April 2021

Improvements will be made at El Reno parks and recreation courts after the city agreed to build several new pavilions and resurface basketball and tennis courts throughout town. Also, two pickleball courts will be added to the recreation inventory.

At the April city council meeting, the elected board agreed to spend $125,070 to build pavilions at Frank Knight Park, Legion Park, Burton Park, Gadberry Park, Adams Park and at Lake El Reno.

The Lake El Reno project will actually make improvements to the fishing pier. The pavilions at all the parks are to be lighted.

Elected leaders from Canadian County and El Reno are in talks to improve a stretch of road leading to the new Canadian County Expo and Event Center.

The new county fairgrounds complex is due to be finished this summer on a 50-acre site at Jensen and Alfadale, south of Interstate 40 just east of El Reno.

Lingo Construction is construction manager for the $15.2 million multi-use Expo Center.

April 20 will be remembered as a historical day in Oklahoma for Indigenous people.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 172 into law, named Ida’s Law.

Rep. Mickey Dollens first submitted Ida’s Law in December 2019 for the 2020 legislative session.

The bill passed the Judiciary Committee and House of Representatives, but due to COVID-19 shutdowns, the bill never made it out of the Senate.

Canadian County OK’d two road projects on a county cooperative long-range plan. Commissioners last week approved two District 3 projects to be included on Circuit Engineering District 5’s five-year plan:

▶ Modification of the Banner Road/Jensen Road intersection and approaches, including replacement of an existing bridge on Jensen Road about 3/10 of a mile east of Banner Road. Cost estimate: TBD.

Kent Lagaly, former El Reno fire chief and now assistant city manager, was honored recently by the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association with the J Ray Pence Award.

The award is presented to one fire chief a year in Oklahoma and recognizes the commitment that person has made in helping to improve fire safety and prevention in their community as well as their fire administrative abilities.

Lagaly served as fire chief for El Reno from 2002 to March of 2020 before being named assistant city manager.

El Reno police took a man into custody on a complaint of second-degree arson.

Jeremy Bush, 26, was arrested after police were called to the 1500 block of South Rock Island on April 13. Reports said a mobile home had caught fire and a witness gave police the description of a man seen near the home when the fire broke out.

The Center of Family Love in Okarche will host its Gift of Love fundraising event on June 19. The event will be online and will celebrate the CFL’s 40th anniversary of serving as a home for intellectually disabled adults.

The center was founded by the Knights of Columbus in 1981.

To register for the event, visit www.centeroffamilylove.org or call 405-263-4658, Ext. 1042.

The Catholic Daughters of America donated 14 new car seats to El Reno’s Love the Children Center Inc. to be given to new parents to help keep their newborns safe while in a vehicle.

A man who had been on the Canadian County sheriff’s most wanted list was arrested Tuesday in Yukon by an officer who recognized him.

Reports said Ryan Allen Oliver, 35, was wanted on an outstanding warrant for failing to comply on 2015 felony charges of assault and battery on a police officer.

He was convicted in Canadian County on a charge of domestic abuse in the presence of a minor.

About 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, a Yukon police officer spotted Oliver near Holly Avenue and West Vandament Avenue.

Canadian County CASA Inc. (Court Appointed Special Advocates) will host four virtual information sessions to both raise awareness and recruit volunteer advocates.

Held via Zoom on the first and third Mondays of May and June, prospective volunteers are invited to join a video call to learn more about CASA and the role of a volunteer advocate.

Virtual info sessions are scheduled for the following dates and times:

May 3 – 5 p.m.
May 17 – 8 a.m.
June 7 – 2 p.m.
June 21 – 10 a.m.