May 2025

More than 4,200 pounds of food were donated by El Reno residents during the recent Letter Carriers Food Drive.

The annual event is coordinated by Janice Cox, El Reno letter carrier, and it helps support The Lord’s Harvest, a local food ministry. 

Letter carriers in El Reno as well as across the nation collected non-perishable food items two weekends back. Local volunteers helped unload the food at the El Reno Post Office and delivered it to The Lord’s Harvest on Sunset Drive. 

Support staff with at least one year of service and all certified educators with El Reno Public Schools will have extra incentive to start the 2025-26 school term in the form of a pay raise.

“Anytime you have things going well financially, you should want to pass that along to your teachers and support staff if you can afford to do it.

“We’ve got some things going our way the last three years and we felt we could afford to increase our salary and support pay scale,” said El Reno Superintendent Matt Goucher.

There is so much going on in the month of May, it feels like Christmas without the shopping. Burger Day, graduation, end-of-year school activities, wrapping up spring sports and more.

Being in the newspaper business and trying to cover it all seems nearly impossible, but our team at the Tribune always gets it done.

When Glen Miller sent this photo of Conley Knapp giving him a hug after El Reno girls soccer lost their game in the state tournament, it made me tear up a little, well, maybe a lot.

Canadian County commissioners have been meeting with other county officers and department directors in recent weeks to finalize plans for a new county courthouse.

Construction contracts are expected to be awarded this fall on an estimated $71 million building project at 201 N. Choctaw.

A $74 million global project budget includes a $3.35 million owner contingency for unforeseen items such as rising costs due to tariffs, according to construction manager Stan Lingo.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma could be on the hook for paying almost $500 million if Congress moves forward with historic plans to shift food stamp costs to states.

Jeffrey Cartmell, Gov. Kevin Stitt’s appointee to head the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, discussed the potential impact during his confirmation hearing Monday before the state Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee.

Riverside recently inducted nine members into the Canadian County Rural School Honor Society during a ceremony held at Canadian Valley Technology Center.

Students must have maintained a 3.75 or greater grade point average in their core classes during the year to qualify.

Those inducted included, Malachi Lockler, Emma Royse*, Sassy Brushwood, Avry Royse*, Makay Wooten* and Sawyer Baker*. Back row, Superintendent Eric Bilderback, Alx Morales-Grant*, Westley Wilkerson and Maddax Lehman.

The asterisk denotes those students who maintained a 4.0 GPA all year.

Baccalaureate services were held recently for the Okarche High School Class of 2025 in the high school gymnasium.

Guests for the event included, Bob Barnett, guest speaker and OHS science instructor; Dr. Juanita Krittenbrink, moderator; Pastor James Inman of First Baptist Church of Okarche; Kaylene Ullom, Okarche elementary school instructor; and Father Zak Boozman, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Okarche.

Apron Annies scholarship recipient from the Okarche senior class of 2025 is Zoe Palmer.

She was named a Universal Scholar and obtained many local and state speech awards.

Upon graduation, Palmer plans to attend OSU-OKC to become a radiation technician.

She was recognized by Juanita Krittenbrink, left, past Apron Annies president, and Mary Nell Brueggen, current Apron Annies president.

Okarche High School April Students of the Month are Zoe Palmer, Hannah Carnott, Hudson Mueggenborg, Colin Stover, Hartli Ford and Kate Osborn.

Okarche April Lion and Lioness honorees are Easton Roby and Scout Payne.

Judith Ann Holdaway passed away peacefully at her home in El Reno on May 17, 2025, surrounded by her family and wrapped in love.

Born Aug. 29, 1944, in El Reno to Oliver and Eileen (Patzack) Carel. Judy’s life began on the parade grounds of Fort Reno - quite literally. Her first home was a white duplex just across the street, while her father served in the U.S. Army. Military life took the family to many places, but in 1957 they returned home to El Reno for good.