July 2023

Canadian County commissioners heard suggestions about how to proceed with a possible rehabilitation of the historic county jail.

Constructed more than 100 years ago, the county-owned building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The old jail is at the corner of Rogers and Evans next to the renovated stables near the Canadian County Courthouse and Administration Offices.

The long-vacant building sorely needs a new roof and windows.

Canadian County commissioners agreed to distribute funds from a newly-awarded federal grant to the county’s family justice center.

Cardinal Point, which serves Canadian County’s domestic violence survivors, will receive $50,000 from the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund.

“This is a two-year grant for funding from the federal government to the county,” Commissioner Dave Anderson said. “It’s up to us to determine where we want to invest those dollars.”

WASHINGTON – Despite heated comments and opposition from minority Democrats, the House Appropriations Committee has adopted a Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Bill for the 2024 fiscal year.

Subcommittee chairman Tom Cole (R, Moore) said Oklahoma will be in line for a significant amount of funding under the legislation.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond has joined a coalition of nine attorneys general urging the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to reverse course on its proposed rule to impose a special assessment on banking organizations.

The would-be rule is an effort to recover the costs of bailing out elite depositors like venture capitalists and foreign nationals at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank.

On July 20, 2023, June Keller went home to be with her Lord. All 13 of her siblings and her daughter, Angela Matias, were waiting for her at the Golden Gates.

June leaves behind her twin sister, Joy Dye; her son, Andrew Keller; and five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A graveside service was held Monday, July 24 at the El Reno Cemetery. Services were under the direction of Wilson Funeral Home.

The NBA Summer League recently concluded, and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s rebuild was front-and-center with a plethora of young talent on the roster.

This talent has many pundits praising the direction of the team and how the Thunder rebuild has been handled.

It also provides our state’s political leaders with an example they could follow.

What seemed a distant target date at the end of spring drills in May has become a quickly approaching fact of life.

Football season is almost here.

“We will start two-a-day drills at 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 7,” said El Reno head coach Russell Cook.

El Reno began its final week of summer player conditioning and weightlifting, for all sports, on Monday. Once that session is complete, football will have 10 days before the start of preseason two-a-day drills.

MUNICIPAL COURT

Zachary Raymond Younger, El Reno, destroying city/private property, $395.

Kameron Jade Lario, El Reno, dog at large and failure to appear warrant, $390.

George Trey Karty III, El Reno, failure to comply and failure to appear warrant, $390.

Matthew David Martin, El Reno, failure to comply, $145.

Kimberly Vista Williams, El Reno, petit larceny, $595.

Dustin Allen Leeds, El Reno, trespassing on private property and possession of drug paraphernalia, $595.

Chatting about sanctioned races to drag boat drivers, you hear terms like time trial, reaction and dial-in times.

However, ask those same drivers about Outlaw-style events such as the recent Smoke on the Water, and the terminology usually shrinks to one simple word – speed.

“I do like Outlaw-style racing because you never know how fast anybody really is going compared to sanctioned races. Everyone turns them (engines) up,” said Mike King from Chouteau.

Education was the dominant theme last week as the El Reno Chamber of Commerce hosted a Legislative Breakfast.

The event drew an audience of more than 100 to the conference center at Redlands Community College.