September 2023

In what organizers are hoping to make an annual event, close to 70 El Reno High School graduates gathered at Jenks Simmons Field House for the inaugural Alumni Homecoming Day Rally.

“Next year for homecoming 2024, we hope to do the same thing again but tell your friends about it. We could be much bigger than this even though we had a good turnout. Roughly 60 to 70 people were here. You ate good hamburgers and you got to reminisce with each other.

“Thank you for coming,” said EHS 1956 alum and event organizer Jimmy Roblyer.

The El Reno Arts Council will host a showing of member-created pieces at Redlands Community College on Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The gathering will take place in the RCC Art Gallery.

The board for the Arts Council hopes residents will attend and offer suggestions about how to create a more arts-focused community.

“We would love to build a better relationship with the community we serve. We’ll welcome questions, advice, volunteer service, donations, and any chance to have a face-to-face meeting with our community,” the Arts Council board said by email.

The Disciples Women are completing plans for the First Christian Church Marketplace set for Saturday, Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Debbie Thomas and her crew are busy preparing for a roast beef meal with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans or corn, hot rolls, dessert and drink for $10, and $5 for 12 and under.

This will be served from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The halls of the church are filled with the aroma of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls that Reatha Sanders and her crew are preparing.

Through an agreement with the Kiowa Tribe, Redlands Community College will begin offering a Kiowa language course next fall.

Redlands President Jena Marr recently met with Lawrence SpottedBird, chairman of the Kiowa Tribe, to formalize the agreement that also includes initiatives designed to generate awareness of the American Indian culture as well as to enhance programs that encourage and support high school student tribal members who are interested in pursuing a college degree.

“We value our tribal partners and are excited about this new collaboration,” Marr said.

WASHINGTON – The Oklahoma State Chamber returned to the Sooner State last week after concluding its annual Washington fly-in where members heard from delegation members and discussed key issues concerning Oklahoma businesses. 

Nearly 150 people attended the multi-day event, which members said serves as an opportunity for businesses to address concerns with members of the Oklahoma delegation and hear from prominent leaders in Washington. 

Officials with the Cherokee Nation’s tribal government often tout the importance of sovereignty, a term that in tribal debates largely boils down to control of land lying within historic reservation lines.

One Cherokee government website bluntly declares, “The Supreme Court’s McGirt v. Oklahoma decision recognized what Indian Country has known all along - that our land is our land.”

MUNICIPAL COURT

Justin Ray White, El Reno, failure to comply, $145.

Michael David Sheeder, Shawnee, failure to comply, $145.

Alisa Loraine Hamlett, El Reno, failure to comply, $145.

Azalia Gutierrez, Geary, petit larceny and obstructing an officer, $995.

Richard Steven Elledge, El Reno, failure to comply, $145.

Joshua Stoan Basic, Oklahoma City, expired tag, $165.

Janice Claire Delana, El Reno, improper tag display, $130.

Terence Asa Hays, El Reno, dog at large, $145.

Elgin did not dominate El Reno High School’s football team like a 54-21 final score might indicate.

In fact, only 40 yards separated the two schools in total offensive output.

So what was the biggest factor in the Owls 33-point win over El Reno in the District 5A-1 opener for both schools?

Bad luck on the part of the Indians.

More specifically, bad luck on four separate instances which played a direct factor in points being put on the scoreboard for both teams.

El Reno High School’s football team will play back-to-back road games in District 5A-1 play beginning with a road trip to Noble Friday night.

The Bears (1-3) are fourth in the district following a 28-27 overtime win over Ardmore. El Reno is tied with the Tigers, Altus and Duncan for fifth, but by tiebreaker points, stands in sixth place.

El Reno leads Noble 16-7 in the all-time series as the teams have met yearly since 2018, with the Indians holding a 3-2 lead in those five games.

Senior Raley Hartley belted out three extra base hits as El Reno High School’s fast-pitch softball team closed out a 14-game road slate with an 8-5 win over Clinton.

El Reno went 6-8 over the road trip, which started Aug. 29, following a 10-3 loss to Carl Albert the day before to close out District 5A-2 action.

The Indians finished third in the standings with a 7-5 record behind the Titans and Piedmont.

The Indians won four of the final five games of the road slate, three of those wins coming in district play to make the jump from fifth to third.