June 2025

El Reno Public Schools Child Nutrition Program held a free swim day at the El Reno Municipal Pool at the end of its daily meal service.

Canadian County lawmen are looking for a man who was apparently released by mistake from the county jail this week. 

Sheriff Chris West called the incident the result of “human error.”

West said jailers were processing inmates when Derick Lynn Tallent was inadvertently released.

Tallent, 43 of Oklahoma City, was being held on charges of possession of a stolen property – a vehicle.

The sheriff said jailers left the area where Tallent was being processed and when they returned, he was nowhere to be found. 

El Reno Chamber of Commerce presented a Canvas Memory of the ribbon-cutting at The Filling Station to the city of El Reno.

From left, Vice Mayor David Black, Mayor Steve Jensen, Larry Nance, Becky Riggs, Lyndsay Bayne, public information and marketing manager, City Manager Matt Sandidge, El Reno Chamber of Commerce Chair Dr. David Von Tungeln and El Reno Chamber board member Gary Baumwart.

A new online platform is being adopted to improve the process when Canadian County administrators make maintenance and cleaning requests for county government buildings.

Commissioners, at their weekly meeting June 23, approved implementing a new maintenance work order request system for county officers and department heads through Freshdesk by Freshworks.

First-year District 2 Commissioner Lacey Dawson provided an overview of the proposal, which was approved 3-0.

A former Canadian County sheriff’s deputy has waived his right to a preliminary court hearing in a sexual battery case.

Edmond’s David Joseph Randall, age 53, was charged with the felony crime Aug. 8, 2024, in Canadian County District Court.

Randall was fired in spring 2024 from the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office for sexual misconduct while on duty. He previously was Luther’s police chief and a Calumet police officer.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research, in collaboration with Tana Fitzpatrick, University of Oklahoma associate vice president for tribal relations, and the OU Center for Faculty Excellence, hosted a continuation of its Ethical Tribal Engagement Series at the OU Health Sciences campus. The event featured discussions on Indigenous perspectives in health research, governance and traditional healing. The event included nearly 70 in-person attendees and over 120 virtual attendees.

At the Mustang Central Middle School cafeteria, students pay $3.75 for lunch. To fill their lunch accounts with money electronically, parents pay a $3.25 fee, nearly as much as a meal, each time they make a deposit.

WASHINGTON - Amid growing concerns over foreign investment in U.S. farmland, Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Cheyenne) introduced legislation aimed at strengthening the Secretary of Agriculture’s oversight in the role of prioritizing national security concerns tied to foreign involvement in U.S. agriculture.

Services for Rita Zoe Anthony of Cogar were held Wednesday, June 25 in the Minco High School Auditorium, with burial following at the Evergreen Cemetery in Minco. Services were under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home. 

Rita died June 20, 2025, at her home. She was born Nov. 17, 1929, in Cogar. She was a homemaker and served as a PTA president and was involved with Brownie and Girl Scout troops.

Rita was a lifelong member of Cogar United Methodist Church and Lambuth United Methodist Church. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – El Reno High School closed out its summer baseball season last week with back-to-back losses in the Putnam City/Southeast Summer League.

El Reno, playing a mixed squad of varsity and junior varsity players, lost a 12-6 game to the Pirates before falling 4-3 to Ninnekah.

The losses dropped the Indians to 4-4 for the month-long league.

In the loss to Putnam City, El Reno allowed five runs in the first inning off two hits and three errors.

The Indians rallied in the third when Gage Lesperance hit a bases-loaded triple with two outs.