Pocola woman injured in auto accident

Pocola woman injured in an auto accident Monday at 5:22 p.m. on Highway 112 and Bud French Road in Cameron.

A vehicle driven by Perry Williams, 69, of Fort Smith turned into the path of the vehicle driven by the vehicle driven by Eliza Hinton, 64, of Pocola.

Williams was not injured in the accident while Hinton was listed as having injuries. There were no passengers in either vehicle.

The report was investigated by Trooper Joshua Wiles.

LeFlore County commissioner minutes from Monday’s meeting with Chairman Jamie Oliver presiding. Also, present were Member Mike Parker, Member Josh Blaylock and County Clerk 1^st 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 Josh Blaylock to approve the minutes of regular meeting held December 22, 2025.  Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(3.)            Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Mike Parker to approve purchase orders as presented. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(4.)            Monthly Fee Reports: None presented. 

(5.)            Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve transfer of appropriation in the amount of $5,000 from FDHOW-2R Lease & Rental account to FDHOW-2 M&O account. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(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 Josh Blaylock to approve resolution allowing County Treasurer to reinvest surplus of County Health Department funds for January 2026. Motion carried, all voting yes.  

(11.)         Motion was made by Mike Parker and seconded by Josh Blaylock to table awarding bid regarding the purchase of a 2025 – 2026 Chevy 2500 truck to benefit LeFlore County Commissioner District 1. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(12.)         Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve floodplain development permit application number 12152025627 as submitted by ACRS Telecommunications Engineers regarding installation of fiber optic lines within county right of way located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 3, Section 4, Township 4 North, Range 25 East. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(13.)     Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Mike Parker to approve floodplain development permit application number 12152025626 as submitted by ACRS Telecommunications Engineers regarding installation of fiber optic lines within county right of way located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 3, Section 5, Township 4 North, Range 24 East. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(14.)     Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve floodplain development permit application number 12152025629 as submitted by ACRS Telecommunications Engineers regarding installation of fiber optic lines within county right of way located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 3, Section 5, Township 4 North, Range 25 East. Motion carried, all voting yes.  

(15.)     Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve floodplain development permit application numbers 12152025632 and 12152025633 as submitted by ACRS Telecommunications Engineers regarding installation of fiber optic lines within county right of way located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 3, Section 6, Township 4 North, Range 24 East. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(16.)     Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve floodplain development permit application numbers 12152025626, 12152025628, 12152025630, 12152025631 as submitted by ACRS Telecommunications Engineers regarding installation of fiber optic lines within county right of way located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 3, Section 6, Township 4 North, Range 25 East. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(17.)     Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve floodplain development permit application numbers 12152025616, 12152025617, 12152025618, 12152025619, 12152025620 as submitted by ACRS Telecommunications Engineers regarding installation of fiber optic lines within county right of way located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 3, Section 4, Township 4 North, Range 25 East. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(18.)     Motion was made by Mike Parker and seconded by Josh Blaylock to approve floodplain development permit application numbers 12152025621, 12152025622, 12152025623 as submitted by ACRS Telecommunications Engineers regarding installation of fiber optic lines within county right of way located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 3, Section 10, Township 4 North, Range 25 East. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

(19.)     Motion was made by Josh Blaylock and seconded by Mike Parker to approve floodplain development permit application number 12152025624 as submitted by ACRS Telecommunications Engineers regarding installation of fiber optic lines within county right of way located in LeFlore County Commissioner District 3, Section 35, Township 4 North, Range 25 East. Motion carried, all voting yes. 

Motion was made by Jamie Oliver and seconded by Josh Blaylock to adjourn. Motion was approved all voting yes, Oliver-yes, Parker-yes, Blaylock-yes.

LeFlore County scoreboard for Monday.

Basketball

Girls

Bertha Teague Classic at Ada

Kingfisher 54, Howe 44

Boys

Mustang Classic

Carl Albert 83, Pocola 42

To make an addition or correction, CONTACT me.

Tuesday’s games

Girls

Howe vs. Merritt 3 p.m.

Boys

Pocola vs. Mustang or Dale loser at 1:30 p.m.

Howe’s girls were outscored 18-5 in the fourth quarter in a loss to Kingfisher in an opening-round game at the Bertha Teague Classic Monday.

The Lady Lions play Merritt at 3 p.m., also at Ada, Tuesday. Merritt lost its opener to Keys.

Howe’s girls are ranked second in Class 2A and are 8-3 on the season. Kingfisher, which reached the quarterfinals last year, improves to 6-2 and is ranked fifth in Class 4A.

The Lady Lions led 27-24 at the half and 39-36 after three quarters before going cold in the fourth quarter.

Brilee Scarberry led Howe with 13 points.

STILLWATER — Anthony Roy delivered a masterclass from the charity stripe on Monday night, fueling Oklahoma State (12-1) to a dominant 103-77 victory over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. Roy finished with a season-high 27 points, a performance anchored by a perfect 15-for-15 showing at the free-throw line.

Anthony Roy’s precision has become a storyline of its own. With his perfect night in Stillwater, Roy has now converted 34 consecutive free throws, a streak dating back to November 19. His 15-for-15 mark against the Wildcats tied the third-best single-game performance in Cowboys history, matching Byron Eaton's 2009 record.

Oklahoma State showcased a balanced attack as they improved to 10-0 at home inside Gallagher-Iba Arena this season:

The game remained competitive early, with Bethune-Cookman leading 17-15 midway through the first half. However, a Kanye Clary free throw ignited a decisive 17-4 run for the Pokes.

While the Wildcats managed to trim the lead briefly, Oklahoma State closed the half with high-flying momentum. Consecutive dunks by Miller and Coleman followed by a Clary layup sent the Cowboys into the locker room with a 50-38 cushion. The Pokes never looked back, scoring the first eight points of the second half to keep the game out of reach.

Despite the loss, Bethune-Cookman (3-10) saw a strong effort from Quentin Heady, who led the team with 17 points. Daniel Rouzan and Jakobi Heady each contributed 16 points, while Tyler Andrews added 15 in the effort.

Oklahoma State now turns its attention to the grueling Big 12 schedule. The Cowboys head to Lubbock this Saturday to face Texas Tech at noon.

Arkansas Downs Dukes

Online Version 
Final Stats   
Coach Calipari Postgame Presser 

 FAYETTEVILLE – Meleek Thomas scored a career-high 28 points – the most points by a Razorback this season and second-most in the John Calipari era – to lead #18 Arkansas to a 103-74 victory over James Madison Monday night at Bud Walton Arena. 

Thomas, who made a career-high six 3-pointers for the game, scored 14 of his 28 points during a 19-3 run midway through the first half to lead 32-12 and set the tone in the decisive win. 

Down 20 at the break, JMU traded baskets with Arkansas early in the second half. The Dukes got to within 15 with 11:18 left before the Razorbacks put the game out of reach with a 21-5 run over the next six minutes to lead 93-16. D.J. Wagner helped lead the second-half surge with 10 points, making 3-of-3 from deep, with three assists and zero turnovers. Wagner finished with 14 points. 

In addition to Thomas’ career game, Darius Acuff Jr. scored a quiet 17 points with six assists and one turnover. Malique Ewin added 11 points, nine rebounds and tied a career-high with three steals. 

Billy Richmond III tied a career high with six assists while Trevon Brazile posted eight points, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals. 

Arkansas made a season-high 15 3-pointers, shooting a season- best 53.6% from deep. However, JMU made 12 triples, but only shot 37.5%. 

The Dukes were led by Bradley Douglas’ 19 points and Justin McBride scored 13. 

Arkansas begins SEC play on Jan. 3 (Saturday) when #19/20 Tennessee comes to Bud Walton Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

TULSA - Powered by four players scoring in double figures, the Oral Roberts women's basketball team wrapped up its non-conference slate with an 86-51 win over Oklahoma Wesleyan on Monday, December 29.

The Golden Eagles were led by Howe’s Jalei Oglesby, who recorded a double-double with 25 points and 15 rebounds, while Anna Trusty added 23 points. Azailah Funches and Ari Gordon also chipped in 10 points apiece.

Oral Roberts took advantage of excellent ball movement, piling up 18 assists on 29 made field goals. Gordon led the team with six assists, while Gentry Baldwin added five of her own.

Defensively, Oral Roberts forced 16 Oklahoma Wesleyan turnovers while committing just 12 of its own. The Golden Eagles converted those takeaways into 15 points, with Funches leading the way individually with three steals.

After an early 8-8 tie, Oral Roberts went on a 10-0 run with 5:04 remaining in the first quarter to take an 18-8 lead. OKWU responded, cutting into the margin, but ORU still carried an 18-14 advantage into the quarter break. The Golden Eagles did most of their damage in the paint, scoring 14 of their 18 first-quarter points near the basket.

ORU maintained its lead in the second quarter before going on a 7-0 run beginning at the 2:00 mark to extend the advantage to 41-33, which held at halftime. Oral Roberts received nine points off the bench in the period, accounting for nearly half of its 23 second-quarter points.

The Golden Eagles wasted no time building on their lead in the third quarter, rattling off a 19-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Gordon, to extend the margin to 60-33 with 2:42 remaining. OKWU trimmed the deficit late, but ORU still entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 64-38 lead. Oral Roberts held the Eagles to just 2-of-12 shooting in the period, limiting them to five points.

Oral Roberts continued to add to its lead early in the fourth quarter, pushing the margin to 69-38 with 7:24 remaining. The Golden Eagles cruised the rest of the way to secure the 86-51 victory, once again getting a boost from the bench, which contributed nine of the team's 22 points in the final period.

The Leaders
Oral Roberts: Jalei Oglesby posted her second double-double of the season with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Ari Gordon added a team-best six assists and four blocks.
Oklahoma Wesleyan: Gracie Alexander led the Eagles with 13 points, while Jaclyn Lara and Khamille Warr pulled down five rebounds apiece.

Residents of LeFlore County are currently thawing out from a bitter start to the week. After a record-breaking Christmas that felt more like mid-October, the "Arctic Body Slam" that arrived on Sunday has finally bottomed out. As we move into the final days of 2025, the forecast for Poteau, Heavener, and the surrounding river valleys is one of rapid recovery and a surprisingly mild start to 2026.

We are currently under the influence of high pressure that brought widespread wind chills in the teens this morning.

If you are planning to attend local festivities to ring in the New Year, the weather is trending in your favor. A southerly flow returns, and we will see a nearly 10-degree jump in daytime temperatures.

2026 is set to arrive on a high note. We are tracking a surge of warm air that could push temperatures well above seasonal averages.

While the rest of the week looks exceptionally mild for January, long-range models suggest this is just a temporary "thaw."

By the end of the first week of January (around Jan 10–14), we are watching for a more significant storm system that could bring a return of colder air and a better chance of widespread rainfall. For now, enjoy the low-60s temperatures while they last.

Calendar of events for the next week for Heavener, LeFlore County, southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. The calendar is a free service for our readers. If you know of an event coming up,, please CONTACT me.

Tuesday

Funeral service for Phillip Sanchez, Jr. 

Graveside service for Bonnie Jayleen (Williams) Fowler

Graveside services for Erica Shantel Gutierrez

Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC

High school basketball: Howe girls at Bertha Teague Classic; Pocola boys at Mustang Holiday Classic

Wednesday

Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC

Gladys Marie Cloakey services

Donna Jean Baggett funeral services 

High school basketball: Howe girls vs. Merritt 3 p.m. at Bertha Teague Classic in Ada; Pocola boys vs. Dale/Mustang loser at 1:30 p.m. at Mustang Holiday Classic

Thursday

Happy New Year

Saturday

High school basketball: Vian at Heavener

Monday

LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.

City of Poteau meetings 5:39 p.m.

High school basketball: Pocola at Wilburton; Wister at Talihina.

Gladys Marie Cloakey of Howe was born Nov. 10, 1931 in Sayre to John and Oda (Cast) Dusek and passed away surrounded by family on Dec. 28, 2025 in Barling, Arkansas at the age of 94. 

Funeral service is 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home Chapel in Heavener with Brother Joe Haydon Hall and Brother Sam Dyer officiating. Burial will follow in Heavener Memorial Park, under the care of Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home of Heavener.

Gladys was a life-long resident of the area and the owner of GMC Cleaning. She was of the Methodist faith. Gladys loved gardening, working in flower beds, and quilting. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.   

Survivors are one daughter Brenda Blake and husband Ronny of Howe; two sons Jimmy Scarbrough and wife Fran of Batesville, Arkansas, and John Scarbrough and wife Linda of Wister; 10 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, other loved ones, and friends. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Oda Dusek; her husband Melvin Cloakey; two sisters Grace Dehart and Joan Sykes; and one brother, Mickey Dusek. 

Pallbearers are her grandchildren. 

Viewing is from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. until service time Wednesday at the funeral home. 

To sign Gladys’ online guestbook please visit www.dowdenrobertsfuneralhome.com.