By Janelle Stecklein | Editor, Oklahoma Voice

OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Kevin Stitt would have 30 days to appoint a new U.S. senator should Markwayne Mullin resign to accept a Cabinet position in the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he planned to appoint Mullin as the next head of the Department of Homeland Security. Mullin would replace Kristi Noem, who has faced sharp criticism of how she has implemented the administration’s immigration policy.

U.S. Senate confirmation of Mullin’s nomination is required.

Mullin, Oklahoma’s junior senator, had not resigned as of Thursday afternoon. He did not return a request for comment about if, or when, he intended to resign. He could not serve as both senator and DHS secretary.

In a social media post, Mullin, who is a Cherokee Nation citizen, said as child from Westville, it has been the “greatest honor and privilege” to serve Oklahomans for the past 13 years in the U.S. House and Senate.

He said he’s grateful to Trump for the nomination, and looks “forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the Senate and carrying out President Trump’s mission alongside the department’s many capable agencies and the thousands of patriots who keep us safe every day.”

Under state law, Stitt’s replacement must come from the same party as Mullin, who is a Republican.

Stitt’s appointee would have to agree not to run for the post in the next election, and must file a statement with the state indicating as much, said Bob Burke, a constitutional law expert, historian and author.

Voters would then select a permanent replacement during the upcoming election cycle, Burke said.

“Markwayne Mullin has been a fighter for Oklahoma and will fight to keep our nation secure,” Stitt said in a statement. “There isn’t a better choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security.”

Stitt said he would appoint a strong, small government conservative to support Trump and protect the state’s way of life.

A Stitt spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about whether the term-limited governor was interested in the post.

Primary elections are June 16, followed by Aug. 25 runoffs. The general election is Nov. 3.

Had he sought reelection, Mullin’s seat would have been on the ballot, and he would have had to file for re-election. The filing period is April 1-3, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board.

According to the U.S. Constitution, those seeking a U.S. Senate seat must be at least 30 years old, be a U.S. citizen for nine years and live in the state they seek to represent, Burke said.

But Oklahoma law puts additional rules on the position, requiring that the person be a registered voter in Oklahoma for five years and be from the same party as the person leaving the job early, Burke said.

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, authored a law in 2021 addressing what should happen in the event of a U.S. Senate vacancy.

“We may leave it as it is,” Hilbert said Thursday of the legislation. “We may want to quickly make some tweaks now that we are actually in an environment where it could happen. I don’t know.”

Paxton said the provision that requires the person appointed to sign a statement indicating they would not run for the post can’t be enforced “from the standpoint of kicking someone off of the ballot,” but it could be used against them in the election if they filed for it.

“The governor is not the kingmaker,” Paxton said. “He’s putting a placeholder in there until the voters can decide.”

Mullin was elected in a special election in 2022 to fulfill the term of U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe.

Burke said that in 1963, U.S. Sen. Robert S. Kerr died, weeks before Oklahoma Gov. Jay Howard Edmondson’s term ended. The late George Nigh was lieutenant governor.

Edmondson resigned as governor, making Nigh governor. 

Nigh then appointed Edmondson to fill the vacancy. Edmondson lost to Fred Roy Harris in the 1964 Democratic primary election for the U.S. Senate. 

MUSKOGEE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jordan Francis Toyne, 37, of Broken Arrow was sentenced to 109 months in prison for each of three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country.  The Court ordered the sentences to be served concurrently. 

The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Owasso Police Department, together with cooperation and special assistance from Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). 

On Jan. 23, 2025, Toyne was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial. According to investigators, Toyne sexually assaulted a minor beginning in the summer of 2020 and continuing until 2023, when the victim reached 16 years of age.  During the course of investigation, it was discovered that Toyne sexually abused a second minor in 2021. 

During this time, Toyne served as an investigator with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit.  Toyne resigned from his post prior to the completion of an internal investigation conducted by the OSBI.  The victims were unrelated to Toyne’s official duties with the OSBI.  However, investigators uncovered evidence showing that Toyne used his specialized knowledge as a Child Crimes Investigator in order to groom the victims and evade detection for his crimes. 

The crimes occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. 

Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Toyne will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.

LeFlore County scoreboard for Thursday.

Basketball

Boys

Regionals

Howe 61, Coalgate 50

Girls

State

Red Oak 59, Whitesboro 24

Regionals

Panama 67, Wilburton 32

Spiro 55, Westville 46

Baseball

Wister2, Roff 1

Softball

Soccer

Boys

McAlester 6, Heavener 2

Van Buren 2, Poteau 0

Girls

McAlester 4, Heavener 2

Van Buren 1, Poteau 0

To make a correction or addition, email [email protected]

NORMAN – No. 12 Oklahoma took the series opener over Santa Clara, 2-1, Thursday evening at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman. 

OU starting left-handed pitcher Cameron Johnson earned his fourth win in four starts on the season, striking out seven and allowing no earned runs on two hits and two walks. 

The Sooners (12-2) scraped single runs across in the fifth and sixth to earn the victory. In the fifth, a bases-loaded walk drawn by pinch hitter Drew Dickerson pushed OU in front. The Broncos (5-7) tied the game at the top of the sixth on a single to center after a misplayed ball at second base allowed a runner to get into scoring position.  

In the bottom of the sixth, a leadoff single from pinch hitter Gerardo Prado, his first hit of the season, followed by a double from Camden Johnson put the go-ahead run on third. Brendan Brock came through with an RBI groundout to plate Kyle Branch and give the Sooners a lead they would not relinquish.  

The OU bullpen of Jaden Barfield, Kadyn Leon, Gavyn Jones and Jackson Cleveland finished the job, allowing a combined three hits, no runs, no walks and four K’s. Cleveland earned his second save in as many games. 

Stormy weather expected Friday

Weather forecast for Friday  is for scatter thunderstorms developing Friday afternoon with the potential for severe storms for Heavener, LeFlore County, southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas..

One to two inches of rain are expected.

The high is forecast to be 78 with a low of 60 degrees.

Sunrise was 6:40 a.m. Sunset is 6:18 p.m.

See our live weather radar

Thursday’s high was 78 with a low of 65. A total of .85 inches of rain was received overnight, leaving the monthly total at1.14 inches. Average rainfall for March is 5.40 inches.

Average temperatures for March 6 are a high of 62 and low of 33. Records for the date were a high of 83 in 1974 and a low of 19 in 1980.

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 baseball: Cameron at Fort Smith Northside

High school soccer: Heavener at McAlester

High school softball: Heavener at Haileyville Tournament (McAlester); Cameron at McCurtain

High school basketball: Whitesboro vs. Red Oak 10:30 p.m. OG&E Coliseum  state tournament; Panama girls vs. Wilburton 6 p.m. at Checotah; Howe boys vs. Coalgate 7:30 p.m. at Checotah; 

Heavener City Council meets 6 p.m.

Heavener VFW bingo 6

Friday

High school baseball: Cameron at Central; Poteau vs. Cedarville, Arkansas; Wister at Oktaha

High school softball: Heavener at Haileyville Tournament (McAlester); Cameron at Haileyville Tournament; High school baseball: Heavener at Panama

High shool basketball: Spiro vs. Roland 1 p.m. at Okmulgee;Panama vs. Warner 1 p.m. at Checotah; Howe boys vs. Wewoka 2:30 p.m. at Checotah; Howe girls vs. Latta area championship 6 p.m. at Checotah; Pocola boys vs Latta 7:30 p.m. area championship at Checotah; 

Saturday

Funeral service for James and Freddie McBride

High school basketball: TBD

Sunday

Brandon Moody fundraiser at Heavener PAC

Monday

LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.

Nadine Baukman funeral service

Services set for Kristy Steele

High school baseball: Checotah at Heavener; Cameron at Hackett: Idabel at Poteau: Buffalo Valley at Whitesboro

High school softball: Vian at Cameron; Whitesboro at Boswell Festival; Talihina at Clayton

High school soccer: Heavener at Poteau

School board meetings

Tuesday

High school baseball: Heavener at Checotah; Poteau at Idabel; Talihina at Hartshorne; Whiesboro at McCurtain; 

High school softball: Poteau at Cameron; Whitesboro, Crowder at Haileyville

Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC

Wednesday

Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC

Thursday

Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon EOMC

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

Bayer Patents Aspirin The German company Bayer patents aspirin on March 6, 1899. Now the most common drug in household medicine cabinets, acetylsalicylic acid was originally made from a chemical found in the bark of willow trees. In its primitive form, the active ingredient, salicin, was used for centuries in folk medicine.

Nadine Baukman of Pocola was born Aug. 18, 1942 in Watts to Albert and Helen (Akins) McCoy and passed away on March 4, 2026 in Fort Smith, Arkansas at the age of 83. 

Funeral service is 10 a.m. Monday at the Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home Chapel in Heavener with Pastor Clint Beesley officiating. Burial will follow in Hill Cemetery in Heavener, under the care of Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home of Heavener. 

Survivors are two sons Daron Baukman and wife Shawn of Pocola, and Kenneth Baukman of Fort Smith, Arkansas; six grandchildren Aly, Alex, Bryan, Kayla, Damian, and Brooklynn; six great-grandchildren; a host of other loved ones and a host of friends whom loved her very much. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Tommy Baukman; one son, Chawn Baukman; one brother, Dewayne McCoy; one great-granddaughter, Paisley.

 Nadine was a longtime resident of the area, a 1962 graduate of Watts High School, and a member of the Pioneer CB Club. She was proud of her American Indian heritage. Nadine was a housewife, enjoyed yard sales, and spending time outdoors with family and friends. Nadine will be missed by all who loved and knew her. 

Pallbearers are her family. 

Viewing and family visitation will be on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the funeral home. 

To sign Nadine’s online guestbook please visit www.dowdenrobertsfuneralhome.com.

Graveside services for Kristina Ann Steele, 43, of Spiro are 11 a.m. on Monday at Spiro City Cemetery, with Reverend James T. Smith officiating. Burial will follow at Spiro City Cemetery, under the direction of Mallory-Martin Funeral Home of Spiro.

Kristina was born Nov. 16, 1982 in Talihina Oklahoma, to Julie Ann (Cravens) Summers and Kenneth Ray Summers, Sr. She passed away March 5, 2026, in Spiro.

Survivors are her parents Julie and Jimmy Smith; her son, Jansen Steele; her sister, Casey Fugate; her brother, Kenneth “Bubba” Summers, Jr.; her nephews Daniel Shepard and Kyler Summers; her beloved cat, Raven; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives and loved ones.

She was preceded in death by her father, Kenneth Ray Summers, Sr.; her grandmother, Shirley Holter; aunts Norma Shores, Sue Bryant and Laverne Elmore; her great-grandmother, Betty Shockley; her uncle, Don Didway; and her grandfather, Bill Summers.

Kristina loved sports and enjoyed playing softball, track, and basketball. She had a fun, silly personality and loved spending time with family. She especially enjoyed watching her brother, son, and nephew play football. Twizzlers were her absolute favorite candy.

Viewing and visitation is Sunday from noon to 7 p.m., with the family greeting friends from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be left at www.MalloryMartinFuneralHomeSpiro.com