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Daily Bible verse
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14
Weather
LeFlore County weather forecast
Hot and humid weather continues across LeFlore County heading into the July 4th weekend, with isolated afternoon thunderstorms possible in the terrain areas of far eastern Oklahoma over the next few days.
News
CASC freezes tuition and fees again
POTEAU — Carl Albert State College (CASC) will not increase tuition or mandatory fees for the third consecutive year, maintaining its status as the overall most affordable community college in Oklahoma when factoring in total mandatory costs.
"Holding tuition and fees steady for a third straight year reflects our commitment to our students and our communities," CASC President Dr. Jay Falkner said. "We understand the financial pressures many families are facing, and we're committed to doing our part to ensure that earning a college degree remains an attainable goal."
In addition to frozen tuition rates, CASC offers financial aid, scholarships, and flexible degree tracks designed to reduce student debt. The institution operates campuses in Poteau and Sallisaw, alongside an online campus, offering associate degrees, certificate programs, and university transfer pathways.
Prospective students can find information on admissions, financial aid, and academic enrollment at carlalbert.edu.
Misc.
LeFlore County calendar of events
Here's what's happening in Heavener and LeFlore County over the next week, including meetings, July 4 celebrations and more.
Friday
Poteau cruise night
Saturday
Happy 4th of July
LeFlore County Historical Society bingo party
Freedom House Fellowship fourth of July fish fry 6 p.m.
Independence Day celebration downtown Poteau
Monday
LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.
Poteau city meetings 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Poteau Evening Lions Club meets 6 p.m. CASC
Wednesday
Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC
Thursday
Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon EOMC
Heavener VFW bingo 6 p.m.
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.
Today in history: July 3
From the bloodiest battlefields of the Civil War to milestones in modern technology, July 3 stands out as a pivotal date in American and world history. Closer to home, it marks a significant connection to our regional landmark at the edge of LeFlore County.
🏛️ World & National Milestones
1775 – Washington takes command: General George Washington formally took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts, setting the stage for the American Revolutionary War.
1863 – The Battle of Gettysburg ends: In what is widely considered the turning point of the Civil War, the three-day battle concluded following the catastrophic failure of the Confederacy's "Pickett’s Charge". More than 50,000 casualties were suffered on both sides, forcing General Robert E. Lee to retreat.
1884 – The Dow Jones average debuts: Charles Dow published the very first stock average in his daily financial newsletter, the Customer's Afternoon Letter, which would later evolve into The Wall Street Journal.
1886 – The printing press revolutionizes: The New-York Tribune became the first newspaper to utilize a linotype machine. By eliminating the slow process of setting type by hand, it fundamentally changed how daily news was produced around the world.
1988 – Flight 655 tragedy: The U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes mistakenly shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf after misidentifying the commercial airliner as a hostile fighter jet, killing all 290 people on board.
📌 The LeFlore County Connection
1934 – The passing of Prince Hendrik: While it happened thousands of miles away in the Netherlands, July 3, 1934, marks the passing of Prince Hendrik, the Prince Consort to Dutch Queen Wilhelmina.
Why does that matter here? Just twenty years later, in 1954, our neighboring state park atop Rich Mountain—originally built by the railroads—was formally renovated and renamed Queen Wilhelmina State Park in honor of his wife, cementing a lasting cultural connection between Western Europe and the ridge lines overlooking LeFlore County.
🎂 Notable Births
1883 – Franz Kafka: Legendary Czech-Austrian writer whose surreal, complex works like The Metamorphosis gave rise to the term "Kafkaesque".
1893 – Mississippi John Hurt: Highly influential American blues singer and finger-style guitarist who helped shape early American folk music traditions.
1935 – Harrison Schmitt: Geologist and NASA astronaut who flew on Apollo 17. He remains the only trained scientist—and the only astronaut without a military aviation background—to have walked on the Moon.
1962 – Tom Cruise: Record-breaking Hollywood actor and producer known for major franchises like Top Gun and Mission: Impossible.
1971 – Julian Assange: Australian journalist and activist who gained global prominence as the founder of WikiLeaks.
🕯️ Notable Deaths
1969 – Brian Jones: Founder and original guitarist of The Rolling Stones, who passed away at the age of 27.
1971 – Jim Morrison: The iconic poet, songwriter, and charismatic frontman of rock band The Doors, who died in Paris, France at age 27.
2012 – Andy Griffith: Beloved American actor, television producer, and singer best known for starring in classic favorites The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock.
Obits
Nelson William Feliciano obituary
Nelson William Feliciano of Talihina was born Nov. 27, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York, to Isidro and Nilsa Brunilda (Villanueva) Feliciano. He passed away June 27, 2026, in Tulsa at the age of 71.
A memorial service to honor his life will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Wilburton, with Pastor John Grosboll and Pastor Robert Quintana officiating. Burial of cremains will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, at the U.S. National Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas, with military honors provided by the Poteau DAV Chapter #63. Arrangements are under the direction of Dowden-Roberts Funeral & Cremation Center of Poteau — LeFlore County's first and only on-site crematory.
Nelson was an esteemed electrician at Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, and dedicated his life to service both in his profession and through his commitment to community organizations. A proud member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, he also contributed to the Pathfinders, Medical Cadets, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars. A veteran of the United States Navy during the Vietnam era, Nelson served his country with honor. He cherished his time spent with family, creating memories that will resonate for years to come. Nelson's warm spirit and kindness touched the lives of many, and he will be deeply missed by all who loved and knew him.
He was preceded in death by his father, Isidro Feliciano; his paternal grandparents, Santiago and Paula Feliciano; and his maternal grandparents, Catalino Villanueva and Innocencia Medina.
Survivors include his wife, Naida Feliciano; his three sons, Nelson Daniel Feliciano, Joshua Joel Feliciano and Richard William Feliciano; his mother, Nilsa Villanueva Feliciano; his sister, Lillian Feliciano; his grandchildren Cassandra Roustai, Emilia Grace Feliciano, Makai Feliciano-Melton and Ciel Louis Feliciano; his cousins Maureen Chatham, Jeffrey Morales and Steven DeArmas; his nephew, Damien Aguilar; along with numerous other loved ones and a host of friends.
To view Nelson's online guestbook, please visit www.dowdenrobertscremationcenter.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].
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