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OKLAHOMA CITY—Attorney General Genter Drummond announced Tuesday a major breakthrough in Oklahoma’s 20-year poultry litter pollution litigation, securing settlements totaling more than $25 million from Tyson Foods and Cargill. The settlements mark a turning point in one of the state’s most significant environmental cases.

“For over two decades, Oklahoma has fought to protect the Illinois River Watershed and the natural resources that sustain our communities,” Drummond said. “The decision to settle by Tyson and Cargill makes one thing unmistakably clear: corporate accountability is not optional, and protecting Oklahoma’s water can, and must, go hand in hand with a strong poultry and agricultural industry. These settlements provide a path to move forward together, giving certainty for growers, protecting jobs and safeguarding Oklahoma’s waters for future generations.”

Under the consent judgments filed today, Tyson will pay $19 million for remediation and conservation of the Illinois River Watershed. Cargill, Inc. and Cargill Turkey Production will pay $6.5 million.

Under the settlements, both companies will:

In exchange, the State releases all claims against both companies.

Nathan McKay, President of Poultry for Tyson, said the settlement brings resolution to the dispute, and it allows the company to focus on its growers and communities moving forward.

“Tyson Foods has reached a settlement with the State of Oklahoma to resolve the long-running Illinois River Watershed dispute. We believe this resolution is in the best interest of our growers and their communities in Northeast Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas,” McKay said. “Tyson Foods is fortunate to have been a part of the agricultural community in the region for our entire 90-year history, and we are deeply grateful for the support we have received from our growers, our neighbors, and elected leaders in both states to achieve this resolution. We are pleased to move forward with our growers in Oklahoma and Arkansas to focus together on our mission of feeding the world like family.”

“Cargill appreciates the engagement of the Oklahoma Attorney General, the State of Oklahoma and local stakeholders in bringing this matter to a fair and reasonable resolution. We look forward to continuing to work and invest in Oklahoma,” said a Cargill spokesperson.

Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., originally filed in 2005, seeks to hold major poultry companies accountable for polluting the Illinois River Watershed with phosphorus from poultry waste. In December, a federal court issued a judgment holding the poultry companies jointly responsible and requiring cleanup and waste application restrictions.

“These agreements allow us to move beyond years of litigation and focus on real, measurable improvements in water quality,” Drummond said. “My goal is to work toward comprehensive resolutions with the remaining defendants that protect the Illinois River Watershed while ensuring Oklahoma’s poultry industry remains strong and sustainable.”

George’s, Inc., reached a settlement with the State last month.

The settlements with Cargill, George’s and Tyson do not affect ongoing proceedings involving the other defendants: Cal-Maine, Peterson Farms and Simmons.

MUSKOGEE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Justin Floyd Qualls, a/k/a Jay Qualls, 40, of Muldrow, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On Aug. 7, 2025, Qualls was found guilty of the charge by a federal jury at trial.

At trial, the United States presented evidence that in May of 2024, Qualls knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a child who had not attained 12 years of age.

The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

“This individual, who preyed on the innocence of a child for his own perverse gratification, will now face the consequences of his actions,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Qualls will spend three decades behind bars where he cannot harm another child.”

“I commend the FBI and prosecutors for their exceptional work in bringing the defendant to justice,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Both the verdict handed down by the jury and the sentence imposed by the court should send the strong message that preying on children will not be tolerated.”

Timothy M. Reif, Judge for the United States Court of International Trade, sitting by assignment in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Qualls 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 Jessie K. Pippin and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.

LeFlore County sports scores for Thursday’s high school basketball action, featuring key District Tournament matchups and non-conference battles across Southeastern Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) has officially released the postseason brackets for the Class 3A Area III basketball tournaments.

For local fans, the road to state begins with a District Tournament matchup as Heavener travels to Spiro on Feb. 20. This “Round 3” meeting between the Wolves and Bulldogs will determine who advances in the playoff bracket toward the regionals.

Class 3A Area III District Matchups

Tournament brackets

· Boys

· Girls

Heavener High School has announced its valedictorians and salutatorians for the class of 2026.

Read more: Heavener High School announces honor students

Weather forecast for Friday is for mostly cloudy skies with warmer temperatures and a chance of rain later in the day for Heavener, LeFlore County, southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas..

The high is forecast to be 73 degrees with a low of 56 degrees.

Sunrise was 7:06 a.m. Sunset is 5:59 p.m.

Calendar of events for today 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.

Friday

Shon William Shankle funeral service

Memorial service for Joanna Faye Wade

Funeral services for Frank “Big Daddy” Mendoza

High school basketball: Hartshorne at Heavener; Broken Bow at Pocola; Westville at Spiro; Stilwell at Poteau; district tournaments for Class A and B schools.

1945

Firebombing of Dresden

On the evening of February 13, 1945, a series of Allied firebombing raids begins against the German city of Dresden, reducing the “Florence of the Elbe” to rubble and flames, and killing roughly 25,000 people. Among the conclusions reached at the February 1945 Yalta Conference of the Allied powers... read more

19th Century

1861

First Medal of Honor action

American Revolution

1778

John Adams prepares to sail for France

Arts & Entertainment

1914

ASCAP is founded

Crime

1982

Serial killer strikes in Colorado

1987

Wall Street informer, Martin Siegel pleads guilty to insider trading scheme

European History

1689

William and Mary proclaimed joint sovereigns of Britain

1984

Chernenko becomes general secretary of Soviet Communist Party

Inventions & Science

1633

Galileo arrives in Rome to face charges of heresy

Sports

1923

First all-Black professional basketball team organized

1998

Downhill skier Hermann Maier crashes in Olympics

U.S. Presidents

1905

Teddy Roosevelt discusses America’s race problem

Vietnam War

1965

Lyndon Johnson approves Operation Rolling Thunder

World War I

1920

League of Nations recognizes perpetual Swiss neutrality