September 2025

Doubles by Mia Gambel and Kamryn Cook and a triple from Rylee Zacharias helped fuel state-ranked Union City High School’s fast-pitch softball team to a 9-1 win over Calumet.

The victory was the first step in earning bragging rights among the Canadian County small schools and the Tigers need to defeat Okarche to do so. 

Union City, ranked 14th in Class A, moved to 12-4 on the season with the win, which came on the heels of a shutout over Navajo (16-0).

Both Union City and Calumet High School’s baseball teams have been playing against a stacked schedule of ranked opponents in the last week while dodging rainstorms to get in the games.

Union City was ranked No.8 this week in the latest Class A-2 poll with a 10-8 record after dropping three of five games to ranked squads in Dover (7th 7/B) 5-1, Drummond (10th/B) 5-4 and Amber-Pocasset (11th/2A) 11-1.

The Tigers defeated Glencoe (6-0) and Cheyenne/Reydon (13-1).

Dean Watson, age 82, left his earthly body on July 5, 2025, in Bethany, Oklahoma.

He will be dearly missed.

Dean was a gentle, caring, loving son, father, brother, grandfather and uncle. 

He was born July 31, 1943, in Carnegie, Oklahoma, to parents, Delbert and Nella Faye Watson. He attended school in Mountain View and Clinton, where his mother taught high school English and his father was the principal of the elementary school. Story is they did not “go easy” on him, he would joke it was quite the opposite!

A graveside service for Marlene Walker-Payne will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8 at the Concho Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Marlene died Sept. 1, 2025, in El Reno.

Citing the need for a “change in direction” within its volleyball program, El Reno Public Schools Athletic Director Rodney Haydon said Kristen Koehler has been removed as head coach mid-season.

“We felt like we needed a change in direction and decided to make a move at this time. We will try to make it as easy of a transition as possible for the players over the rest of the year.

“We want to give them the best opportunity moving forward to get through the season,” said Haydon.

The Route 66 stories just keep coming. 

A native Oklahoman, now living in Arkansas, has created a series of watercolor paintings of scenes found along the famous road that cuts through Oklahoma. 

Joseph Buchanan is originally from Elk City. He earned a degree in Arts Education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. 

More than 100 firefighters from El Reno, El Reno Federal Correctional Institution, Geary, Okarche, Richland and Union City took part in a three-day training session at the Canadian County Administration Building, which is set to be demolished to make space for the new county courthouse.

El Reno sent 27 through the training, which was set up by Canadian County Safety Coordinator and Emergency Manager Blake Foster.

Tammy McKee of Yukon was named the 2025 Outstanding Canadian County Citizen during this year’s Canadian County Free Fair. 

McKee was presented with a certificate and the winning cookie jar fair entry, made by Frisco OHCE of El Reno. 

McKee was nominated by Tresa Smith. Below is Smith’s nomination letter: 

It is my great honor to nominate Tammy McKee. Tammy and her husband, Mike are both Canadian County retired educators. Tammy has volunteered in numerous ways in the county. She serves on the board at Compassionate Sharing in Yukon.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Several of Oklahoma’s general aviation airports will see safety and infrastructure updates after the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics commissioners approved 18 projects across the state.

In addition, commissioners approved the aerospace education funding framework which staff will utilize throughout the next fiscal year.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority launched a statewide campaign encouraging all Oklahomans to make one lifesaving decision every time they get in a vehicle: buckle up. 

Kicking off on Labor Day and continuing throughout September, the campaign titled “Never Skip the Click” comes in response to Oklahoma’s low seat belt usage rate, currently just 86 percent, far below the national average of 91 percent.

In fact, NHTSA data from 2023 ranked Oklahoma 44th in the nation for seat belt use.