News

El Reno High School held an assembly last week to honor the four El Reno students who represented the district at the 2023 Special Olympics Oklahoma Summer Games held in Stillwater.

A memorial honoring four Canadian County deputies who died in service to the county will be dedicated during a public ceremony Monday.

Sheriff Chris West said the 11 a.m. dedication will be on the east side of the Canadian County Courthouse, south of the main entrance.

OKLAHOMA CITY – El Reno resident Jerry Stafford was recognized as the Veteran of the Week in the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Monday by Reps. Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon, Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, and Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont.

Stafford enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 18 and served from 1955 to 1965 aboard the USS Ranger aircraft carrier, hanging bombs, rockets and nuclear weapons.

The family of the late Cliff Johnson donated this horse-drawn road grader to the Canadian County Historical Museum last week.

The grader was said to have been used to help build portions of Route 66.
 

After weeks of negotiations, Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders announced they have reached an agreement on a public school funding plan that also clears the way for enactment of a major expansion of school choice in Oklahoma.

“Right now, we’re not top 10 in education,” Stitt said. “And so that’s why I appreciate the House and the Senate for investing in education and introducing school choice and more options, more schools.”

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Grey Lynn Mustion, 25; Bailey Renee Robertson, 22.

Eric Ramone Williams Jr., 33; Karen Nallely Balleza Ortiz, 30.

Patrick J. Yeary, 53; Stacy Ruth Martindale, 56.

William Chadwick Long, 50; Angela Shae Stewart Cox, 45.

Harrison Indiana Stone, 25; Darby Elizabeth Haynes, 23.

Jeffery Dale Ivie, 33; Melanie Brianna Gronquist, 30.

Monty Gavin, 76; Janet Allien Gilson, 81.

Carmen Guzman, 35; Tara Danielle Hodges, 36.

Dave Douglas Davidson Jr., 39; Jessica Dawn Crawford, 37.

Demolition crews tore down this building on South Country Club Road last week.

The building most recently housed a quick stop and national food chain location.

The site is being cleared for a drive-thru coffee business.
 

Despite heavy overnight rains, the 2023 Mary K. Ashbrook Kids Fishing Derby brought out young anglers of all ages to the banks of Lake El Reno.

The event is organized and conducted by the El Reno Sportsman’s Club.

The El Reno City Council moved forward on a number of projects at last week’s regular monthly meeting and agreed to alter the office hours at City Hall over the summer.

The new summer hours will be Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Friday, offices will open at 7:30 and will close at 11:30 a.m.

City Manager Matt Sandidge said the new hours will take effect May 30 and will run to Labor Day. He said a number of municipal governments have gone to this format and are finding success with it, including Mustang.

El Reno’s T.J. Dill has been named chief engineer for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

In his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing engineering, construction, maintenance, right-of-way and utilities along Oklahoma turnpikes.

Dill, a graduate of El Reno High School, earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at Oklahoma State University. He joined OTA in 2020 as the Director of Construction.