June 2022

Almost $70 million in pandemic relief projects now await approval by Gov. Kevin Stitt as the Oklahoma Legislature continued work Wednesday on a special session on the state’s share of $1.87 billion under the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

The House approved a package of seven bills on Wednesday, two days after the Senate voted on the projects involving nonprofit relief, water projects, nursing education and optometry programs.

LAWSUITS

Oklahoma Educators Credit Union vs. Lucas Jordan Fleckenstein and Samantha Mackenzie Fleckenstein for $8,142.07 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

LVNV Funding LLC vs. William Riggs for $2,592.05 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Crown Asset Management LLC vs. Emily Winkler for $1,572.80 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC vs. Francisco E. DePaz for $5,374.92 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Ruth Elizabeth Youngheim, 95, passed away May 29, 2022, at her home in El Reno.

Ruth was born in El Reno on March 1, 1927, daughter of Roy Lee and Viola (Reynolds) Mitchell. She was raised in El Reno and worked as a teller at the Citizens National Bank.

In 1971, Ruth married Stanley Youngheim and they remained happily married for 48 years, blessing the lives of everyone they met.

El Reno police have received reports, periodically, of Canada geese and ducks being injured by “blowgun-style” darts.

The majority of the reports have focused on the Legion Park area. And now, a reward is being offered for information that could help find those responsible for the attacks.

Commissioners last week took what could be another step in a possible relocation of the Canadian County Health Department.

The board met in executive session to discuss “the purchase of real property for use as a site for the county health department.”

After moving into public view, Commissioners David Anderson, Jack Stewart and Marc Hader voted to allow Anderson – as board of commissioners chairman - to “move forward with tasks discussed in executive session.”

Those wanting to vote early prior to the June 28 primary election will cast their vote at a new location.

The Canadian County Election Board is moving early voting to the former DHS building at 314 W. Rogers.

The building is just to the north of the U.S. Post Office and west of the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office.

County election board secretary Wanda Armold said early voting is open to all voters.

“You do not need to provide an excuse to vote early,” Armold said.

With a unanimous no, members of the El Reno City Council denied a proposed cell tower after residents of the neighborhood where it was planned argued against it.

Tillman Infrastructure LLC had sought a conditional use permit to build the cell tower at 3009 Stewart Ave. The property is just south of SW 27th Street and east of Choctaw.

Area wheat farmers have been busy cutting their crops over the past seven days after rains earlier in the month made it impossible to get heavy machinery into fields without damaging crops.

See upcoming editions for a report of the 2022 harvest for winter wheat.

A 44-year-old Oklahoma City man was killed June 13 when the motorcycle he was driving crashed into a guardrail on I-40.

Reports from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Otis Evans died at the scene of the accident that occurred in the westbound lane near mile marker 116. The accident happened at 2:45 p.m.

Evans was driving a 2003 Suzuki motorcycle when it departed the roadway to the right and struck a guardrail.

Reports said he was wearing a helmet.

Kristen Korstjens held a car show at VFW Post 382 to publicize her efforts to teach people about West Nile virus. The virus killed her father, Charles Korstjens Jr., at age 54. It’s a problem, Korstjens said, most people don’t know about.

“In 2017, my father contracted West Nile virus. He got neuroinvasive West Nile encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain) and he passed away from it,” she said.