March 2021

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Matthew Lane Mitchell, 25; Stephanie Herrera Perez, 25.

Janice Gail Powell, 66; Gabrielle Marie Cole, 25.

Joshua Andrew Knight, 20; Mallory Kaitlyn Rasnic, 20.

Megan Elizabeth Carpenter, 32; Kayla Nicole Vick, 25.

Billy Steven Wolford, 65; Patricia Jean Purvis, 67.

Colton Cade Rexroad, 22; Carli Dawn VanWinkle, 22.

Bryson Chris Bagley, 22; Sierra Marie Steele, 21.

Michael Ray Diver, 32; Tabitha Nicole Wright, 35.

Abraham Aggi-Garcia, 36; Deisy Arely Beltran, 17.

Graveside services for Ruby Bell Hughes of Calumet were held Monday, March 15, 2021, at Red Rock Cemetery with Rev Travis Euton officiating. Services were under the direction of Wilson Funeral Home.

Ruby passed away March 9, 2021, at Integris Hospice House in Oklahoma City with her family by her side. She was born Dec. 31, 1932, in Calumet.

Delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic, the El Reno School Board voted 3-0 last week to allow the district to move forward with the first phase of renovations to Memorial Stadium.

“We postponed it one year ago this week. It was approved a year ago and we had secured the financing but because of the pandemic and the panic that ensued, we paused everything,” said Superintendent Craig McVay. “We were able to go back and secure financing again and we have taken the pause off and we are ready to go.”

A woman was killed Wednesday night after a shooting that injured two others as well, El Reno police said.

Assistant Police Chief Major Kirk Dickerson said Angela Michelle Thompson, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting at 402 S. Hadden. The shooting took place just before 9:30 p.m., police said.

El Reno will have a Film Commission to help guide future movie production efforts.

Steve Maddox proposed the idea for a Film Commission. Council agreed to provide $10,800 in “seed money” to help get the effort off the ground. Mayor Matt White said the funding was for one year and the commission would need to be “self-funded” after the initial year. Funding will come from the city hotel-motel tax budget.

The Canadian County Junior Livestock Show has given youth a chance to reap the rewards of their labors.

It was a much-needed event for county youth who have had to endure a year-long pandemic, said Kelly Beck, Canadian County Fair Board chairman.

“It was the best spring show we’ve had,” Beck said.

The Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association presented a check for $22,500 to the Canadian County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program.

Annually, members of the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association build a home free of charge to benefit the Oklahoma Home Builders Foundation.

The foundation is a nonprofit that works to benefit children in the community, according to a news release from the association.

On March 2 - the late Theodor Seuss Geisel’s 117th birthday - Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced that, sometime last year, it ceased publishing/licensing six of the popular author’s children's books which “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”

Cue woke approval, deplorable outrage, investor interest and low-information reader fear, all of which are good for business.

As I write this on March 9, Dr. Seuss titles constitute 10 of Amazon's top 25 “Best Sellers in Children's Books.”

Last week, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives put forward their highest priority legislation with introduction and passage of H.R. 1.

With opening of a new Canadian County Fairgrounds complex set for July, installation of a new waterline to serve the site is getting under way.

Construction is expected to be finished in June on the Canadian County Expo and Event Center, built on a 50-acre site at Jensen and Alfadale, just south of Interstate 40. The site is just outside the El Reno city limits.

“Events are starting July 4th weekend,” said Canadian County Commission Chairman Jack Stewart. “It’s going to be a multi-use facility.”