July 2025

Quilt Block Challenge aligns with county fair

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A Quilt Block Challenge will be featured at the Canadian County Fair set for Aug. 20-23 at the Canadian County Expo & Event Center, 3001 Jensen Road East.

The contest is sponsored by Canadian County Oklahoma Home and Community Education (OHCE) and the winners will be determined by viewers choice voting.

All entrants must use the designated fabric provided by OHCE for part of the quilt block. Exhibitors may add any other 100 percent cotton fabrics to complete the block.

Fail your way to success

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Fear of failure is one of the biggest fears people have. Ironically, failure is an integral component of the success process. There are two distinctly different types of failure. Absolute failure is when you give up. Successful failure is when you get back up.

Softball camp

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El Reno High School’s softball program held a youth skills camp last week at the Ashbrook North Complex.

More than 50 campers took part in the three-day event.

The Indians open preseason workouts Tuesday.

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Jequita Mitchell

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Services for Jequita May Mitchell of Union City will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 16 at Hazel Dell Baptist Church with burial following in the Hazel Dell Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home, Minco.

Jequita died July 8, 2025, at her home. She was born May 10, 1942, in Minco. She attended Minco and Union City public schools. Jequita was employed as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell and over the years as a waitress in food service. 

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City to raze old Rock Island building

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The building at 405 W. Watts, originally the El Reno office to the Rock Island Railroad, will likely be coming down after it was declared a public nuisance and condemned by the city of El Reno.

El Reno City Council voted to demolish the condemned Rock Island building

Chief Brown honored

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El Reno Police Chief Ken Brown was honored at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

Brown has served the El Reno community for more than 45 years, joining the police department at the age of 19.

The audience at the meeting gave him a standing ovation as Mayor Steve Jensen and City Manager Matt Sandidge presented him with a proclamation recognizing his many years of service.

Sandidge quipped that Brown had only “45 more years to go” before retirement.
 

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RCC creates career pipeline with new CL Boyd partnership

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Redlands Community College and CL Boyd are partnering to create career opportunities for students in the Industrial Automation Applied Technology Program.

College officials said this collaboration establishes a direct pipeline from education to employment, offering students the chance to earn college credit, complete their associate degree, launch their professional careers and receive significant financial support for their education.

Drake pleads not guilty to killings in Gans, El Reno

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SALLISAW — Anyone who has not been involved in the American legal system cannot fully appreciate the applicable idiom, “The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine.”

Monday was another example of the long and arduous process of jurisprudence.

It took longer for Sequoyah County sheriff’s deputies to escort Stacy Lee Drake from his cell into District Judge Timothy King’s courtroom than the proceeding itself.

Stacy Lee Drake is escorted by Sequoyah County Jail personnel

Road trip to Virginia

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Road trip! Daniel and I drove to Staunton, Va., for our niece’s wedding last month.

Julia, Daniel’s sister, and her husband, Wayne had the family out for their daughter, Leigh’s wedding. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony with dinner and dancing afterwards.

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El Reno EMS recognized

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Members of the newly-created El Reno Emergency Management Services Department were recognized at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

Ed Fowler, fifth from left, will serve as director for the EMS Department.

Members who were able to attend the meeting introduced themselves.

The city created the ambulance service, that went live on July 1, in an effort to provide better service to the citizens of El Reno.

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