News

For April’s observance of Child Abuse Awareness Month, Canadian County’s child advocacy center is looking to the community for support as more youth victims come for help.

The Child Abuse Response Team (C.A.R.T.) provides a trauma-informed, child-friendly environment for child victims of abuse and neglect and those who have witnessed domestic violence.

More children than ever are coming to the C.A.R.T. House in El Reno, near the Canadian County Courthouse.

An El Reno man was killed Friday night in a three-vehicle traffic collision on Interstate 40 in Yukon.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the fatal crash, which occurred about 7:03 p.m. April 12 on eastbound I-40 at Czech Hall Road in eastern Canadian County.

El Reno’s Creed Felton, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene due to an injury suffered in the collision.

A 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer driven by El Reno’s Arron Whiteman, 27, was stopped on the outside shoulder due to a collision in the roadway, according to an OHP report.

In a continued effort to address the state’s workforce needs while maximizing resources, the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma and Redlands Community College are expanding their partnership to provide greater career readiness support, increase the number of graduates with associate and bachelor degrees and grow the teacher pipeline.

“We are excited to announce the expansion of our collaborative efforts with Redlands Community College, aimed at enriching educational pathways and fortifying workforce readiness,” said USAO President Kayla Hale.

A building committee with representatives from all Canadian County departments is being formed as development of a new four-story courthouse on North Choctaw moves to the next stage.

Site work is due to start in June 2025, with construction kicking off in September 2025, construction manager Stan Lingo told Canadian County commissioners this week.

The new building should be completed “early in the third quarter” of 2027 before county personnel move into the new site, Lingo said.

One Canadian County officer will win a new four-year term without an election.

Meanwhile, voters will decide who will represent them starting in January 2025 in three other Canadian County elected offices.

Candidate filing was April 3-5 for county sheriff, county clerk, court clerk and District 2 commissioner.

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, has become the first Native American to chair the House Appropriations Committee and the first congressional member representing Oklahoma to do so. First elected to Congress in 2003, Cole is the longest-serving Native American in congressional history.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a pair of lawsuits last week against natural gas pipeline firms, alleging the companies helped bid up the price of natural gas to the highest levels in history during a winter storm in February 2021. 

LAWSUITS

American Express National Bank vs. Yvette Crusha for $11,193.34 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

American Express National Bank vs. Josh Walker Homes LLC for $215,302.92 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Valliance Bank vs. Kingdom Home Builders Inc. for $328,630.41 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees and foreclosure of mortgage on Lot 3, Block 19, Montereau Phase 3 Addition, Oklahoma City.

Millions of Oklahomans looked toward the sky last week to watch the solar eclipse.

Parts of southeastern Oklahoma viewed a total eclipse, while much of the state, like El Reno, viewed in the 90 percent range.

Rumors that the city of El Reno is out to do away with A Small Town Weekend are greatly exaggerated.

That was the message from City Councilman Dr. Brian Shafer at last week’s council meeting.

While city leaders said the popular Route 66 event is important for the community in a number of ways, there are liability concerns.

Especially with the Sunday afternoon drag races.

City Manager Matt Sandidge said drag racing on Route 66 “gives our public safety officials and legal counsel concern.”