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Bible verse of the day
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
—1 Corinthians 10:31
Blast from the past
LeFlore County scoreboard
LeFlore County sports scores for baseball, slow pitch softball and boys’ soccer from Thursday.
Baseball
Webbers Falls 10, Arkoma 2
Keota 16, Arkoma 5
Panama 10, Pocola 0
Poteau 5, Hilldale 4
Dewar 13, Talihina 1
Wister 11, Boswell 0
Slow pitch softball
LCT
Championship
Pocola 14, Heavener 2
Winner’s bracket
Pocola 18, Talihina 0
Pocola 7, Whitesboro 2
Pocola 12, Howe 2
Whitesboro 7, Spiro 6
Consolation
Panama 12, LeFlore 2
Panama 10, Whitesboro 9
Heavener 13, Spiro 9
Heavener 16, Panama 12
Heavener 15, Howe 12
Soccer
--Boys
Heavener 6, Dove Christian 0
Pocola wins LCT, 14-2, over Heavener
PANAMA—Pocola went through the 2024 slow pitch LeFlore County Tournament undefeated to win its third straight slow pitch softball county championship with a 14-2 win Heavener in the championship game.
Earlier in the day, the Lady Indians won three times to get to the championship game by defeating Talihina, 18-0, Whitesboro, 7-2 and Howe, 12-2.
Heavener made an impressive run through the losers bracket to reach the championship game. After Howe defeated the Lady Wolves Tuesday, Heavener came back Thursday to defeat Spiro, 13-9, Panama, 16-12 and Howe 15-12.
In the championship game, Pocola scored the first six runs and was never challenged in capturing the championship.
Kylee Merritt homered and doubled twice while going 3-3 with six RBI and two runs, Riley Jerrell was 3-3 with three RBI and three runs, Maci Maxwell had a 2-2 outing with two runs and a RBI, Kaydence Batt finished 2-2 with a run, Dauslyn Brown was 2-2, Alli Lomon went 2-2 with a run and Kyleigh Combs homered while going 1-1 with four RBI and a run.
Mariana Garcia doubled and was 2-2 with two RBI and Kaitlin Hurst had Heavener’s other hit.
Pocola 14, Heavener 2
HHS 0 0 2—2 3 0
PHS 6 4 4—14 16 0
To reach the championship game, Heavener overcame an early 11-4 deficit and trailed 12-8 after five innings by scoring four times in the sixth and three more in the seventh to get the win.
Ava Cartwright doubled while going 4-5 with four runs and a RBI, Mariana Garcia doubled in a 4-5 game with four runs and two RBI, Kristie Shadwick tripled and finished 4-5 with four RBI and two runs, Cayleigh McGee homered while going 3-5 with four runs and a RBI, Gracie Morrison was 3-4 with a RBI and Britlee Reed went 2-5 with three RBI and a run.
Heavener 15, Howe 12
HEA 4 0 1 3 0 4 3—15 21
HOW 4 7 0 0 1 0 0—12 15 8
Nye named to all-state team
Howe’s Karsyn Nye was selected to the small school east all-state team and will play in the all-state game 7:30 p.m. on July 24 at the Chieftain Center in Sapulpa.
Nye averaged 9.4 points per game in leading Howe to the Class 2A state tournament this season. The Lady Lions finished the season ranked fourth in Class 2A with a 27-6 record.
Named to the all star by class was Whitesboro’s Linley Collins for the small east.
Wolves shoot down Dove Science, 6-0
By CRAIG HALL
Heavener got early goals from Seth Lynch and Zaid Rodrigues en route to a 6-0 win over Dove Science in a District 3A-4 boys soccer match Thursday evening.
The Wolves eventually build a 3-0 lead at the end of the first half before adding three more goals in the second half.
Heavener improves to 9-3 overall and 4-2 in district play. Dove Science is 2-3 overall and in district play. The Wolves are home again Tuesday against Regent Prep in Heavener’s final regular season game.
OSU legend Smith announces retirement
Cowboy wrestling coach’s 33-year tenure was the longest in program history.
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State legend John Smith announced his retirement Thursday, ending a 33-year run as head coach of the Cowboy wrestling program. The legacy of his career is astounding.
Under his watch, OSU produced five NCAA team championships, 33 NCAA individual championships, 490 dual wins, 153 All-America honors, 23 team conference championships, 132 individual conference championships and two Hodge Trophy winners. His accomplishments place him among the top coaches in the history of the sport.
Smith, 58, is the longest tenured wrestling coach in Oklahoma State history and trails only James Wadley (men’s tennis) and Henry Iba (men’s basketball) as the longest tenured head coaches at OSU, regardless of sport.
His 490-73-6 career dual record gives him the most wins in school history and the third-most wins in the history of Division I wrestling. His numbers for All-Americans, conference championships and individual conference champions are the most at OSU by a wide margin and are believed to be the most in NCAA wrestling history.
He also coached his teams to eight perfect dual season records, an all-time conference record of 171-24-5 and 21 top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships. His wrestlers won better than 70 percent of more than 16,000 bouts during his time as head coach and went on to claim double-digit spots on Team USA at the world level.
“It has been an honor to coach for more than 32 years at the same institution,” Smith said. “I can’t even begin to tell you what Oklahoma State has done for me, my wife, my immediate family and brothers and sisters who all graduated from OSU. My journey started at age 17 here at Oklahoma State and it has allowed me to accomplish everything I ever wanted.”
Beyond the numbers, Smith is recognized widely for his contributions to the sport. He is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, a two-time selection as the National Wrestling Coaches Association coach of the year and a 15-time selection as conference coach of the year. He was also the first wrestler to be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and is a member of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
“Coach Smith is a hero and truly the greatest of all time,” OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg said. “John has dedicated his life’s work to Oklahoma State University, Cowboy Wrestling and the sport. Although the decision comes with much emotion for him and for us, he felt the time was right to retire. Because we have so much respect for him, we will respect his decision and honor and celebrate his exceptional contributions and loyalty to Oklahoma State. John will continue to support the program as a lifelong Cowboy and due to his efforts, we know great things are yet to come for Cowboy Wrestling.”
Some of Smith’s most prominent pupils include Olympic medalists Coleman Scott and Jamill Kelly, Hodge Trophy winners Steve Mocco and Alex Dieringer, other multiple-time NCAA champions Pat Smith, Mark Branch, Eric Guerrero, Johnny Thompson, Jake Rosholt, Chris Pendleton, Johny Hendricks, Jordan Oliver, Chris Perry and Dean Heil, as well as five-time All-American Daton Fix and four-time All-Americans Branch, Dieringer, Guerrero, Hendricks, Tyrone Lewis, Oliver, Rosholt, Scott, Smith and Thompson.
Smith also coached at the world level, coaching Team USA at the Olympics in 2000 and 2012, at the World Championships in 1998, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and at the World Cup in 1997. He coached the USA Women’s Cadet World Team in 2018.
Prior to taking over as Oklahoma State head coach in 1992, Smith put together a wrestling career that squarely places him in the conversation for the greatest American wrestler ever.
He won six consecutive world championships as a competitor from 1987-92, including gold medals at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. He also won two gold medals in two attempts at the Pan American Games, two gold medals in two attempts at the Goodwill Games and two NCAA individual championships for Oklahoma State.
His Cowboy wrestling career also included three All-America honors, three conference championships, the NWCA Collegiate Wrestler of the Year award and more than 150 career wins to rank as the most in program history.
In 1990, he became the first wrestler to win the James E. Sullivan Award for the nation’s top amateur athlete.
In addition to the already mentioned international honors, Smith received the Amateur Athletic Foundation World Trophy (1992), was the first American to earn FILA’s Master of Technique Award (Best technical wrestler in the world, 1990), and earned the U.S. Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year (1990), FILA Outstanding Wrestler of the Year (1991), USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year (1989), Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year (1988) and U.S. Olympic Committee Titan Award (2004). He was also named one of the 100 Greatest Olympians of All-Time (1996) and is a member of the FILA Hall of Fame (2003), AAU Wrestling Hall of Fame (2024), Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (1997) and NCAA 75th Anniversary Team (2005).
Smith's international record was 100-5, and his domestic freestyle record was 77-3. Combined with his collegiate totals of 152-8-2 and his high school marks of 105-5, he competed 458 times for his school, club, or country and won 436 times, for a success rate higher than 95%.
Coleman Scott will serve as the interim head coach of the Cowboy Wrestling program.
The weather
Clear skies and warmer temperatures are expected for Friday in LeFlore County.
The high is forecast to be 77 degrees with a low of 50.
Sunrise is 6:49 a.m. Sunset is 7:48 p.m.
Thursday’s high was 70 with a low of 41.
Average temperatures for April 12 are a high of 74 and low of 46. Records for the date were a high of 91 in 1972. The record low was 27 in 1975.
Last year on April 12, the high was 78 with a low of 52.
The calendar
Calendar of events for Heavener, LeFlore County and southeastern Oklahoma.. If you are a non-profit, school or church, submit an event. This is a free service for non-profits and churches, so if you want your event published, send an email to craig@heavenerledger.com
Friday
Heavener at Atoka meet
Service for Leandra Buelna, Jr.
High school baseball: Heavener at Kiowa Tournament; Bokoshe at Braggs; Talihina at Panama; Poteau vs. Preston in McAlester Festival
High school softball: Panama at Smithville; Talihina at Canadian
High school soccer: Poteau at Sallisaw
Saturday
Funeral service for Loretta Pope
High school baseball: Heavener at Kiowa Tournament; Panama at Spiro; Broken Bow JV vs. Talihina
Monday
LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.
High school baseball: Victory Christian at Heavener; Talihina at Cameron; Howe at McCurtain; Gans at LeFlore; Panama at Red Oak; Stigler at Poteau; Spiro at Cascia Hall; Whitesboro at Haileyville
High school softball: Sallisaw at Heavener; Panama at Pocola; Quinton at Whitesboro
Tuesday
Heavener at Idabel meet
High school baseball: Heavener at Wilburton; Howe at LeFlore; Central Sallisaw at Panama; Pocola at Haworth; Poteau at Stigler; Cascia Hall at Spiro; Savanna at Talihina; Tushka at Wister
High school softball: Kiowa, LeFlore at Red Oak; Panama at Whitesboro; Stigler at Talihina
High school soccer: Regent Prep at Heavener; Dove Science at Poteau
Poteau Chamber of Commerce banquet
Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC
Wednesday
Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC
Thursday
Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon
Heavener VFW bingo 6:30 p.m. Highway 59 North
High school softball: Keota at Cameron; Panama at Wister; Howe at Poteau
High school baseball: Spiro at Salina Tournament
HUA, city council meetings 6 p.m. Heavener City Hall
Hummingbirds arriving soon
By TRISHA GEDON
STILLWATER – Warmer weather means flowers will soon bloom, but it is not only colorful plants and shrubs that will appear in the landscape. Hummingbirds are expected to arrive in Oklahoma at any time.
Hummingbirds are not only fun to watch, but they’re also great pollinators, said David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Extension consumer horticulturist.
“While there are several species of hummingbirds that find their way to the Great Plains every year, the ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common,” he said. “Maintaining a garden with native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants will create a natural habitat the birds find attractive. They are especially fond of red tubular and trumpet-shaped flowers.”
Bird-friendly plants
Plants such as trumpet vine, trumpet honeysuckle, bee balm and the red cardinal flower are a few good choices. Planting nectar-rich flowers that bloom from spring through fall will help ensure the hummingbirds remain throughout the season. These fast flyers need a constant and diverse supply of flowers to feed on through the fall.
“Native plants not only provide nectar for the hummingbirds, but they also attract insects that are a crucial part of a hummingbird’s diet,” Hillock said. “In addition to plants, water and shelter are two key elements that are essential for the well-being of the hummingbirds. Also, avoid using insecticides in areas where the hummingbirds congregate.”
Those who may not have an outdoor space in which to plant a garden can still enjoy the presence of hummingbirds by hanging feeders, said Tim O’Connell, wildlife ecologist in OSU’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management.
Feeding hummingbirds
“Hummingbirds are migrating from the Yucatan Peninsula, and it takes them 18 hours to make it to the Gulf Coast,” O’Connell said. “They put down about 10 miles in from the coast and, amazingly, they can do this long journey. They don’t glide like other birds. They’re flapping the whole way here, and they’re exhausted. It’s an amazing physiological feat.”
To help replenish their energy and encourage them to hang around for the season, O’Connell suggests placing feeders strategically throughout the landscape.
“Hummingbirds are territorial birds. Even if putting out a feeder with multiple ports, you’ll likely have only one hummingbird at a time. As soon as one starts feeding, another will fly in and try to run off the other,” he said. “Bird enthusiasts should set up several single-port feeders and space them out in the landscape.”
O’Connell also suggests using a feeder that has a wide opening. This makes the feeder easier to fill, and more importantly, easier to clean. If reusing feeders from previous years, make sure they’re clean. Soak them in a bleach/water solution to eliminate any mold from all parts of the feeder. Rinse thoroughly and refill them.
It’s easy to make hummingbird nectar at home with a mixture of four parts water to one part sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved. Avoid adding red food coloring to the mixture. The red color of the feeder is enough to attract the hummingbirds. They don’t have an acute sense of smell and rely on eyesight to find food sources.
Extra nectar can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, but the feeders need to be cleaned every few days, especially in the heat of the summer.
Hummingbirds are prone to injury due to collisions with windows. To protect the birds, streak the outside of windows with bar soap to break up the reflection. Learn more about the research OSU is conducting on bird/window collisions.
With warmer weather on the way, Hillock said families can get a lot of enjoyment from learning about the various birds in yards, gardens and green spaces.
“Check out a bird book from the library and spend time together as a family observing and learning about the various birds in your landscape,” he said.
OSU Extension offers additional information on attracting birds to the landscape.
OSU Extension uses research-based information to help all Oklahomans solve local issues and concerns, promote leadership and manage resources wisely throughout the state's 77 counties. Most information is available at little to no cost.
Best oven burgers
Forget the grill, grill pans, and pan-searing: turns out the best way to get burgers made fast and easy is with the oven. The Best Oven Burgers are just as juicy, fatty, indulgent, and savory as their grilled counterparts but with far less cleanup and far more efficiency. Topped with your favorite burger toppings such as melty cheddar and tangy pickles, the Best Oven Burgers can win any homemade burger taste test hands-down. Now you just need some oven fries to accompany them.
Ingredients
For the burgers:
1 pound ground beef, 80% lean
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For serving:
4 burger buns, toasted
4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
tomato slices, optional, to taste
lettuce leaves, optional, to taste
pickles, optional, to taste
ketchup, optional, to taste
mustard, optional, to taste
Directions
*Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
*Step 2 -Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
Step 3 -In a medium bowl, gently mix the beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion, salt, and pepper until just combined.
Step 4 -Shape the beef mixture into 4 equal-sized patties, slightly wider than their intended buns (they will shrink slightly during cooking). Press a wide, shallow indent into the center of each patty. This is critical to keeping the patty shape during cooking.
Step 5 -Carefully remove the preheated skillet or baking sheet from the oven and place the patties on it.
Step 6 -Return the skillet or sheet to the oven and cook the burgers for 4 minutes.
Step 7 -Flip the patties and cook to the desired level of doneness, about 2 minutes for rare (135 degrees F), about 4 minutes for medium-rare (140 degrees F), about 5 minutes for medium (145 degrees F), about 6 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F), and about 8 minutes for well-done (155-160 degrees F). Use a meat thermometer to ensure the beef is cooked to your desired temperature.
Step 8 -Serve each burger on the buns with your desired toppings.
Today in history
1861
Civil War begins as Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter
Four of the bloodiest years in American history begin when Confederate shore batteries under General P.G.T. Beauregard open fire on Union-held Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861. During the next 34 hours, 50 Confederate guns and mortars launched more than 4,000 round... read more
American Revolution
1770
British king approves repeal of hated Townshend Acts
Art, Literature and Film History
1954
Bill Haley and His Comets record “Rock Around The Clock”
Black History
1963
Civil War
1864
Hundreds of Union soldiers killed in Fort Pillow Massacre
Crime
1633
Galileo goes on trial for heresy
Space Exploration
1961
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space
1981
The space shuttle Columbia is launched for the first time
U.S. Presidents
1945
Vietnam War
1975
U.S. Embassy in Cambodia evacuated
World War I
1917
Canadians capture Vimy Ridge in northern France
World War II
1990
Soviets admit to Katyn Massacre of World War II
Obituary for Loretta Pope
Loretta Sue Pope of Wister was born Dec. 22, 1943 in Coalinga, California to James and Lois (Sims) Maxwell and passed away April 10, 2024 in Poteau at the age of 80.
Funeral service is 10 a.m. Saturday at the Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home Chapel in Heavener with Reverend Phil McGehee officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. View Cemetery in the Glendale community under the direction of Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home of Heavener.
Loretta was a retired dietician for EOMC. She loved spending time with her family and friends. Loretta will be deeply missed.
She is survived by
Her husband of 65 years, William “Bill” Pope, of Wister;
One daughter, Rhonda Elder, of Poteau;
One son, Kenneth Pope, of Grand Prairie, Texas;
One sister, Shirley Baxter, of Poteau;
One brother, Steve Maxwell, of Spiro;
Four grandchildren;
Six great-grandchildren
She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Lois Maxwell; a son, Jack Pope; and two brothers, Troy and Donnie Maxwell.
Pallbearers are her Family
Loretta will lie in state starting at noon to 6 p.m., Friday at the funeral home.
To sign Loretta’s online guestbook please visit www.dowdenrobertsfuneralhome.com.