News

Children will soon be trading in the chimes of neighborhood ice cream trucks for the bells of school as summer vacation gives way to the start of a new academic year. August through September is prime back-to-school season, with children all across the country stocking their backpacks and shopping for new school wardrobes.

There is more to getting ready for the start of school than making sure pencils are sharpened and tablets are charged. Parents and children can work together to ensure the transition back to the classroom is as seamless as possible.

Scores of student athletes participate in scholastic sports each year.

Next College Student Athlete (NCSA), an organization that connects young athletes with college coaches, says high school sports in particular provide competitive experiences for nearly 8 million student athletes each year.

Schools follow seasons that determine when certain sports are played in a school year.

The 2024 El Reno Wranglers Open Rodeo was held over the weekend at the Denny-Crump Arena.

El Reno Public Schools teacher/historian Brian Rukes presented last week’s El Reno Now audience with plans for the upcoming Gold Star Plaza unveiling.

The memorial is set to be unveiled Sept. 27 at Memorial Stadium. It will be accompanied by a C-47 flyover and music performed by Paul Staggs, Rukes said. 

The 2024 Oklahoma Indian Nation Powwow Princesses were introduced last week during a reception at Great Plains Bank.

The Cheyenne and Arapaho hosted the colorful and long-running powwow last weekend, attracting throngs of visitors from throughout the region.

WASHINGTON – Osage and Kickapoo citizen Joey Allen still recalls the stories of abuse from the days when he attended the Seneca Indian School in Wyandotte, Okla.

“I talked to a girl one time, she was crying and I asked her what’s the problem. She said, ‘I was abused by one of the teachers,’” said Allen, who attended the Seneca school from 1966-1969.  

One of the nation’s largest operators of new, single-family build-to-rent homes will make its Oklahoma debut when SimplyHome hosts its grand opening at El Reno’s Crimson Lake Estates.

The event is set for Saturday, Aug. 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Located in El Reno at 1508 Crimson Lake Boulevard, Crimson Lake Estates also is SimplyHome’s first community in Oklahoma. 

Grand opening festivities include face painters and a balloon artist, yard games, bounce house, DJ sounds and food truck cuisine available for purchase. 

Students wishing to transfer into El Reno Public Schools for the upcoming year may find there is no vacancy.

Superintendent Matt Goucher handed out a report during the July school board meeting showing the district had just 50 spots open for transfer students throughout all grade levels.

“If a student lives inside the district, then they are ours and we will accommodate them. If they live outside of the district and there is no capacity, then they may get turned down,” said Goucher.

The old caboose located in Mother Road Plaza is one of many historic assets sprinkled through El Reno. 

Over the past few months, volunteers with Preservation El Reno have worked to improve its appearance and prepare it for visitors. 

Amy Neathery of Preservation El Reno said the caboose’s interior boasts “beautiful wood paneling” that just needed a little cleaning.

C. Allen Electric helped with interior and exterior lighting.