December 2020

El Reno High School’s wrestling team got an early Christmas present as the Indians closed out the 2020 portion of their schedule by winning the Max Dippel Memorial Tournament.

Hosted in Weatherford, El Reno bested 11 other team to win the title by 13.5 points over Suburban Conference nemesis Carl Albert. The Indians logged 233.5 points to the Titans with 220 points.

“The most satisfying thing, from a coach’s perspective, is to see the kids bounce back after some adversity like we had in Broken Arrow.

El Reno High School post player Paige Primeaux has her arm pulled back from a rebound attempt by a Piedmont player during last week’s battle among top 10 teams in Class 5A. The Wildcats defeated EHS 50-46, but both teams remain in the top 10 of the new state poll. El Reno (1-1) is ranked ninth and Piedmont is eighth.

El Reno senior Jay Gililland shoots a jumper during the Indians 56-45 win over Piedmont. Now 2-0 on the season, El Reno jumped into the top 10 of the Class 5A poll at No. 9.

Several fall and winter hunting seasons are either open now or will open soon. Here are some details about Oklahoma’s annual ring-necked pheasant season and holiday deer antlerless gun season.

Ring-Necked Pheasant Season

Oklahoma’s 2020-21 ring-necked pheasant hunting season is under way, and hunters planning to pursue this exotic species will likely have more luck traveling farther into the northern reaches of Oklahoma this year.

Some El Reno schoolchildren helped brighten the day for some COVID front-line health-care workers by sending them colorful cards and drawings.

Raven Bramlett teaches fifth-grade math and science at Roblyer Learning Center. Her former neighbor and El Reno resident, Melissa Knight, is an RN at Integris Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City. She works in the ICU with the primary task of caring for COVID patients.

Bramlett said she talked with her two classes, 42 students in all, about what the health-care workers were going through, working in “these crazy conditions.”

Three days into dispensing the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine, the eight counties which make up District 2 had used close to half of the initial allotment from the state of Oklahoma.

“I think it was amazing the number of hospital staffs that were willing to get the vaccine and that’s significant. Everyone has been positive and we are thankful they are willing to take this next step,” said Maggie Jackson, public information officer for District 2. Canadian County is one of the eight in District 2 along with Alfalfa, Blaine, Garfield, Grant, Kingfisher, Logan and Major.

As one drives onto the lands of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Concho, they are met with a picturesque view of the tribes bison herd grazing freely in the pastures blanketed in thick native grasses.

The sight is breathtaking and would explain the recent award presented to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Bison Program.

The Towering Spirit Award was presented to the tribes by the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful (KOB) organization.

About 8 a.m. on Dec. 7, El Reno police attempted to pull over a vehicle near Admire and Foreman.

An officer in an unmarked patrol car reported the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Joshua Wagner, 30, of El Reno, allegedly began to drive in a manner that allowed him to elude the officer.

A second uniformed El Reno officer in a marked patrol car located Wagner driving in the area of Jensen and Radio Road. The officer reported the vehicle appeared to be damaged with lights not working properly. 

To the Editor:

On behalf of my leadership who I’ve copied, thank you so much for your kind e-mail. Honestly, it all comes back to the community - so thank you and Mayor White for being such amazing ambassadors for El Reno. You have some amazing city leaders and members, and we appreciate working with you all as well as Shana Ford, Karen Nance, Ali Hernandez and Steve Maddox, to name a few.

Many El Reno homes were decorated for Christmas with festive lights and displays such as this nativity in the front yard of a home on South Ellison.