News

The Pride of El Reno High School Marching Band took part last week in the OSSAA Class 5A Regional Contest in Weatherford.

Performing its show titled The Heist, the band earned an excellent rating from judges. 

Heaston Church held its annual chicken dinner last weekend, feeding more than 400 people in an hour and a half. The tradition started in the 1960s and continues going strong today.

Church volunteers provide everything for the dinner including the set-up, cooking and the cleanup.

Funds raised by the event are donated to charities.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Several western Oklahoma lawmakers have requested state water officials pause the current release of water from Canton Lake to Oklahoma City.

Reps. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, Kenton Patzkowsky, R-Balko, and Sens. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, and Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, asked for the action after it was announced the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was making the release to improve the drinking water supply for the Oklahoma City metro area.

Nearly $600 million in federal funding for Oklahoma projects, including $37 million for improvements to Interstate 35 in McClain County and nearly $35 million for Durant’s water distribution line, could be on the line as lawmakers negotiate the fiscal year 2025 budget once they return to session after the Nov. 5 election.

As lawmakers negotiate a budget for the next fiscal year, appropriators will be deciding what to include. With Rep. Tom Cole as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, most of Oklahoma’s funding requests will have a chance to survive.

LAWSUITS

Citibank N.A. vs. Gary Morren for $6,465.88 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Capital One N.A. vs. Joshua Greninger for $4,256.50 to pay a debt plus interest and costs.

Citibank N.A. vs. Bruce Charest for $4,980.67 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Capital One N.A. vs. Desmond Merrill for $2,773.44 to pay a debt plus interest and costs.

Capital One N.A. vs. Gregory Tate for $3,858.90 to pay a debt plus interest and costs.

With a nod to the past, present and future, El Reno Now last week offered a glimpse of what is happening around town. 

Hosted by the city of El Reno and El Reno Public Schools, the event featured a colorful presentation from the Canadian County Historical Museum as well as updates from City Manager Matt Sandidge, Mayor Steve Jensen and School Superintendent Matt Goucher. 

Vicki Proctor, director of the Canadian County Historical Museum, used a slideshow presentation last week to take the El Reno Now audience on a tour of the museum campus at 300 S. Grand.

Proctor credited volunteers and a “wonderful new board” of directors for helping to pump more life into the museum’s offerings. 

Proctor said the museum recently hosted a bus from Village Tours that came to El Reno to explore the town and especially the locations where several movies have been filmed over the years. 

Residents young and old donned a wide range of Halloween costumes over the weekend for the 2024 El Reno Main Street Association’s Spooktacular event.

A costume contest was held at the Centre Theatre before businesses as well as El Reno fire, police and city staff handed out candy.

There were nearly 40 community and business partners for the event.

El Reno’s Mary Wright's book Shotguns, Shadows and Secrets has been published by Outskirts Press Inc. 

A man who said his name is Nick walked through El Reno last week, hauling a large wooden cross.

The man said he was from Virginia.

He said he stops along his route to stay and visit with homeless people.

He said he spreads the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who listen.