In partnership with
When it all clicks.
Why does business news feel like it’s written for people who already get it?
Morning Brew changes that.
It’s a free newsletter that breaks down what’s going on in business, finance, and tech — clearly, quickly, and with enough personality to keep things interesting. The result? You don’t just skim headlines. You actually understand what’s going on.
Try it yourself and join over 4 million professionals reading daily.
Support local journalism
Our newsletter and website are both free for our readers. There are costs involved, of course, so if you would like to help support us, click on the QR code below or donate on paypal at [email protected]. |
Drummond seeks court order to force Charter School Board to follow the law
OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond today is asking a court to order the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board to tell the whole truth on why it rejected an application to establish the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School. At its meeting this week, the Board cited only religion as its reason, ignoring flaws the Board previously identified in the application that were never remedied.
"This Board is playing politics with the taxpayers' money," said Drummond. "The revised Ben Gamla application had multiple serious flaws, which this Board itself identified just weeks earlier. But instead of doing its job and listing every valid reason for rejection, the Board deliberately suppressed those findings to manufacture a cleaner path to federal court. I will not allow this Board to rig the record at taxpayers' expense."
The Board has a statutory duty to reject weak or inadequate applications. In February, the Board did just that – rejected the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation's application and listed all the reasons for the denial.
At its March 9 meeting, the Board met to consider the foundation's revised application, which did not address all of the reasons the application was originally denied. A representative from the Attorney General's office pointed to a ten-fold enrollment discrepancy as one reason to decline the application. Both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Jewish communities oppose the school, and its founder admitted he had spoken with fewer than 20 Jewish Oklahomans before applying. These factors cast serious doubt on the school's ability to meet even its original enrollment projections, let alone the dramatically inflated numbers in the revised application.
Despite those concerns, chairman Brian Shellem blocked a motion to reject the application on all valid grounds and steered members to cite only religion as the reason for denial.
"The Board has announced plans to hire outside legal counsel to defend a threatened federal lawsuit, and it manipulated the record to make that lawsuit easier to lose — not win," said Drummond. "A state agency that deliberately hobbles its own legal position is not doing its job — it is betraying Oklahoma taxpayers. I will not allow that," said Drummond. “Let me be clear: This petition has nothing to do with the religious character of this school. Those questions were settled by the Oklahoma and U.S. Supreme Courts. It is about demanding that a state agency follow the law and issue a complete and honest rejection letter.”
Today’s sports section is sponsored by
LeFlore County scoreboard
LeFlore County sports scores from Wednesday
Basketball
Girls
Class3A state tournament quarterfinal
Alva 47, Spiro 32
To make an addition, correction or suggestion, email [email protected].
Howe girls open play in 2A tournament
Howe girls open play in the Class 2A state basketball tournament at 9 a.m. Thursday against Riverside in the OG&E Colosseum in Oklahoma City.
Howe is 26-3 and ranked second in the state. The Lady Lions have won 18-straight games since a loss to Kingfisher in thr Bertha Teague Mid-America Classic on Dec. 29 so Howe is undefeated so far in 2026. While Howe is an area champion, Riverside won its area consolation championship to advance to state. Riverside is 22-7 and ranked sixth, defeating Cashion to make state.
The Howe/Riverside winner plays the Hartshorne/Fairview winner in the semifinals 10 a.m. Friday at Yukon.
Wister Lake fishing report
Wister: March 6. Elevation is 1 ft. above normal and stable, water temperature 61°F and stained. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits and spinnerbaits around brush structure and creek channels. Blue catfish good on cut bait and shad around the main lake. White crappie good on jigs and minnows around brush structure and the river channel. Report submitted by James Williams, game warden stationed in Le Flore County.
See the fishing report for all of Oklahoma HERE.
OU cruises past UTA
NORMAN – No. 9 Oklahoma cruised past UT Arlington, 6-1, in a midweek matchup Wednesday afternoon at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman.
OU (15-2) utilized six pitchers on the day that combined for 14 strikeouts to one walk and allowed the Mavericks (5-11) one run on six hits.
At the plate, junior Brendan Brock continued his tear with a 3-for-4, three RBI day, including a pair of doubles and a stolen base. Sooner centerfielder Jason Walk ignited the offense in the second inning when he stole home. Walk would go on to have a 2-for-3 day with three runs scored.
The Mavericks took the lead in the first inning on a groundout but OU starting RHP Michael Catalano retired the side with a strikeout to strand one and the Mavericks would not score again.
After Walk tied the game with his steal of home in the second, OU put up crooked numbers in the fourth and sixth innings to put the game away. In the fourth, consecutive RBI singles from Brock and Camden Johnson pushed the lead to two. In the sixth, Brock doubled home a pair and Deiten Lachance plated him on a single to right.
Junior transfer Mason Bixby earned his first win as a Sooner in relief, going two innings and striking out five. OU’s staff of Catalano (2.0 IP), Bixby, Isaac Williams (2.0), Nate Smithburg (1.0), Trent Collier (1.0) and Xander Mercurius (1.0) allowed UTA just one extra-base hit on the day to go with a combined 14 strikeouts.
Pitchers of Record
Win: Mason Bixby (1-0)
Loss: Jacob Havern (0-3)
Statistical Snapshot
Brendan Brock | 3-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Jason Walk | 2-for-3, 3 R, 3 SB
Camden Johnson | 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 2 SB
Michael Catalano | 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Mason Bixby | 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5K
Notes
OU improved to 15-2 on the season and 11-2 at Kimrey Family Stadium.
OU continued its streak of an extra-base hit in every game of the season with four on the day.
The Sooner pitching staff’s 14 combined strikeouts were the third-most K’s as a staff this season.
Mason Bixby’s five strikeouts and two innings pitched were both season highs.
Brendan Brock’s three hits tied a season high.
Drew Dickerson hit his second triple of the season and his second in as many games.
Jason Walk stole three bases on the day, tying his career high done twice before.
Deiten Lachance has a hit in nine straight games and 15 of his 16 games played, while Brendan Brock has registered a base knock in 14 of 16 games played and is on a seven-game hit streak.
Up Next
No. 9 OU opens SEC play this weekend, March 13-15, vs. No. 22 Texas A&M at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman. Friday’s opener is slated for a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch before a 4 p.m. Saturday matchup and 2 p.m. finale on Sunday.
Nice day expected Thursday
Weather forecast for Thursday is for clear skies and cool temperatures for Heavener and LeFlore County.
The high is forecast to be 66 with a low of 45 degrees.
Sunrise was 7:32 a.m. Sunset is 7:23 p.m.
Wednesday’s high was 69 with a low of 34. A total of 0.00 inches of rain was received, leaving the monthly total at 4.09 inches. Average rainfall for March is 5.40 inches.
Average temperatures for March 12 are a high of 64 and low of 35. Records for the date were a high of 81 in 1973 and a low of 21 in 1983.
Calendar of events
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.
Thursday
Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon EOMC
High school basketball: Howe vs. Riverside 9 a.m. OG&E
High school baseball: Heavener Wood Bat Festival; Cameron at Battiest Tournament
High school softball: Keota at Whitesboro; Talihina at Stigler
High school track: Heavener at Mena meet
High school soccer: Sallisaw at Heavener
High school golf: Heavener at Muldrow Tournament (Wolf Ridge in Poteau)
Mena Chamber of Commerce banquet
Heavener VFW bingo 6
Friday
High school baseball: Heavener Wood Bat Festival; Cameron at Battiest Tournament; Poteau at Roland;
High school softball:
Saturday
High school baseball: Heavener Wood Bat Festival; Cameron at Battiest Tournament; Roland at Poteau; Whitesboro at McCurtain
Monday
LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.
High school baseball: Howe at Wilburton Festival; Eufaula at Poteau; Whitesboro at Buffalo Valley
High school softball: Whitesboro at Rattan Festival; Howe, Talihina at Broken Bow Festival
High school track: Heavener at Booneville meet
Tuesday
St. Patrick’s Community resource fair
High school baseball: Cameron southeast shootout in Broken Bow; Howe at Wilburton Festival
High school softball: Whitesboro at Rattan Festival; Howe,Talihina at Broken Bow Festival
Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC
Wednesday
Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC
High school baseball: Cameron southeast shootout in Broken Bow
Today in History
Significant Events, Notable Births, and Deaths
Historical Events
1912: The Girl Scouts of the USA was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia.
1930: Mahatma Gandhi began his famous Salt March in India, starting a nonviolent campaign against British rule.
1947: President Harry S. Truman announced the Truman Doctrine, promising U.S. support to countries threatened by communism.
1993: Explosions rocked Mumbai (then Bombay), India, in a series of bombings, resulting in hundreds of casualties.
2009: Financier Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty to running the largest Ponzi scheme in history.
Notable Births
1838: William Henry Perkin, English chemist and inventor of the first synthetic dye.
1946: Liza Minnelli, American actress and singer, best known for her role in "Cabaret."
1968: Aaron Eckhart, American actor known for roles in "The Dark Knight" and "Thank You for Smoking."
1980: Jaimie Alexander, American actress best known for her role in "Blindspot."
Notable Deaths
1887: Gustav Robert Kirchhoff, German physicist known for his contributions to the understanding of electrical circuits.
1965: Joseph Goebbels, German politician and Minister of Propaganda for Nazi Germany.
1999: Yehudi Menuhin, American-born violinist and conductor.
2015: Terry Pratchett, British author renowned for the "Discworld" series.
