August 2021

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series about Ida’s Law, which establishes a liaison to work with law enforcement agencies and families to solve Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons cases throughout Oklahoma. The series explores Ida Beard’s story, legislation history and more.

The El Reno Police Department received a call July 15, 2015, that Ida Beard was missing.

Six years later, the 35-year-old Cheyenne and Arapaho female tribal member is still missing. Police have no credible leads.

Following a 17-minute debate, the El Reno School Board voted 4-0 last week to approve the district’s 2020-21 Return to Learn Plan – without a mandatory mask or vaccine mandate.

“There is not a lot of change (from last year). One of the changes that is most glaring is there is no mask mandate. Under the circumstances, we will be leaving 2,200 of our kids unprotected by not having a vaccine and mask mandate and I think that is a mistake.

“However, it’s state law and it’s my job to follow state law,” said El Reno Superintendent Craig McVay.

El Reno Public Schools opened up classes for the 2021-22 term on Thursday but the district is already facing quarantines and new cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19.

The district’s COVID-19 Dashboard Report, dated Aug. 11, showed 11 students have tested positive for the virus. Five of those students are in the high school, three from Etta Dale Junior High and one each from Hillcrest, Lincoln and Roblyer learning centers.

Downtown El Reno appears set to make another run at establishing a Business Improvement District and the area could also see a multi-story building erected on an empty lot in the 200 block of South Rock Island.

In a unanimous 5-0 vote, the city council on Tuesday hired former City Manager Dan Galloway to serve as a consultant in an effort to create the Business Improvement District. Galloway will be paid $3,000 for his efforts.

VFW Post 382 in El Reno celebrated National Purple Heart Day Aug. 7, serving as host for the Oklahoma Military Order of the Purple Heart (OMOPH) and Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs (ODVA) annual awards ceremony.

Oklahoma Veteran Commissioner and State Commander of Oklahoma Purple Heart, Larry Van Schuyver, and Deputy Director with ODVA, Sarah Lane, opened the ceremony, while Jerry Ball offered prayer. State Rep. Tammy Pevehouse-Townley sang the National Anthem. General Thompson, State Adjutant General, was also present to help present the award recipients.

It appears Yukon will continue buying Oklahoma City water for the foreseeable future as city administrators recommend terminating a public trust formed about 20 years ago to find a long-term water source for Canadian County municipalities.

Faced with the challenge of spending many millions of dollars to build and operate new water facilities, Yukon and Mustang city leaders will consider dissolving the Central Oklahoma Water Resource Authority (COWRA).

Resilient.

That is the word used to describe Kim Holmes by the people who know her best. 

Holmes has faced what many would say is unbelievable tragedy, yet continues to push through.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Holmes lost 20 blood relatives and many more friends, yet continued to show up for those who needed her most.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, several questions have persisted: Why do some people become infected while others with the same exposure remain unaffected?

And why do some people become critically ill or die because of the virus while others have mild or no symptoms?

The answers may lie in genetics. A large international study published recently in the journal Nature shows that 13 genes are associated with susceptibility to COVID-19 infection or severity of the disease once a person is infected.

El Reno Public Schools Superintendent Craig McVay uses crayons to make a drawing along with Jovanni and Benjamin Quiroz.

The siblings were waiting for their parent to finish enrolling them in school. El Reno Public Schools began classes on Thursday for the 2021-22 school term.

The El Reno Wranglers met recently for their monthly meeting at the 4-H building.

The meeting was opened by president Jimmy Johnston, with Gary Sorrells leading in prayer. There were 22 members present.

The Wranglers made final plans for the upcoming annual rodeo set for Aug. 27 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the new Canadian County fairgrounds facility.

Plans for the annual county horse show were also finalized, to be held at 9 a.m. Aug. 28 at the new fairgrounds complex.

Next Wranglers meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 2 at the 4-H building.