October 2022

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes have received a $7 million grant from the USDA to help create a more climate-friendly way to raise bison.

The award is from the 2022 Partnerships for Climate Change Commodities Grant.

The announcement of the grant said the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes will serve as the “lead partner” under this grant with “major partners” including Frasier Bison LLC, the Earthshot Institute, Mad Agriculture, Eastern Shoshone Tribal Buffalo Program and the Intertribal Buffalo Council.

El Reno Masonic Lodge #50 recently presented a check to the Redlands Community College Aggie Club for $10,417 to support the organization’s scholarship program for agriculture students.

“The Aggie Club appreciates the support of Masonic Lodge #50 and the opportunities this partnership provides our students,” said Annie Pearson, Dean of Academics, head of the Agriculture Department and Aggie Club faculty sponsor.

A Canadian County Jail inmate already facing 12 years in prison for allegedly stealing a car and breaking into a house now faces five more years for allegedly punching a detention officer.

Oklahoma City’s Tristan Kane Sandlin, 26, is accused of “willfully and unlawfully striking” victim David Easter “in the head and body with his fists,” according to court documents.

Sandlin was formally charged Sept. 21 with assault and battery on a detention officer in Canadian County District Court.

Funeral services for Marietta Cheryl Poe will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8 in the Benson Memorial Chapel with Pastor Mark Fryar officiating. Services are under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Marietta passed away Sept. 26, 2022, at her home in El Reno at the age of 77. She was born Aug. 24, 1945, at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Parris Island, S.C. She graduated from El Reno High School in 1963 and attended the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education.

An exciting movement is under way in our nation. It is in accordance with former Sen. Tom Coburn’s final instructions to our nation, recorded in his last published book.

Sen. Mike Braun, (R-IN), is taking a leadership role to see that the Convention of States effort, that Sen. Coburn devoted so much time and energy to after he left Congress, is supported within Congress.

CHECOTAH ― Participants will have the opportunity to build their own Civil War-style wooden ammo crate on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 1 to 3 p.m. during a special make-and-take workshop at Honey Springs Battlefield.

In this outdoor class, led by instructor Jake Krumwiede, participants will walk through the easy steps of piecing together a sturdy storage crate from pre-cut panels using light construction techniques.

Gary Gene Wagner, 64, of Watonga, passed away Sept. 26, 2022, in Amarillo, Texas. He was born Nov. 24, 1957, in Sentinel to John F. and Francis Leona Wagner.

El Reno High School’s football team will be facing a few new wrinkles brought on by this week’s District 5A-1 home game against Midwest City – first starting with the day. The game is Thursday at Memorial Stadium with kickoff at 7 p.m.

While Thursday games are nothing new to El Reno, the situation which brought it on is.

The game does not fall over EHS’ fall break or against an opponent which shares a stadium.

“This year every team was supposed to schedule a Thursday game due to the shortage of officials and it’s going to stay that way.

While the play took only a few seconds to unfold, it seemed like a lifetime to El Reno High School linebacker Diante Palmer.

“It was going in slow motion. I could see the ball coming into the end zone,” said Palmer.

The senior broke up a two-point conversion pass from Noble quarterback Colin Fisher to help preserve a wild 41-40 win for El Reno on homecoming night.

“I saw them drop down for a pass and the only thing that went through my head was go for the ball. I was going for the interception but I also really wanted to just break up the pass,” said Palmer.

It’s taken over four decades but Calumet High School’s baseball team has found its way back to the state baseball tourney after winning the Class B, Region 3 Championships.

Calumet, ranked third in the state, defeated Big Pasture (11-4) and Moss (13-1) to punch its state ticket with a 24-4 overall record.

The Chieftains open up the Class B State Championships Thursday at Edmond Memorial. Calumet has made state in the fall just one time before, losing 16-0 to Asher in 1975 – a gap of 45 years.