News

Canadian County’s elected officers are due to receive a salary increase Jan. 1, 2023.

A resolution establishing a base pay for county elected officers, pursuant to Oklahoma state statute, was approved unanimously by county commissioners.

The $49,500 base salary will be for the eight county officers positions – three commissioners, assessor, treasurer, county sheriff, clerk and district court clerk.

The deadline to request absentee ballots by mail is approaching. Applications must be received by the Canadian County Election Board no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 24.

County election board acting secretary Allen Arnold said absentee voting is available to all voters and can be submitted several ways.

“In Oklahoma, no excuse is needed to vote by absentee ballot, and it’s easy to apply,” Arnold said.

“Voters can submit their application online, in-person, by fax, mail, or even email.”

OKLAHOMA CITY – Thousands of Oklahoma families have used Oklahoma’s new open transfer law to send students to the public schools that best meet their needs.

Nearly 11,000 transfer requests have been made since the open transfer law took effect this year, with more than 8,400 transfers approved, according to State Department of Education data.

“In less than a year, Oklahoma is already seeing big success with open transfer,” said House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka.

A 2021 state law that expanded the ability for families to seek open transfers so their children can attend other public school districts has resulted in a significant increase in transfer requests.

But new data indicate the process continues to disproportionately exclude many students currently stuck in Oklahoma’s worst-performing schools because neighboring suburban districts continue to refuse admission.

OKLAHOMA CITY - General Revenue Fund collections in September totaled $849.1 million, which is $243.7 million, or 40.2 percent above the monthly estimate.

This is $176.9 million, or 26.3 percent above collections in September 2021.

Total GRF collections for the first three months of fiscal year 2023 are $2.2 billion, which is $510.2 million, or 30.8 percent above the estimate, and $392.8 million, or 22.1 percent above prior year collections for the same period.

LAWSUITS

Grady Whisenhunt vs. Cole James Biermann for an amount in excess of $75,000 for injuries and damages alleged to have occurred during an automobile accident.

Nationstar Mortgage LLC vs. Arthur Hunt for $57,344.55 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees and foreclosure of mortgage on Lot 34, Block 4, Sky View Addition, Yukon.

Jeannette Draper vs. Carla Lambe for $87,959 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Saddled by a second straight loss, a 6-1 road setback to Eastern Oklahoma, Redlands Community College’s soccer team slipped to sixth place in the NJCAA Region 2 standings.

The loss to the Mountaineers dropped Redlands to 4-10-1 on the season and 3-8-1 in the conference.

Redlands scored first in the loss, as Gladis Avalos netted a shot off an assist by Riley Robertson. Eastern Oklahoma responded with all six goals in the first half.

The city of El Reno is officially getting into the Internet business.

In a unanimous vote, the five-member city council agreed to finance the project through Great Plains Bank at a cost not to exceed $3.7 million. Mayor Matt White said the fiber plan is expected to cost less than that and expectations are the federal government will be offering grants to communities to help support the expansion of Internet services.

The city will draw funds as needed and for the first 18 months will pay interest only. There is no penalty for early payoff, White said.

Dallas Curtis informed other members of the El Reno School Board last week that he would not be seeking re-election and that he would be leaving his position sooner than expected.

Curtis has served on the board from Ward 2 for the past six years. His current term runs through April 2023.

El Reno Superintendent Matt Goucher said Curtis could be leaving as early as November.

“The way the rules are, his term ends the date he closes on his house. So the date he closes is the date he is off the board,” said Goucher.

A resident of eastern Canadian County has filed a lawsuit against Canadian County Sheriff Chris West and the Board of County Commissioners seeking $175,000 after an incident during which he alleged armed deputies stormed into his home and removed items after someone hacked into one of his social media accounts five months earlier.

Brandon Michael Whitman filed the lawsuit in Canadian County District Court Oct. 3, alleging negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence and conversion and seeking $175,000 in damages.