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Good morning, people. It’s a good day to be an Oklahoman as the Sooners are national champs! (See story, below). Thank you below. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe below. If you have subscribed already, thank you. Your support is what keeps us going since 2009. We are free, so please share this with anybody you think might be interested and I will like you even more.
Daily Bible verse
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Amos 5:24
Weather
LeFlore County Weather Forecast
Partly cloudy skies greet LeFlore County this morning with temperatures around 71 degrees. Rain chances return later today, but the bigger weather story this week is a wet Wednesday followed by a warm-up heading into the weekend.
News
Positive meeting with tax director
By Rep. Rick West
I had a great meeting last week with Doug Linehan, the executive director of the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
I requested the meeting to address concerns from constituents about unanswered or unreturned calls by the commission and rudeness experienced when callers did get through.
Linehan, who took his post in 2022, took my list of complaints, gathered over the past year or more, and said he would personally deal with them. I believe he's a man of his word.
One complaint was from a constituent who got his tax return on a debit card but said he's been unable to access his money for two years. This is something Linehan said he would like help with – legislation that reverses the policy of state tax returns being placed on debit cards that are managed by a Chicago company. I told the director I would be happy to look into such legislation. We surely can save money by issuing returns in the state and not through someone in Chicago.
Linehan inherited a lot when he got to the Tax Commission. He's been working to update computers and software and to improve the work environment at the commission. I believe he is committed to fixing the problems that remain. I'm hoping to bring him soon to LeFlore County where he can meet with bankers and certified public accountants and others involved in tax filing and policy. He said he would love to come.
In other news, I spoke recently with Anthony Eschelle at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. He said the four-lane from Sunset Corner to U.S. Highway 59 in Spiro is on schedule. We also spoke about the two four-lane bridges from Poteau to Pocola. These are being constructed in anticipation of making State Highway 112 into a four-lane with a turning lane in the future in Pocola. This would eventually hook onto Interstate 40. Pocola residents initially were against a four-lane running through town. Now, it seems people are in favor of this. That was good news to Eschelle.
On a final note, I spoke with Oklahoma Agriculture Secretary Blayne Arthur recently about the threat of the New World screwworm coming to Oklahoma after cases have been reported in New Mexico and Texas. The screwworm is a parasitic fly that lays eggs in the flesh of living, warm-blood animals. Infestations can be devastating to livestock herds and pose an economic threat to our farmers and ranchers and our state as a whole.
Arthur said people have been trained at the Oklahoma State University Extension Offices on how to detect and respond to any potential infestation. There are multiple labs in the state ready to test samples. Ranchers and farmers themselves, though, are the first line of defense, being vigilant to check their animals and making sure not to move them out of infected areas.
Cattlemen in Oklahoma battled the screwworm back in the 1960s and 70s. We haven't seen a case in the state in a long time. I believe if we find a case, we can deal with it.
Remember to listen to my Capitol update on the radio at 7:35 a.m. every Thursday on KPRV.
As always, if I can help you with anything, please call my Capitol office at (405) 557-7413 or email me at [email protected].
Rick West serves District 3 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes part of LeFlore County.
Sports
OU Wins National Championship
OMAHA, Neb. — Oklahoma defeated North Carolina 13-2 Monday night to win the program’s third national championship and first since 1994. The Sooners scored in five straight innings and tacked on four more runs in the eighth inning.
Kyle Branch went 3 for 4 with a home run and six RBI and Jaxon Willits reached in all five plate appearances, going 3 for 4 with a double, two walks and two RBI. LJ Mercurius (7-7) pitched 5.2 innings in relief and earned the win. Jackson Cleveland pitched the ninth inning and recorded three strikeouts to close the game.
After a scoreless first, the Sooners scored in five straight innings to break open a 9-1 lead.
Oklahoma scored first for the ninth straight game, plating two runs in the second inning. Second baseman Kyle Branch singled to right field to score right fielder Dasan Harris. First baseman Dayton Tockey, who reached on a one-out single and went to third on Branch’s base hit, scored on a wild pitch.
The biggest defensive play during the early part of the game, when OU led 2-0, came in the bottom of the second inning. With runners on first and second and two outs, UNC designated hitter Rom Kellis V lined a single to right field. Harris fielded the ball and fired a strike to Camden Johnson at third base in time for Johnson to tag out right fielder Carter French trying to reach from first before first baseman Erik Paulsen could reach home plate from second base.
Designated hitter Brendan Brock singled home shortstop Jaxon Willits in the third inning to make it 3-0. North Carolina made it 3-1 in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by second baseman Gavin Gallaher.
The Sooners broke open the game with three runs in a pivotal fourth inning, taking advantage of five walks. Catcher Deiten Lachance drew the fourth straight one-out walk to score Branch. Jaxon Willits then notched his third hit in three at bats, singling home center fielder Jason Walk and Johnson to make the score 6-1.
Dayton Tockey led off the fifth inning with his ninth home run of the season – his sixth of the postseason and first in Omaha. Branch singled home two more runs in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 9-1.
After the Tar Heels made it 9-2 with a run in the bottom of the seventh, Oklahoma responded with four more runs in the eighth. Harris, who also made a diving catch on the warning track in right field in the sixth inning, singled home left fielder Trey Gambill. Branch then launched a three-run home run to left field to make the score 13-2. It was Branch’s fourth home run of the season.
Jaxon Willits, who hit .500 (13 for 26) with five doubles and seven RBI in the College World Series, was named Most Outstanding Player.
Pitchers of Record
Win: LJ Mercurius (7-7)
Loss: Jackson Rose (5-1)
College World Series All-Tournament Team (Oklahoma Players)
Jaxon Willits – Most Outstanding Player
Deiten Lachance
Jason Walk
Dasan Harris
Statistical Snapshot
Kyle Branch | 3-for-4, HR, 6 RBI
Jaxon Willits | 3-for-4, 2B, 2 BB 2 RBI
Dayton Tockey | 2-for-5, HR
Brendan Brock | 2-for-3, 2 BB, RBI
Dasan Harris | 2-for-5, RBI
Nick Wesloski | 2.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K
LJ Mercurius | 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Jackson Cleveland | 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Notes
Oklahoma won the program’s third national championship (also won in 1951 and 1994).
Oklahoma made its fourth appearance in the College World Series finals and second in the era of three-game series. OU is now 4-3 in CWS finals games and has won the national title in three of its four CWS finals appearances.
The Sooners finished the season with a 43-23 record.
Junior Jaxon Willits was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2026 NCAA Men’s College World Series. In six games, Willits batted .500 (13 of 26) with seven RBI, five doubles, a home run, two walks and six runs scored.
In the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma defeated the No. 2 (Georgia Tech, twice), No. 3 (Georgia, twice), No. 5 (North Carolina, twice), No. 7 (Alabama) and No. 15 (Kansas, twice) national seeds.
This was the eighth all-time meeting between Oklahoma and North Carolina. The Sooners lead the series 5-3. All eight meetings have come in the postseason (prior to this CWS finals matchup, OU won twice in the 2010 Norman Regional and UNC won two of three games in the 2025 Chapel Hill Regional).
Oklahoma hit two home runs Monday night and hit at least one home run in 12 of its final 13 games of the season (multiple home runs in 10 of those games). OU hit 47 home runs in its final 19 games, dating back to May 9 at Arkansas, after hitting 48 homers in its first 46 games.
Oklahoma’s 95 home runs this season were its most since hitting 105 in 2010.
Oklahoma pitchers totaled 11 strikeouts tonight. The Sooners recorded double-digit strikeouts in five of six CWS games and in all three finals contests.
OU batters drew eight walks Monday, the most in a game since May 31 in the Atlanta Regional vs. The Citadel.
Oklahoma drew five walks during its three-run fourth inning. The Sooners drew 10 walks in their first five CWS games entering Monday.
Oklahoma scored first in nine straight games to end the season, dating back to the Atlanta Regional final at Georgia Tech on June 1. The Sooners scored two runs in the top of the second inning today.
Sophomore Kyle Branch drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single through the right side of the infield in the second inning. It was his second hit of the CWS finals (both of his hits in the College World Series were in the finals).
Branch had three hits in the game, including a two-run single in the sixth inning and a three-run home run in the eighth inning. He finished with a career-high six RBI (previous high was three RBI).
Branch posted his eighth multi-RBI game of the season and just his second with at least three RBI.
All four of Branch’s hits in the College World Series produced runs (all four hits came in the finals).
With three hits tonight, junior Jaxon Willits recorded 13 hits in the CWS, which is the most hits by an Oklahoma player in the College World Series. He had nine hits through OU’s first four games, tying the mark set by Rick Gutierrez in 1994 (also in four games) and surpassed it with a double in Game 2 on Sunday.
Senior Dayton Tockey hit his ninth home run of the season to lead off the fifth inning. It was his sixth homer in the NCAA Tournament and first in the CWS.
True freshman Nick Wesloski made his second College World Series start, marking the sixth CWS game and eighth straight contest in which the Sooners have started a true freshman on the mound. He pitched 2.1 innings and struck out three batters and allowed a run on five hits.
Junior LJ Mercurius (7-7) earned the win in relief, pitching 5.2 innings with five strikeouts and allowing one run on three hits and no walks.
Senior Jackson Cleveland closed the game in the ninth inning. He allowed a leadoff single, then struck out three straight batters, the last two looking.
Since trailing 8-2 in the fourth inning of the first Atlanta Regional final game at Georgia Tech, OU outscored opponents 90-28.
OU scored 118 runs on 156 hits in its 13 NCAA Tournament games.
Walk extended his team-leading hitting streak to 15 games. Walk reached base in 23 straight games to end the season and Jaxon Willits finished with a 19-game reached base streak.
Misc.
LeFlore County calendar of events
Here's what's happening in LeFlore County for Tuesday..
Tuesday
Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC
Today in history
June 23 has played host to some massive turning points in global politics, science, and civil rights. Here is a look at the standout moments, births, and deaths from this day in history.
🏛️ Top Historical Events
1314 – The Battle of Bannockburn Begins: A landmark event in the First War of Scottish Independence. Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce faced off against England's King Edward II, ultimately securing a decisive victory for Scotland.
1812 – Napoleon Invades Russia: French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte marched his 600,000-strong Grande Armée across the Niemen River. The ill-fated campaign ended in a catastrophic retreat that drastically weakened his empire.
1868 – The Typewriter is Patented: American inventor Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for his "Type-Writer" machine. His later adjustments to prevent the mechanical bars from jamming gave us the QWERTY keyboard layout we still use today.
1894 – The IOC is Founded: French educator Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee in Paris, laying the groundwork for the modern Olympic Games.
1961 – The Antarctic Treaty Takes Effect: Signed during the height of the Cold War, this treaty went into effect to preserve the entire continent of Antarctica strictly for scientific research, completely banning military activity.
1972 – Title IX is Signed into Law: A monumental shift for education and sports in the United States, Title IX was enacted to prohibit sex-based discrimination in any federally funded educational program.
2016 – The UK Votes for Brexit: In a historic referendum that stunned the global political landscape, voters in the United Kingdom chose to leave the European Union by a margin of 52% to 48%.
🎂 Notable Births
Alan Turing (1912–1954): Brilliant British mathematician, logician, and codebreaker. His work breaking the German Enigma machine during WWII saved millions of lives, and his theories laid the foundational framework for modern computer science and AI.
Wilma Rudolph (1940–1994): An American track-and-field icon who overcame childhood polio to become the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games (Rome, 1960).
Vint Cerf (1943–Present): An American computer scientist widely recognized as one of the "Fathers of the Internet" for co-designing the TCP/IP protocols that form the architecture of the web.
Clarence Thomas (1948–Present): Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who was appointed in 1991 to succeed Thurgood Marshall.
Frances McDormand (1957–Present): Acclaimed American actress and one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting" (winning an Academy Award, an Emmy, and a Tony).
Joss Whedon (1964–Present): American screenwriter, director, and producer known for creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer and directing Marvel's The Avengers.
⚰️ Notable Deaths
Jonas Salk (1995): The revered American virologist and medical researcher who developed the first successful polio vaccine, choosing not to patent it so it could remain affordable and widely accessible.
Aaron Spelling (2006): One of the most prolific television producers in Hollywood history, the mind behind iconic hits like Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, and Beverly Hills, 90210.
Peter Falk (2011): Beloved American actor best known for his legendary, Emmy-winning role as the rumpled, trench-coat-wearing detective in the hit crime series Columbo.
Dick Van Patten (2015): Veteran American actor and businessman, fondly remembered for his role as the patriarch Tom Bradford on the 1970s family comedy-drama Eight Is Enough.
Obits
Elizabeth Ann Prall memorial
Elizabeth Ann Prall, 78, of Pocola, passed away June 21, 2026, in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
She was born June 15, 1948, in Shelbyville, Indiana, to Mathew Maden and Mary (Weintraut) Maden.
Funeral services are at 3 p.m. Friday at Evans & Miller Chapel in Pocola, with burial to follow at Macedonia Cemetery, under the direction of Evans & Miller Funeral Home of Pocola.
Survivors include her son, Terry Prall of Roland; her daughter, Mary Beth Lairamore of Ludowici, Georgia; four grandsons, Texas Prall, Colt Prall, Bradley Lairamore and Joshua Lairamore; one granddaughter, Holly Lairamore; three brothers, Larry Maden, Terry Maden and Tony Maden; two sisters, Mary Ayers and Kathy Skelton; 10 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Kenny Maden; and her sister, Susie Pirker.
Visitation is from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at Evans & Miller Funeral Home in Pocola.
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