United States had refrained from annexing Texas after the latter won independence from Mexico in 1836. But in 1844,... read more
Cold War
1958
Vice President Nixon is attacked
Crime
1981
1985
Philadelphia police drop bomb on MOVE headquarters, killing 11
European History
1568
1940
Churchill announces: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”
Sports
1973
Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court face off in first “Battle of the Sexes”
U.S. Government and Politics
1920
Socialist party nominates “Convict 2253” for president
World War I
1915
Edith Wharton writes of the war’s effect on France
1919
German foreign minister protests Versailles Treaty terms
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