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Candidate filing begins for Poteau School Board
Candidate filing for the Special Board of Education begins Tuesday for Poteau Public School.
Those who wish to file for a Board of Education office must submit a Declaration of Candidacy to the LeFlore County Election Board Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Candidate filing packets are available on the State Election Board website at https://oklahoma.gov/elections/candidates/candidate-filing.html and at the County Election Board.
In addition to the Declaration of Candidacy, candidates must also submit a Voter Registration Verification Form, which can be obtained from the County Election Board or by logging into the OK Voter Portal at https://oklahoma.gov/elections/ovp.html. Information on the Voter Registration Verification Form must match the information provided on the Declaration of Candidacy.
Kayla Rees, Secretary of the LeFlore County Election Board, reminds candidates that Contests of Candidacy must be filed no later than Monday, January 26th by 5 p.m. and may only be filed by another candidate for that office. Contests against unopposed candidates may be filed by contacting the County Election Board.
Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted for the following offices:
Poteau School District I-29, Office No. 1 and #5 Unexpired Term
For more information, contact your County Election Board office 918-647-3701 or [email protected] . The LeFlore County Election Board is located at 103 North Church in Poteau and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Influenza Rates Increasing Across the Reservation |
DURANT – The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) Public Health Department is issuing a public health advisory regarding rising influenza rates within the Choctaw Nation Reservation. Between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3, the influenza positivity rate was 13.1%, with Bryan, Pittsburg, and LeFlore counties particularly affected. RSV and COVID-19 rates continue to increase reservation-wide as well as respiratory virus season continues across Choctaw Nation. CNO Public Health Director Rikki LaRoche says, “Vaccination remains the best line of defense against respiratory illness this winter, noting that the CNO Community Health Nurses provide influenza vaccines at most CNHSA facilities.” CNO Epidemiologist Mason Emert notes that while influenza rates are currently high, CNO expects influenza spread to continuously increase through early spring. For more information about the current respiratory virus trends across Choctaw Nation, along with prevention tips and information, please visit the Respiratory Health Hub at www.choctawnation.com/about/health/respiratory-health-hub/. The public is welcome to access the site at any time. |
Thunder’s Perfect Streak Snapped in Narrow Loss to Miami
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 24-game winning streak when scoring at least 120 points came to an end Saturday night. Despite a 39-point masterclass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA champions fell 122-120 to the Miami Heat in a wire-to-wire thriller.
The Turning Point
With just 31 seconds remaining, Andrew Wiggins hit a clutch 3-pointer to give Miami the final lead. The Thunder had two chances to answer in the closing seconds:
The Lob: Chet Holmgren missed a potential game-tying layup off an inbounds pass.
The Buzzer Beater: After a defensive stop, Alex Caruso’s last-second 3-point attempt rattled off the rim as time expired.
Injury Concerns for Jalen Williams
The loss on the scoreboard wasn't the only concern for OKC. Starting guard Jalen Williams exited in the second quarter. While the team officially called it "right thigh soreness," Williams was seen clutching his hamstring as he left the court. Coach Mark Daigneault confirmed he will be evaluated on Sunday.
By The Numbers
History in the Making: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored 20+ points in 113 consecutive games. He is just 13 games away from tying Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time record.
The "Bam" Factor: Heat center Bam Adebayo was the difference-maker, dropping 30 points and hitting a career-high six 3-pointers.
Shot Volume: Miami’s aggressive play led to them taking 111 shots compared to just 77 for the Thunder.
Up Next: The Thunder (35-8) look to bounce back as they travel to Cleveland on Monday.
Sooners lose to No. 18 Alabama
NORMAN — In a game that featured 12 lead changes and significant scoring runs by both teams, Oklahoma missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and fell 83-81 to No. 18 Alabama at Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 82-79, OU guard Xzayvier Brown, the SEC's top free throw shooter at 93% entering the day, was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 7 seconds remaining. After making the first two fouls shots, his third rimmed out and Alabama's Amari Allen hit one of two free throws for a two-point lead. OU advanced the ball to its end of the court and called timeout with 4 seconds remaining, and on the ensuing inbound play Nijel Pack passed the ball to Mohamed Wague, got it back and took one dribble to the middle of the court where he shot a contested 27-footer that would have given the Sooners the win. But the ball hit the back of the rim and bounced away and Wague's tip attempt was off the mark.
The loss for OU (11-7, 1-4 SEC) was its fourth straight, while Alabama (13-5, 3-2) won for the second consecutive time after starting 1-2 in league play.
The Sooners built an 11-point halftime lead but fell behind 59-55 with 11:05 remaining, only to go back up by 73-67 with 4:51 to go on a Brown step-back 15-foot jumper. Alabama guard Labaron Philon, who averaged 21.9 points entering the game, quickly knotted the score at 73 by draining 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions, and his basket and free throw with 20 seconds to go put the Crimson Tide up 79-75.
Brown kept it tight by converting one-and-ones at the foul line on each of OU's next two possessions before going 2 for 3 with 7.2 seconds left. The junior finished with team highs of 21 points and four assists and added two steals. He has scored at least 20 points a team-leading eight times this season, including six times in the last nine games.
Sophomore Derrion Reid, who played for Alabama's Sweet 16 team last year, logged one of his better career games. Battling leg cramps, the OU forward made 6 of 11 shots and registered 16 points, a team-high nine rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. He was helped to the locker room after falling to the floor following his alley-oop dunk that put the Sooners up 71-67 with 5:39 to go, and returned late in the contest.
Senior forward Tae Davis contributed 14 points and seven boards and Pack, who went 2 for 10 from behind the arc, totaled 12 points.
The only other three Sooners who saw action were starting center Mohamed Wague (six points, six rebounds, two assists against his former team), and reserves Jadon Jones and Kirill Elatontsev. Jones's seven points were his most in five outings, and he recorded a career-high four blocked shots and four steals (one shy of his career high) in a season-high 31 minutes. Elatontsev was also productive, finishing with five points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in his 20 minutes.
The first half was nip and tuck with neither team leading by more than five points until late. After Alabama scored five straight to knot the game at 33 with 4:09 left, OU scored the final 11 points of the half for a 44-33 lead. Reid punctuated the run with a one-handed slam at the 0:13 mark after driving the left side of the lane. The Tide's 33 points were its fewest in a half this season.
Reid finished the first half with game highs of 13 points and seven rebounds while Davis added 12 points.
Alabama came out on fire after halftime, scoring the first 12 points to take the lead with 17:33 remaining. OU responded with a 9-0 run take a 55-48 advantage, only to see the Tide score 11 more in a row to go back up 59-55 with 11:05 to go.
Philon finished with a game-high 23 points on 8-for-19 field goal and 3-for-7 3-point shooting, while 6-11 forward Aiden Sherrell tallied 21 points and a team-high nine caroms.
Oklahoma plays South Carolina on Tuesday in the first of two road games. The Sooners and Gamecocks will tip at 6 p.m. CT in Columbia in a game televised by SEC Network. On Saturday, OU plays at Missouri at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.
Miller’s Clutch Free Throws Sink K-State in Stillwater
In a Saturday night thriller at Gallagher-Iba Arena, Oklahoma State escaped with a gritty 84-83 victory over Kansas State. The win was a historic one, marking the 100th career coaching victory for Steve Lutz in front of the home fans.
The Final Moments
The Cowboys trailed by two with under a minute to play. Following a pair of missed 3-pointers, Vyctorius Miller stayed aggressive, wrestling for a crucial offensive rebound on a tie-up with just 4.0 seconds left to keep the possession in Stillwater.
On the ensuing inbounds play, Miller was fouled while attempting a corner three. With the game on the line and only 2.8 seconds remaining, the freshman showed ice-cold composure, sinking all three free throws to seal the comeback win.
Key Performances
Anthony Roy: Led the Cowboys with a dominant 23-point performance.
Parsa Fallah: Anchored the paint with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Andrija Vukovic: Provided a perfect spark, going 5-of-5 from the floor for 11 points.
Kanye Clary: Directed the offense with 12 points and six assists.
Lutz Hits the Century Mark
The victory is a significant milestone for second-year head coach Steve Lutz, who reached 100 career wins in just over four seasons of coaching. Under Lutz, the Cowboys have a "magic number"—they improved to 24-0 when scoring at least 81 points.
Big 12 Standings
With the win, the Cowboys (14-4, 2-3 Big 12) defend their home court and gain momentum in the conference race. Meanwhile, Kansas State’s struggles continue, as they fall to 0-5 in Big 12 play for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
Arkansas Rallies but falls at #20 Georgia
ATHENS, Georgia. – Georgia raced out to an 11-0 lead and was in firm control for the first 23-plus minutes. Down 19 with 16:31 left, Arkansas turned the tables to tie the game at 68 and then again at 70 with 6:23 left in the game. The #20 Bulldogs, however, regained the advantage to pull away for a 90-76 victory over the #17 Razorbacks at Stegeman Coliseum.
The Razorbacks started their comeback with an 11-0 run highlighted by a Billy Richmond III blocked shot and a dunk. Overall, Arkansas used a 20-3 run, including a 7-0 run, to get to within one, 62-61.
Darius Acuff Jr., who scored 20 points, tied the game at 68 with a 3-pointer and hit two free throws to tie the game at 70.
Georgia answered with a 10-0 run and outscored the Hogs 20-6 to close the game.
Jeremiah Wilkinson led Georgia with 20 points and four steals. The Bulldogs had 12 steals for the game and forced 18 Razorback turnovers. Blue Cain added 18 points while Kanon Catchings and Jake Wilkens had 15 and 11 points, respectively.
Acuff added six rebounds, six assists and four steals. The Razorbacks finished with 11 steals. Richmond and Malique Ewin each scored 12 points for Arkansas.
Arkansas returns home to host nationally-ranked Vanderbilt on Tuesday (Jan. 20). Tipoff is set for 8 pm and the game will be televised on ESPN.
Clear skies, cold temperatures again Sunday
Weather forecast for Sunday in LeFlore County, southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas is for mostly clear skies and cold temperatures again Sunday..
The high is forecast to be 45 degrees with a low of 27 degrees.
Sunrise was 7:24 a.m. Sunset is 5:33 p.m.
Saturday’s high was 42 with a low of 12. No rain was recorded, leaving the monthly total at .58 inches. Average rainfall for January is 3.10 inches.
Average temperatures for Jan. 18 are a high of 51 and low of 22. Records for the date were a high of 72 in 1974 and a low of 7 in 1977.
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.
Sunday
Monday
LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.
High school basketball: LeFlore County Tournament
Tuesday
Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC
High school basketball: LCT
Wednesday
Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC
High school basketball: LCT
Thursday
Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon EOMC
HUA, City Council meet 6 p.m.
High school basketball: LCT
Heavener VFW bingo 6:30 p.m.
Friday
High school basketball: LCT
Saturday
High school basketball: LCT championship
Martin Luther King
Today in history for Jan. 18
1778: Captain James Cook "Discovers" Hawaii
On this day, British explorer Captain James Cook became the first known European to reach the Hawaiian Islands. He originally named them the "Sandwich Islands" in honor of the Earl of Sandwich. This event marked the beginning of significant Western influence and eventual colonization of the islands.
1919: The Paris Peace Conference Begins
Following the end of World War I, world leaders gathered at the Versailles Palace for the Paris Peace Conference. This historic meeting led to the creation of the League of Nations and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which redrew the map of Europe and set the stage for the 20th century's geopolitical landscape.
1993: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observed in All 50 States
While the holiday was signed into law years earlier, January 18, 1993, marked the first time Martin Luther King Jr. Day was officially observed in all 50 U.S. states. This was a monumental victory for the Civil Rights Movement's legacy, ensuring national recognition for the iconic leader's work.
Science, Tech, and Culture Milestones
1896: The First X-ray Machine: The first public demonstration of an X-ray machine took place, revolutionizing the field of medicine forever.
1911: First Aircraft Landing on a Ship: Pilot Eugene Ely landed a Curtiss pusher aircraft on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay, marking the birth of naval aviation.
2012: The Wikipedia Blackout: In a massive protest against the SOPA/PIPA anti-piracy bills, Wikipedia and other major sites went dark for 24 hours to advocate for a free and open web.
Famous Birthdays on January 18
Several influential figures in entertainment and history share this birthday:
Name | Year | Known For |
Montesquieu | 1689 | Philosopher (Separation of Powers) |
A.A. Milne | 1882 | Author of Winnie-the-Pooh |
Cary Grant | 1904 | Iconic Hollywood Actor |
Kevin Costner | 1955 | Academy Award-winning Actor & Director |
Dave Bautista | 1969 | Actor and Former Pro Wrestler |
Jason Segel | 1980 | Actor and Comedian |
Notable Moments in Sports History
1886: Modern Field Hockey: The Hockey Association was formed in England, establishing the formalized rules of the modern game.
1958: Breaking the NHL Color Barrier: Willie O'Ree made his debut with the Boston Bruins, becoming the first Black player in the National Hockey League.
Why These Events Matter Today
Many of the events on January 18 laid the groundwork for our current technology and social rights. From the digital foundations of Yahoo! to the maritime innovations of naval aircraft, this day serves as a reminder of how quickly the world can change through a single discovery or decision.
Notable Deaths on January 18
While January 18 has seen many beginnings, it has also been a day of farewell for some of the most influential figures in literature, entertainment, and politics.
1936: Rudyard Kipling
The world lost one of its most celebrated authors on this day. Rudyard Kipling, the Nobel Prize-winning writer of The Jungle Book and The Man Who Would Be King, passed away at age 70. His stories of British India remain some of the most enduring classics in English literature.
1952: Curly Howard
The legendary "Three Stooges" star Curly Howard died on this day after years of declining health. Known for his high-pitched voice and physical comedy, Curly remains one of the most beloved figures in the history of American slapstick humor.
2013: Stan Musial
Baseball fans remember January 18 as the day "The Man" passed away. Stan Musial, the St. Louis Cardinals legend and one of the greatest hitters in MLB history, died at the age of 92. He was a 24-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion.
More Famous Farewells
1862: John Tyler: The 10th President of the United States passed away in Richmond, Virginia.
1947: Kundan Lal Saigal: Considered the first superstar of Hindi cinema, the legendary singer and actor died at the age of 42.
2000: Hedy Lamarr: The iconic actress and inventor—who co-developed the frequency-hopping technology used in modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth—passed away in Florida.
2003: Harivansh Rai Bachchan: A giant of Hindi literature and the father of Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, he left a lasting legacy on the "New Poetry" movement.
Why These Legacies Matter
From the slapstick joy of Curly Howard to the scientific brilliance of Hedy Lamarr, those who passed on this day left behind more than just memories—they left blueprints for entertainment and technology that we still use today.
Sylvester Wiley service planned
Sylvester Wiley, 92, of Fanshawe passed away Friday at his home in Fanshawe.
Funeral service is 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Fanshawe Freewill Baptist Church with Tracy Martin officiating. Burial will follow at Hicks Chapel Cemetery in Fanshawe, under the direction of Evans & Miller Funeral Home of Poteau.
He was born on Oct. 15, 1933, in Stringtown to William Henry Wiley and Cora Marie (Ellis) Wiley. He proudly served his country in the United States Army, where he wore his uniform with honor.
Survivors are his wife of 67 years, Pearlie Wiley; daughters Joann Raymond and husband Zackary of Leflore, and Roxane Wiley of Broken Arrow; sons Joey Wiley and wife June of Fanshawe, and Kevin Wiley and wife Quata of Fanshawe; brother Donald Wiley of Nevada; sisters Phillis Sanders of Waldron, Arkansas, and Christina D’Arrigo of Boston; 10grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, and numerous other loved ones and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Rita Wiley; granddaughter, Erica Jean; sisters Wanda Jean and Montoz; and brothers Fred, Lee, James and Dwayne Wiley.
Honorary pallbearers are Tom Raymond, Joey Wiley, Kevin Wiley, Justin Wiley and Michael Hess.
Visitation is Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
You may leave an online message of condolence at www.evansandmillerfuneralhome.com.
Leon Odom services planned
Leon Odom, 79, of Talihina passed away on Jan. 13, 2026 and was born on Jan. 1, 1947, in Mineral Wells, Texas, to Neanzie (Strawbridge) Odom and Watie Odom.
Graveside services are Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Albion Cemetery with Brother Brent Smith officiating.
He is survived by a son, Bradley Odom; and his grandsons Logan, Levi and Landen Odom.
He was preceded in passing by his parents Neanzie and Watie Odom; his wife, Sharon Odom; and a son, Christopher Odom.
Visitation is 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at McCarn Funeral Service in Talihina.
Services have been entrusted to McCarn Funeral Service.