Tickets are now available for a drive-through food bank coming to Poteau later this month.

The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and Disabled American Veterans will host the food bank from 11 a.m. to noon Feb. 22 in the Donald W. Reynolds Community Center parking lot in Poteau.

Students from Panama High School will assist with the event.

Ray Helton, DAV commander, said he has received 125 tickets for the giveaway.

You must be 18 or over and it is limited to one ticket per family. You also must attend in a vehicle, and up to three tickets will be accepted per vehicle.

It is first come, first serve on ticket distribution.

The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma was established in 1981. Last fiscal year, they distributed 21.1 million pounds of food and products through more than 450 partner programs in eastern Oklahoma.

Tickets are available at the DAV office on north U.S. Highway 59 in Poteau. The office is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and currently has an ongoing yard sale.

For more information, call (918) 647-8961 or (918) 649-4861.

February 3, 1963, The LeFlore County Sun

Bokoshe phones will switch to dial in March

Bokoshe (Special) - All Bokoshe telephone numbers will begin with Woodlawn 9 and contain four other numerals after the new dial system goes into service in March, Robert Ellison, manager fro Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, said today.
At that time, every telephone number in Bokoshe will be changed to include two letters and five numerals.
Letters are being sent this week to Bokoshe business telephone customers advising them of their new telephone numbers, Ellison said.
Ellison said that new telephone directors will be distributed to Bokoshe customers a few days prior to the changeover.
The new numbering system ties in closely with District distance Dialing. Telephone users in cities which have Direct Distance Dialing will be able to dial their own Long Distance calls direct to Bokoshe numbers. In the same way, operators all over the United States and Canada will dial Bokoshe numbers directly, without going through any other operator.
Here's how Bokoshe's new numbers fit into the nationwide numbering scheme. Under this system, the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, Canada and Puerto Rico, have been assigned an area code number. Bokoshe is one of two such areas in Oklahoma, and its calling code is the three numeral code 9-1-8.
According to Ellison, the objective is for all dial cities of both the Bell system and independent companies to have telephone numbers requiring seven turns of the dial.

The Senate confirmation hearing of Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos is taking place now. Both Oklahoma Senators voted yes to the highly contested nominee.

This week the Poteau Daily News has been hiding hearts on all of the pages for the readers to find and keep track of. These hearts will continue to be in the paper until next week. In the Tuesday edition of the Poteau Daily News there is an entry form you can use to submit your guess.

On Monday the 13th, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. you can bring your form to the Poteau Daily News Office and someone will record your time. If there are multiple correct answers, the first person to turn in their form will win.
One entry per person. We will announce the winner(s) in the Valentine’s Day edition. Poteau Daily News Employees and their families are ineligible to win.

Another fun contest we have going is the search for the cutest couple and the cutest first date story. Post your photo or story in the comments, get likes, and the PDN staff will choose a winner out of the photos and stories with the most likes. The winners will be published in the Valentine’s day edition.

Get out your telescopes — The sky will come to life tonight with a triple spectacle: a comet, eclipse and full moon.

Events start with the full moon, aka "Snow Moon." It gains its name from heavy snows often seen in February.

Next up is the penumbral lunar eclipse where the moon will pass through the darkest part of the Earth's shadow.

Space.com said the moon will enter Earth's shadow at 4:32 p.m. central time and the eclipse will peak at 6:43 p.m. before its ends at 8:55 p.m.

The site said those in the Midwest and Pacific states may miss the start of the eclipse due to the sunset.

According to NASA, Comet 45P also will make its closest approach to Earth tonight when its 7.4 million miles from Earth. NASA said the comet will be visible in the morning sky Saturday in the constellation Hercules. It will return in 2022.

If you capture a great picture of the eclipse, moon or comet, feel free to share it with us at editor@poteaudailynews.com, reporter@poteaudailynews.com or on our Facebook Page: Poteau Daily News.

The first hearing for the House Judiciary – Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee took place last Wednesday.

The committee, chaired by Rep. Scott Biggs (R-Chickasha), passed eight pieces of legislation that are now eligible to be heard on the House Floor.

“We cut our first meeting a little short due to the beautiful Rose Day Ceremony that took place on the House Floor to promote pro-life legislation,” said Biggs.

“However, we were still able to push through some solid bills that have a real shot at becoming law. I’m looking forward to next week’s meeting so that we can continue to find ways to better our justice system and better protect Oklahomans.”

House Bill 1679, authored by Speaker Pro Tempore Harold Wright (R-Weatherford), is legislation that seeks to clarify the manner in which the death penalty is carried out.

House Bill 1466, authored by Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols (R-Oklahoma City), Rep. Elise Hall (R-Oklahoma City) and Biggs, is legislation that seeks to permit victims of domestic violence to separate from a wireless phone plan shared by the abuser.

House Bill 1005, authored by Rep. Biggs, is legislation that seeks to modify Oklahoma rape laws to treat all rape by instrumentation as rape in the first-degree.

House Bill 1008, authored by Rep. Rande Worthen (R-Lawton), is legislation that seeks to change Oklahoma’s children and juvenile code and modify circumstances that authorize termination of parental rights.

House Bill 1116, authored by Rep. Mike Sanders (R-Kingfisher) and Rep. Biggs, is legislation that seeks to allow statements made in certain circumstance by vulnerable or incapacitated persons to be admissible in court.

House Bill 1121, authored by Rep. Ryan Martinez (R-Edmond) and Rep. Biggs, is legislation that seeks to create an Integrated Domestic Violence Act of 2017, which would authorize counties to establish and maintain integrated domestic violence courts.

House Bill 1394, authored by Rep. Tim Downing (R-Purcell), is legislation that seeks to eliminate the sunset provision for the Domestic Violence Review Board.

 House Bill 1811, authored by Rep. Ben Loring (D-Miami), is legislation that seeks to specify which computers should be destroyed after criminal investigation involving crimes against children.  

The committee is scheduled to meet again Wednesday to hear House Bill 1306, House Bill 1326, House Bill 1335, House Bill 1468, House Bill 1482, House Bill 1680 and House Bill 2159.

AP) — A Republican lawmaker from southeast Oklahoma who described a pregnant woman as a "host" is standing by his use of the term, saying his intent was not to offend anyone.

State Rep. Justin Humphrey of Lane said Monday he didn't know of a better term to describe a pregnant woman and apologized to anyone who took offense.

Humphrey used the term while discussing his bill that would require women seeking an abortion to first obtain the written informed consent of the father. The bill is scheduled for a hearing Tuesday in a House committee.

State Rep. Emily Virgin described Humphrey's comment as "incredibly disrespectful."

Oklahoma has passed some of the strictest anti-abortion bills in the country, although at least five have been struck down by the courts in recent years.

Shady Oakes and Garrett Schneider are the winners of the Poteau Daily News' Cutest Couple Contest.

They submitted their photo to our Facebook contest and received the most votes. They will be receiving a couple's meal at Chili's in Poteau.

Congratulations to the lucky Valentine couple.

Poteau Public School faculty, Carl Albert State College and Kiamichi Technology Center will by vying for your vote Thursday night at the 98th Annual Poteau Chamber of Commerce Banquet.

"We Owe It All to You" is this year's theme.

Each group has prepared a number they hope you will like and vote for. There will be guest judges, but you can vote for your favorite group by purchasing a ticket from one of the contestants early, or during the contest you can text your Verizon vote.

Make sure to get your vote in for your favorite group and make plans to attend the banquet Thursday.

There will be entertainment, good food and plenty of awards for this year's outstanding accomplishments.

There will also be a live and silent auction.

Bows or bums, come as you feel comfortable and be ready for a night of fun and community fellowship.

The annual St. Paddy's Day 5k hosted by the Patrick Lynch Public Library Friends is set for March 4 in Poteau.

Early registration is $25 and race-day registration $30. Registration and packet pick-up will be at 8 a.m. on race day and the 5k run/walk begins at 9 a.m.

The Little Leprechaun Dash for kids will follow at 9:15 a.m., which is free to attend with T-shirts for sale at $12. 

The race will be chip timed. Race shirts are guaranteed if you register by Feb. 20. Medals will be given to all participants. There also will be a best costume award. 

Checks should be made payable to Patrick Lynch Public Library Friends Inc., and mailed or dropped off at the library located on 206 S. McKenna, Poteau, OK 74953.

You also can register online at www.runsignup.com/stpaddysday5k.

For more information, call Shantel Moore at (918) 649-5757or email at stpaddy5k@gmail.com. 

Small towns and his fans are two things Colt Ford loves.
The country rapper-singer-sogwriter spoke with the Poteau Daily News about his upcoming performance in Durant and his album, "Love Hope Faith."
Asked why he chose that title, he said, “It's actually from a tattoo that I've had for a couple of years on my right forearm. I always wanted it. Those are three things that you never want to lose in life. I looked down and thought, 'Wow, maybe I should just call it that.' At the end of the day I pour all my love in the record, I hope people will like it and I have faith that they will.”

Ford has played all over Oklahoma. He loves playing in smaller towns, he said, “I just love that whole environment. I still live in a small town, that sense of community and stuff in small towns, that's what it's all about. I just love the feeling of it all. You know folks and folks know you. It's just the way I grew up. I think we need to make sure we keep that in America and don't lose that small town vibe that's out there.”
He is also loves his fans. “I love people. It's funny, I see some artists, and I think they love playing but they don't really seem to love the people. I'm sure they do love them, they just get nervous and awkward,” Ford said. “I love people, I will never not sign an autograph or take a picture it's always been about the fans and it always will be. I make stuff I love and I make it for the fans. I'm not trying to get a trophy or an award. There is nothing better than seeing peoplesing along to something you wrote and know that it means something to their life. It's a huge honor to me and I take it very seriously.”

Some people might not know that before he became Colt Ford, singer and songwriter, he was Colt Ford the professional golfer. “I realize that it's crazy and that my life has been very different. Most people don't see me and think professional golfer, they think male model,” Ford joked.
“I was an athlete back in the day, I played all the sports but I ended up playing golf for a living and then I got the chance to play music and it worked. My mom use to say that God doesn't give you anything he didn't intend for you to use. I've been doing music since I was little and I was good at that, too.”

When asked if he had a favorite song to play, he said “I don't really have a favorite. They are all different and they are my favorites for different reasons. They all have different feels.” He likes to play with different styles and feels of music. “I like to mix it up and do all sorts of different things. My music is county 1,000 percent but I deliver it in different ways in different songs”

All of his songs are inspired by real life “I either did it or I stood there watching someone else do it,” Ford said. “I don't mind fantasy songs but most of what Ido is very reality based, from a personal story or situation. That's the type of artist that I am.”
If you would like to see Colt Ford live, join him at the Choctaw Casino in Durant at 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The concert is free to attend.

Poteau Police officers Justin Dobson, Jason Allen and Sgt. Gary Hecht recently took it upon themselves to right a wrong and make a young man's day.
According to a Facebook post by Julie Jackson Morris, her son's bike was stolen a few weeks ago. They made a report but he was heartbroken about the loss of his bike.

Last week, she received a call asking her to take her son, Jackson, to the police department to ID a bike. "When we got there, we were escorted into a large conference room where several officers, including Sergeant Hecht, were waiting. They asked Jackson if the bike in the corner looked like his bike (it was the same model but brand new). Jackson said "no, sir" and they said they felt like it should be his bike. These generous men had all chipped in and bought my son a new bike and a heavy duty lock," said Morris.

"I am humbled and touched to my core that these men cared enough about my son's feelings to do this for him. These officers did not know us. They were not asked or expected to do this. They were kind for no other reason but to be kind to a 13-year-old kid."

"We have always taught our children to respect and appreciate the police," Morris said. "They are here for our protection and well being. They are willing to put their very lives on the line for any of us, at any moment and ask for nothing in return. ... My son also learned that police officers can become personal heroes as well. A few of the Poteau Police officers exemplified the very definition of kindness,"
Morris went on to say, "These men may never see the positive impact they have had on my son. But their kindness just made a big difference in shaping the person he will be tomorrow, next week and in years to come. He will never forget the day the Poteau Police Department thought he was worth buying a bike for.

"So from the bottom of my heart, this mom would like to say thank you so very very much for taking the time to teach my child that there is good and kindness in the world. We appreciate every one of you so much more than you know."

Photo submitted by Julie Jackson Morris

Five new flu-related deaths were reported this week by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

At total, there have been 28 deaths in the Sooner State and 1,127 deaths or hospitalizations. Of those, 209 were reported between Feb. 8-14.

LeFlore County has seen three flu-related hospitalizations but no reported deaths.

Deaths were seen in Bryan, Canadian, Cleveland, Craig, Creek, Grant, Jefferson, Kay, Logan, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Stephens, Tulsa and Wagoner counties. Tulsa County has seen the largest number of hospitalizations at 279 and Oklahoma County second at 181.

Of the deaths, 19 were ages 65 and over; five between ages 50-64; three between ages 18-49; and one between the age of 5-17. The state Health Department reported 68 years of age as the medial hospitalization and 73 as the median death age. Exact ages are not released due to HIPAA and privacy concerns.

For the reporting week ending Feb. 4, the CDC listed Oklahoma among 23 states experiencing high influenza-like activity.

Oklahoma also is listed among 43 states showing widespread influenza activity, which is measured by the geographic spread of the virus, not its severity.

(AP) — Over the strong objections of environmental groups, the Senate confirmed Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, giving President Donald Trump an eager partner to fulfill his campaign pledge to increase the use of planet-warming fossil fuels.

Pruitt was sworn in later Friday by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

In six years as Oklahoma's attorney general, Pruitt filed 14 lawsuits challenging EPA regulations that included limits on carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. He also sued over the EPA's recent expansion of water bodies regulated under the Clean Water Act, a federal measure opposed by industries that would be forced to clean up polluted wastewater.

Pruitt's supporters cheered his confirmation, hailing the 48-year-old Republican lawyer as the ideal pick to roll back environmental regulations they say are a drag on the nation's economy.

"EPA has made life hard for families all across America," said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "The agency has issued punishing regulations that caused many hardworking Americans to lose their jobs. Mr. Pruitt will bring much needed change."

The vote was 52-46 as Republican leaders used their party's narrow Senate majority to push Pruitt's confirmation despite calls from top Democrats to delay the vote until requested emails are released next week.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine was the lone Republican vote against Pruitt. Two Democrats from states with economies heavily dependent on fossil fuels crossed party lines to support Trump's pick, Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.

During his Senate confirmation hearing last month, Pruitt said he disagreed with Trump's past statements that global warming is a hoax. However, Pruitt has previously expressed doubt about scientific evidence showing that the planet is heating up and that humans are to blame.

Pruitt's nomination was vigorously opposed by environmental groups and hundreds of current and former EPA employees, who fear he will preside over massive budget and staff cuts.

"The biologists, scientists, lab technicians, engineers and other civil servants who work at the EPA must be able to do their jobs without political interference or fear of retribution," said J. David Cox Sr., president of the American Federation of Government Employees, a labor union representing more than 9,000 EPA employees.

Democrats boycotted a committee vote on Pruitt's nomination last month, citing his refusal to hand over thousands of emails that he exchanged with oil and gas executives. As part of a public records lawsuit, a state judge in Oklahoma on Thursday concluded there was no legal justification for Pruitt's withholding his correspondence for the past two years. She ordered him to release most of the emails by next week.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to delay Pruitt's confirmation vote for 10 days. Schumer, of New York, tried to draw a direct line between Pruitt's withheld emails and last year's demands from Republicans during the presidential campaign.

"Emails! Remember emails?" Schumer asked on the Senate floor. "'We should get them out!' they said about Hillary Clinton. ... If they weren't worried about them, then why rush?"

To dramatize their cause, Democrats kept the Senate in session Thursday night into Friday morning with speeches opposing Pruitt's confirmation. Democrats were still marching to the floor at daybreak.

In the end, McConnell had the votes. So far, the Senate has confirmed 14 out of 22 Trump Cabinet or Cabinet-level picks requiring confirmation.

Another nominee, billionaire businessman Wilbur Ross, cleared a Senate hurdle on Friday and is on track to win approval to serve as commerce secretary. A final vote is slated for Feb. 27.

Trump has tapped some of the wealthiest Americans to serve in his Cabinet, and ethics reviews have slowed the confirmation process. So have Senate Democrats, who have opposed nominees and forced hours of debate.

Pruitt is closely aligned in his home state with oil and gas companies, whose executives have backed his political campaigns. Though Pruitt ran unopposed for a second term in 2014, public campaign finance reports show he raised more than $700,000, much of it from people in the energy and utility industries.

Environmental groups have already begun hiring additional lawyers to stymie as much of Pruitt's agenda as possible in court.

"Scott Pruitt is the worst pick ever confirmed to lead the EPA," said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "We'll use every tool in the kit to stop him from harming our air and water, endangering our communities and surrendering our kids to climate catastrophe."

___

Tim Talley contributed from Oklahoma City.

___

Follow AP environmental writer Michael Biesecker at Twitter.com/mbieseck.

The Haskell County Sheriff's Department announced a new deputy to their force — K-9 Deputy Loki.

Loki was donated to the Sheriff's Department and will be partnered and housed with Deputy Billy Dickson.

Together, they will complete a K-9 handler academy and become a state certified K-9 team. Loki is a dual-purpose K-9 trained in drug detention, article detection and fugitive apprehension.

The Sheriff's Department thanked Scott Bakkala, owner of Performance K-9, for his help in the department achieving their goal to bring back the K-9 unit.

You’ve been warned. Gas prices are about to get pumped up, eventually climbing to the year’s highest levels as refineries across the nation are preparing for maintenance season and the seasonal switch to cleaner burning gasoline, a tradition despised by many.

The hikes are due to summer’s more expensive blend of gasoline, required by the Environmental Production Agency and the Clean Air Act, as well as refinery maintenance work lasting several months that causes gasoline production to drop, creating a pinch at the pump.

Last year, the national average jumped 69 cents during this season, from a low of $1.69 to a high of $2.39; in 2015 we saw an even larger increase of 78 cents, from a low of $2.03 to a high of $2.81 per gallon.

Highlights of what's to come at the pump across the nation:

• Average gasoline prices will rise 35-75 cents between recent lows and peak prices, just in time for spring break travel plans. Gas prices will likely plateau in May.
• America’s daily gasoline bill will swell from today’s $788 million to as much as $1.1 billion daily by Memorial Day. This is $312 million more spent every 24 hours.
• Some of the nation’s largest cities will be $3 a gallon gasoline very soon, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Seattle, with other large cities possibly joining due to various stringent summer gasoline requirements.
• Watch out for more gas price volatility in the Great Lakes and West Coast versus other areas, based on prior year outages at refineries in these areas. As a result, there may be temporary gas price spikes.

“While I remain optimistic this year will not bring a ‘running of the bulls’, we’re likely to see some major increases at the gas pump as the seasonal transition and refinery maintenance get underway,” says Dan McTeague, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.

“Overall, most areas will see peak prices under $3 per gallon, and while that’s far under prices a few years ago, watching prices surge every spring certainly brings heart burn with it. If we were to add the 5-year average increase we see during the spring, the national average would be thrust to $2.85 per gallon around Memorial Day, a 59 cent rise from the $2.26 per gallon observed February 9.”

States that observed the largest seasonal jump between mid-February and Memorial Day at the pump last year: Michigan, up 95 cents per gallon; Ohio, up 92 cents per gallon; Illinois, up 92 cents per gallon; Indiana, up 90 cents per gallon; Wisconsin, up 86 cents per gallon; Minnesota, up 82 cents per gallon; Kansas, up 76 cents per gallon; Oklahoma, up 75 cents per gallon; Missouri, up 74 cents per gallon; and Kentucky, up 73 cents per gallon

This week I'll be talking about Steve Bannon. It's incredibly important that we discuss exactly what has happened over the past couple of weeks and realize that something is wrong, this is not normal.
Even harder than trying to explain the true extent of his evil, was trying to fit him into a Harry Potter character. He's just got so much evil and in so many different ways that it's hard to pin down. Is he Rita Skeeter, the reporter who used a quill that automatically wrote inflated alternative facts, as the person being interviewed speaks? No, that feels more like Kellyanne Conway or Sean Spicer. Maybe Voldemort himself? No, that would still be Trump. But who controlled Voldemort? Who was the mastermind who pulled all of the Dark Lords strings? Well, I'd like to argue that it was Tom Riddle, Voldemort before he was Voldemort.

Tom Riddle was the one that made the decision to become an evil dictator. He was the one who decided to split his soul into seven horcruxes which made him slightly less human throughout the years. Just being in the presence of those cursed objects made people act angry, irrational and paranoid. I would argue that Tom Riddle was a completely different person than Voldemort, even though that's who he became. Trump has quickly become more like Voldemort through exposure to Bannon, just as Breitbart readers have become more angry, irrational and paranoid with extended exposure to the soulless publication, run by Bannon.

If you are unaware, Steve K. Bannon is Trump's Chief Strategist and has recently conned his way into a spot on the National Security Council. According to a report from the New York Times, Trump was very angry that he was not "fully briefed" on the executive order he signed that gave an uninformed, wife beating racist a seat on a council that quite literally protects our national security.

This shows that Bannon is really running the show, and it's driving Trump nuts. Just imagine if the wizarding world had gone around saying "you're not Voldemort, you're just Tom Riddle, he's really running the show. Stop pretending to be in charge." Voldy would have lost his mind, much like Trump has done. Reports say that he is so unhappy about people saying that Bannon is running the show that his head is about to explode. American's are now sending postcards to the White House addressed to President Bannon which seems to be angering Trump even further.

Much like Voldemort, Trump has the most fragile of egos and an unhealthy need to be followed and worshiped, even if it is by the bottom of the barrel, lowest grade of uneducated people he can appeal too.
Tom Riddle was the one who made the horcruxes, including the diary that ended up in the hands of Ginny Weasley. This diary, which I liken to Breitbart, made the very nice and innocent Ginny commit horrible acts by interacting with it. That is exactly what Bannon's publication is doing to formerly nice and caring individuals. It's causing them to turn their back on reason and human decency and to look at everyone who doesn't look or think like them as a politically correct, ignorant "libtard." Think about it, do you see anyone using that word as respectable, intelligent or caring? No, most certainly not. Bannon has used his horcrux to darken the hearts and minds of even the best people and filled them with hate.
Bannon himself is such a hate filled person that it would be hard for him to rule in any other way.

Bannon has outlined the people that he knows are attracted to him and his views. He says "Look, are there some people that are white nationalists that are attracted to some of the philosophies of the alt-right? Maybe. Are there some people that are anti-Semitic that are attracted? Maybe. Right? Maybe some people are attracted to the alt-right that are homophobes, right?"
These are the same types that Tom Riddle hoped to attract as he was transitioning to Voldemort. He wanted those who were ready and willing to separate squib, Muggle, Pure-blood and Mud-bloods and pit them against each other. It goes back very far in the Harry Potter timeline so it's hard to fit them all in to a single article.

Bannon believes that the end of the world is coming and he is setting up his own version of the Radical Middle Eastern terrorism caliphate, just as Tom Riddle did when he began to choose his death eaters and make his transition.
Bannon thinks war is inevitable and talking will do no good (again, this man is now in a very high position of power to make his dream a reality). This is a common theme of the evil side of the Harry Potter books. Dumbledores side wanted magic to remain a secrete from Muggles while still accepting anyone with magic into their world. They wanted to do so, so that everyone in the world could be safe, for everyone, not just Pure-bloods. Voldemort, Riddle and Grindelwald wanted to start an all out war with the Muggles because they were different and they wanted to be the ruler and oppressor of all.

Tom Riddle eventually got his wish when he turned into the soulless Voldemort and had previously sane and rational humans following him to "protect their safety" and they thought they were "Making Wizarding Great Again!"
In the final installment of Harry Potter, all of the good guys were on the run. The ministry had fallen, much as our current government, into the hands of those who wish to purify their world by making pure bloods more important than anyone else living.
An underground broadcast gave them the news that was banned from traditional messages. One of those broadcasts is eerily prevalent to the situation we have found ourselves in today. "While Muggles remain ignorant of the source of their suffering, they continue to sustain, 'heavy casualties.' However, we do hear some truly inspirational stories of wizards and witches risking their own safety to protect Muggle friends and neighbors. Often, without the Muggle's knowledge! I'd like to appeal to all our listeners to emulate their example, perhaps by casting a protective charm over any Muggles dwelling in your street. Many lives can be saved if such simple measures are taken! And what would you say to those listeners who reply that in these dangerous times, it should be, 'wizards first;'? I'd say that it's one short step from 'wizards first', to "Pure-bloods first", and then to, Death Eaters. We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and is worth saving."
Don't let Tom Riddle steal your soul. Don't let Voldemort convince you that it should be American's first and only, that no one else matters. It's a short trip from American's first to Christian's first on to white people first then you've slipped into Nazi territory. Don't let your fear override your humanity and what you know in your heart to be the right thing.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not reflect those of the Poteau Daily News.

A Poteau UPS driver was among 17 drivers honored for 25 years of safe drive driving.

UPS announced monday that 17 elite drivers from Oklahoma were among 1,575 newly inducted worldwide into the Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving. Phillip Hamby of Poteau was among the listed 17. His UPS work location is Sallisaw.

“My thanks go to all of them for their dedication and focus and for the countless lives they’ve saved,” said Craig Wiltz, president, UPS Red River District.

“Their attention to detail has kept them safe and has helped improve public safety.”

Oklahoma boasts 137 active Circle of Honor drivers with a combined 3,986 years of accident-free driving. Charles Byrd of Enid and Wayne Sheppard of Altus are the state’s senior-most safe drivers, each with 40 years of accident-free driving under their belts. There are 886 total full-time UPS drivers in Oklahoma. 

Globally, 9,349 active UPS drivers are members of the Circle of Honor.  Collectively they’ve racked up 266,554 years and nearly 14 billion safe miles during their careers. That’s enough miles to travel to the moon and back almost 29,000 times. Globally, the most seasoned UPS Circle of Honor driver is Thomas Camp of Livonia, Mich., with 54 years of driving without an accident. Ronald McKnight of Bronx, N.Y., is next in line with 48 years of safe driving. Ninety-one others have logged at least 40 years without an accident.

UPS’s 102,000 drivers are among the safest on the roads, logging more than 3 billion miles a year and delivering nearly 5 billion packages annually. 

Founded in 1907, UPS has a rich history of safety and training. The company issued its first driver handbook in 1917 and began recognizing safe drivers in 1923. In 1928, UPS recognized its first five-year safe driver, Ray McCue, with UPS founder Jim Casey presenting him a gold and platinum watch. UPS formally established its safe driving honor program in 1928.

Two local non-profit organizations are joining forces to create “A Night To Remember” for people with special needs in the eastern Oklahoma area.

Special Olympics Oklahoma Area 10 and Pervasive Parenting Center will host a formal dance on April 1.

This is open to all individuals with special needs from ages 14 and up regardless of where they live.

The event will be held from 4-7 p.m. at the Bob Lee Kidd Civic Center at Poteau High School. Attendees will take pictures, dance, enjoy limo rides and be served refreshments and snacks.

The dance will be sensory friendly with little to no flashing lights and a section for attendees to visit if they become overstimulated or overwhelmed.

One partner, or buddy, will be allowed to attend per person. “We had a student (at the school where I teach) ask, ‘Why can’t we have a prom,’” said Tanna Weaver, Special Olympics Oklahoma Area 10 representative.

“Even though they are included in the prom they still feel excluded, so this was a way to give them their own prom. After individuals leave high school, the opportunities to interact with others become very limited. By holding events like this, we hope to provide opportunities for special need individuals to get out, socialize, and make new friends.”

“Last year was so much fun we had to do it again,” said Kodey Toney, director of the Pervasive Parenting Center.

“It’s something that I think gives the kids an opportunity to let loose and have a good time, and they really have fun.”

Registration for the dance can be found on the Special Olympics website at: www.sookarea10.com or at www.pervasiveparentingcenter.org.

You can also go to Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-night-to-remember-hollywood-style-tickets....

For more information contact Tanna Weaver at (918) 658-5381 or tannaweaver@msn.com, or Barbara Leonard at (479) 461-3801.

The family of Cpl. Scott M. Vincent are encouraged to contact the Poteau Daily News after an Alabama man returning from deployment told the paper he found a bracelet with Vincent's name on it.

Chad Carroll contacted the paper on Friday. He said he is from Alabama and recently returned from deployment from the Middle East.

"… while I was there I found a bracelet with a fallen hero's name on it from your area," he wrote. "I am trying to get in contact with the family to try and return the bracelet."

Carroll said the bracelet had the following information on it:

Cpl Scott M. Vincent
USMC 30 April 04 Iraq

Vincent joined the Marines in 2000 and was serving his third overseas deployment in 2004 when he was killed in the line of duty at the age of 22.

The family of Vincent can contact the newspaper office at (918) 647-3188, email reporter@poteaudailynews.com or editor@poteaudailynews.com or through our Facebook page, Poteau Daily News. They also can come by our office located at 804 N. Broadway, Poteau, beside Poteau Pets. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.