News

El Reno’s Blessing Baskets was the recipient of the latest generosity provided by the Power of 100 Canadian County.

The Canadian County women’s organization last week presented a check for $18,000 to the El Reno nonprofit. Donna Dyer, director of community relations for Blessing Baskets, accepted the donation.

The oversized check was presented at the Learning Center where Blessing Baskets was holding its senior citizens monthly grocery distribution.

While they still have a few more days of school remaining, El Reno High School held its graduation ceremony Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

There were 218 seniors making up the Class of 2023.

Speeches were heard from the seven students earning either valedictorian or salutatorian honors.

Memorial Day services will be held in El Reno, Fort Reno and Union City on Monday, May 29.

In El Reno, American Legion Post 34 will direct this year’s service. The Legion and VFW Post 382 alternate coordination of the annual ceremony each year.

Michael Pruitt, acting commander at the American Legion, said the service is set for 11 a.m. at the El Reno Cemetery.

Gaylord News In-depth reporters have spent the past year producing a one-hour television show marking the anniversary of the 2013 Moore and El Reno tornadoes that killed 33 people.

“Hell in the Heartland: 10 Years” examines those traumatic two weeks in May and explores what has happened in the years following the storms that changed Oklahoma forever. 

Initially developed five years ago as part of a student’s service-learning project, the Redlands Community College Student Food Pantry opened its doors to meet the needs of its students who were experiencing food insecurity.

Now, as one of six Oklahoma public colleges and universities selected to receive an inaugural grant through the Oklahoma Hunger-Free Campus Act pilot program, Redlands intends to expand the service and streamline the operation.

Dolores Williams and Cynthia Bennett were longtime educators with El Reno Public Schools. When these two women passed away, their families asked that memorials be sent to El Reno Public School Foundation, focusing on Rose Witcher and Hillcrest libraries.

Understanding the impact these two had on all grade levels, the Foundation requested a grant from the Mary Kay Ashbrook Foundation

Last week’s annual Letter Carriers Food Drive delivered in a good way.

Letter carrier Janice Cox coordinates the drive for El Reno. The food donated by the community and picked up by local letter carriers goes to The Lord’s Harvest food ministry. This year’s total of more than 5,300 pounds of food is in line with previous years, said Nikki Pruitt, founder and director of The Lord’s Harvest. Pruitt said she expects more donated food to arrive later.

“We usually get another 200 to 300 pounds of food donated later, after the drive,” Pruitt said.

The 2023 valedictorians for El Reno High School are Bailey Denwalt, Brady Hardaway, Hayden Hefner, Tanner McDaniel, Madison Patswald and Ty Vincent.

These students earned this distinction by obtaining all A’s during their high school career and taking 13 Pre-AP and AP courses with an AP course in each core subject.

Abigail Fraire is the 2023 salutatorian. She took the same number of Pre-AP and AP classes and has the next highest GPA.