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Daily Bible verse
“So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.”
ISAIAH 41:10
News
I'm 63 With $1.5M. Can I Spend $10K a Month?
You’ve saved $1.5 million. Now comes the real test.
Can it produce $10,000 a month, or will that pace drain your portfolio?
Most retirees do not get a clear answer until it is too late.
The issue is not just how much you have. It is whether your portfolio was built to pay you, not just grow.
That difference can determine whether your money lasts decades or starts breaking down early.
Sequence of returns, taxes on withdrawals, healthcare costs, and whether the 4% rule still applies all play a role.
Fiduciary advisors created a breakdown showing what drives sustainable income and why the same $1.5M can produce very different outcomes.
If you have $1M or more invested, do not guess.
Sports
Michael Yandell recently caught this plus 70 pound catfish in Blackford River.
Wister Lake fishing report
Wister: July 10. Elevation is normal and stable, water temperature 91°F and stained. (USACE Current Lake Level) Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits and plastic baits around brush structure. Blue catfish fair on cut bait and shad around main lake and river channel. Crappie good on jigs and minnows around brush structure. Report submitted by James Williams, game warden stationed in Le Flore County.
Show us your recent big catch and we will show it in next week’s fishing report.Submit your fish form.
Misc.
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Heavener.news has served LeFlore County since 2009.
LeFlore County calendar
Here's what's happening in Heavener and LeFlore County for the next week including meetings, services and more.
Thursday
Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon EOMC
Heavener VFW bingo 6 p.m.
HUA, city council meet 6 p.m. at Heavener City Hall
LeFlore County Republicans meet 6 p.m. at Patrick Lynch Library
Monday
LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.See the upcoming calendar
Tuesday
Poteau Evening Lions Club meets 6 p.m. CASC
Wednesday
Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC
Add your event to the LeFlore County calendar
Got something happening in LeFlore County? Let us know and we'll add it to the Heavener.news community calendar — free of charge.
We list events from across the county, including Heavener, Poteau, Spiro, Talihina, Panama, Wister, Arkoma, Bokoshe and every community in between. If it's open to the public, we want to help get the word out.
What we list:
Community events, church events, school events, government meetings, fundraisers, festivals, sports events, business grand openings, blood drives and more.
What we need from you:
Event name
Date and time
Location (address or venue name)
Brief description
Contact information or website for more details
A flyer or photo if you have one (attach to email)
Two ways to submit:
Use our online form below, or email the details directly to [email protected].
We do our best to add events as quickly as possible, but please submit at least two days before the event to ensure it makes the calendar.
Heavener.news reserves the right to decline events that are not open to the public or are outside our coverage area.
Weather
Heat builds through the weekend for LeFlore County
Today (Thursday) brings a high near 89 degrees for Heavener and LeFlore County, with only a 15 percent chance of rain — a sharp turnaround from Wednesday, when a high near 84 degrees came with an 85 percent chance of rain.
Friday looks similar to today, with a high near 92 degrees and rain chances holding at 15 percent.
Saturday brings the heat up another notch, with a high near 95 degrees and rain chances ticking up slightly to 35 percent.
By Sunday, temperatures climb to a high near 97 degrees with a 20 percent chance of rain — the hottest day of the stretch.
Wednesday’s high was 88 with a low of 69. Averages for the date are a high of 94 and low of 66. Records are a high of 108 in 1980 and low of 58 in 1975.
A total of .35 inches of rain was recorded, increasing the monthly total to 1.43 inches. July’s average rainfall if 3.10 inches.
Today in History — July 16
July 16 is the 197th day of 2026, with 168 days remaining in the year.
1790: Congress established the District of Columbia along the Potomac River as the future capital of the United States.
1861: Union troops began their march into Virginia under orders from President Abraham Lincoln, setting the stage for the First Battle of Bull Run.
1935: Oklahoma City installed the world's first parking meters, an invention designed by Carl C. Magee meant to ease downtown congestion.
1945: The United States detonated the world's first atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert as part of the Trinity test.
1969: Apollo 11 launched from Kennedy Space Center, carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins toward the first crewed moon landing.
994: A comet collision with Jupiter was observed by astronomers for the first time in recorded history, as fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 struck the planet.
1999: A small plane piloted by John F. Kennedy Jr. crashed off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, killing Kennedy, his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren.
Born on this day: Actress Ginger Rogers (1911), painter Joshua Reynolds (1732), Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy (1821), and actor Will Ferrell (58).
Notable deaths:
1997: French Egyptian singer-songwriter and painter... (none especially notable for July 16, 1997 — skipping to avoid a weak filler entry)
2017: Filmmaker George A. Romero, known for pioneering the modern zombie genre with "Night of the Living Dead," died at age 77.
Obits
Geneve Louise Arter obituary
Geneve Louise Arter, 89, of Shady Point was born on June 9, 1937 in Williams to Herman and Dorothy (French) Hobbs and passed away in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Graveside service to honor Geneve’s life is 11 a.m. Thursday at the Oakland Cemetery Pavilion in Poteau. Burial follows in Oakland Cemetery in Poteau, under the direction and care of Dowden-Roberts Funeral & Cremation Center in Poteau.
Geneve is survived by one daughter Gina Nichols and husband Greg of Poteau; one son, Harold Dean Arter, Jr., of Shady Point; three grandchildren Brent Nichols, Wesley Arter and wife Daisy, and Spencer Arter; one great-grandson on the way, Dean J. Arter; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, other loved ones, and friends.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Harold Dean Arter, Sr.; one daughter-in-law, Bonita Arter; and two brothers Thomas Hobbs and Eddie Sherfield.
Geneve, a cherished member of our community, was a dedicated resident who touched many lives. With a career that began at Panama Public Schools, later was a pharmacy assistant at Young Pharmacy, and then became a dental assistant at Barrett Orthodontics. Her commitment extended beyond her professional life, as she devoted many years to the children's ministry, serving as a Sunday School teacher and song leader, and was of the Assembly of God faith. Geneve was a beloved mother and grandmother who found immense joy in spending time with her family. Her kindness and compassion created lasting memories, and she will be profoundly missed by all who knew her.
To view Geneve’s online guestbook, www.dowdenrobertscremationcenter.com.
Richard Tracy memorial
Private services for Richard Tracy, 69, of Howe, are pending. Cremation is under the direction of Evans & Miller Funeral Home of Poteau.
He was born April 3, 1957, in New Mexico to Henry Tracy and Patsy (Cotton) Tracy. He passed away July 13, 2026, at his home in Howe.
He is survived by his wife, Tonya Tracy; his son, Jimmy Tracy and wife, Sandra; his daughter, Sabrina Massey and husband, William; his stepson, Ryan Washburn; his stepdaughters, Kayla Gabaldon and Stacy Singletary; his sister, Liz Keithly and husband, Richard; his grandchildren, Jasmine, Ashley, Venus, Faith, Brandon, Lawson, Gracie, Richard, Hailey, Travis, Koner, Dillion, Nichlos, Isabelle, Noah, Mason, Thomas, Kendall, Chase, Cash, Anthony, AJ and Audry; his great-grandchildren, Kaydence, Raynen, Victoria, Abbigail, Rydian, Gaberial, Felix, Meratta, Cashes, Kamyrn, Weston and Colton; and numerous other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Henry Tracy and Elvis Tracy; and his sister, Deborah Tracy.
Online condolences may be left at www.evansandmillerfuneralhome.com.
Heavener.news and our newsletter post paid obituaries, which includes all the information, and memorials with the main information, plus pictures for both. Obituaries are $25 each while the memorials are a free service for our readers. Obituaries and memorials MUST come from a funeral home. Funeral homes can email [email protected].