May 2024

BlueSTEM AgriLearning Center recently held its 2024 Agriscience Symposium. The event showcased advanced experiential research projects conducted by students from El Reno, Calumet, Yukon, Mustang and Epic Charter high schools, all part of the BlueSTEM program.

The forum was held in the Austin Family Conference Center at Redlands Community College.

BlueSTEM is headquartered at Fort Reno. It was established in 2015. In the past nine years, 180 high school students and one middle school student have been part of the BlueSTEM program.

The 2024 Mary K. Ashbrook Kids Fishing Derby, hosted by the El Reno Sportmans Club, drew over 300 youth anglers to Lake El Reno.

The kids were bidding for trophies in different age groups as well as prizes such as lifetime fishing licenses.

Anglers, who were given a free rod and reel as well as a tackle box, were also treated to lunch by the club.

“Blue Hawaii” was the theme of the Canadian County child advocacy center’s annual recognition event.

The Child Abuse Response Team (C.A.R.T.) honored its supporters and contributors at the Champions for Children Gala at the Mathena Events Center in Yukon.

“We want to thank Dave Mathena for his generosity,” C.A.R.T. House Executive Director Joanne Riley said.

“He not only donated the usage of his event center, but also the set-up, preparation and tear-down. Dave is a very generous man.”

The Canadian County Health Department expects to move this June into its new home.

A $3.6 million remodeling project is nearing completion on a 32,000-square-foot, two-story building at 6100 E. Highway 66.

“It’s beautiful,” health department administrator Jennifer Boyle said. “I can’t wait for everybody to see it. We’re very grateful and excited because it’s going to be such a nice place for our clients and the community to come.”

Attorney General Gentner Drummond has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s rewrite of federal Title IX rules that adds “gender identity” to the law, effectively meaning a law intended to protect women’s rights will now instead protect the rights of men to enter women’s bathrooms and other private spaces if the men claim to identify as women.

We spend our middle adult years protecting our children. Indeed, parenting represents the most expensive and difficult responsibility of our lives.

We baby-proof our houses. We warn them about the dangers of living in the 21st century. We educate them to be productive members of society. We seek to protect them from the dangers of drug abuse.

We invest our retirement dollars so that we do not become burdens on them.

Loula Theresa (Callais) McKeithe earned her wings on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at St. Katharine Drexel Retirement Center in El Reno.

Terri, as she was known, was born Oct. 15, 1943, in Cut Off, La., to Theophile and Victoria (Vizier) Callais. Terri graduated from LCO Larson High School in Cut Off, and after graduation, joined the U.S. Air Force. While in the military, she served as a stateside medic during the Vietnam War.

MUNICIPAL COURT

Ryan Alexander Redbird, Clinton, trespassing on private property, $295.

Mary Margaret Castro, Oklahoma City, speeding, $195.

Charlee Jo Bushyhead, El Reno, transporting open container of beer, $350.

Cade Reed Houston, El Reno, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, $1,445.

Paul Cameron Clayton, El Reno, failure to stop at stop sign, $165.

Kristin Nicole Tschida, Watonga, speeding, $165.

Larry Dean Kosarek of El Reno passed away May 6, 2024. He was born July 21, 1958, in Roswell, N.M.

He was in the business of making stained glass for over 40 years.

Larry is survived by his brother, Robert Kosarek of San Antonio, Texas; and sisters, Sheryl Boykin of Royse City, Texas, and Colleen Bidwell of La Vernia, Texas.

Redlands Community College will be headed back to the Sunshine State next week for the 2024 NJCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships after earning an at-large bid for a second straight season.

The 2024 championship, hosted by Eastern Florida State College, runs May 19-24 at the Duran Golf Club in Melbourne, Fla.

Redlands earned the at-large bid after placing fifth at the NJCAA Southwest District Championships in Fort Worth. The Cougars posted a 54-hole total of 977 after rounds of 324, 331 and 322.