Oklahoma schools have received millions of dollars in annual funding to teach English to bilingual students who have already mastered the language, apparently allowing schools to inflate their budgets without providing extra services, a state watchdog agency has found.
Residents in the Williamstown and Wessex areas are hoping a plan to drill oil and gas wells near their homes can be stopped.
Revolution Operating Company, LLC has filed an application to drill on property just south of Elm and west of South Reno. Residents in the area are circulating a petition in an effort to stop the operation, saying it would damage property values and most likely put a halt to any further housing or commercial development in the area.
El Reno turned out in a big way last week to support Blessing Baskets Inc. at its annual Festival of the Trees Christmas in July Dinner and Auction.
Organizers said the colorful event, held at the Palace Event Center on Banner Road, exceeded expectations.
This was the seventh annual event and again featured Mayor Matt White serving as auctioneer for the evening.
White auctioned off more than 30 items to go along with more than 50 silent auction items.
Redlands Community College is planning to remake its athletic fields after Regents approved the lease-purchase of another parcel of land next to the campus.
RCC President Jack Bryant got the green light in a special Regents meeting Tuesday to enter into a lease-purchase contract for 10 acres on the west side of the campus.
The land is owned by the Gibson and Ramsey families and was used as an aviation landing strip for many years.
Joy Hofmeister, the Democratic nominee in the upcoming Oklahoma gubernatorial election, toured El Reno recently with a group of supporters from the area.
Hofmeister will face off against Oklahoma governor and Republican nominee Kevin Stitt in November’s general election.
Her visit to El Reno was part of the “Joy for OK Hometown Tour” and was greeted by former El Reno Public Schools Superintendent Craig McVay and current ERPS School Board President Dr. Dorrie Parrott.
The Power of 100 has been a game-changer for nonprofits and charities in Canadian County.
Since its inception in October 2020, the group of women has raised $126,000 that has been split among seven entities. Tammy McKee, one of the five original founders of the county group, described the growth as “remarkable.”
The original goal was to have 20 to 25 members. At last count, the group has 201.
“It’s kind of humbling when the community kind of backs something like this,” McKee said.
Corkey Provence uses a personal water craft to gently guide a small group of waterfowl off the race course on Lake El Reno and to safety before the start of the 2022 Smoke on the Water Drag Boat Races.
Provence was one of the event’s volunteers.
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. Monday, Aug. 8.
County election board secretary Wanda Armold 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,” said Armold. “Voters can submit their application online, in-person, by fax, mail, or even email.”
While it does help to have a green thumb, keeping a landscape irrigated is key in successful gardening.
The amount and frequency that gardeners water can make a big difference in plant health. These factors also have an impact on the pocketbook.
Oklahoma is experiencing extreme summer temperatures this year, which can lead gardeners to turn on those outside spigots more often, said David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Extension consumer horticulturist.
Most Oklahoma ponds are green thanks to algae that forms on the water, but just like anything else, too much algae can be a bad thing.
Algae is a normal occurrence in ponds unless it becomes too thick. That is when pond owners are in danger of the most common fish kill scenario – algal die-off. As millions of dead algal cells decompose, dissolved oxygen is rapidly used up, causing fish to suffocate.
