First Assembly of God Church in El Reno is conducting a shoe drive through May 18, to raise funds for its Women’s Missions Pledge.
First Assembly will earn funds based on the total weight of the pairs of gently worn, used and new shoes collected. Funds2Orgs will issue a check for the collected shoes.
Those dollars will benefit Backyard Orphans, a ministry to support foster families and assist in adoptions in Oklahoma.
Services for C.R. Williams of Pocasset will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Friendship United Methodist Church southwest of Minco, with burial following at the Friendship Cemetery.
Services are under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home, Minco.
CHOCTAW – While the contest produced only a few points toward the team standings, El Reno High School track coach Graham Snelding was pleased with both the effort and team numbers for the season opener.
Running in the 2023 Yellowjackets Invitational, El Reno took 47 thinclads to the meet and fielded two teams in the boys division and one in the girls, who took 10th place with two points.
“I’m proud of how our kids competed and with our numbers. We have a lot of work still to do and will focus on beating our old times at each meet,” said Snelding.
El Reno High School’s boys soccer team finished as runner-up in the 2023 Rose Rock Invitational hosted by Noble, following a 5-1 defeat by Shawnee in the championship game.
El Reno went 2-1 in the event to improve to 2-3 on the season.
The Indians lone score in the championship game was a Tristan Chandler goal off an assist from Edgar Perez.
El Reno earned its first win of the season in the opening round with a 4-3 defeat of Miami in sudden death penalty kicks. Scoring goals for the Indians were Chandler, Angel Martinez, Mauricio Ruiz and Diego Mateo.
Bouncing back from an opening round shutout loss to Ada, El Reno High School’s girls soccer team clinched the consolation championship from the 2023 Rose Rock Invitational.
The Indians defeated Del City 4-0 in the consolation championship game, getting goals from Lily Hayes, Joey Lierle, Lilyana Menjivar and Payton Brickey.
El Reno reached the match with the Eagles by way of a 3-1 win over the Miami Wardogs. Scoring goals for the Indians were Menjivar, Kristina Conner and Maddison Rochdi.
Hampered by what head coach Keith Hill called a “steady dose of secondary pitches,” El Reno High School’s baseball team struggled at the plate in losses to Comanche and Bridge Creek in the 2023 Chickasha Invitational.
El Reno went 1-2 in the event, dropping a 3-1 game to Comanche and an 8-1 decision to Bridge Creek. The Indians went a combined 5-of-42 (.119) in the two setbacks with nine walks against 21 strikeouts.
Hill said the pitchers faced in the two losses had average speed.
Lyndal “Lyn” Ray Westmoreland passed away March 20, 2023, in El Reno at the age of 64.
Lyn was born to parents, J.H. and Cherry Lavonne Murphy Westmoreland on Oct. 9, 1958, in Ardmore. Growing up in Marietta, he graduated from Marietta High School in 1976. Lyn continued his education at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, earning his bachelor’s degree in Speech Education and a minor in English Education. While continuing to further his studies in theater and speech, Lyn obtained his master’s of science degree from East Texas State University in 1982.
Eric John Hufnagel was born Sept. 22, 1992, to Clayton and Christi (Schroeder) Hufnagel. He passed away March 23, 2023, at his home in Okarche as a result of a seizure.
Eric spent most of his life battling Crohn’s disease and the debilitating pain that often accompanied it. Many who knew him were never aware of the daily struggles that existed in dealing with this “hidden illness.”
They may not run up and down a court or catch the game-winning pass, but the nine students making up the El Reno High School Academic Team are athletes in their own right.
Just ask their coach, Patrick King.
“They are not your typical athletes but they are athletes in themselves. It takes a lot of brain power and a lot of work to do what they do. They put in the time outside of school and in school to have the ability to study and work at what they do,” said King.
Canadian County government leaders believe a new mass notification system will allow them to reach more of the public in times of emergency.
Regroup Mass Notification will provide improved service to the county, said Emergency Manager Josh Davis.
At Davis’ recommendation, commissioners approved an agreement with Regroup for the county’s mass notification system.
The system is used to provide a wide range of emergency alerts and other notifications such as county government office closings.
