December 2023

Throughout his high school and college careers, Dallas Curtis was the type of football player that thrived on keeping his emotions in check and let his play on the field do all the talking.

However, the El Reno High School alumni could hardly contain those emotions as he sat in the crowd and listened to six influential “friends” heap praise on the standout linebacker.

Curtis was inducted into the Northeastern Oklahoma State University’s Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023.

Jennifer Douglas was full of happiness after unwrapping her presents under the family’s Christmas tree.

Yet there is one gift the El Reno High School girls basketball coach really wanted but will have to wait until March to hopefully have a chance to unwrap – a gold championship ball.

“I would take for sure that present,” said Douglas.

El Reno has been tabbed as one of the odds-on favorites to win the Class 5A state championship and has looked dominating at times over the 2023 portion of the Indians schedule.

Canadian County motorists will start the new year off right when a permanent upgrade to the State Highway 66/Banner Road intersection is due to commence.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has confirmed a Jan. 2 start date for long-awaited improvements to this intersection – which will remain a four-way stop.

“The project will mill and overlay the roads, add additional lighting through the intersection, add rumble strips, new striping and new signs,” ODOT spokesman Bryce Boyer said.

Players from different grade levels for El Reno Public Schools girls basketball program spent the first day of the holiday break helping pack food boxes for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

Players were assigned a project aimed to help the Chickasaw Nation’s Packed Promise Program.

They completed 301 boxes of food weighing 9,632 pounds which will provide 8,026 meals according to the food bank.

The Department of Human Services wants to lease part of a county-owned building in downtown El Reno.

County commissioners will obtain construction cost estimates to remodel the building at 100 S. Rock Island, that now houses the Canadian County Health Department.

“DHS has reached out to the county,” said Commissioner David Anderson. “We’re at a point where they’re asking us to engage a contractor, get some estimates together and then tell them what we would lease the space to them for.”

Canadian County CASA Inc. (Court Appointed Special Advocates) recently welcomed its newest volunteers.

Lynn Rodrigues, Talor Anderson and Savannah Carnes made the extraordinary commitment to give their time to help abused and neglected children in our community.

Judge Bob Hughey swore in our new volunteers. They have just been appointed to their first CASA case and are excited to begin their journey in becoming a valuable advocate for children in need.

Though El Reno High School’s wrestling team placed only one grappler in the top 10 during the recent Kansas City Stampede, the entire roster got what was needed the most – mat time.

El Reno took 12 wrestlers to the meet, with each weight posting two matches or more. In total, the team logged 50 matches and placed 38th overall with 60.5 points.

“It was very important to get that mat time. We are a younger team that will improve each week.

“We did not lay down the second day and continued to wrestle tough,” said El Reno head coach Anthony McDonald.