November 2021

In what has turned into a rare losing streak, Calumet High School’s girls basketball team dropped its third game in a row last week with a 67-49 road setback to Lomega.

The non-conference loss dropped the Chieftains to 2-3 on the season.

Calumet was held to single-digit scoring in two of the four periods, which allowed the Raiders to outscore CHS by 15 combined points in those frames.

Lomega led 11-7 after one period, 32-20 at the break and 48-25 after three periods. Calumet cut into the final deficit by way of a 24-19 scoring edge in the fourth period.

Union City High School’s boys basketball coach Kolton Brown has his first win streak after his Tigers defeated Wanette 61-22 last week in non-conference play.

The win wrapped up a four-game road swing to start the 2021-22 season as the Tigers improved to 2-2 overall.

Union City went 1-1 in the two Washita Valley Conference games on the swing.

Brown’s team had this game wrapped up early as J.D. Riley and Braydon Armstrong scored six points each in the first period to spark a 20-1 run by the Tigers.

While they graduated in different classes from El Reno High School, there was a shared message among the three men accepting their honor as Distinguished Alumni for the Class of 2021 – keep reaching for your goals but never forget where you come from.

“I’ve had the privilege of traveling a great deal in my life and have met a lot of people. Even though I was only here for 14 out of my 71 years, when people ask me where I’m from, it’s always El Reno,” said Ancel Airington.

MIDWEST CITY – El Reno High School’s football season came to an end last week with a 42-7 loss to five-time defending state champion Carl Albert in the bi-district round of the Class 5A playoffs.

El Reno, making its fourth straight playoff appearance, finished the 2021 campaign with a 4-7 record, while the Titans advance to the state quarterfinals to take on Coweta.

While the Indians loss looks like a blowout, the numbers show a different story – one of missed opportunities and costly turnovers by El Reno. It was a theme which started early.

Shelbie Hulbutta, a 2015 graduate of El Reno High School, uses sign language to conduct the Lord’s Prayer during opening ceremonies at the 2021 Thousands of Reasons Gala last week at Roblyer Learning Center.

The event, put on by the El Reno Public Schools Foundation, honors educators as well as presenting its annual class of Distinguished Alumni.

Hulbutta is wearing a Native American dress she made herself during her senior year of high school.

She currently works for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes at their Emergency Youth Shelter.

Canadian County residents who pay property taxes will have more time to make payments, said Treasurer Carolyn Leck.

Due to the implementation of “a new chart of accounts released by the State Auditor for state budget-makers,” the 2021 ad valorem statements will be at least three weeks later than the normal weekend of Thanksgiving, Leck said by email.

“Unfortunately, this is affecting several counties statewide,” she said.

Leck said the timetable for residents receiving statements is not settled.

Jaguar Transport Holdings has entered into an agreement with Haskell Lemon Construction to operate the Oklahoma Central Rail Park in El Reno.

The announcement was made last week.

The 200-acre rail park was originally built by Halliburton to offload sand used for fracking in the oil and gas industry.

In a new release, Jaguar said it plans to use existing infrastructure and if necessary, build out to serve more customer needs.

A bar manager at the Elks Lodge was reportedly hit in the face by a patron after he was asked to leave, police reports show.

Police said Tanya Lewis was apparently struck by Jared Hicks at about 1:20 a.m. on Nov. 7. The incident occurred after Lewis asked Hicks to leave because he started shouting profanities.

Lewis reportedly grabbed Hicks by the arm to escort him out when he allegedly struck her in the face.

Reports said Lewis filed a complaint of assault and battery against Hicks.

A court date was set for Dec. 30, reports said.

Okarche’s Holy Trinity Catholic School held its annual auction fundraiser last week and raised well over $100,000, organizers said.

One of the traditions is to pass the hat, literally. Each time the hat is passed off to a supporter, it costs them $50 to forward it to someone else.

Here, Father Corey Stanley got stuck with the hat before it landed on Kelly Rother, as well as Brad Krittenbrink, courtesy of Bruce Arnold.

(Tribune photographer/Ray Dyer)