Archive - 2011 - News Article
August 12th
The manager of Poteau
Valley Improvement
Authority said Thursday
that the efforts of county
citizens and a break in the
weather has taken care of
the distribution problems
PVIA was facing just last
week.
Don Goforth said in a
phone interview that he
and his staff have seen
marked improvement at
the PVIA water treatment
plant since he contacted
the newspaper last week
asking citizens to voluntarily
conserve water during
peak hours.
The problem that PVIA
was beginning to see was
not with water levels at
Wister Lake, nor with the
treatment plant but with
August 5th
The LeFlore County
Sheriff’s Department shut
down a major clandestine
methamphetamine lab
Wednesday evening after
a six month investigation
came to an end.
Michael Chapell, 37,
and Clinton Dewayne
Greene, 46, both of Spiro,
were arrested on charges
of aggravated manufacturing
of methamphetamine,
possession of stolen firearms,
possession of marijuana,
possession of video
surveillance equipment in
the commission of a felony,
possession of firearms
after former felony conviction
and possession of
drug paraphernalia.
According to Sheriff
Bruce Curnutt, his department
The Poteau Valley Improvement
Authority is asking residents to conserve
water following a record setting summer
of high temperatures and drought.
According to Don Goforth, PVIA
manager, the problem isn’t with water
availability or the capacity of the water
treatment plant at Wister Lake. The problem
is with distribution.
“There is plenty of water in Wister
Lake and the treatment plant has adequate
capacity. The problem is with distribution.
LeFlore County is just using
water faster than we can pump it,”
Goforth said.
Goforth said that if consumers don’t
August 4th
A LeFlore County
Assistant District Attorney
who has dedicated her
entire career to helping
victims find peace through
prosecution was honored
at the annual Oklahoma
District Attorney’s
Conference last week
being named as the recipient
of the 2011 Mitch
Sperry Memorial Award
for Out s tanding
Prosecutor.
Margaret Nicholson,
Meg as most people know
her, began her journey
into helping others at the
University of Texas. She
graduated with her
Bachelor’s Degree in
Psychology and was
quickly accepted to the
Oklahoma College of Law.
She obtained her law
Kiamichi Technology
Center recently hired
Michael Culwell as their
Assistant Director for
their Poteau and Spiro
Campuses. Culwell brings
15 years experience in
education to KTC.
He is a graduate of
Bokoshe High School. He
received his Associates
degree from Carl Albert
State College. He earned
his Bachelor’s and
Master’s degrees from
Northeastern State
University.
Culwell started his professional
career as a
Spanish instructor at Spiro
High School.
After teaching at Spiro
High School for four
years, Mr. Culwell worked
as high school principal at
July 29th
There is nothing like getting a Christmas gift in July. On Sunday one local family received a gift better than any Christmas present they could ever imagine, a heart for their baby who has been fighting for life almost every day of the five months since he was born.
His story
July 28th
Jose’ Chavez, won $2,500 after he sunk a hole-in-one during the 46th Annual Spider Webb Invitational Golf Tournament at the Choctaw Country Club held Saturday, July 9-10. Chavez struck gold on Hole No. 2, sponsored by the Choctaw Country Club securing his prize right from the start. Mike Thomas, President of the Board of Directors at CCC, along with Pro-Shop Manager Francis Walston presented Chavez with a check after the two-day, 36 hole, best ball tournament was complete.
July 27th
After several attempts at making the outlook on Cavanal Hill a place for families and tourist to enjoy Poteau’s claim to fame, another set back has occurred causing once again a financial loss for the Cavanal Committee and those who enjoy the facilities located on the top of the hill.
Vandal’s stuck the newly constructed pavilion over the weekend causing damages estimated in excess of $5,000.
July 25th
The Wolf Ridge Golf Club of Poteau would like to
invite golfers to participate in their two man scramble
golf tournament to benefit a young woman in need of
surgery to remove a tumor.
Whitney Spangler, 22, of Poteau, was diagnosed with
a craniopharyngioma tumor in March 2010 and under
went a right frontal craniotomy to remove the tumor.
She was also treated with radioactive materials to stop
the growth of the tumor. That surgery was a success
and it allowed Whitney to return to her job at the Dennis
Bost State Farm Insurance Agency and to return to
July 22nd
An semi-tractor trailer loaded with live chickens overturned on the Cavanal Scenic Expressway at the overpass crossing highway 271 Thursday morning. The truck and a car collided and caused the cab to strike the shoulder barricade causing its load to shift and the trailer to turn onto its side, spilling its load across the highway. No one was injured in the accident and emergency crews and clean up crews were able to clear the accident scene quickly allowing traffic to resume.
PDN photo by Carrie Carberry
