What a novel idea

This Heavener blog idea was absolutely a great one, I think. Craig, ye of mostly great ideas and an old sportswriter friend of mine, wised up and got out of the newspaper business several years ago. He then went into banking, but along the way came up with the idea for HOL (Heavener on line) and it was a big hit. Everywhere I go to see old hometown friends, it never fails that someone asks whatever happened to HOL. Bill Pitchford asked me one time over a lunch visit at the Southern Bell in Heavener, “What do you think it would take to start up another Heavener online type of thing?” I told him I wasn’t sure, maybe he should check with Craig. Well, this spring Craig became tired of the banking business and said he would like to get back into newspapers again and if I heard of anything opening up would I be sure to contact him.

Lo and behold, he found something. The LeFlore County Journal, a website online with all the county communities – Arkoma, Bokoshe, Cameron, Heavener, Pocola, Poteau, Spiro, Talihina, Whitesboro and Wister –county schools, news and anything else deemed newsworthy. From weddings, births, obituaries … you name it, it lists everything you might be curious about and everything else you were afraid to ask about. It even has Carl Albert State College news. All the sports schedules, scores upcoming sporting events, etc., are included. Lately, I’ve been sending out obits I find each day on newspaper websites from Ft. Smith , Poteau, Tulsa , Oklahoma City, Ft. Worth and even on occasion, in Shreveport , but people have told me that when an email comes in from me, they are often afraid to open it, knowing I’ve sent another obit. I’ve had other people tell ask me, “Why don’t you send out a newsletter with good things?” I thought about it and decided I would try to do exactly that.

I even ask friends about the name of Heavener newsletter, and had suggestions like Heavener Highlights, Highlights of Heavener, Heavener Headache, but the one I chose came from Steve Hembree: Runestone Ramblings. I’ve even done some preliminary work for the newsletter, but now I discover Craig has started LeFlore County Journal. He certainly knows more about computers than I, so I’ll gladly step aside and let him continue, and, at the same time, help him generate some promotions for it. Here’s the first one, Craig. Heavener bloggers: go to leflorecountyjounral.com, bookmark your computer and start reading it. I know it will and hope to contribute to it, too, whenever I can. Remember: leflorecountyjournal.com.