April 2021

When a deep freeze settled across Oklahoma in mid-February, the greenhouse sheltering Oklahoma State University’s wheat breeding program showed its age in the worst way. 

Constructed in the 1960s, the facility’s heating system failed, pipes froze, and 70 percent of the hybrid plants inside succumbed to crippling cold. The loss was catastrophic and exemplified a need to reinvest in the crumbling infrastructure of agricultural research. 

As Oklahoma’s political leaders continue to search for ways to fire up economic growth, now is the time to address many of the problems they have been avoiding for years.

In order to make people prosperous, you have to understand the nature of both your economy and the larger society in which it is embedded.

While it has taken most of us several decades to catch up to his thinking, it is safe to say that most observers agree that Peter Drucker was right that our society and economy are founded on knowledge.

Playing perennial powerhouse Carl Albert close for seven innings seemed to awaken the sleeping giant as the Titans swept last week’s District 5A-2 doubleheader against El Reno High School’s baseball team at the Hub Reed Complex.

Carl Albert, the district leader, took the opening game of the set by a 6-0 tally, before blanking the Indians 16-0 in game two. The setbacks extended El Reno’s current losing streak to six games.

El Reno is now 12-15 on the season and 8-4 in the district standings, falling to fourth behind Carl Albert, Piedmont and Guthrie.

Redlands Community College is headed back to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Women's Golf Championships after dominating the field at the 2021 Region 2 tourney hosted at Crimson Creek Golf Course.

The Cougars shot a 36-hole total of 626 to win the regional championship by 151 strokes over runner-up Seminole State College (777). Murray State College (835) was third - 209 strokes behind the Cougars.

It’s playoff time for slow-pitch softball teams in Canadian County and both Union City and Calumet High School head into the postseason on winning notes.

Union City takes an 18-12 record into the Class 2A, District 7 Championship at Fletcher – ranked 10th in the state.

The Tigers are coming off a 2-2 record in last week’s Fletcher Festival, beating Blair (17-1) and Big Pasture (12-2).

Union City lost to Class 3A’s 15th-ranked Boone-Apache (6-0) and Class A’s 18th-ranked Grandfield (10-4).

Redlands Community College’s soccer team is battling through a five-match losing streak after dropping the first two dates of its current road swing.

The Cougars slipped to 1-6 in the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference standings with losses to Rose State College (7-0) and the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain (3-1).

Those losses came on the heels of a 4-1 setback to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M at Memorial Stadium.

Despite having five more minutes of possession time, El Reno High School’s girls soccer team had its four-match winning streak halted last week with a 6-0 loss to Bishop McGuinness.

The match was for the outright lead in the District 5A-1 title chase as El Reno slipped to 4-1 in the standings and into sole possession of second place with two matches remaining.

The Indians are now 8-4 on the season and were slated to play a makeup road match with Guthrie before closing out district play against Guymon.

El Reno High School’s boys soccer team’s hopes to make the postseason will rest with its final match of the District 5A-1 slate against Guymon.

The Indians dropped a 4-0 road match to Bishop McGuinness last week, lowering the Indians league record to 3-3. Guymon comes into Memorial Stadium with the same mark as the pair are tied for the fourth and final playoff spot from the district.

El Reno fell to 4-9 on the season with the loss to the Irish.

Cold weather forced El Reno to postpone its duel with Kingfisher. The Indians will now host the Yellowjackets on Monday at the Legion Park courts.

Both Calumet and Union City High School’s baseball teams will head into the district round of the Class A playoffs with momentum at their backs after recent wins.

Calumet, ranked 16th in the state, will host the District 16 playoffs after improving to 14-4 on the season with an 11-5 tune-up win over Oklahoma Bible Academy.

The Chieftains welcome in both Binger-Oney and Oklahoma Christian Academy for the district-level playoffs.