April 2023

El Reno High School’s track team found success with its relay teams and throwers at the 2023 Woody Bearden Invitational in Pauls Valley.

The boys team placed seventh in the final standings with 22 points, aided in part by a fourth-place toss of 37 feet, 1 inch by R.J. Parker in the shot put.

El Reno’s sprint relay team of Elijah Fisher, Latin Everheart, JaRon Irving and Malachi Nicholson took the silver with a time of 44.66 seconds.

Fisher and Nicholson then teamed with Avery Mouse and Shane Caso to run the 1,600-meter relay in a time of 4:19.03 to place sixth.

El Reno High School tennis player Bri Barksdale reaches out to hit a return shot at the net during a recent doubles match at the Putnam City North Invitational.

El Reno was scheduled to play Piedmont, weather permitting, this week in a dual at Legion Park.

Hall of Fame wrestling coach Bill Reeves has been in pressure-packed situations mat-side, but never did he imagine experiencing the same situation guiding El Reno High School’s trapshooting team.

That all changed during the recent 2023 Oklahoma Scholastic Shooting Sports Program State Championships.

El Reno, the top seed in the 16-team field, used two shooters from its third and final group to seal the school’s first state title in the sport.

The Canadian County Expo Center will host the 70th Annual National Land and Range Judging Contest the first week of May.

Larry Wright, who has been involved with the event for numerous years, said the May 2-4 event will bring some 1,200 people from 35 states for the competition.

Wright said the new Expo Center, 3001 Jensen Road East, is the reason the event is moving from Oklahoma City to Canadian County.

FFA and 4-H teams from across the nation are expected to fill just about every motel room in the El Reno-Yukon area, Wright said.

Canadian Valley Technology Center’s Board of Education voted unanimously last week to propose a $75 million bond issue, which would provide funding for safety and modernization updates to the technology center’s Chickasha campus as well as the construction of a new public safety training center at the El Reno campus.

“These changes will be transformational for Canadian Valley Technology Center and will help us better serve our K-12 and adult students and our industry partners,” said CV Tech Board of Education President Jimmie Vickrey.

Jacqueline “Jacque” Dolores (Medlock) Choate, 88, of McAlester, died Monday, April 17, 2023, at her residence.

Funeral services were held Friday, April 21 at Bishop Chapel of Memories with Rev. Rodney Briggs officiating. Burial followed at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Jacqueline was born to Grover and Henrietta Medlock on Aug. 13, 1934, in Benton, Ark. She was raised in Benton and graduated from Benton High School.

Jacque married James Hubert Choate on Aug. 27, 1978, in El Reno. She worked as an office manager for the City of El Reno Municipal Courthouse.

No injuries were reported in an accident involving two vehicles and a semi-tractor on Tuesday, but the collision created some tense moments when the truck turned over.

Assistant El Reno Police Chief Major Kirk Dickerson said the accident happened at U.S. 81 and Territory Lane, just north of I-40.

Investigators said a commercial semi-tractor was northbound on 81 when the driver of a four-door sedan attempted to change lanes from the outside northbound lane to the inside northbound lane.

While some parts of Oklahoma were hit with severe weather Wednesday night, El Reno escaped the damaging tornadoes and hail.

East Canadian County reported large hail. A tornado in McClain County reportedly claimed two lives.

In El Reno, the beautiful sunset was visible.

Alison Tock of Watonga was selected to represent Redlands Community College at Research Day held recently at the State Capitol. 

Tock’s project, focusing on hops production in a greenhouse environment, involved growing hops rhizomes in both aquaponic and containerized environments, and bringing the hops out of dormancy using artificial light cycles. With the growing microbrewery and craft beer industries in Oklahoma, the ability to source hops locally has the potential to boost options and production.

A Canadian County public trust is backing $160 million in bonds to help finance Mustang school projects – including a new school building.

Canadian County Educational Facilities Authority (CCEFA) trustees – the three county commissioners – approved a resolution April 17 to incur debt by issuing lease revenue bonds or notes “in the aggregate principal part amount not to exceed” $160 million for Mustang Public Schools.