February 2021

No matter the level of college action, every basketball team has to work through early-season hiccups and bonding time between veteran players and incoming freshmen.

Traditionally, those hurdles are cleared long before the month of February, but then there is nothing traditional about the 2021 basketball season for teams under the National Junior College Athletic Association banner.

“It’s totally different, that’s for sure,” said Redlands Community College women’s coach Jay Niehues.

While it’s taken three years to install the atmosphere he envisioned for his program, Redlands Community College men’s basketball coach Jose Molina likes what he’s seeing so far both on and off the basketball court.

The Cougars have dodged most of COVID-19 pitfalls through the first three weeks of the season to get in eight games ahead of recent cancellations due to weather issues.

VFW Post 382 and Auxiliary are collecting nonperishable goods to be placed in Blessing Boxes, providing access to food items for those in need.

Food can be dropped off at the VFW located at 1515 S. Rock Island. Members are bringing food to their regular meetings to contribute to Blessing Boxes as well.

Pictured are Auxiliary member Renee Snodgrass, senior vice president Barbara Stevens, member Dolores Island, president Nancy Salsman, secretary/treasurer Amy Stout, chaplain Garnette Thurmond and member Linda McLearan.

In the coming weeks and months, El Reno High School will host a prom, and spring sports such as soccer, softball, golf, tennis and baseball will be available for students to enjoy.

That news was offered last week by School Superintendent Craig McVay during the El Reno Live program.

McVay joined Mayor Matt White in the weekly Facebook program that aired from the Jeff Mills STEM Center on the EHS campus. It was the first time El Reno Live has broadcast from other than a city building and the students seemed to enjoy the question and answer session with White and McVay.

Lt. Dane Holland, USAF, landed a T6 Texan 2 at El Reno Regional Airport last week.

The landing was no doubt special for Holland, a 2015 El Reno High School graduate, as well as the local airport.

It marks the beginning of an agreement with Vance Air Force Base in which young pilots will use El Reno as part of their regular training exercises.

Adam Fox, general manager at the El Reno airport, said talks began in October of last year about the Air Force using the airport for “touch-and-go” exercises.

A 19-year-old man was taken into custody after El Reno police concluded a months-long drug investigation.

Assistant Police Chief Major Kirk Dickerson said James Dylan Leiter was arrested on numerous drug complaints after police served a search warrant on his home at 809 Amity Lane. The arrest was made Feb. 2.

El Reno senior Dorian Plumley has hung just about every piece of mail received from the University of Oklahoma on his bedroom wall, hoping and wishing to one day become a Sooner.

“Every time I walk into my bedroom, I see all the stuff I have gotten from them over the years and the field passes, but they had not recruited me. Oklahoma has always been one of the top programs in sports and education and I always wanted to be on that level,” said Plumley.

Strong northerly winds whipped up Lake El Reno last week as evidenced by the whitecaps.

A bill that will increase the number of authorized driver testing exam locations has been presented in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, is the author of House Bill 2465, which would allow certain locations, approved by the Department of Public Safety (DPS), to be proctors for the written examination for applicants for Class A, B, C or D licenses and for endorsements.

“Over the last year we have seen an almost unbelievable increase in wait times for individuals trying to take their driver exams,” Lowe said.

A stroll down the pharmacy aisle at the local grocery store will bring consumers face to face with a wide array of vitamin and mineral supplements. People have been told such products are the key to good health, right? Not necessarily.

One thing consumers must keep in mind is that they’re called supplements for a reason, said Janice Hermann, Oklahoma State University Extension nutrition specialist.