April 2026

With a bye in the district round of the upcoming Class A-2 playoffs, Union City High School is resting the arm of star right-hander Aiden Williams in the final games of the regular season.

It seems Williams’ bat didn't get the memo.

Williams went 3-for-4 from the plate including a game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth as the Tigers rallied to defeat Class 2A-1’s seventh-ranked Christian Heritage Academy 10-8.

The Tigers, ranked fourth in the state, moved to 19-3 on the year.

After beating Murray State 16-6 in the series opener, Redlands Community College’s baseball team awoke a sleeping dog.

Aggies won the final three games by a combined 46-5 margin to sweep the series over the Cougars and retain the second spot in the West Division of the NJCAA Region 2, Division II standings.

Meanwhile, Redlands slipped to 18-32 on the season and into a tie with Carl Albert State College and Northern Oklahoma College of Enid for third place in the West at 9-11.

The Cougars close out West action with four games against Carl Albert.

Brian Jamison Broyles, 37 years old, from Oklahoma City, passed away April 19, 2026, after a lengthy illness.

Brian was born Dec. 14, 1988, in Oklahoma City to Jamie and Markita Broyles of El Reno. He was raised, baptized and married in the Presbyterian Church. He attended grade school and high school in El Reno and college at OU, where he obtained a commercial pilot’s license and instrument instructor certification.

El Reno’s Fast Connect Internet service now has 785 customers as more build-out of the high speed network continues. 

Zach McLemore, Technology Services director, provided a report to the city council at last week’s meeting. 

McLemore said the build-out will move to the downtown area following the May 2 Burger Day Festival. He said Phase 4 of the Crimson Lake Estates is under way as well as continued work in the Settler’s Crossing housing area. 

Redlands Community College took center stage at last week’s El Reno Now gathering. 

The two-year community college, said President Dr. Jena Marr, is one of the area’s largest employers and generated more than $69 million in total economic output. 

Marr was joined in the presentation by Annie Pearson, vice president of Academic Affairs and Dr. Kacey Daniels, executive director of Student Services. 

Marr said Oklahoma has a dozen two-year community colleges which serve 35 percent of the state’s college students. 

El Reno High School’s baseball and soccer programs honored youth teams in their respective sports last week during home dates.
 

Sacred Heart Catholic School sixth-graders volunteered at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma last week.

The class was helping process frozen potatoes to be distributed to families throughout western Oklahoma, including El Reno. 

The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma works with The Lord’s Harvest to serve those with food insecurity in the El Reno community.

The students packed 1,485, two-pound bags for a total of 2,475 meals.  

The Redlands Community College Academic Team has been a top contender at the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT), and this year the team sent three squads to compete in Chicago.

The A team secured a fifth-place finish among the nation’s top 24 community college teams in the two-day competition.

Team member Riley Ray of El Reno finished in a tie for second individual overall, which is the highest finish in the history of the Redlands program.

El Reno Mayor Steve Jensen presents an envelope with $580 to Nikki Pruitt of The Lord’s Harvest. The presentation came at the conclusion of last week’s El Reno Now breakfast.

Pruitt joked with Jensen that he needed to volunteer again for the dunk tank sponsored by The Lord’s Harvest at the upcoming Burger Day Festival.

Jensen volunteered last year and after the experience, called the dunk tank “a young man's game.”

He then added, “But you never know, I might be up there again.”

Third-grade students from Holy Trinity Catholic School in Okarche converged on The Lord’s Harvest last week.

The youngsters helped Nikki Pruitt and her volunteers prepare for the senior food distribution.

Holy Trinity students make several trips a year to help with the El Reno food ministry created and operated by Pruitt.