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Blast from the past
Bible verse of the day
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9 NIV
Commissioners’ minutes 5-6-2024
POTEAU--The Board of County Commissioners, LeFlore County, State of Oklahoma, met in a Regular Business Meeting Monday with Chairman Jamie Oliver presiding. Also present were Vice-Chair Vallard Campbell, Member Josh Blaylock, and 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 April 29, 2024. 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.) Bonds: None presented.
(5.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve Monthly Fee Report as presented by the LeFlore County Clerk, Court Clerk, Health Department, Solid Waste Department and Election Board. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(6.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve transfers of appropriations as follows:
· Treasurer $2,640.00 from maintenance & operations to personal services.
· Assessor $800.00 from maintenance & operations to travel.
Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(7.) Motion was made by Vallard Campbell and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve blanket purchase orders as presented and are on file in the office of the County Clerk. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(8.) New business: None presented.
(9.) Contract labor/service agreements, annual contracts: None presented.
(10.) Burn ban: No discussion.
(11.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve Proclamation setting the week of May 5, 2024 through May 11, 2024 as Oklahoma Home and Community Education Week. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(12.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve Resolution regarding change in Receiving Officer from Rebecca “Becky” Cripps to Donnie Brown for the benefit of LeFlore County Highway Department District 3. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(13.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve 6 Month Highway Materials Vendor Bid List. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(14.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve Resolution determining maximum monthly highway expenditures for the month of May, 2024. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(15.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to approve Treasurers Monthly Report of Officers for the month of April, 2024. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(16.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to divide Title I U.S. Forestry Funds as follows:
· Highway District # 1 28.63 percent to equal $118,674.26
· Highway District # 2 28.63 percent to equal $118,674.26
· Highway District # 3 42.74 percent to equal $177,161.67
Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(17.) After discussion with Rural Water District 17 representatives regarding a request for ARPA funding aid to assist with payment of their portion of a rural infrastructure grant, motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to table item and remove from Agenda for discussion at a later date to be determined. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(18.) After discussion with LeFlore County Youth Services representative Terri Krebs regarding a request for ARPA funding aid to assist with construction/repairs to the LeFlore County Teen Youth Center, motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Vallard Campbell to table item and remove from Agenda for discussion at a later date to be determined. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(19.) Motion was made Vallard Campbell and seconded by Jamie Oliver to approve disposing of equipment records as submitted by the LeFlore County Commissioners Highway Department District 1 as follows:
· D1-307.007 1976 Motor Grader No Purchase Price Given $0.00
· D1-307.059 1997 Motor Grader No Purchase Price Given $0.00
· D1-307.061 1997 Motor Grader No Purchase Price Given $0.00
· D1-307.090 2013 Motor Grader Original Purchase Price $116,126.25
· D1-307.091 2013 Motor Grader Original Purchase Price $116,126.26
Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(20.) Motion was made by Vallard Campbell and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve Renewal Lease Purchase Agreement, Lease Addendum, Certificate of Acceptance, Incumbency Certificate and Authorizing Resolution regarding a 2018 John Deere 770 G Motor Grader located at the Leflore County Highway Department District 1 Shop. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(21.) Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve Resolution and Bid Notice advertising to accept sealed bids regarding the purchase of a 2024 4X4 pick-up truck to benefit the LeFlore County Post Mountain Volunteer Fire Department. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
(22.) Motion was made by Vallard Campbell and seconded by Josh Blaylock to table bid award regarding the construction of a storage facility to benefit the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Department pending further review of documents. Motion was approved, all voting yes.
Bracket released for 2A state
The bracket for the Oklahoma Class 2A state baseball tournament has been released by the OSSAA.
The tournament starts Thursday and will be held through Saturday with all games scheduled to be played at Shawnee High School.
Panama and Wister are the two LeFlore County teams in the field. Wister plays Preston at 1:30 p.m. while Panama and Dale play at 6:30 p.m.
Wister is 23-6 and ranked fourth in the class while Preston is 25-3 and ranked fifth. Panama is 26-5 and eighth. Dale is 26-4 and second.
Heavener FFA sporting clays team recognized
By Rep. RICK WEST
Last week I was privileged to recognize the Heavener FFA Sporting Clays Team on the House floor.
This team placed third in the state against roughly 200 schools from various divisions and about 800 other students. Team member Connor Maxwell received first place as the state high individual. Other team members are Kasen Krebbs, Devry Ritter, Jacob Vickers and alternate Claydin Boren. Also recognized were coaches Jeremy Krebbs and Chad Ritter. Several family members attended the presentation as well.
I was so proud to have this great group of young men come up to the Capitol to be presented with citations. These boys can really shoot, and it was a pleasure to get to celebrate them.
I'm thankful as well to the National Rifle Association for providing funding for the chapter's supplies through their grant program.
Also recently, a group from the District Attorney's office that represents LeFlore County visited during National Crime Victims' Rights Week. This group wants to ensure justice for victims and survivors of crimes that forever impact their lives and help them find a positive way to move forward. It was good to meet with them.
May 2 was the National Day of Prayer. There were several observances held at the Capitol. Darlene Scroggins of Poteau shared a sample proclamation with me asking me to release it to acknowledge this special day and declare a Day of Prayer for House District 3. I was honored to do it. The proclamation noted that since the founding of our nation, many Americans have turned to God for guidance and wisdom. Many former presidents have acknowledge the need for this observance. I hope everyone in our district marked this day, reflecting on the many blessings we've received as Americans and asking God's continued protection and wisdom as we go forward.
There are several bills still moving through the legislative process. Among those is Senate Bill 1705, which would prohibit foreign government adversaries designated as hostile or a Country of Particular Concern from owning land in Oklahoma. This is a cleanup of legislation passed last year that just clarifies what instruments are needed to purchase land legally in Oklahoma. We want to make sure those hostile to America are not hiding behind legal residents in purchasing land.
The governor last week signed into law House Bill 4156, which creates the crime of impermissible occupation for anyone in Oklahoma found to have entered the country illegally. This bill is a result of the Biden Administration's failure to secure our nation's southern border, allowing thousands of people to enter the country illegally every day. This has increased dangerous drugs and human trafficking in our state. This bill will help us protect Oklahomans.
As always, if I can help you with anything, feel free to call my Capitol office at (405) 557-7413 or email me at rick.west@okhouse.gov.
Rick West serves District 3 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes part of LeFlore County.
Mooning
By LEON YOUNGBLOOD
Nestled snuggly in the Ouachita wilderness off Holson Valley Road, Briar Circle is not the best place to witness spectacular sunrises and sunsets. In the morning, sunlight comes in rather slowly, at its ease, then suddenly it’s there all at once. There are no brilliant shades of red, orange or yellow to herald it, for they are hidden behind a curtain of mountains and pine trees, with no visible horizon to speak of. This performance is repeated in reverse in the west when the sun goes down behind Post Mountain, in another loafing sort of way, and suddenly, it’s dark.
BRIAR CIRCLE
The moonrise, though, is different. Being “off the grid” has disadvantages for persons who like to see what they’re up to at night, but when there is no intrusion of artificial light, the view of the evening canopy is magnificent. The moon comes up lightening the evening sky, then it peeps through the tree branches. Like the sun, it is not in a hurry. You do not mind this, for you want the presence to linger, and not leave quickly. Last week’s full moon event was as wonderful as any I have ever seen, and the moon found a dozen or so people of assorted ages gathered down by the cabin and Doris’ Pond with a campfire, hamburgers, brats, marshmallows and a telescope. I took notes. So, here are a few random “moon facts” I picked up from the vagrant astronomers:
I thought it was a long way to the top of Post Mountain, but that’s just peanuts compared to the distance to the moon. The average distance is 238,857 miles. “Average” is an important word, here, for the moon’s orbit is elliptical, not merely circular, so the distance is sometimes farther, sometimes closer. Its farthest point is called its Apogee; the closest, Perigee. I am satisfied with bath of these words. They have been in use for some time, now, and while unlikely to come up in casual conversation, they perfectly suit what they’re intended to describe.
The surface of the moon is 14,658,000 square miles, or 9.4 billion acres. I prefer to think of the surface area in terms of acres, for the family has 20 acres at Briar Circle, which gives me a comparison for an accurate perspective on the moon’s 9.4 billion. When Neil Armstrong and his partners planted the American flag there in 1969, they apparently claimed the whole moon for America. Other than to litter a little bit, they did nothing with the property and the neighborhood has not been developed. You can see the area where humans took their first steps with a telescope! This was pointed out to me by one of the knowledgeable astronomers, but the footprints were not visible, not even with the $250 telescope. There is no rush to see them, though, for they will be there awhile. There is no weather or “geophysical” activity on the moon. Any tracks left by humans will be there millions of years.
When a month has two full moons, the second is the “blue moon.”
The moon has a strong gravitational pull, which affects the oceans and gives us high tides and low tides. Some claim the human body, being 60 percent water, is also affected.
The “Man on the Moon” is no longer imaginative fiction, for there is, literally, a man on the moon! The cremated remains of Doctor Eugene Shoemaker, a NASA lunar prospector, were crashed into a crater in 1999 in observance of his last wishes. “That was where he wanted to be interred,” a colleague stated, and as long as they were sending a research craft there anyway, his wish was honored. The person sharing this information did not know how much it cost or how the good Doctor is liking it, but he did his part, and it was a small thing for NASA to do.
More was said, but space here doesn’t allow its inclusion. Eventually, it became my turn to offer an intelligent comment. All eyes were upon me. I looked at the beautiful brilliant orb and said, “Uh—it sure is bright, ain’t it!”
The general consensus was, I did the best I could do and did not disappoint anybody’s expectations.
The forecast
Partly cloudy Tuesday in LeFlore County with the potential for rain or thunderstorms all day and into the overnight hours.
The high is forecast to be 86 degrees with a low of 65.
Sunrise is 6:21 a.m. Sunset is 8:09 p.m.
Average temperatures for May 7 are a high of 79 and low of 52. Records for the date were a high of 87 in 1978. The record low was 39 in 1982.
Last year, on May 7, the high was 83 with a low of 67.
Monday’s high was 81 with a low of 73.
The calendar
Calendar of events for Heavener and LeFlore County.. If you are a non-profit, school or church, submit an event. This is a free service for non-profits and and churches so let us know if something is going on. CONTACT us.
Tuesday
Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC
Revival at Heavener First Baptist Church
Wednesday
Poteau Rotary Club meets noon at EOMA
Memorial service for Betty Vice
Thursday
High school baseball: TBA
Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon
Heavener VFW bingo 6:30 p.m. Highway 59 North
Heavener sports banquet
Friday
6th annual LCYS golf tournament at Choctaw Country Club
Saturday
Cavanal killer
Mt. View Cemetery Association meeting 8:30
Mt. View Cemetery clean-up day 8:30 a.m.
Heavener Eighth grade graduation 2 p.m.
Heavener High School graduation 8 p.m.
Monday
LeFlore County commissioners meets 9 a.m.
Local school board meetings
Today in history
1994
Edvard Munch's "The Scream" recovered after theft
On May 7, 1994, Norway's most famous painting, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, is recovered almost three months after it was stolen from a museum in Oslo. The fragile painting was recovered undamaged at a hotel in Asgardstrand, about 40 miles south of Oslo, police said... read more
1950s
1954
French defeated at Dien Bien Phu
Art, Literature and Film History
1824
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 debuts
Cold War
1960
Leonid Brezhnev becomes leader of the USSR
Crime
1896
Serial killer H.H. Holmes is hanged in Philadelphia
Immigration
1843
First Japanese immigrant arrives in the U.S.
Inventions & Science
1998
Daimler-Benz announces purchase of Chrysler Corp.
2004
Marine biologist Richard Thompson coins the term “microplastics”
Native American History
1763
Ottawa Chief Pontiac's Rebellion against the British begins
VIETNAM WAR
1984
Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange win $180 million settlement
World War I
1915
German submarine sinks Lusitania
World War II
1945
Germany surrenders unconditionally to the Allies at Reims
Obituary for Betty Vise
Betty Jean Vise of Howe was born Nov. 27, 1938 in Lone Pine to Percy Vardman and Lois Inez (Williams) Ray and passed away May 3, 2024 in Fort Smith, Arkansas at the age of 85.
Memorial service is 2 p.m. Wednesday at Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home Chapel in Heavener, with Brother Ken Breeding officiating. Burial of cremains will be later in Ellis Chapel in Wister. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home of Heavener.
She was a long-time resident of the area and a homemaker. Betty loved spending time with her family and friends, fishing, cooking, gardening and canning. She will be deeply missed.
She is survived by three sons Michael James Vise of Howe, Terry Lynn Vise and wife Linda of Spiro and Larry Gene Vise and wife Tomi of Monroe;
One sister, Pearl Blevins, of Heavener;
Two brothers Leonard Leon Ray of Howe, James Terry Ray and wife Connie of the Lovings community;
Four grandchildren Thomas Vise and wife Whitney of Wister, Miranda Sevenstar and husband Erik of Howe, Hunter Vise and Lilly of Post Mountain, and Krystal Dodd and husband Tony of Howe;
10 great-grandchildren Tristan, Brynlee, Rylee, Emberlee, and Jaxon Vise, Lucas and Savanna Sevenstar, Ruger, Peyton and Teagan Dodd;
And numerous nieces, nephews, other loved ones and host of friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents Percy Vardman and Lois Inez Ray; Hebert James Vise, father of her three sons; two brothers Howard Wayne Ray and Alton Deemer Ray; two sisters Susie Ray and Maxine Cagle; and three brothers-in-law Ben Thompson, Jay Cagle and Bill Blevins.
To sign Betty’s online guestbook please visit www.dowdenrobertsfuneralhome.com.