News

An architectural firm will be paid a $260,300 fee to help determine the scope and location of Canadian County’s future courthouse complex.

MA+ Architecture was hired in April to prepare design plans for a new Canadian County Courthouse/Administration Building that would house all judicial and most county government offices.

During the programming phase, the architect team will interview representatives of all Canadian County offices and divisions.

Harvesting equipment for Crowly Farms remained silent over the weekend as rains forced stoppage in the collection process of winter wheat crops.

Owner Mike Crowly says he hopes to get into his fields later this week as farmers are also facing the prospect of greening of their fields interfering with the harvest.

Crowly said the Calumet area had over an inch of weekend rain and more fell on the county Monday.

Canadian County Public Library Consortium members recently received a boost from the Educational Facilities Authority, which awarded about $84,575 to those libraries to help fund operations and purchase specialized items.

Canadian County’s libraries – located in El Reno, Piedmont, Mustang and Yukon – collectively have the goal to “bring free education, information and programming to all Canadian County residents … to offer services residents have come to expect from larger library systems.”

Felony charges have been filed against a longtime Mustang educator accused of sexually abusing a female student.

Canadian County Assistant District Attorney Taylor Brown in May filed six felony counts against 60-year-old Raymond Thomas Garner – two each of second-degree rape and sexual battery, forcible sodomy and rape by instrumentation.

LAWSUITS

Joe Cooper Ford of Yukon LLC vs. Kenneth James Strickler, L1C4 Holdings LLC, DakMak Group LLC and KamKad Automotive Holdings LLC for an amount in excess of $75,000 for alleged compensatory and punitive damages.

Jon Franke vs. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company for an amount less than and not to exceed $75,000 for alleged compensatory and punitive damages.

Tinker Federal Credit Union vs. Jordan Buckmaster for $24,542.05 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

El Reno opened its arms wide to car enthusiasts at the 25th A Small Town Weekend. Some 8,000 people attended the two-day event last weekend, said Keith Ward, president of the El Reno Cruisers, hosts for the event.

The event was free to spectators looking for family-fun activities. Most action took place at Adams Park along historic Route 66.

“People of all walks of life come out and want to see the old cars and cruise the strip and you know, cook out and just get together,” said Mayor Steve Jensen.

An El Reno man who served Canadian County for more than 40 years is being honored as the first inductee in the Canadian County Junior Livestock Show Hall of Fame.

Ted Mittlestaedt contributed 43 years of service to the Canadian County Fair Board – first as a member and then for 33 years as the secretary.

“Half of my life has been dedicated to the county,” said Mittlestaedt, who retired July 1, 2019.

“I greatly appreciate this honor of being the first inducted into the Fair Board’s Hall of Fame. It means a whole lot to me.”

Add another festival to El Reno’s busy spring and summer schedule as the El Reno Arts Council unveils the inaugural Art Mix on 66: El Reno’s Music and Art Festival.

The event is set for June 24-25 in Adams Park. Organizers say the event will be jam-packed with vendors and entertainment.

Sue Johnson, president of the Arts Council, said the stage in Adams Park will be occupied both days with bands and performers of varying genres.

Canadian County’s four largest cities have received just over $10 million of the county’s $28.8 million federal stimulus awarded for water and sewer projects.

County commissioners approved distributions totaling $10,006,630 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to these municipalities:

◆ City of Mustang – $2,802,612

◆City of El Reno – $2,438,044

◆ City of Yukon – $3,725,438

◆ City of Piedmont – $1,040,536

The University of Oklahoma has spent more than $1 million investigating claims of bogus financial reports and sexual harassment by David Boren, its former president who stepped down in 2018, but continues to stonewall efforts to make the findings public.

Instead, the university has spent the last two years arguing in court that the Oklahoma taxpayers who funded the investigation have no right to see the resulting documents, and OU officials have even appeared to suggest the state’s Open Records law does not apply to most records at any state-funded agency or entity.