January 2022

Monte Joe Fuller, 58, formerly of El Reno, passed away from complications of COVID-19 on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, in Spokane Valley, Washington.

Services for Rickie Ruth Winters were held Friday in the Benson Memorial Chapel with Deacon Max Schwarz officiating. Burial followed in the El Reno Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Rickie died Jan. 18, 2022, at her home in El Reno. She was born Jan. 19, 1943, in Arkansas at Coppers Gap in the Township of Houston and moved to El Reno in 1976 from Fort Smith.

Rickie was a homemaker and a member of Sacred Heart Church. She enjoyed gospel and country western music, crocheting, and painting by numbers.

Timothy L. Duty of El Reno passed away Jan. 12, 2022. No services are planned.

Timothy was born Aug. 8, 1959, in Huntington, W.Va. He was an Army veteran and worked in home remodeling.

Timothy is survived by his son, Kyle Duty, and brothers and sisters, Bill Duty of Milwaukee, Wis., Jeanette Houchin, Jaymz Akins and Tony Akins, all of El Reno.

Timothy was preceded in death by his father, Lloyd Duty, and his mother, Patricia Akins; his wife, Helen Duty; and daughter, Amanda Jones.

Caitlin Campbell of New Orleans and Jack Jensen of El Reno announce their plans to marry May 7 at First Church OKC in Oklahoma City.

Campbell is the daughter of Melanie Hanemann of New Orleans and Chris Hanemann of New Orleans. She is a 2006 graduate of Crescent City Baptist High School. She graduated in 2011 from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. Campbell is employed with Love’s Travel Stops corporate office.

El Reno High School Junior Varsity Academic Team, made up of freshmen and sophomores, recently hosted the Math and Social Studies Tournaments.

The team won both tournaments with a record of six wins and no losses against Yukon, Elk City and Clinton. These wins qualified the team for the state tournament next month at Redlands.

The EHS team will host the Science Tournament and the Humanities and Fine Arts Tournament on Jan. 29 against the same schools.

Maple A Honor Roll for the second nine weeks, front row from left, Easton Horn, Addison Brandley, Hunter Lorenzen, Andrew Eisenhour, Colsen Blagg, Stoney Baker, Gavin Basler, Zuri Lewis, John Prince, Audrey Eisenhour, Presley Swigart, Halle Hunt and Kinsley Bonilla; second row, Hayden Rosholt, Kaelyn Racca, Korbyn Penick, Dominic Steinbruck, Kassidy Ferguson, Garett Moss, Clayton Hudson, Adison Steffler, Lane Hudson, Ashtyn Stokes, William McPeak, Tace Tech and Zoey Pawnee; third row, Halli Ferguson, Lexi Porter, Jackson Arnold, Ellie Shamblin, Ethan Brooks, Brantlie Charmasson, Pierson Bra

A new law touted as giving parents more choices as far as their children’s educational opportunities is drawing puzzling response from El Reno Public Schools.

Co-authored by Republican lawmakers Adam Pugh (Edmond) and Kim David (Porter), Senate Bill 783 was signed into law in March of 2021 by Gov. Kevin Stitt and went into effect Jan. 1.

Better known as the Education Open Transfer Act, the law is aimed at helping ease requirements and restrictions for the some 3,000 students who are annually denied movement between school districts among the 30,000 who apply.

Maple AB Honor Roll for the second nine weeks, front row from left, Braxten Birdsong, Raina Crawford, Christopher Barker, Levi Bass, Grady Menz, Rowdy Penwright, Josh Bass, Brody Crawford, Rhett Davis, Erica Niles, Piper Siler, Ayvah Fudge and Jentry Cullen; second row, Lyla Smith, Ayden Troncoso, Raquel Seymour, Everleigh Sears, Leighton Wedman, Bryson Cooper, Easton Schmidt, Luke Siler, Bella Stevenson, Waylon Baker, Lexi Richardson and Rylee Girten; third row, Micah Pafford, McCray Whitman, Mya Robles, Harper Looper, Dustin Stokes, Devlon Galyon, Sawyer Williams, Candice Barker and Aydan

Okarche Public School yearbook staff of 2021 was awarded the National Yearbook Program of Excellence Award — Bronze Level.

This is the second year the Okarche yearbook staff has won an award at the national level.

The National Yearbook Program of Excellence is awarded to yearbook programs based on the extraordinary efforts that go into creating a yearbook and making it accessible to every student.