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NWS issues special weather statement
NWS issues special weather statement for Saturday.
Light to moderate snow bands reducing visibilities this evening across far eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas.
Lift on the leading edge of a southward advancing Arctic front is producing bands of light to moderate snow across northwest
Arkansas and far eastern Oklahoma.
Area observations and traffic cameras indicate that visibilities are being reduced in these
bands to as low as one mile. A dusting of accumulation is possible as well.
Drivers should use extra caution if you encounter one of these bands. The snow should taper off after midnight and skies will gradually clear.
LeFlore County Tournament moves times up
LeFlore County Tournament times for the third-place and championship games Saturday have been moved.
All four games will be played at Spiro.
The third-place games will start at noon with the championship games scheduled for 4 p.m.
The games have been postponed since last week due to the winter weather.
In the girls’ final Howe (16-3) plays Panama (14-2) in a matchup of teams ranked in Class 2A. Howe is second and Panama 11th. The two teams played earlier in the season at Howe with the Lady Lions winning, 58-50.
In the boys’ championship game, Pocola (9-5) and ranked third in 2A will go for its fourth straight championship at approximately 5:30 p.m. against Talihina (8-3). This is also a rematch of a game from earlier in the season with Pocola winning at home, 64-49.
Talihina is going for its first championship since 2020.
In the third-place girls’ game, Talihina plays Spiro at noon while Poteau’s boys take on Howe at 1:30 p.m.
Who wins boys’ LCT championship?
Who wins girls’ LCT championship?
Cold temperatures continue Saturday
Weather forecast for Saturday is for mostly clear skies during the day with cloudy skies and cold temperatures overnight for LeFlore County, southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas..
The high is forecast to be 29 degrees with a low of 20 degrees.
Sunrise was 7:17 a.m. Sunset is 5:46 p.m.
Friday’s high was 41 with a low of 12. No precipitation was received, leaving the monthly total to 2.77 inches. Average rainfall for January is 3.10 inches.
Average temperatures for Jan. 31 are a high of 52 and low of 23. Records for the date were a high of 75 in 1974 and a low of 3 in 1979.
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.
Saturday
Monday
LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.
City of Poteau meetings
High school basketball: Kinta at Arkoma; Keota at Cameron; Vian at Pocola; Keota at Wister
Tuesday
Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC
High school basketball: Talihina at Heavener; Central at Howe; LeFlore at Panama; Pocola at Stigler; Vian at Spiro; Roland at Poteau; Whitesboro at Crowder
Wednesday
Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC
Thursday
Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon EOMC
Heavener VFW bingo 6
High school basketball: Bokoshe at Graham-Dustin; Clayton at LeFlore; Whitesboro vs. Acorn, Arkansas
Heavener city council meets 6 p.m.
Friday
High school basketball: Heavener at Stigler; Howe at Broken Bow; Arkoma vs. Union Christian; Cameron at Red Oak; Keys at Panama; Hartshorne at Pocola; Wister at Red Oak; Poteau at Checotah
Jackie Rbinson was born on this date in 1919.
Today in history
Jan. 31 marks a date rich with pivotal moments across centuries—from acts of treason and wartime turning points to groundbreaking achievements in science, space, and civil rights. Here's a journey through some of the most significant events, births, and deaths that have shaped history on this day.Key Historical Events
1606: Guy Fawkes, a key figure in the Gunpowder Plot to assassinate King James I and blow up the British Parliament, met his end in London. Convicted of treason, he jumped from the scaffold to avoid a gruesome execution by hanging, drawing, and quartering, though the authorities proceeded with the rest of his sentence posthumously. This event is still commemorated in the UK with Bonfire Night on November 5.
1865: In a landmark step toward ending slavery in the United States, the House of Representatives passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment declared that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude" (except as punishment for crime) shall exist in the U.S. It was ratified later that year on December 6, fulfilling a core promise of the Civil War era.
1917: During World War I, Germany announced the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare. This policy allowed U-boats to sink any ship—civilian or military—in the war zone around Britain, a decision that ultimately helped draw the United States into the conflict.
1943: A major turning point in World War II occurred as German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrendered the remnants of the Sixth Army to Soviet forces at Stalingrad. This marked the first significant defeat for Hitler's armies on the Eastern Front, with massive casualties (over 160,000 Germans killed and 90,000 captured), shifting momentum toward the Allies.
1945: Private Eddie Slovik became the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion during World War II (and the first since the Civil War). His case highlighted the military's strict discipline amid the chaos of war.
1950: President Harry S. Truman publicly announced U.S. support for developing the hydrogen bomb, escalating the nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union.
1958: The United States entered the Space Age by successfully launching Explorer 1, its first Earth-orbiting satellite, from Cape Canaveral. This response to the Soviet Sputnik launches helped spark the space race.
1971: Apollo 14 launched with astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, and Stuart Roosa aboard, heading to the Moon—Shepard would become the fifth person to walk on its surface.
Other notable moments include the premiere of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters in 1901, the debut of the radio show The Green Hornet in 1936, and more recent events like the U.K.'s formal Brexit exit from the EU on January 31, 2020.Famous BirthsJanuary 31 has given the world influential figures in arts, sports, and entertainment:
1797: Franz Schubert, the prolific Austrian composer whose works include symphonies, chamber music, and over 600 lieder (songs), despite dying at just 31.
1919: Jackie Robinson, the legendary baseball player who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming a civil rights icon.
1921: Mario Lanza, the American tenor and actor whose powerful voice made him a Hollywood star in films like The Great Caruso.
1977: Kerry Washington, acclaimed actress known for roles in Scandal and films like Django Unchained.
1981: Justin Timberlake, the Grammy-winning singer, actor, and former *NSYNC member whose solo career includes hits like "Cry Me a River" and films like The Social Network.
Others include novelist Zane Grey (1872), actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902), and pitcher Nolan Ryan (1947).Notable Deaths
1606: Guy Fawkes (as noted above, age 35).
1956: A.A. Milne, the English author beloved for creating Winnie-the-Pooh and his gentle tales of the Hundred Acre Wood (born 1882).
1974: Samuel Goldwyn, pioneering Hollywood producer and co-founder of what became Paramount Pictures and MGM (born 1882).
1992: Mel Hein, NFL Hall of Famer and longtime center for the New York Giants (born 1909).
2016: Terry Wogan, the beloved Irish-British broadcaster and longtime BBC radio and TV host (born 1938).
Michael Ray Lutz death notice
Michael Ray Lutz, 69, of Whitesboro passed away Jan. 29, 2026 at his home and was born on Aug. 26, 1956 in Duncan to Dora Lee (Rich) and Earl Henry Lutz.
Cremation services are being handled by McCarn Funeral Service.
Survivors are his wife, Wynona, of the home; children Joey M. Lutz, David N. Lutz, Michael C. Lutz, Heather M. Lutz and Cheyenne S. Lutz; grandchildren Jasmine, Shamiya, Karson, Dakota as well as several step-grandkids and great grandchildren; sisters, Doris Cochran (John) and Rita Gore; brother, Donald Lutz (Patricia) as well as numerous extended family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dora and Earl Lutz; brothers, Jim Kennedy, Glen Lutz, Lowelll Lutz and Doyle Lutz.