LCJ newsletter 7-9-2025
Wednesday's newsletter
Daily Bible verse
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24
Blast from the past
Roland man guilty of meth distribution
MUSKOGEE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Christopher Ray Amundson, 39, of Roland was sentenced to 72 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office.
On Jan. 15, 2025, Amundson pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 1, 2023, officers serving a search warrant at Amundson’s residence discovered nearly half a pound of methamphetamine buried in the backyard.
Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Amundson will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob R. Parker and Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Clear skies, heat to return Wednesday
Heavener area weather forecast for Wednesday calls for cloudy skies early with the clouds clearing away for the afternoon.
The high is forecast to be 92 degrees with a low of 72.
Sunrise was 6:12 a.m. Sunset is 8:34 p.m.
Tuesday’s high was 79 with a low of 66. A total of .31 inches of rain was recorded, increasing the monthly total at 0.64 inches, below July’s average rainfall of 3.10 inches.
Average temperatures for July 9 are a high of 93 and low of 65. Records for the date were a high of 104 in 1980 and a low of 55 in 1983.
Last year on July 9, the high was 89 with a low of 65.
Heavener area calendar of events
Heavener area 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 news@heavener.news.
Wednesday
Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC
Thursday
Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon
Heavener VFW bingo 6:30 p.m. Highway 59 North
Friday
Celebration of life service for Marilyn Pledger
Funeral services for Buddy Ray Ridenour
Monday
LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.
School boards meet
Tuesday
Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC
CASC to remodel student center
CASC to remodel student center as Carl Albert State College has announced the remodel of its student center, which will enhance the student experience and align the facility with the college’s aesthetic. The remodel is being funded through multiple sources including significant deferred maintenance funding provided by the state of Oklahoma.
This renovation will address critical infrastructure needs, starting with the correction of ongoing moisture issues that have affected the building. In addition, the project will include an expansion of kitchen space and a complete update of the cafeteria.
“This remodel is about more than just fixing problems—it’s about creating a more versatile, welcoming, and student-focused space,” said Dr. Jay Falkner, President of Carl Albert State College. “We’re giving the Student Center a new identity that reflects our vision for the future.”
Key goals of the project include:
· Improving functionality: A reimagined layout will make the building more multi-purpose and adaptable for student activities, events, and community use.
· Creating a new look and feel: The redesign will tie in seamlessly with the updated aesthetic of the campus, providing visual continuity and reinforcing CASC’s commitment to modernization.
· Reducing long-term maintenance: The building envelope will be updated to be more durable and maintenance-friendly, helping ensure sustainability and cost-efficiency over time.
Construction timelines for the project have ranged from 13 to 24 months, depending on the contractor. CASC anticipates a realistic project duration of approximately 18 months, considering the scope and complexity of the remodel.
Today in history
1877
Wimbledon tournament begins
On July 9, 1877, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon, then an outer-suburb of London. Twenty-two amateurs showed up to compete in the Gentlemen’s Singles tournament, the only event at the first Wimbledon. The winner was to take home a... read more
19th Century
1846
U.S. takes San Francisco from Mexico
1990s
1993
Romanov remains identified using DNA
Arts & Entertainment
1918
William Faulkner joins the Royal Air Force
1962
Bob Dylan records “Blowin’ In The Wind”
Cold War
1960
Soviet Premier Khrushchev and President Eisenhower trade threats over Cuba
Crime
1928
A spiteful son kills four in a fit of rage
1996
A family is brutally attacked on a walk in England
European History
1762
Catherine the Great assumes power
Native American History
2020
Supreme Court rules in McGirt v. Oklahoma
U.S. Presidents
1850
President Zachary Taylor dies unexpectedly
Vietnam War
1971
United States turns over responsibility for the DMZ
World War I
1915
Germans surrender Southwest Africa to Union of South Africa
Funeral services for Buddy Ray Ridenour set
Funeral services for Buddy Ray Ridenour, 89, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, are 2 p.m. Friday at Cavanaugh Freewill Baptist Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Officiating the service will be Reverend Ray Copeland and Reverend Jason Nichols. Burial will follow at Macedonia Cemetery in Pocola, under the direction of Mallory-Martin Funeral Home of Spiro.
Buddy was born Feb. 9, 1936 in Pocola to Willie Belle (Maxwell) Ridenour and Ray Howard Ridenour. He passed away July 7, 2025, in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
A 1954 graduate of Pocola High School, Buddy began his career as a telegrapher in railroad service before proudly serving his country in the United States Army. After his military service, he moved to California, where he was employed by Ethan Allen and pursued his education, earning an accounting degree from UCLA.
Buddy had a deep passion for gardening and growing flowers and was an avid stamp collector. He also enjoyed spending time with family and researching his ancestry. Above all, he was a devoted and faithful follower of Christ.
Surviving family members are two sisters Sally Collins of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Betty Wilcox and husband Roger of Amarillo, Texas; one brother Clayton Ridenour and wife Kathleen of Spiro; a sister-in-law, Sandra Ridenour; along with numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends, who will miss him greatly.
He was preceded in death by his parents Willie Belle ((Maxwell) Ridenour and Ray Howard Ridenour; one sister, Ruby Cusick; and two brothers Bob Ridenour and Aaron Ridenour.
Pallbearers are Jeremy Ridenour, Jason Ridenour, Memphis Ridenour, Presley Ridenour, Brian Sevier and Shawn Lovell.
Viewing and visitation are Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. with the family greeting friends during that time.
Buddy will be remembered for his quiet strength, his love of family, and his unwavering faith.
You may leave an online message at www.MalloryMartinFuneralHomeSpiro.com.