April 2022

After splitting a four-game series against South Arkansas College in NJCAA Region 2, Division 2 action, Redlands Community College’s baseball team jumped up to Division 1 to take on Rose State College.

The Cougars dropped both games against the Raiders by scores of 18-4 and 14-4 to slip to 17-27 on the spring. Redlands is 6-14 in the Division 2 chase after losing 13-10 and 15-9 to the Stars but rebounding for wins by scores of 11-10 and 21-8.

The Cougars were 50-of-164 (.305) from the plate over the six-game stretch, logging 15 doubles, five triples and seven home runs.

Over the past several months, I have been conflicted about my future direction in public service.  After many sleepless nights, discussions with my family and prayer, I have decided not to run for political office at this time.

When Brian Rukes helped unveil the World War II monument at Memorial Stadium in 2019, what many of those attending the “Remember the 44” ceremony may not have realized was the project was far from complete.

For Rukes, the 21-month journey from a concept in his head to a brick and mortar monument was far from over.

Sacred Heart Catholic School celebrated the 25th Annual Taste of Sacred Heart event April 2 and organizers said more than $125,000 was raised for the small parochial school.

Normally held in the school gymnasium, the event moved for the second consecutive year outdoors to the Denny-Crump Rodeo Arena.

Longtime El Reno auctioneer Ken Reding presided over the live auction, offering supporters a variety of items to bid on, from student-created classroom projects to lavish trips that included a stay at a winery in Barcelona, Spain, to tours of the Vatican in Italy.

Trimming its team scores down closer to the 400 mark, El Reno High School’s girls golf team posted a pair of top 10 finishes last week. The Indians took ninth place at the Kingfisher Yellowjackets Invitational with a team score of 405.

The effort was paced by duplicate rounds of 99 from Berkley Kidd-Smith and Madison Patswald.

Skylar Ayers was the third lowest round with a 110, followed by Emma Patswald with a 114 and a 118 from Kallie Maifield.

A longtime El Reno city official is prodding Canadian County commissioners to release part of its federal stimulus aid award to benefit cities and towns.

El Reno Mayor Matt White implored commissioners April 4 to act on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding requests totaling $13.25 million submitted by seven local government entities for water projects.

“We’re getting concerned, we sent a request to you all back in October,” White told the commissioners.

Kenneth Solis spent the fall booting a football long distances at Memorial Stadium but last week he proved he can kick a soccer ball with just as much success.

The sophomore logged his first-ever hat trick as El Reno High School’s boys soccer team kept its playoff hopes alive with a 6-4 win over Midwest City.

“I’ve never had a hat trick before,” said Solis after his three first-half goals.

El Reno snapped a six-match losing streak with the win over the Bombers to improve to 2-7 on the season.

Canadian County elected officials recently toured the Rogers County Courthouse near Tulsa as they consider building a new courthouse complex.

Commissioners are expected to review a proposal for a multi-level courthouse/administration building. Estimated construction cost has not been determined.

“We need to engage an architect to help us project that cost,” said Commissioner Dave Anderson. “I know that the Rogers County Courthouse would cost around $30 million in today’s construction climate.

Facing 25-mile-per-hour gusts out of the west, the outcome of last week’s District 5A-2 match between El Reno High School’s girls soccer team and Midwest City came down to which team played the best into the wind.

That advantage favored El Reno as the Indians scored three goals into the wind en route to a 5-0 shutout of the Bombers.

The win was the second straight for El Reno, which climbed to 2-2 in the league standings and into fourth place, one game back in the loss column to Carl Albert, which is set to host Tuesday night.

El Reno High School’s baseball team snapped an eight-game losing streak by posting a 2-2 record in the 2022 Bill Tipton Classic – co-hosted by Carl Albert and Midwest City.

The Indians improved to 10-13 on the spring by sandwiching wins over Santa Fe South (11-4) and Lawton Eisenhower (15-10) around losses to Weatherford (9-1) and Midwest City (13-2).

El Reno went 21-of-76 from the plate over the four games for a .276 batting average, posting six doubles and a three-run home run from Dacus Cooper in the win over Lawton Ike.