February 2023

Seven turnovers in the second period, three of those shot-clock violations, hampered Redlands Community College women’s basketball team last week in a 71-50 loss to Eastern Oklahoma State College.

The Cougars are on a three-game losing skid which dropped them to 3-7 in the NJCAA Region 2 standings and down to seventh place. Redlands took a 10-14 overall record into a road game at Connors State.

The loss to Eastern came on the heels of a 64-54 setback to Northern Oklahoma College of Enid. The two losses were against two of the top four teams in the region standings.

El Reno High School Academic Team earned third place at recent state competition held at Rose State.

There were eight teams competing.

The Okarche High School Speech Team recently brought home the Class 3A sweepstakes plaque from the Okeene tournament.

Okeene’s annual invitational speech tournament drew entries from nine area high schools in Class 3A. 

OHS had 13 placings in the contest and also earned three special awards.

Brody Sadler placed second in public forum debate with his brother, Kyle Sadler, and also placed second in domestic extemp.

A four-game losing streak has sent Redlands Community College men’s basketball team to the bottom of the NJCAA Region 2 standings following an 83-70 setback to Eastern Oklahoma State College.

The Cougars were coming off an 82-72 loss to Northern Oklahoma College of Enid and stand at 2-8 in the league and 10-14 on the season. Redlands trails NOC Tonkawa (3-8) by a half game and Murray State by a full game but are only two games back of fifth-place Western Oklahoma.

Redlands Community College’s baseball team kicked off its 2023 season by winning three of four games against Oklahoma Christian University’s junior varsity squad.

The Cougars split the first two games, winning 8-4 and losing by a close 4-2 margin. Redlands then took the series by sweeping both games over the second day with scores of 12-2 and 19-9.

Redlands’ 41 runs for the series came off a .400 batting average as the Cougars went 42-of-105 from the plate. Three of the four games were double-digit hit totals including 16 in the final game.

Clairetha Griffis of Fort Eutis, Va., and Glenn A. Barnes Sr. of Port Norris, N.J., were united in marriage June 5, 2021, at the El Reno VFW with Wes Brower officiating.

Wedding music was provided by DJ LaMorce Fuston of Oklahoma City.

The bride wore a gold and blue gown featuring a gold lace bodice and royal blue skirt. She carried a bouquet of royal blue flowers and baby’s breath.

Bride’s attendants were Ashante Davis and Montay and Sadri Davis of Tulsa, LaWanda Solomon and Beverly Wilson of Bethany and Lisa Chapel and Brielle and Bryleigh Jones of El Reno.

El Reno High School January Students of the Month.

Maple January Students of the Month, front row from left, Easton Hughey, kindergarten; Liam Brincefield, third grade; Laken Meschberger, second grade; Parker Tinsley, first grade; and Hayes Ferguson, pre-kindergarten; back row, Kinsley Bonilla, fourth grade; Zoey Pawnee, sixth grade; Harper Looper, eighth grade; Landy Giesbrecht, seventh grade; and Stoney Baker, fifth grade.

Imagine a movie that's part “Elf,” the zany antics of Will Ferrell, raised by Santa and his jolly crew of toy makers, mixed with “It's a Wonderful Life” and the drama, despair and redemption portrayed by Jimmy Stewart in the traditional Christmas classic.

Interested?

Now, imagine such a movie being made in El Reno.

That’s actually the plan as cast and crew are expected to begin production in late February of “Needle Little Christmas.”

The script was written by Steve Maddox, El Reno’s Film Commissioner, with help from his wife, Alex and their children.

Khristan Strubhar has made history as Canadian County’s first female district judge.

Her mother, Reta Strubhar, was this county’s first female associate judge more than 30 years ago, before becoming a long-serving Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals judge.

Retired Judge Strubhar administered the oath to her daughter, as Khristan Strubhar became a district judge during a swearing-in ceremony Jan. 27 at the Canadian County Courthouse.