The summer was a welcome sight as El Reno and the area moved into the middle of 2021. The weather was tolerable and the days were longer, giving people the opportunity to enjoy being outdoors and celebrating. And they did.   

JULY

El Reno City Council approved entering into negotiations to possibly purchase 10 acres on SW 27th Street. Mayor Matt White said the property is attractive because it abuts land to the east already owned by the city and it might prove to be a good spot to build a new water tower.

A livestock roping competition was the debut event at the new Canadian County Expo and Event Center.

The Rope the Rockies Oklahoma Championships was the first event held inside the new $15.2 million fairgrounds complex at 3001 Jensen Road.

The Center of Family Love in Okarche celebrated its 40th anniversary by raising more than $860,000 during the organization痴 Gift of Love Virtual Celebration. The event was the eighth in CFL痴 history.

El Reno Regional Airport welcomed youngsters to what was believed to be the first ever aviation camp. Some 16 local youth signed up for the two-day event billed as RQO Aviation Awareness and Discovery Camp.

Children danced barefoot on the lawn at the Canadian County History Museum as adults gathered to enjoy the music of Coyette and the Haywire Band. The evening featured fried-onion hamburgers.

Crews installed two colorful El Reno logo signs in the center of the archways found on Bickford on the campus of El Reno High School. 

Cooler spring temperatures and higher than normal rainfall totals from May through June and into early July caused mosquito populations to explode.

“I had a meeting last week with all the city managers in our region and we are all experiencing similar problems with mosquitoes. It was a problem last year and it seems to be a problem again this year,” said El Reno City Manager Matt Sandidge.

According to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, as of July 12, El Reno had received 12.36 inches of rain over the past 90 days and 15.69 inches for all of 2021. The city had a total of 33.74 inches of rain for all of 2020.

A woman avoided drowning in Lake El Reno after she was pulled from the water by members of both the El Reno Fire and Police Departments.

The fire department had just completed practice for high and swift water rescue when those skills were put to use.

The woman was about 150 feet offshore. Swimming to the rescue were Sgt. Cole Koos and Cpl. Chisum Johnson. In the boat were firefighters Justin Thompson and Kyle Dotson, along with police department's Lt. Brian Elliott and Master Patrolman Steven Kennedy. The officer in charge was ERFD Sgt. A.J. Hunter.

On the recommendation of Superintendent Craig McVay, the El Reno School Board voted 4-0 to give every district employee a $1,000 bonus.

“I've been talking with our staff about ways to reward our staff for a job well done over the last 18 months. I recommend the board use an incentive reward for those employees. That is something that is being considered by a number of school districts nationwide and in Oklahoma,” said McVay.

The city won a federal trails grant that City Planner Dustin Downey said would extend a trail at Lake El Reno. The matching grant will provide the city with $300,000 to extend the trail that now runs along Lake El Reno and Crimson Creek Golf Course.

Todd Ebert is a regular driver on both the Southern and Kentucky Drag Boat Association circuits but has never been to Smoke on the Water.

“We have heard a lot of good things about the races from other drivers,” said Ebert.

To see for himself, Ebert packed up his family recreational vehicle along with two boats and racing supplies, a pair of support trucks and a party of 10 people to make the nearly five-hour, 338-mile trip from his northeast Kansas home of Wamego.

Before ever dropping a boat in Lake El Reno, Ebert spent more than $400 at the Love's Travel Stop at Radio Road to gas up the RV.

“Tourism is big for our community and any community. When we can help bring in an event that is capable of drawing hundreds or more people that we normally might not have is a huge deal,” said El Reno City Manager Matt Sandidge.

Christmas in July delivered in a big way for El Reno's Blessing Baskets.

The sixth annual event held at the Palace Events Center on Banner Road brought in more than $40,000 for the local organization that is dedicated to providing Christmas to area children, as well as school supplies.

AUGUST

Native American Royalty was on hand at the El Reno Municipal Building to help kick off the 31st Annual Oklahoma Indian Nation Pow Wow. The event, held at Concho, featured traditional Native American dance, food, music, a 5K Buffalo Run and entertainment.

The District Attorney痴 Office was hired to oversee and administer Canadian County痴 estimated $28 million award of federal stimulus funds.

Cheyenne and Arapaho Gov. Reggie Wassana said he was pleased with the response of Congressman Frank Lucas when the pair discussed the idea of Fort Reno being transferred back to the Tribes. While Lucas made no promises, Wassana said the meeting was productive.

Downtown El Reno appears set to make another run at establishing a Business Improvement District.

In a unanimous 5-0 vote, the city council hired former City Manager Dan Galloway to serve as a consultant in an effort to create the Business Improvement District. Galloway would be paid $3,000 for his efforts.

Love's Travel Stops opened its tire retread plant and distribution center in El Reno.

The 220,000-square-foot building doubled the size of the one it replaces in Grand Prairie, Texas. The new plant is located on Radio Road, just south of I-40. Love's said the new center would create about 50 jobs.

It's been a long journey.

That's how El Reno Mayor Matt White summed up the efforts to bring a new health-care complex to the community.

The new SSM Health St. Anthony  Healthplex was dedicated at Crossroads Pointe, the development just off U.S. 81 and north of I-40.

The road had been a long one, but after delays created by none other than COVID, the new healthplex was open for business. 

SEPTEMBER

A crowd estimated at more than 20,000 people visited the 67th Annual Canadian County Free Fair.

The fair was held at the new Canadian County Expo and Event Center, 3001 Jensen Road East.

“It was a tremendous success,” Canadian County Fair Board Chairman Kelly Beck said. “This year's fair was just very exciting and something for us to build on. We look forward to growing it.”

A group of people involved in the million-dollar renovation of Memorial Stadium gathered to celebrate the improvements. A few hours later they learned the El Reno High School football game scheduled for that Friday night would be canceled because of COVID.

School board members Dallas Curtis, Brad Baker and Curtis Blanc were on hand for the celebration. Curtis was singled out by Superintendent Craig McVay for his efforts in pushing the project forward.

Assistant Superintendent Matt Goucher was also credited with helping to keep the project alive, as was head football coach Chuck Atchison.

“This is the largest single investment in athletics in El Reno school history,” McVay said.

El Reno would dedicate the new Rock Island overpass.

The event featured the El Reno High School Band and comments from longtime attorney Dean Rinehart as well as members of the El Reno Cruisers driving their classic automobiles over the bridge that replaced the structure that was completed in the 1940s after World War II. The project was halted during the war, finally completed around 1946. But time had taken its toll.

Tim Gatz, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, was also on hand for the dedication of the new $9 million structure.

Mayor Matt White and City Manager Matt Sandidge were credited with helping add local El Reno touches to the structure, including making sure motorists knew they were traveling on the historical Route 66. 

The sounds of charging horses, rattling sabers and pistols firing returned to the parade grounds at Historic Fort Reno as the 2021 U.S. Cavalry Association's Bivouac and National Competition returned.

“It's good to be back,” said U.S. Cavalry Association President Bill Tempero.

The event was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time the competition was not held since the association moved its national headquarters to Fort Reno.

Canadian County Health Department would host a vaccination event at the new Canadian County Fairgrounds.