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Heavener grad dies in accident
Ryan J. Moore, 23, of Heavener died in an accident Friday at 9:13 a.m.in Idabel when he was disassembling a counterweight off the back of a CAT 365C excavator. The counterweight fell and struck him.
The accident was investigated by Trooper Hunter Brown, according to a report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Wilburton man pleads guilty to sexual abuse
MUSKOGEE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Morgan Ellis, Jr., 38, of Wilburton entered a guilty plea to three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country, punishable by up to fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country, punishable by up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that beginning in July 2023, and continuing until June 26, 2024, Ellis knowingly engaged in sex acts and sexual contact with a minor who had attained the age of 12 years but had not attained the age of 16 years, and who was at least four years younger than Ellis.
The crimes occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the McAlester Police Department, and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Ellis will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Wittlinger and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Area basketball scores for 2-5-2026
Area basketball scores from Thursday.
Basketball
Oklahoma
Boys
Silo 91, Atoka 53
Battiest 56, Quinton 46
Fort Towson 68, Haworth 48
Union Christian 48, Keota 40
Clayton 37, LeFlore 34
Oktaha 64, Canadian 34
Porum 58, Braggs 54
Wright City 36, Rattan 35
Vian 56, Talihina 42
Rock Creek 48, Valliant 43
Webbers Falls 43, Indianola 36
Girls
Silo 47, Atoka 37
Quinton 66, Battiest 15
Central 60, Gans 38
Fort Towson 59, Haworth 40
Hartshorne 37, Caddo 32
Keota 45, Union Christian 35
LeFlore 36, Clayton 15
Oktaha 50, Canadian 36
Porum 102, Braggs 15
Wright City 29, Rattan 25
Talihina 53, Vian 13
Rock Creek 40, Valliant 37
Indianola 57, Webbers Falls 24
To make an addition or correction, please email [email protected].
Rep. Rick West with Patience Wilson in the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Wilson pages for Rep. Rick West
OKLAHOMA CITY – Patience Wilson, a senior at Panama High School, paged for Rep. Rick West, R-Heavener, the week of Feb. 2-5, at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
She is the daughter of Rick and Jacolyn Martinez.
Wilson, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident when she was seven, shared her story with West during the week she paged for him. She wrote that her doctors believed she would never talk or walk again after her injury. Two months later, she walked out of the hospital without her wheelchair. Several months after that, she was back at school with accommodations.
See the whole story HERE
Today on History
February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 328 days remaining (329 in leap years). Here are some of the most notable historical events, births, and deaths associated with this date, drawing from significant moments across centuries.Important Historical Events
337: Julius I is elected as Pope (or begins his reign as pontiff).
1778: France officially recognizes the United States as an independent nation by signing the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in Paris—key support during the American Revolutionary War.
1788: Massachusetts becomes the sixth U.S. state to ratify the Constitution.
1819: Sir Stamford Raffles founds Singapore as a British trading post.
1840: The Treaty of Waitangi is signed, making New Zealand a British colony (celebrated today as Waitangi Day in New Zealand).
1952: King George VI of the United Kingdom dies in his sleep at Sandringham House; his daughter, Princess Elizabeth (then in Kenya), immediately becomes Queen Elizabeth II, who would go on to become the longest-reigning British monarch.
1958: The Munich air disaster occurs, killing 23 people including eight Manchester United football players on their way back from a European Cup match.
1959: Jack Kilby files the patent for the first integrated circuit (microchip), a foundational invention for modern electronics.
1989: Round Table Talks begin in Poland between the communist government and Solidarity union, paving the way for the end of communism in Eastern Europe.
2023: Devastating earthquakes (magnitudes 7.8 and 7.5) strike the Turkey-Syria border region, resulting in over 57,000 deaths.
Notable Births
885: Emperor Daigo of Japan.
1665: Anne, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland (last monarch of the House of Stuart).
1756: Aaron Burr, American politician and 3rd Vice President of the United States (famous for his duel with Alexander Hamilton).
1895: Babe Ruth, legendary American baseball player (known as "The Bambino," hit 714 home runs and revolutionized the sport).
1911: Ronald Reagan, American actor and politician (40th President of the United States, 1981–1989).
1917: Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and socialite.
1945: Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and reggae icon.
1950: Natalie Cole, American singer and actress (daughter of Nat King Cole).
Notable Deaths
1685: Charles II of England, Scotland, and Ireland (died without legitimate heirs, leading to his brother's succession).
1804: Joseph Priestley, English chemist and theologian (discovered oxygen independently of others).
1952: George VI of the United Kingdom (father of Queen Elizabeth II; his death marked the accession of a new era in the monarchy).
1958: Multiple victims of the Munich air disaster, including Manchester United players Roger Byrne, Geoff Bent, and others.
1993: Arthur Ashe, American tennis champion (first Black man to win Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and Australian Open; died from AIDS-related complications).
2021: George Shultz, American economist and politician (Secretary of State under Reagan).
2022: Lata Mangeshkar, legendary Indian playback singer (known as the "Nightingale of India").
These highlight a mix of political milestones, scientific breakthroughs, sports tragedies, and cultural icons. If you'd like more details on any specific event, person, or a focus on a particular era, just let me know!
