April 2022

A newly convicted murder accomplice has been accused of hiding a weapon for another violent inmate at the Canadian County Jail.

Johnathon Reese Erickson, 30, was charged March 8 in Canadian County District Court with accessory to possess contraband in jail.

Fellow Canadian County inmate Bryan Leonard Snodgrass, 24, was charged the same day with bringing contraband into a jail/penal institution.

The felony charges stem from a Feb. 14 incident at the Canadian County jail.

Commissioner Marc Hader said he will seek an additional term for the office of Canadian County Commissioner District 1.

The area covers central and northeastern Canadian County, including all or parts of Piedmont, Yukon, El Reno, Okarche and Calumet.

“Following through on my promised goals of fiscal restraint and government modernization, tempered with private sector common sense, I am proud to say that we are not spending every tax dollar we collect unlike many other levels of government,” Hader said in announcing his bid for re-election.

Statewide election activity officially begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 13 when the filing period opens.

Candidates for state offices file with the secretary of the state election board. Candidates for county offices file with the secretary of the county election board.

Canadian County Election Board Secretary Wanda Armold said the following offices are expected to be filled this year:

▶ County Assessor

▶ County Treasurer

John L. Miller passed away peacefully on March 27, 2022, in Phoenix, Arizona. He was the oldest child of Leslie and Mary (Lepak) Miller, born at home on Oct. 10, 1940, in Shell Creek, Oklahoma. John grew up on his family’s farm in Banner, enjoying time spent with many Miller and Lepak aunts, uncles and cousins, in tandem with a lot of hard work.

He was very active in 4-H from the time he was small to when he graduated from El Reno High School.

Brent L. Sollars went to his heavenly home Sunday, April 3, 2022, at the age of 53.

He was recovering from a recent open-heart surgery and was happy to be out of the hospital and back home.

El Reno was his hometown and he was a 1987 graduate of El Reno High School.

Brent liked classic cars, enjoyed watching comedies and was an OU Sooners fan. He had a positive attitude and a great sense of humor.

He loved his family and was a good and loving son, brother, father and uncle.

In the last century, “public education” usually meant a system of government-run schools.

Yet increasing concerns about uneven quality and unmet student needs have given rise to a new idea: What if public education was not just a system but a mission? And what if, in pursuit of that mission, we put parents in charge?

The status quo, of course, has plenty of defenders. One of their arguments is that because the Oklahoma Constitution requires a system, it forbids anything more. There are several reasons why this claim is false.

LAWSUITS

LVNV Funding LLC vs. Randy Burington for $1,572.55 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

LVNV Funding LLC vs. Shanna Lopez for $2,993.30 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

LVNV Funding LLC vs. Rennetta Lambert for $854.30 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

LVNV Funding LLC vs. Jennifer Winter for $1,040.14 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

LVNV Funding LLC vs. Ronnie Winstead for $2,841.49 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

El Reno High School renewed the U.S. 81 Battle with Chickasha last week at the Hub Reed Complex, allowing 11 base hits to the Class 4A powerhouse in a non-district outing.

However, it was the self-inflicted wounds in the form of two fielding errors, two balks and a wild pitch that had major impacts in the Indians 14-1 loss to the Chicks.

The setback, the second in the series by EHS, extended the Indians losing streak to six games.

El Reno took an 8-9 overall record into this week’s District 5A-1 series with co-frontrunner Carl Albert.

PIEDMONT – El Reno High School’s run-heavy track team took part in last week’s Piedmont Invitational without any participants in the field events for a second straight meet.

The El Reno boys did put together a relay team as Cole Strong, Shane Caso, Matthew Chaffee and Jacob Long competed in the two-mile event. The four placed 10th with a time of nine minutes and 53.94 seconds.

Long was the lone EHS runner in the 3,200-meter solo event, placing 14th with a time of 11:38.34.

A day after having its efforts in the Putnam City North Invitational cut short by rain, El Reno High School’s girls tennis team was able to return to the courts to defeat Western Heights by a 3-1 score.

The win gave the El Reno girls a 1-1 season record and helped split the duel with the Jets, who won the boys side by a 3-0 count.

El Reno won both girls singles matches as Kambry Maifield defeated Amanda Arrenondo by scores of 6-1/6-0. Alyssa Weston added a 6-0/6-2 win over Alexia Martinez at No.2 singles.