News

History pays, especially history that attracts tourism dollars. Last week the city learned it had been awarded a grant of more than $1.2 million by the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission. The funds will be used to transform the eyesore of an old service station at 120 S. Choctaw into what’s expected to be a tourism magnet.

City Manager Matt Sandidge told the audience at the El Reno Now gathering, the restoration project will create an attraction that both local residents as well as the entire state of Oklahoma “can be proud of.”

Cheyenne and Arapaho artists are well-represented in “Into the Mirror,” which opened March 30 at the Oklahoma History Center. The exhibit features 20 Native artists whose works are part of the museum’s permanent collection.

The earliest work in the exhibit was created by Cheyenne artist Buffalo Meat in 1878 while imprisoned at Fort Marion in Florida.

El Reno High School student Brailyn Phiefer makes a few glamour poses as she walks the red carpet leading into the EHS prom last week in downtown El Reno.

The theme for this year's event was “The Golden Gala.”

See additional photos in an upcoming edition.

The Canadian County Health Department will host a Pool School Class for community members interested in pool safety and maintenance from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 2 at Mustang Parks and Recreation, 1201 N. Mustang Road.

This class provides essential insights into maintaining pool safety standards and ensuring the well-being of pool users and the community. Attendees will learn from industry experts and gain valuable knowledge to elevate their pool safety practices.

As has often been the case in recent sessions of the Oklahoma Legislature, a primary area of difference in House and Senate budget negotiations involves common education funding.

To that end, the two chambers are around $115 million apart on crafting the State Department of Education budget for Fiscal Year 2025, but both proposals are relatively flat compared to last year’s historic increase.