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El Reno is a small, car-loving town that puts on a big classic car festival every year. A Small Town Weekend, set for June 6-8, is expected to attract as many as 10,000 people. The weekend pays tribute over the three days to classic cars and historic Route 66. 

During the festival, visitors will see about 200 highly polished classic autos, witness a cruise along the legendary Route 66, watch their kids compete in Power Wheels and Hot Wheels races, and hope for lots of smoking wheels during the burnout and drag race contests. 

Editor’s Note: El Reno City Council was scheduled to meet June 3 for a budget planning session. Below is a letter from City Manager Matt Sandidge explaining the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The new fiscal year begins July 1. 

May 22, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Matt Sandidge, City Manager
RE: FY 2026 Budget Message

El Reno residents are weighing in on proposed improvements to Lake El Reno and Adams Park and so far most of the response has been favorable. 

Amy Smith, El Reno’s Field Services Director, said residents took part in an online survey and the results will be compiled and presented to the city council for proposed adoption at an upcoming council meeting. Smith said one more public survey is expected to be presented before the final plan is submitted to the city. 

The city hired Halff, an engineering and design firm, that specializes in municipal projects. 

Beginning Friday night and lasting through Sunday, El Reno’s Route 66 corridor is expected to be buzzing with vehicles of all makes and models for the 27th Annual A Small Town Weekend.

The City of El Reno’s newly opened The Filling Station is expected to be a popular place for photos.

In the late hours of what was functionally its final day of regular session, the Oklahoma Legislature voted in supermajorities to remove Allie Friesen as commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

The inherently tense situation escalated past the point of no return when Gov. Kevin Stitt issued a statement targeting the wife of a senator — leading some legislators to question if the governor was any more fit to lead than Friesen.

In recent rulings, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones of the Western District of Oklahoma has taken diametrically opposite stances regarding requests for plaintiffs in lawsuits to have their identities kept anonymous.

When a lawsuit was recently filed on behalf of illegal immigrants, Jones granted anonymity, saying the plaintiffs had reason to fear being arrested for their illegal activity if identified by name.

Barbara O’Neal and Vera Mae Morse slowly walked beside a long row of graves inside the El Reno Cemetery, carefully studying the names on the markers and watching American flags placed nearby waving in the breeze.

The pair stopped at a white granite headstone that listed the name Private Robert A. Morse.

“He was my brother-in-law,” said Morse.

Otis Bruce says it’s probably just history repeating itself.

He figures that’s why El Reno claims to have recently celebrated the 37th Annual Fried Onion Burger Day Festival. Bruce says the 2025 festival was actually the 36th rendition. 

“I think it’s like what happened in 1889,” said Bruce, now retired and former longtime owner of Johnnie’s Grill. “It’s just the Sooners jumping the gun again, only this time it was in 1989.”

OKLAHOMA CITY — People convicted of sex offenses against children can be sentenced to death or life without parole on their first offense under a new law signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt.  

Senate Bill 599, authored by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, allows prosecutors to pursue the death penalty for the rape of a child under 14 for first-time offenders.

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