The City of El Reno has formally appealed to the state’s highest court District Judge Paul Hesse’s ruling that declared El Reno’s annexation of property into its city limits was mostly invalid.
A “petition in error” was filed Dec. 22, 2025, at the Oklahoma Supreme Court in Oklahoma City. A certificate of appeal signed by Office of the Appellate Courts Clerk Selden Jones was filed Dec. 29 in Canadian County District Court.
Editor’s Note: As we move from 2025 to 2026, we'll take a look back at some of the stories that made headlines locally. This is the final installment looking back at the past year. Happy New Year!
September
El Reno’s animal shelter would be made more friendly for its guests after improvements were mapped out.
City officials gathered with members of the Friends of the El Reno Animal Shelter to celebrate the beginning of those improvements.
A feverish second-half rally fell four points short as Okarche High School’s boys basketball team dropped a 97-93 shootout with Class 6A’s Southmoore in the seventh-place game of the 60th Annual Tournament of Champions.
“Even though we got beat, I was pleased with the way we played. I thought we battled two out of three days really well.
“With the physicality of Class 5A and 6A schools, it was obviously better competition than we’ve played in a long time,” said Okarche head coach Aaron West.
El Reno High Schools boys basketball team will kick off a slate of 11 games in the month of January on Tuesday night with a road trip to Midwest City.
Seven of those games are on the road including trips to Anadarko and Shawnee for tournament play.
Hezakiya Satepauhoodle (15), Kason Haydon (3) and Jacob Nichols (5) will be key players for the 3-5 Indians.
Eryn Roman Nose (4), Juliana Thomas (2), Halli Ferguson (5) and Jaida Richardson (25) will play key roles as the 5-3 Indians return to the court Tuesday night in Midwest City.
Like the EHS boys squad, the girls will play 11 dates in the month of January, four of those inside Jenks Simmons Field House.
Editor’s Note: As we move from 2025 to 2026, we’ll take a look back at some of the stories that made headlines locally. This is the second of three installments looking back at the past year. Happy New Year!
May
Canadian County commissioners discussed the adoption of county building codes. The proposal was discussed but the item was tabled after District 2 Commissioner Lacey Dawson questioned whether the move would be premature.
El Reno police were dispatched to 2713 Estate Drive shortly after midnight Dec. 27 in reference to a report of an assault and battery.
The reporting party said her boyfriend had been injured during a physical altercation.
Police said it was determined a suspect, identified as Brandon Arnold, 43, of El Reno, had fled the scene after the altercation. Police said Arnold was located nearby and detained.
Pictured are Kimberlee Neice, Melanie Harvie, Destiny Espinoza, Giovanni Spencer, Kimberlee Gutierrez, Tymber White, John Henderson, Dede Henderson, Nancy Salsman and Larry Salsman.
They are all volunteers who helped with the recent Community Christmas Shopping Day at Cross Bridge Church.
A total of 386 children of soldiers and children from Canadian County received Christmas gifts through the event.
Larry and Nancy Salsman have organized the event for more than 25 years.
