July 2020

Graveside services for David Cook will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in the El Reno Cemetery. Viewing  will be held Sunday, July 26 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Wilson Funeral Home. 

After overcoming planning hiccups associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers of the 2020 Smoke on the Water Drag Boat Races had to deal with the queen of all elements – Mother Nature.

“She seems to always want to rear her head and let us know she is in charge,” said co-organizer Josh Finnigan.

The first day of racing was delayed more than an hour by high winds on Lake El Reno, which forced race officials to trim down the length of the course.

The Canadian County Free Fair will move forward in August, but in a significantly scaled-down fashion.

The county’s fair board voted last week to let the fair continue. However, only the livestock portion of the fair will be held.

Even that, according to the fair board, will be scaled back to a “Show and Go” format.

The fair is scheduled for Aug. 26-28 at the fairgrounds complex.

According to the fair board, all of the activities including the carnival, food trucks, horse show and other exhibitors have been canceled.

El Reno could have $10 million to use for infrastructure and capital needs if interest rates and terms are favorable.

The city council last week, in a unanimous vote, approved soliciting proposals to sell up to $10 million in municipal bonds. The proposal is expected to be brought back to council in August where a decision will be made whether to move forward with the plan or scrap it.

Last week it was announced the Mary K. Ashbrook Foundation had contributed to two projects in El Reno.

The foundation, created in 1978 after the death of the El Reno businesswoman, gifted $20,000 to help purchase bleachers at the Little League football field, as well as more than $7,000 to purchase new computers at the historic Carnegie Library.

City Manager Matt Sandidge said the foundation has been instrumental over the years in helping to promote efforts to improve life for El Reno residents.

“These computers are for public use,” Sandidge said.

The Canadian County Children’s Justice Center will continue to make beds available for young offenders from outside of the county.

County commissioners voted 2-1 last week to approve an agreement with 19 other counties to provide bed space.

The agreement is through a contract with the Oklahoma Department of Juvenile Affairs, and for most of the counties is simply a renewal of previous agreements.

Commissioners David Anderson and Jack Stewart voted for the agreements, while Marc Hader voted against them.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused economic disruptions at every level of American life, and the cancellation of the Oklahoma State Fair will be having a major effect on the collective wallet of Oklahoma City and the entire state.

According to the published 2019 Oklahoma City CVB Report, the Oklahoma State Fair generated more than $103.9 million in direct spending.

With triple-digit heat across the state, many Oklahomans are looking forward to fall and cooler weather. Although there will be several more weeks of intense heat, gardening enthusiasts can get a jump-start on fall by planning their fall gardens now.

July through September is the optimal time to begin planting several vegetable varieties in order to have a bountiful fall harvest, said David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Extension horticulture specialist.

CONCHO - The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes announced the founding of the new Cheyenne and Arapaho Business Development Corporation. The organization will form new companies that are intended to generate economic growth and bring much-needed products and services to tribal communities and beyond. 

The Oklahoma-based, for-profit corporation will operate as a holding company for several subsidiary companies in various industries including bison meat production and construction, serving consumers in-state and throughout the United States.

Count Congressman Frank Lucas among those applauding the Trump Administration for modernizing a set of environmental protection rules.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations had not been updated since 1978.

The NEPA requires an environmental impact study on major federal projects and actions. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) manages the regulations which touch major parts of national infrastructure.