June 2020

While the number of positive tests for COVID-19 have been inching up in recent weeks, Canadian County officials do not believe it’s a precursor to a second wave of the deadly virus.

“According to the new cases per day, we are not seeing a large increase. We are seeing numbers going up and down so in terms of a second wave, it’s not that.

“We are opening up the state under Phase 3 and we are testing more and we are starting to get those people walking around that might have the virus and not have known it,” said Maggie Jackson of the Canadian County Health Department.

Like the rest of the nation, El Reno’s economy has taken a hit thanks to the COVID-19 shutdown. And when coupled with the collapse of the oil and gas industry, the pain inflicted locally has been especially harsh.

That reality was backed up by the most recent numbers produced by sales and use tax collections.

El Reno Mayor Matt White laid out the figures at last week’s meeting of the city council.

A woman who died more than 40 years ago and with a heart for El Reno, today, is helping people she never met.

For the second consecutive year, the Mary K. Ashbrook Foundation is covering essentially the entire cost for school supplies for students in El Reno Public Schools.

Canadian County Sheriff Chris West said he is looking for volunteers to serve on the Canadian County Sheriff’s Posse.

In a prepared statement, West said while traditional posses of the Old West were used to chase down and apprehend outlaws, he is more interested in volunteers who would be willing to assist the sheriff and his deputies in a broad range of missions, including in times of local crisis or state of emergency.

A Yukon man who was shot and killed by a Mustang police officer on Friday, June 5 had a history of traffic violations and minor offenses, but no felonies, court records show.

Benjamin Ballard, 42, was killed at approximately 6:45 p.m. after he allegedly pulled a weapon on a Mustang officer who was attempting to stop him for suspicion of driving under the influence.

El Reno High School athletes will have an extra week to get ready for the start of fall sports after the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association canceled this year’s dead period.

The OSSAA board of directors voted unanimously to skip the dead period, which was enacted for the first time last year.

El Reno Superintendent Craig McVay, a member of the board, said the decision was a no-brainer.

“We have been in a dead period for the last couple of months, so we voted to suspend it for this year,” said McVay.

Central

Arcadia: June 8.
Elevation normal, water 80 and stained.
Blue and channel catfish good on cut bait, dough bait, live bait, punch bait and stinkbait along dam, points and rocks.
Crappie fair on jigs and minnows below the dam, around brush structure and standing timber.
Report submitted by Dylan King, game warden stationed in Oklahoma County.

Okarche High School senior Carsyn Taylor has been recognized as a recipient of the State Superintendent’s Award for Arts Excellence for 2020.

Taylor, a four-year member of the Okarche Speech and Drama Department, was one of 25 students statewide to receive the award in the field of theater.

The University of Central Oklahoma College of Mathematics and Science recently awarded scholarships to Calumet resident Kristen Kennedy in recognition of her academic excellence and outstanding service to the university.

Kennedy, a funeral service major, received the Mollie Barrett Tallant Scholarship for CMS and the Funeral Service Department Endowed Scholarship.

Members of the Women’s Missionary Union of New Hope Baptist Church met recently for their final session until fall, with Carol Johnson offering opening prayer.

The group approved donations to Blessing Baskets Summer Food Program, Baptist youth camp registration, ICAN Women’s Shelter, CART House, The Lord’s Harvest, Youth and Family Services and postage for mailing of Military Gift Boxes.