June 2026

OKLAHOMA CITY — Rather than having desks and chairs, Kasey Bennett’s classroom is “one giant makerspace.”The 2026 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year has a long work station in her room at Northwest Heights Elementary in Durant where her students learn robotics, electrical circuits, computer coding,...

Supporters of a proposal to build a $4 billion aluminum plant at the Port of Inola aren’t packing town hall meetings. They aren’t cheering on the attorney general’s lawsuit to try to block the development. They aren’t booing Gov. Kevin Stitt’s calls to reduce America’s reliance on foreign metal.  

Under State Question 832, the minimum wage in Oklahoma will more than double from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour by 2029 and then continue rising every year based on the cost of living in the nation’s largest urban centers.

MUNICIPAL COURTTori Davis, El Reno, expired tag, $165.Collis Hendley, Villa Rica, Ga., expired tag, $130.Mario Stumblingbear, El Reno, expired tag, $165.Samuel Aguina Ibarra, El Reno, driving without license issued, $252.Reece Dean, Kingfisher, improper turn and speeding, $340.Jordy Martinez,...

El Reno High School’s girls basketball program recently held its 2026 Youth Skills Camp at the Jenks Simmons Field House Annex.More than 50 campers took part in the three-day event which taught dribbling, passing and shooting along with daily contests.

Mass of Christian Burial for Sergio Roy Alabata will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 16 at Sacred Heart Church with Rev. Lance Warren officiating.Burial will be in the Dauin Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

The 28th Annual A Small Town Weekend started on a roll with Power Wheels and Hot Wheels races for children, followed by a car show and burnout for adults.

Police Chief Ken Brown will serve as interim El Reno city manager while the city council works to find a replacement for Matt Sandidge. Sandidge is leaving after six years as manager and three years as assistant manager. He is leaving to take a position in the private sector.

Small towns are the engines of Route 66.

Work is expected to begin in the coming weeks on a new $1.5 million bridge on Banner Road, just east of SH 66. The bridge crosses Purcell Creek, which has a history of flooding during heavy rain.