May 2024

DUNCAN – For a second straight season, El Reno High School’s baseball team reached the championship round of the regional playoffs, only to have its season end with a loss to the host school.

Playing in the Class 5A Region 3 Championships, El Reno suffered a 13-3 setback to Duncan in the first game of the title series.

The Indians were shut out by the Demons 10-0 in the championship semifinals and needed to defeat DHS twice to earn a ticket to state.

WASHINGTON – The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are looking to Congress to gain ownership of land lost centuries ago in order to build a living history/amusement park at Fort Reno.

“I think that the proposed park would really support not only the tribes in an impactful way, but it would help the city and the community,” said Cheyenne and Arapaho Gov. Reggie Wassana. 

The 73rd Annual National Land and Range Judging Contest kicked off on Tuesday with hundreds of teens from across the nation examining the soil at Lake El Reno.

The contestants, representing some 36 states, converged on Lake El Reno for the first of two days of practice.

For the second consecutive year, the Canadian County Expo Center served as host site for the event.

No one was hurt, but the boom got the attention of people in El Reno.

Wednesday morning just before 10:30, a loud explosion rang through the community. The boom was so loud it was heard downtown as well as south of I-40.

Fire Chief Jason Duff said the blast was at an oil tank battery site. The area was just south of Jensen Road and west of South Country Club Road.

Duff said the blast was caused by too much pressure in a “separator” on the tank battery. Emergency crews responded to the boom, but fortunately, Duff said, no one was injured.

Barbara Ann Crosby Meyerhoeffer, 92, of Owasso, passed away April 30, 2024. She was born Dec. 18, 1931, in Staunton, Va., to Lily and Lloyd Crosby.

Barbara married David Meyerhoeffer, the love of her life, on Sept. 5, 1953. Married for 66 years, they were an amazing example of a Christlike marriage for their friends and family.

The 2024 Southwestern Oklahoma State University Physics Banquet was hosted recently at the Stafford Air & Space Museum.

Several awards were presented and the achievements of students were recognized, including the awarding of scholarships to 10 recipients for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Among those earning scholarships is Gunner Snowden, a junior from Calumet, receiving the Benny J. Hill Scholarship, $1,000, and OSRHE STEM Workforce Development Scholarship, $1,000.

Lila Kay Scott, age 76, of Downs, Kan., passed away April 28, 2024. She was born Jan. 24, 1948, in El Reno to Ed Stiner and Dorris Harris.

Lila grew up in El Reno and also raised her three children, Lorie, Tammy and James there. After her biggest accomplishment of raising her children, Lila decided she needed a change of scenery and moved to Downs, Kan. Lila loved living in Downs and considered it home for the last 40 years. 

More than $81,000 was raised at the third annual Community Night Gala to support Canadian County’s Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). The event was held at the Canadian County Expo Center.

The funding Canadian County CASA received will be used to support and advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster care system.

Dana Lutz, executive director of CASA, thanked the gala audience for their generosity.

“This is so much more than we could have hoped for,” she said, after the check unveiling.

“This is such a huge honor.”

The Okarche speech team recently attended the State Speech Tournament at Rose State College in Midwest City.

The tournament lasted two days, ending with the awards ceremony. The team as a whole took fourth in Academic Achievement, with the majority of those attending state having above a 3.7 grade point average.

Senior Chloe Goble was a state finalist in Humorous Interpretation and placed fourth in Monologue.

Junior Zoe Palmer was a finalist in Dramatic Interpretation. 

The team is coached by TJ Harris.

Wake service for Melissa Black will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 5, with funeral services at 1 p.m. Monday.

Both services will be at the Watonga Emergency Response Center with burial in the Black Family Cemetery northwest of Watonga. Services are under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Melissa died April 30, 2024, at Integris Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon. She was born Dec. 10, 1968, in Watonga where she was raised. She was currently living in El Reno.