April 2024

Chances of making the playoffs for El Reno High School’s boys soccer team took a major blow last week as the Indians dropped a 2-1 road match to Western Heights. The loss was the second straight in league play for El Reno, which slipped to 3-7 on the season and 1-4 in the District 5A-2 standings.

El Reno High School senior and two-time state qualifier Hannah Koen (center) signed a national letter of intent last week to wrestle at Baker University in Kansas.

Millions of Oklahomans looked toward the sky last week to watch the solar eclipse. Parts of southeastern Oklahoma viewed a total eclipse, while much of the state, like El Reno, viewed in the 90 percent range.

Rumors that the city of El Reno is out to do away with A Small Town Weekend are greatly exaggerated. That was the message from City Councilman Dr. Brian Shafer at last week’s council meeting.

Around here, most know Jana Knott as the city attorney for El Reno. But further east, she’s known as being part of the legal team that is trying to secure some form of justice for the last known survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Knott calls the experience “humbling.”

The Oklahoma City Council denied a rezoning request to allow a new outdoor amphitheater in eastern Canadian County.

The celebration of the El Reno High School Lady Indians basketball team continued last week as the city of El Reno honored the team for its perfect season en route to the school’s first state championship in girls basketball.

The city of El Reno honored the Redlands Community College Livestock Team for being named Team of the Year for the 2023-24 season. The honor came after the RCC team’s showing at the Houston Livestock Showand Rodeo in Houston, Texas.

When school board elections were held April 2, the results continued a longstanding trend in Oklahoma: Few voters knew there were any elections under way and school leaders across the state were selected by a small sliver of voters who may not represent the broader community, including most parents.

Following the Feb. 8 suicide of Dagny Benedict, a 16-year-old Owasso girl who recently identified as nonbinary and went by the name Nex Benedict, one prominent 2STGNC+ activist said state officials should no longer require teachers to notify parents of information related to their child’s mental...