April 2020

By the lines that formed last week at the Canadian County Health Department’s pod testing site, residents are still highly concerned about contracting the COVID-19 virus.

The El Reno Community Chorus has canceled its 2020 spring program. It was not a decision made lightly, said director Nancy Sharp.

Digital learning and home-schooling have hit K-12 education like — well, like a pandemic. As in so many other sectors, from politics to business to the movies, people are asking to what extent things can ever return to normal from the drastic changes imposed by our public health emergency.

When man denies the existence of God, or even believes himself an agnostic, he, in effect, replaces God with himself as the highest entity of intelligence. This impacts his political thinking in virtually every way.

Private graveside services for Charles Michael Sykes, 77, of Chickasha will be held in the El Reno Cemetery. Charles Michael Sykes, known as Mike, was born Jan. 19, 1943, in Oklahoma City to William Boyd Sykes and Olar A. (Rallans) Sykes. He passed away Monday, April 20, 2020, in Chickasha.

Private graveside services for Jerry Lou Phelps of Minco will be held in the Evergreen Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home. Jerry passed away April 18, 2020, at her home in Minco. She was born March 8, 1945, in Lawton and was raised in Oklahoma City.

Private graveside services for Thomas Dwain Russell of Minco will be held in the Friendship Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home. Mr. Russell passed away April 18, 2020, at his home in Minco. He was born Oct. 9, 1945, in Pocasset.

A private graveside service for Malaina Sue Tallbear will be held Thursday in the El Reno Cemetery with Rev. Jim White officiating. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Benson Memorial Chapel. Services are under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Laboring hours over a sewing machine in a small room tucked away in the belly of the Centre Theatre is nothing new to Kristin Richardson. It’s what you do when you are a member of the costume department for the El Reno Community Theatre.

While Gov. Kevin Stitt said the state is starting to flatten the curve in the fight against COVID-19, rural county health departments are gearing up for a possible spike in the number of cases.