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, agriculture and other hands-on projects where “they never know they’re learning, and they have the best time.”

“I want them to have confidence in themselves that they can do hard things,” Bennett said.

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.  

Even supporters of SQ 832 concede it will increase Oklahoma employers’ labor costs by anywhere from $783 million to $1 billion annually. They tout this as a good thing, but ignore a fundamental question: Where do businesses get their money? The answer: from their customers.

MUNICIPAL COURT

Tori 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, Oklahoma City, driving without license issued, $252.

Christopher Sells, El Reno, failure to yield from stop sign, $195.

Kaila Delgado, El Reno, driving without license issued, $252.

Brittany Bowen, Enid, speeding, $165.

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. 

Roy died June 11, 2026, at Integris Hospice House in Oklahoma City. He was born Feb. 24, 1955, in Dapitan City, Philippines.

He was a bank manager and member of Dauin Catholic Church, Dauin, Philippines.

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. Organized by the El Reno Cruisers with support from local civic groups, the event combined family entertainment with fundraising for charitable causes. 

Young Racers Take the Track

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. 

Council voted 5-0 to name Brown the interim manager starting June 20. Sandidge will serve his last day as El Reno manager on June 19. He will be available for consultation until July 10. 

Small towns are the engines of Route 66. As one of the highway’s proud destinations, El Reno once again demonstrated why it remains a favorite stop along the Mother Road during the 28th Annual A Small Town Weekend festival.

Drawing approximately 6,500 visitors, it became the biggest Route 66 event in Oklahoma.

In addition to Power Wheels and Hot Wheels competitions, a car show and burnout, the hosting El Reno Cruisers held city-wide cruises and drag racing on Route 66 and added a special Route 66 Centennial event – autocross racing. 

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. 

District 1 County Commissioner Tom Manske, along with officials from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, engineers and representatives from Frontier Bridge gathered at the site Tuesday morning to break ground on the project.

Also at the ceremony was a woman whose father was killed in a traffic accident at 66 and Banner.