Daily Bible verse

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Romans 10:14 NIV

Gore man, woman die in motorcycle accident

A 49-year-old Gore man and 41-year-old Gore woman died in a motorcycle accident at approximately 3:51 p.m. Saturday seven miles northeast of Gore.

Chadrick Hornback was driving a 2009 Harley Davidson when he was involved in an accident with a 2005 Ford Mustang driven by Rhonda Eagle, 62, of Gore.

Hornback was pronounced deceased at the scene due to injuries suffered in the collision. Rachel Fox, 41, of Gore, was a passenger on the motorcycle and was also pronounced deceased at the scene by EMS personnel due to injuries sustained in the collision.

Eagle was life flighted to St. Francis in Tulsa with injuries to her extremities.

The accident is under investigation, including the condition of the drivers. 

Seatbelts were equipped in the Mustang, but not in use. Airbags were also equipped, but did not deploy.

The accident was investigated by Trooper Jacob Brown.

At least 18 killed as severe weather lashes Kentucky

By  DYLAN LOVAN

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Storms that swept across part of the Midwest and South killed least 27 people including 18 in Kentucky, where another 10 were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.

A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state’s southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather.

Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, who announced the toll of dead and critically injured on Saturday. He also said the death toll could still rise.

See the whole story HERE.

Trump’s clash with the courts raises prospect of showdown

By  NICHOLAS RICCARDI

DENVER (AP) — Tucked deep in the thousand-plus pages of the multitrillion-dollar budget bill making its way through the Republican-controlled U.S. House is a paragraph curtailing a court’s greatest tool for forcing the government to obey its rulings: the power to enforce contempt findings.

It’s unclear whether the bill can pass the House in its current form — it failed in a committee vote Friday — whether the U.S. Senate would preserve the contempt provision or whether courts would uphold it. But the fact that GOP lawmakers are including it shows how much those in power in the nation’s capital are thinking about the consequences of defying judges as the battle between the Trump administration and the courts escalates.

See the whole story HERE.

Mexican navy ship hits Brooklyn Bridge

Two sailors from the Mexican navy were killed and another 11 critically hurt when a sailing ship taking part in a promotional tour in New York City collided with the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum said.

The crash happened on Saturday night when the Cuauhtémoc – an academy training vessel with 277 people on board who shares a name with the last Aztec ruler – lost power and struck the bridge. Eyewitness videos showed dozens of sailors in ceremonial uniforms spread across yardarms shortly before the collision, which snapped the Cuauhtémoc’s three masts.

See the whole story HERE.

OU loses in regular season finale

 NORMAN – Oklahoma dropped the regular season finale to No. 3 Texas Saturday afternoon by a final of 9-1.  

A three-run game through seven innings ballooned to an eight-run loss for OU (33-19, 14-16 SEC) following a two-hour rain delay. OU starting pitcher Malachi Witherspoon struck out 10, one shy of his career high. It was the second start in his last six games with double-digit strikeouts. 

The game began as a pitching duel between Witherspoon and Texas starter Luke Harrison, as each worked scoreless first and second innings. Witherspoon escaped a jam in the second, stranding a pair with a strikeout and double play.  

Texas (42-11, 22-8) struck first at the top of the third on an RBI single from catcher Rylan Galvan. Oklahoma answered in the fourth on a solo shot to left from junior Easton Carmichael. It was Carmichael’s fourth long ball in OU’s last eight games.  

Witherspoon put the Horns down in order across the fifth and sixth innings before exiting in the seventh with a pair on base. The righty struck out 10, scattering three earned runs on four hits and three walks.  

Texas plated three in the seventh via fielder’s choice, bases-loaded hit by pitch and an RBI single from Adrian Rodriguez. The game was halted due to weather with the bases loaded, two outs and a full count. After a two-hour delay, the teams returned to action and relief pitcher Jason Bodin entered for OU and got the bases-loaded strikeout to keep it 4-1, Texas.  

The Longhorns scored five across the final two innings. Casey Borba hit a two-run shot in the eighth and Kimble Schuessler hit a three-run home run in the ninth to bring the final to 9-1.  

Carmichael and junior Mason Hamlin registered OU’s two hits in the contest. Witherspoon (L, 3-8) took the loss on the mound for OU despite the double-digit strikeout performance. Relievers Gavyn Jones (0.1 IP), Michael Catalano (0.0), Bodin (2.0) and Beau Sampson (0.1) finished the game with Bodin fanning a pair to Jones’ one. 

Oklahoma begins postseason play in its first SEC Tournament in program history on Tuesday in Hoover, Alabama. The 12-seed Sooners meet 13-seed Kentucky in the second game of the day, approximately one hour after the conclusion of the 9:30 a.m. CT game.  

The tournament can be seen on SEC Network with the championship game airing on ESPN2. All games can be heard on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF in Oklahoma or nationwide on The Varsity Network app. 

OSU completes sweep of Arizona State

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State wrapped up the regular season by securing a series sweep of Arizona State with a 7-4 win Saturday afternoon at O’Brate Stadium. 

With the win, the Cowboys improved to 27-22 overall and 15-12 in Big 12 play, while ASU dropped to 35-21 and 18-12 in the league. OSU will open play at the Big 12 Championship Wednesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. 

Brayden Smith was the catalyst for the Cowboy offense in the finale, continuing his excellent series with a 3-for-4 game that included both a home run and a steal of home. Nolan Schubart and Colin Brueggemann also homered in the contest. 

Ryan Ure picked up the win in relief of starter Hunter Watkins, who worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs while striking out eight. Ure improved to 2-4 on the season as he gave up one run on two hits over 1 2/3 frames. 

Gabe Davis earned his second save of the season, working a clean ninth inning. 

After Watkins struck out a pair in the first inning, the Cowboys took the lead in the bottom of the frame. Smith and Ian Daugherty got hits to start the game, putting runners on first and third for Brueggemann. The first baseman hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to score Smith and put OSU ahead 1-0; the RBI pushed Brueggemann to the 50 mark on the season. 

Arizona State tied the game in the second inning courtesy of a Kien Vu home run, but Cowboys quickly regained the lead. 

In the bottom of the second, OSU hitters worked four walks against ASU pitcher Easton Barrett, the fourth of which was an RBI walk from Daugherty to put the Pokes back up 2-1. 

Smith brought O’Brate Stadium to its feet in the bottom of the fifth. He led off the inning with a double, stole third base, and with Brueggemann at the plate, executed a straight steal of home to push the lead to 3-1. 

Watkins got into trouble in the sixth inning, allowing a run before handing the ball to Ryan Ure with a pair of Sun Devils on the bases. ASU tied the game with an RBI groundout before Ure was able to end the frame. 

ASU took the lead in the seventh on a single from Matt King past a drawn-in infield that put the visitors up, 4-3. 

The lead didn’t last long, however, as the Cowboys answered back with a loud bottom of the seventh. Avery Ortiz led things off with a walk before Smith caused O’Brate to erupt for the second time on the day with a go-ahead two-run home run to left-center field. It was Smith’s ninth consecutive plate appearance reaching base, which included seven hits. 

It only got louder when Schubart hit a missile to left field for his 17^th home run of the season. And on the very next pitch, Brueggemann did the same for his 14^th homer as the back-to-back jacks put OSU up by a 7-4 margin.

Arkansas secures series win

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – Ryder Helfrick’s five-RBI performance at the plate and Will McEntire’s 3.2 scoreless innings in relief powered No. 8 Arkansas (43-12, 20-10 SEC) to an 8-4 series-clinching win against No. 17 Tennessee (41-15, 16-14 SEC) Saturday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium, as the Hogs secured their sixth 20-win SEC season in program history. 

Arkansas has now reached the 20-win mark in SEC play in three consecutive seasons (2023-25) and has now finished with 20 or more SEC victories in a season six times in program history, including five times under Dave Van Horn. 

The Razorbacks, who swatted two more homers in Saturday’s regular season finale, matched their single-season home run record of 109 and secured the No. 2 seed in next weekend’s SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala., in the series-clinching win. Arkansas, which earned a bye to the quarterfinal round in the SEC Tournament, will next play the winner of Florida/South Carolina vs. Ole Miss at 3 p.m. Friday on SEC Network. 

Helfrick’s grand slam, his 10th home run of the season, in the bottom half of the third capped a five-run inning, which gave Arkansas an early 6-2 lead in the series finale. Starter Gage Wood (3.0 IP, 2 R, 7 SO) and Landon Beidelschies (2.1 IP, 2 R, 3 SO) kept the Volunteers in check through six innings, allowing the Hogs to take control of the ballgame. 

Wehiwa Aloy’s team-leading 18th home run of the year came in the bottom of the fourth and extended the Razorbacks’ advantage to 7-2. His solo blast was Arkansas’ 109th of the season, tying the single-season program record set in 2021. 

An RBI single by Logan Maxwell in the fifth gave the Hogs’ their eighth and final run of the afternoon. The Volunteers responded with a two-run homer in the top of the sixth to close their deficit to 8-4, but McEntire would shut the door. 

The veteran Razorback right-hander retired all 11 batters he faced in his 3.2 innings in relief, throwing 29-of-39 pitches for strikes and locking down his second save of the season. McEntire struck out four to raise his career punchout total to 232, which ties him with Kevin Kopps for the seventh-most strikeouts by a Razorback pitcher in program history. 

Aloy’s two-hit effort raised his team-best slash line to .358/.440/.677 with 18 homers and 58 RBI on the year. Helfrick, meanwhile, drove in a career-high five runs and became the sixth Razorback with 10 or more homers this season.

Razorbacks top Oklahoma State  

BOX SCORE: FINAL SEASON STATS: 2025 

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – Senior Courtney Day’s eighth-inning walk-off RBI single completed the No. 3/4 Arkansas Razorbacks’ thrilling 6-5 come-from-behind victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon at Bogle Park. 

With the win, Arkansas clinched its spot in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional Final. The Razorbacks will need to win one of the next two contests on Sunday to advance to a Super Regional for the fourth time in program history. 

Arkansas trailed Oklahoma State 5-1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Atalyia Rijo cut the deficit to 5-2 on a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Arkansas then used three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. Day smashed an RBI double to right-center field that featured a throwing error, which allowed an additional run to score before Ella McDowell tied the game at 5-5 with an RBI double into the right-center field gap. Arkansas loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth courtesy of a single from Rijo and consecutive walks from Raigan Kramer and Bri Ells to set the stage for Day, who gave Arkansas a walk-off victory with a single up the middle. 

Rijo had a 4-4 day at the plate that featured a homer, two runs scored and an RBI. Her four hits were a career high and a single-game NCAA Tournament program record, besting the previous mark of three that 11 individuals held. Day (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI) also highlighted the Hogs at the plate in the win. 

Payton Burnham earned her 15th victory of the season and second win in as many days by throwing four scoreless innings in relief while yielding just two hits and a walk. The Eugene, Oregon product improved to 15-2. 

Oklahoma State (34-19) ace Ruby Meylan took the loss for the Cowgirls after allowing three runs on nine hits and six walks while striking out three in her 5.1 innings of work. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

In the circle, Arkansas started Robyn Herron for the 22nd time this season while Oklahoma State started their ace, Ruby Meylan. 

Herron issued a flyout to open the game and then registered back-to-back strikeouts to complete a 1-2-3 inning. 

Reagan Johnson reached on an infield single to lead off the home half of the first inning. Bri Ellis then followed with a one-out walk before both advanced a base on a groundout. However, Meylan would keep the Hogs off the scoreboard with an inning-ending strikeout. 

The Cowgirls’ Tallen Edwards reached base on a two-out walk in the top of the second inning. She would not advance farther than first, however, as Arkansas and Herron escaped the inning unscathed with a 4-3 groundout. 

Kennedy Miller singled into left field with one out in the bottom of the second inning. Rijo reached on an infield single before a 5-3 double play ended the inning. 

Oklahoma State took a 1-0 lead with two outs in the top of the third courtesy of an RBI single from Amanda Hasler. 

Raigan Kramer drew her 46th walk of the season with one out in the bottom of the third. Ellis then followed with her second walk of the contest. Kailey Wyckoff tied the game at 1-1 with a bloop single that fell just inside the left-field line, scoring Kramer from second. 

In the top of the fourth inning, Oklahoma State took a 2-1 lead on a two-out RBI triple from Tia Warsop. The Cowgirls added another run on an RBI double from Rachel Hathoot. 

Rijo registered her second hit of the game, courtesy of a single up the middle with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Karlie Davison followed with a walk. Both advanced a base on a groundout, but Meylan and Oklahoma State would escape the jam with a flyout to left-center field. 

Oklahoma State added two insurance runs in the fifth inning courtesy of an RBI double from Hasler and an RBI groundout from Karli Godwin. 

Arkansas made a pitching change and brought in Payton Burnham with one out in the inning following the RBI double. 

Oklahoma State went to the bullpen and brought in Rylee Crandall, who spun a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth inning. 

Burnham pitched a 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning, highlighted by a sliding catch from left fielder Raigan Kramer. 

Atalyia Rijo cut the Pokes' lead to 5-2 with a solo home run to right field with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The solo shot was Rijo’s sixth of the season. 

Burnham threw a scoreless inning in the seventh, allowing just one hit. Johnson made an incredible leaping catch at the wall for the second out of the frame. 

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Kramer singled to center field with one out and Ellis walked to bring the tying run to the plate in Courtney Day. Following the walk to Ellis, Oklahoma State re-entered Meylan in the circle. Day got the Hogs within one with a double to right-center field, scoring Kramer while a throwing error on the play plated Ellis and moved Day to third. Kasey Wood entered as a pinch-runner in place of Day after the double and would score on a game-tying double to right-center field from Ella McDowell. Meylan issued a strikeout to end the inning and keep the score deadlocked at 5-5.   

Burnham was nails in the top of the eighth, registering a 1-2-3 frame that featured three flyouts. 

Rijo led off the top of the eighth by singling through the left side for her fourth hit of the contest. A sacrifice bunt from Davison moved her to second before Johnson grounded out to advance her to third. Kramer and Ellis then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Day completed the comeback by driving a 2-2 pitch up the middle for a walk-off single, bringing home Rijo and giving Arkansas a 6-5 victory. 

QUOTABLES

Arkansas Head Coach Courtney Deifel

Opening statement…

“I am just so incredibly proud of this group. It is one of the most resilient and grittiest performances that we have had I my time here and that I have seen in general. I am proud of them for staying the course when it didn’t feel like it was going our way and we weren’t getting any breaks. We stayed the course and let the game come back to us in the unwavering belief that this group has in themselves and each other is incredible. I am just really proud of them. Our work is not done and we know we still have a lot of work ahead of us but today was huge. The character, fight and heart of this team… I am really proud of them.”

NOTABLES

• The win was the Razorbacks’ first extra-inning victory in the NCAA Tournament in program history. Prior to today, Arkansas was 0-18 when trailing after the sixth inning in NCAA Tournament contests.

• Atalyia Rijo had a career-high four hits in the win, which was an Arkansas NCAA Tournament single-game record. 11 others previously held the single-game record of three.

• The Razorbacks are 22-26 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, including a 15-14 mark under Courtney Deifel. She is the only coach in program history with a winning record in NCAA Tournament Play.

• Bri Ellis scored her 63^rd run of the season which is the second-most in program history trailing only KB Sides who scored 67 in 2022.

• Courtney Day extended her career-best reach-based streak to 17 games with two hits in the contest.

• Bri Ellis tied a career-high with four walks in the win.

• With two doubles today, Arkansas set the single-season program doubles record with 83.

• Reagan Johnson increased her reached-base streak to 13 games with a first-inning single.

Cowgirls advance to NCAA Regional final  

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – A 12-run third inning catapulted the No. 24 Oklahoma State softball team to a record-setting 16-8 win over Indiana in an elimination game played at Bogle Park Saturday. 

All 12 of OSU’s runs in the third came before the first out was recorded to set an NCAA Tournament record. It was the fifth-highest single-inning scoring output for any team in NCAA Tournament history and the most for OSU in any inning of any game since a 14-run inning against Omaha in 2018. 

The Cowgirls’ total of 16 runs against the Hoosiers Saturday established a new school record in an NCAA Tournament game and OSU’s 18 hits set a season high and was just two short of the school record for any game. 

The win advanced the Pokes (35-19 overall) into tomorrow’s regional final against Arkansas. The Cowgirls will need to beat the homestanding Hogs twice. The first game is scheduled for 3 p.m., with the if-necessary game starting shortly after its conclusion. 

Additionally, the win was Kenny Gajewski’s 400th as OSU’s head coach. 

Indiana (34-20) got on the board with a pair of runs in the first inning, but the Cowgirls went on to claim their 13th win of the season in a game in which they trailed by two or more runs. Every OSU starter scored at least one run in the game, with Megan Delgadillo scoring three and Amanda Hasler, Rosie Davis, Tia Warsop and Rachael Hathoot scoring two apiece. 

Hathoot set a career high with four hits in the game, with Delgadillo, Davis, Karli Godwin, Warsop and Audrey Schneidmiller adding multi-hit performances of their own. In a game loaded with offensive explosiveness, Hasler’s third-inning grand slam was the biggest blow of them all. It was her 16th home run of the year and OSU’s first grand slam of the season. It was the Cowgirls’ first grand slam in an NCAA Tournament game since 2022. Hasler’s slam was followed immediately by a home run from Davis just two pitches later. 

RyLee Crandall picked up the win for OSU to improve to 7-4 on the year. Indiana was forced to make five pitching changes in the game, with Brianna Copeland (18-10) saddled with the loss.

Young Thunder look to take major step in Game 7

By  CLIFF BRUNT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder have reached a moment of truth.

The youngest team in league history to win at least 60 regular-season games can validate that success when it hosts Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday.

It’s a big deal for a Thunder team that lost to Dallas in the conference semifinals last year as the No. 1 seed in the West.

See the whole story HERE.

Scheffler storms into a 3-shot lead

By  DOUG FERGUSON

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — One swing was all Scottie Scheffler needed to send Quail Hollow into delirium Saturday, to briefly rattle Bryson DeChambeau, and to give this PGA Championship the star power it had been lacking.

Scheffler stood on the 14th tee, 304 yards from the hole, thinking it might come up a little short with the wind gusting right-to-left against his preferred fade. It was nearly perfect, the ball climbing onto the green and settling just inside 3 feet away.

The eagle put him atop the leaderboard for good and started a closing stretch that was nothing short of a clinic, 5 under over the last five holes. It sent him to a 6-under 65 and a three-shot lead as Scheffler closed in on a third major championship.

See the whole story HERE.

Stray showers, storms possible again Sunday

Cloudy skies with a stray shower or thunderstorms are possible again Sunday for LeFlore County along with Heavener, Poteau and southeastern Oklahoma.

The high is forecast to be 82 degrees with a low of 71.

Sunrise was 6:12 a.m. Sunset is 8:17 p.m.

Saturday’s high was 91 with a low of 55. A total of 2.35 inches of rain was recording, leaving the monthly total for May at 5.02 inches. Average rainfall for the month is 6.20 inches.

Average temperatures for May 18 are a high of 82 and low of 55. The record high was 90 in 1987 while the record low was 36 in 1976.

Last year on May 18, the high was 89 with a low of 61.

LeFlore County calendar

LeFlore County calendar of events for the next week. The calendar is a free service for our readers. If you are with a non-profit and want an event publicized, email [email protected].

Monday

LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.

Carthal “Cotton” Hale funeral services 

Memorial service for Betty Faye Pennington

Tuesday

Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC

Wednesday

Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC

LeFlore County Republicans meet 6 p.m. Patrick Lynch Library

Thursday

Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon

Heavener VFW bingo 6:30 p.m. Highway 59 North