March 2023

Foreign exchange student Flaminia Starna returned home a little over two months ago.

Flaminia is from Rome, Italy, but misses Oklahoma and her time spent attending El Reno High School.

Starna got here at the beginning of the school year and left in December. She said her stay went by too quickly.

“I feel like my time in El Reno flew by and I can’t believe that I’ll never be able to attend EHS again,” she said.

Starna said she will also miss Friday night basketball and football games.

Kyle Wilson Toal, age 67, beloved husband, father, brother and friend, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.

Kyle was born April 10, 1955, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Nelda and Thurman Toal. The family, which included Kyle’s twin sister, Lisa and older sister, Cindy, moved often, and growing up, Kyle attended nine different schools in Iowa, Illinois and Oklahoma. The frequent moves made the family stronger … surroundings would change but the family core was strong, adaptable and resilient.

On Feb. 27, Reuters reports, the White House gave federal agencies a 30-day deadline to ensure that all government-owned devices are TikTok-free.

The supposed, but seemingly evidence-less, reason: Because a Chinese company owns TikTok -- a smart phone app for creating and sharing short videos -- the Chinese government may be using it to spy on Americans.

Well, OK. Ban TikTok from government devices.

But does that really go far enough?

Graveside services for Mary Charlene Barr were held March 4 at Evergreen Cemetery in Minco under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home.

Charlene passed away Feb. 27, 2023, in El Reno. She was born July 5, 1930, in McQueen. She was raised in Minco, graduating from Minco High School in 1948. Charlene had worked as head cook in the Minco School lunchroom and later for Woodworth’s Hardware and then the Grady County Treasurer’s Office.

She taught Sunday school for many years at Minco First Baptist Church.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The full Senate last week approved Senate Bill 7. The measure, by Sen. Blake Cowboy Stephens, R-Tahlequah, would stop Oklahoma from changing the clock twice a year and lock in Daylight Saving Time (DST) year-round.

LAWSUITS

Cornerstone Home Lending vs. Christian M. Green for $126,557.40 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees and foreclosure of mortgage on Lot 4, Block 4, Woodrun Addition, Oklahoma City.

MidFirst Bank vs. Blake A. Basse for $116,693.56 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees and foreclosure of mortgage on Lot 5, Block 8, Somers Pointe Phase III Addition, Oklahoma City.

James Newman vs. Joaquin Chavira for an amount in excess of $75,000 for alleged injuries and damages.

Being one of a handful of seniors on the El Reno High School boys basketball roster, Diante Palmer figured at some point this season he would be expected to take on some sort of a leadership role.

“I expected to be a leader at some point. I wanted to start right away but that didn’t happen because I was new to the program and I was coming over from football. But I knew a lot of the people on the team and that made it easier to be a verbal leader,” said Palmer.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Is it a jinx?

Some may think that after Calumet had its 26-game win streak snapped via a 68-52 loss to top-ranked Fort Cobb-Broxton in the finals of the 2023 Class B Boys Oklahoma State High School Basketball Championships.

It was the second time in five seasons for the Chieftains to take a 25-plus game win streak into the state championship game, only to have the elusive gold ball slip from their grasp.

Calumet lost a four-point game to Kinta in the 2019 championship which ended a 29-game win streak.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Okarche played a solid game in last week’s semifinals of the Class A Girls Oklahoma State High School Basketball Championships.

The seventh-ranked Warriors scored in double digits in all four periods and shot 45 percent from the field. Good enough numbers to win the majority of games during the season.

Just not when you play top-ranked Seiling.

The eventual state champion shot 46 percent from the field and made 13-of-26 attempts from the 3-point arc en route to a 69-48 win over the Warriors, who closed the year with a 24-6 record.

El Reno High School qualified four varsity lifters for the 2023 Oklahoma Powerlifting Coaches Association’s State Championships during the Northwest Regional meet in Woodward.

Earning state passes were Dion Kaulaity (275), Latin Everheart (123), JaRon Irving (157) and Malachi Nicholson (181). The state meet will be held inside Jenks Simmons Field House Thursday through Saturday.

El Reno placed third at regional among Class 5A entries in the Large School Division with 81 points.

Guthrie led the trio with 149 points and Southeast was second with 97 points.