August 2022

County, city governments in transition

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Faces will change on the El Reno City Council as well as with Canadian County commissioners. But the question for both is when?

The commission will have two new faces after the defeat of Marc Hader in the June primary election as well as the election of Jack Stewart to a state Senate seat.

Tracey Rider was elected to replace Stewart.

Tracey Rider

It’s a party, matey

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The Children of Hope Community Outreach capped off its summer program last week with a party at Lake El Reno that featured lunch cooked on a grill and balloon-making fun hosted by El Reno Arts Council President Sue Bear and El Reno High School art teacher Marci Underwood.

Nova LaPierre does her best pirate growl while holding a balloon sword

A clean voting record

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No issues were found in Canadian County after it performed a manual audit of selected ballots cast during the recent June 28 primary election.

The July 28 audit was done as part of an Oklahoma State Election Board effort that randomly selected county election boards for participation.

Canadian County was one of 33 boards across the state designated to conduct the audit, said election board secretary Wanda Armold.

“It was completely routine, it’s just part of a process undertaken to ensure elections are secure,” she said.

Lingo Construction to oversee revamp of Halliburton site

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The Board of Commissioners has taken the next step in transforming the former home of an oil and gas company into the new Canadian County Health Department.

Commissioners last week approved an agreement with Lingo Construction Services to provide oversight on an estimated refurbishment of the former Halliburton site located at 6100 E. Highway 66 in El Reno.

When complete, the 32,000-square-foot building will become the new home of the Canadian County Health Department.

Banner School $6 million bond election set for Aug. 23

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Voters at nine Canadian County polling places will cast ballots Tuesday, Aug. 23 in the Banner School Bond Election.

Banner is seeking support for a $6 million bond issue to fund upgrades and new projects that address growth at the school located at 2455 N. Banner Road.

The proposition would fund a series of bonds to construct, repair and remodel school buildings, acquire school furniture, fixtures and equipment and make school site improvements.

BancFirst named one of Forbes magazine's best banks in Oklahoma

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BancFirst has been named to the Forbes magazine list of Best-In-State Banks of 2022.

Forbes identified Best-In-State Banks of 2022 based on an independent survey of Oklahoma consumers who were asked to rate banks at which they have or previously have had checking accounts. According to the Forbes article on the rankings, participants were asked questions focused in six separate facets of the relationship: trust, terms and conditions, branch services, digital services, customer service and financial advice.

Commissioners want to use state’s ODC inmate work release program

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Canadian County commissioners want county government offices to be able to utilize personnel eligible for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections work release program.

State prisoners may be referred to work release 12 months before their earned release date.

Canadian County previously has benefited from the program.

“The big hang-up for county government over the years has been the state always held to the position that we had to provide workers’ compensation (coverage) for them,” said Commissioner David Anderson.

El Reno Class of ’56 gathers at restaurant

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El Reno High School Class of 1956 held a get-together recently at a local restaurant with 11 graduates and three spouses attending.

If this group was still having reunions, this would be their 66th.

They try to meet once a month, with the next gathering set for 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23. That was the assembly time when they were in high school. One of the leaders likes to do things at significant times from their high school days.

El Reno High School Class of 1956 at restaurant

Man could face prison time for high-speed county chase

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A Yukon man who allegedly rammed his car into a police vehicle during a high-speed pursuit could spend up to 17 years in state prison if convicted.

Quanah Stephen Shaw, 46, was formally charged July 28 in Canadian County District Court with endangering others while attempting to elude a police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and pattern of criminal offenses.

The felony charges stem from a chase that started shortly after midnight July 21 in the 1100 block of East Main and ended near Interstate 40 and MacArthur in Oklahoma City.