December 2020

To diversify economy, get rid of the penalty on work

Body

For too long, Oklahoma has tried to diversify its economy by passing special-interest tax breaks and subsidies. That bureaucrat planning has failed.

It doesn’t have to be this way if lawmakers embrace the policies that are reaping job growth in other states — and elimination of the state income tax, the penalty on work, is the most obvious tool for success.

Small Image

Mark Gallaway

Body

Longtime El Reno resident Marcus Anthony Gallaway died Dec. 16, 2020, at Integris Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon due to COVID-related symptoms.   

Visitation was held Saturday at the Benson Memorial Chapel, with a private family service on Monday at the El Reno Cemetery Pavilion with Revs. Grant Findley and Charlie Blount officiating. Services were under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Mark Gallaway_obituary

Durwood Snead

Body

Services for Durwood Randolph Snead are pending with Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Mr. Snead died Dec. 19, 2020, in Pawhuska.

 

Public Records - December 23

Body

LAWSUITS

Gerald Fortney vs. Thomas Mauchahty-Ware III for an amount in excess of $10,000 for injuries and damages alleged to have occurred during an automobile accident.

Thomas Berkeley and Ellen Berkeley vs. Roger Lowell Edwards for an amount in excess of $75,000 for injuries and damages alleged to have occurred during an automobile accident.

Discover Bank vs. Sharon L. Clary-Kubiak for $10,485.27 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Letters to Santa

Body

Dear Santa,
I want a toy turtle, toy car octopus, toy car elephant, toy car dinosaur, choo choo train, a swimming car shark and a swimming alligator car. I would also like a Rattlesnake
Jake game.
Love, Keaton, 4

▶▶▶

Letters to Santa from Lindy Harper’s prekindergarten class at Hillcrest Learning Center:

I want a mermaid tail costume and makeup. Merry Christmas!
Haley Andrade

I want a doll house. Merry Christmas Santa!
Violet Bigfoot

Santa Letters_Cartoon Santa by fireplace

Indians pound the paint in fourth period to pull away from Wildcats

Body

With little momentum in its perimeter shooting, El Reno High School’s boys basketball team went old school in the fourth quarter in a rivalry game with Piedmont.

The Indians took only two shots outside of the paint over the final eight minutes, resulting in a 19-8 run, as El Reno broke a 37-all tie to open the frame and rolled to a 56-45 win over the unranked Wildcats.

“We thought we were bigger and more athletic than they were in the paint, so that was the plan for the ball. We just had to get it to the middle of the court,” said El Reno senior post player Kolton Hunt.

Kolton Hunt battles in the paint for a rebound

Poor shooting woes come back to haunt EHS girls

Body

After battling back from two shooting slumps which led to a double-digit deficit, El Reno High School’s girls basketball team squandered a golden opportunity to knock off defending Class 5A state champion and No.8 Piedmont.

El Reno relinquished a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter leading to a 50-46 loss to the Wildcats. The setback dropped the Indians, ranked ninth in the state in Class 5A, to 1-1 on the season and 0-1 in the Suburban Conference standings.

Pauline Black-Harmon pulls down a rebound in front of Janae Black-Harmon

First doses of COVID-19 vaccine given to El Reno health-care professionals

Body

The latest step in eradicating the COVID-19 virus in the city took place shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday as SSM Health St. Anthony’s cardiologist Dr. Radwan Kesserwan was given the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in El Reno.

“I’ve always supported anything to do with the COVID-19 vaccinations. Being here with all these people and the effort to get the vaccine here, I’m glad to be the first one to get the vaccination in El Reno,” said Kesserwan.

Kesserwan urges everyone in the city to get vaccinated when the vaccine becomes widely available.

Dr. Sydney Haggins takes her first round of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Photographer focused on writing books

Body

Many know Ed Zweiacher as an educator and accomplished photographer.

For years he has been involved in agriculture education at Redlands Community College and his photos of the landscape around El Reno and central Oklahoma are tributes to the history and color of those who carved a life out of the often rugged countryside.

So revered are his photos, they have been used to decorate homes and businesses. Some in mulitmillion-dollar makeovers.

What may not be known is Zweiacher is also an author, having just penned his third book.

On His Way to Heaven book