August 2025

El Reno High School’s volleyball team suffered its second straight loss with a 3-1 road setback to Tecumseh.

The Indians won the third game 28-26 but lost the others by scores of 25-14/25-22 and 25-16.

The setback dropped El Reno to 5-3 on the season.

El Reno served at 97.5 percent, 10 percentage points higher than the Savages, but had only five aces compared to 19 for Tecumseh.

Radley Miller led with two aces, while Daily Maples, Jaida Richardson and Brantlie Charmasson had one ace each.

Union City High School’s fast-pitch softball team is one of the hottest teams of late in the win column and at the plate.

The Tigers grabbed the No.17 spot in the first Class A poll of the season by winning eight of their last 10 games to move to 8-3 overall.

Union City was runner-up in the Olustee-Eldorado tournament with a 6-1 record, beating Granfield (18-1), Fletcher (13-3), Burns Flat-Dill City (13-0), Lawton (10-3), Apache (10-6) and Sayre (8-1).

Union City lost 10-1 to Mangum in the finals.

Union City High School’s baseball team battled through a rough seven-game slate over three days to take the runner-up hardware in the recent Fletcher Wooden Bat Tournament.

The Tigers posted a 6-1 record to improve to 7-3 for the fall season. The wins were over Santa Fe South (11-1), Fletcher (6-1), Sterling (4-3/6-3), Navajo (5-0) and Big Pasture (22-1). 

The loss was to Fletcher by a 3-2 margin.

Nineteen of the team’s 55 hits for the tourney went for extra bases, led by a triple from Trysdan Huffines.

"Come in, come in. What do you know new?"

The Lord called Melvern G. Wilds home all too quickly on Aug. 18, 2025.

Melvern — affectionately known as Melvern, Melvin, M.G. or “Chigger” to his brothers — was born May 1, 1940, to S.C. “Collas” and Clara B. (Sharp) Wilds at the El Reno Sanitorium. He attended Riverside grade school and graduated from El Reno High School in 1958.

David Allan Mitchell, 79, was called to his heavenly home on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Yukon. He was born Jan. 27, 1946, in Oklahoma City to James D. and Betty J. (Jackson) Mitchell.

A 1964 graduate of El Reno High School, David went on to attend Southwestern State University for several years. He then joined the U.S. Army, serving for 3 1/2 years before receiving an honorable discharge.

David moved to Yukon in 1997 and worked for the United States Postal Service as a mail carrier, retiring after 30 years of service.

Rosa (Moore) Reed, 83, of Shawnee, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, at her home. She was born in Harrah, the sixth of seven children born to Ray and Jessie Moore. Rosa was married for 64 years to the love of her life, Hubert (Hub) Reed. 

Graduating from Harrah High School, Redlands College and Southwestern Oklahoma State University prepared her for her teaching position at El Reno High School. After retirement, Rosa and Hub moved to the Johnson Community northeast of Shawnee. 

Funeral services for Patrick Tennyson LeFlore of Geary will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22 at the Geary ERC with Rev. Jay Mule officiating. Burial will follow at the Concho Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Turner Funeral Home, Geary.

Patrick passed away Aug. 18, 2025. He was born March 17, 1974, in Lawton. He graduated from Riverside Indian School and lived in Oklahoma for most of his life.

The Midway and Carnival at the 2025 Canadian County Free Fair opened Wednesday. It will be open each day through Saturday. Times and ticket prices vary per day.

The 2025 Canadian County Fair got under way Monday with the annual 4H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) Farmhand Olympics event.

The event features three divisions based on age. Contestants compete as teams and take part in events such as roping, sack race, egg carry (with a spoon), wheelbarrow obstacle course and water bucket fill.

Del went to be with the Lord on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. She was born Feb. 25, 1939, to Faye and Arleigh Calvert in Shawnee.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Cliff Sturdivant; sister, Patti Mason; and brother, Arleigh “Sonny” Calvert.