November 2021

Leaning away from the Thanksgiving dinner table with a sigh and stuffed tummy is a comfort beyond the reach of many Oklahomans this year.

4-H’ers across the state are trying to make it a possibility with food drives for community food banks and pantries.

“They understand that fighting food insecurity is about being part of something bigger than themselves,” said Karla Knoepfli, Oklahoma State University Extension specialist in 4-H youth development.

An Oklahoma Teacher of the Year nominee, Bristow Middle School teacher Lauren Vandever, has declared that it is important to be supportive of children exploring transgender transition.

“I am not transgender. I’ve never experienced being transgender or on the LGBTQ spectrum,” Vandever said.

“But I definitely think it is something that is an important thing for kids to — if that’s something you’re exploring — for me to be accepting of that.”

Funeral services for Kay McLearen will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Faith Family Church with Rev. Paul Roach officiating. Burial will follow in the El Reno Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Arleah Kay McLearen was born in Dumas, Texas. She was a cashier at Beachlers Grocery and a member of Faith Family Church.

Graveside services for Thomas Boyd “Tommy” Kendall of Reydon, a former Minco resident, were held Monday at the Evergreen Cemetery in Minco. Services were under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home.

Tommy passed away Nov. 9, 2021, in Cheyenne. He was born Oct. 25, 1960, in Chickasha. He was raised in the Minco/Cogar communities and graduated from Minco High School in 1978.

He was employed in the oil field as a completion consultant for many years. He was a member of Hazel Dell Baptist Church.

Oklahoma schools — in both rural and suburban districts — are providing students with sexually explicit materials and undermining parental rights in other ways, according to parents who have spoken out publicly at recent school board meetings.

The response from school officials has been mixed.

MUNICIPAL COURT

Wanda Magpie, Concho, failure to yield to pedestrian in crosswalk, $195.

Keith Dale Dye Jr., El Reno, speeding, $165.

Jimmie McLaughlin, El Reno, failure to wear seat restraint, expired tag and driving without license issued, $437.

Leroy Love, Anadarko, failure to yield, $195.

Gustavo Lopez Macias, Oklahoma City, expired tag and failure to stop at stop sign, $330.

Kathryn Kerr, Piedmont, expired tag, $165.

James Lee Wiedemann, El Reno, speeding in a school zone, $295.

El Reno High School senior Ashlyn Evans-Thompson signed a national letter of intent last week to play college basketball for East Central University in Ada.

Evans-Thompson is a four-year starter for the Indians at guard and a three-time first-team All-Suburban Conference selection.

Kolton Brown earned his first win as Union City High School’s boys basketball coach last week as the Tigers defeated Binger-Oney 37-32 in the third of four road games to open the 2021-22 season.

The Tigers improved to 1-2 on the year.

Union City scored 12 baskets from inside the 3-point arc, while shooting 7-of-10 from the free-throw line in the low-scoring game for 70 percent.

After starting the season on a high note, Calumet High School’s girls basketball team has suffered back-to-back losses after last week’s 47-30 setback to Lookeba-Sickles.

Calumet drops to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in the Washita Valley Conference standings.

The Chieftains were held to single-digit scoring in all four periods by the Panthers defense and a horrific shooting night, though Calumet did score nine points in both the second and third periods.

Growing up in Stillwater, Virginia Witt never had the opportunity to visit her father’s old stomping grounds from his high school years.

However, after a few hours of visiting, Witt could see why her father, Ralph Higgins, got such a good start in life.

“This was my first time to El Reno and I think it’s a marvelous town,” said Witt.

The 90-year-old Witt traveled from O'Fallon, Ill., to accept her father’s posthumous honor as an El Reno Distinguished Alumni.