March 2026

Brian Rukes is looking for old yearbooks from various El Reno schools and other items that pertain to history here.

In a recent email to school personnel, the District Historian wrote:

“The different schools in El Reno Public Schools through the years have occasionally put together yearbooks for these schools. I would love to have a copy of each of these from years past to add to our ERPS Archives collection.”

Rukes said he has some Roblyer yearbooks, but not most of the more recent ones.

On July 14, 1929, Marie Elizabeth Dittmer was welcomed into the world, the seventh of eight children born to Herman and Murl (Roberts) Dittmer.

She had, despite arriving at the beginning of the Great Depression, an idyllic childhood at Cardinal Crest, the home her father built to raise his large family. 

After graduating from Colorado Women’s College, Marie returned to El Reno where she began her secretarial career at First Christian Church. She married Kendall Maxey, and from this union her daughters, Suzan Marie Maxey and Nancy Diane Maxey-Barbieri were born. 

When financial services website WalletHub announced its annual list of states education systems, Oklahoma’s ranking became instantly quotable by politicians on all sides.  

OKLAHOMA CITY — Everywhere House Speaker Kyle Hilbert goes, the topic of childhood literacy follows.

Hilbert, R-Bristow, said improving Oklahoma’s elementary reading scores is “top of the agenda for me,” and he’s been telling everyone who will listen.  

“Every single event that I’m asked to go to or every single question that I’m asked where it’s economic development, tourist-related, you name it, I talk about reading because it applies to everything,” he told news reporters last month.

LAWSUITS

Bank of Oklahoma vs. Shane Freeland for $1,027.71 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Capital One N.A. vs. Amanda Duncan for $3,905.86 to pay a debt plus interest and costs.

Capital One N.A. vs. Madison Brincefield for $2,519.99 to pay a debt plus interest and costs.

Capital One N.A. vs. Cody Srock for $7,053.49 to pay a debt plus interest and costs.

Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC vs. John Samara for $2,091.68 to pay a debt plus interest and costs.

The numbers and placing game worked against El Reno High School’s efforts to win a state title during the 2026 Oklahoma Powerlifting Coaches Association’s Large School State Championships.

El Reno added one lifter from a late at-large bid but still competed with seven overall, resulting in a fourth-place team finish with 30 points in the Class 5A division.

The Indians earned those points in two weights.

For the first time in five seasons, Redlands Community College advanced both teams to the semifinals of the NJCAA Region 2 Basketball Championships.

However, both teams were eliminated from the tourney a game short of title shots and tickets to the NJCAA National Championships.

The Redlands women, the third seed for regional, defeated Connors State (63-39) in the quarterfinals but fell to second-seeded Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (55-45) in the semifinals.

Battling a tough Bailey Ranch layout in Owasso, Redlands Community College women’s golf team finished as runner-up in the 2026 Hillcats Classic.

Rogers State, the host, won the 36-hole event with a 612 tally, followed by Redlands with a 649 after rounds of 322 and 327.

Indian Hills Community College, out of Iowa, was third, eight shots back of the Cougars at 657.

Ivanna Gerez led Redlands with a 157 effort (79/78), which placed her sixth in the individual medalist chase. Sophia Blake was a shot back (80/78) with a 158 to take seventh.

Services for Otis Marshall Baker will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 at Hinton Turner Funeral Home Chapel with Reverends Leo Bradley, Gary Miller and Sharon Miller officiating. Services were under the direction of Turner Funeral Home, Hinton.

Marshall passed away March 11, 2026, in Oklahoma City. He was born March 6, 1936, in Welty. He served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and was an auto body painting expert.

He was a member of Victory Christian Fellowship in Yukon.