News

El Reno held a town hall meeting last week to discuss how police and city officials interact with citizens.

About 30 people attended the Thursday evening meeting at the Centre Theatre. A number of them spoke about issues or concerns they have.

The discussion came on the heels of a Black Lives Matter protest held outside the police station two weeks ago.

After that demonstration, Mayor Matt White and other city officials decided to invite anyone who wished to a public meeting to discuss the issues.

Blessing Baskets and The Lord’s Harvest began the annual Families with Children Summer Food Program in early June.

The effort to feed El Reno and area families during the summer months first began in 2012, said Blessing Baskets coordinator Donna Dyer. The COVID-19 pandemic added a new twist to this year’s food distribution.

“We are going forward with an abundance of caution,” Dyer said.

Gayla Lutts knows a thing or two about disasters and how to handle them. She’s worked through two major disasters in the past eight years.

Lutts, superintendent of Canadian Valley Technology Center, discussed “Leadership During a Disaster” at a recent meeting in Yukon.

The event was held virtually as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma task force designed to analyze problems in marketing and processing beef has been organized by State Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, and State Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant. 

The two legislators have invited independent ranchers, meat buyers, meat processors, livestock auction owners and meat inspectors to convene and identify financial obstacles and structured solutions that will provide a process for long-term financial gain for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. 

When Jason Duff joined the El Reno Fire Department at the age of 25, he soon found he wanted to follow a path that would help him make a positive impact in the community.

Now 22 years later, his journey has led to being the department’s new chief, taking over April 1 for the retiring Kent Lagaly.

“When I first started I didn't think I would ever want to be chief, but soon afterward I knew I wanted to be in a position to where I could influence people and be able to make a difference," said Duff.

The El Reno Splash Pad inside Legion Park has been a popular afternoon stop for area youth to beat the heat which has been pushing triple digits. The pad has been open daily free of charge since the city’s swimming pool was closed this season due to financial fallout related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 1910, a full-page advertisement was purchased in the Saturday Evening Post. A headline at the top of the ad read: Building A City By Leaps And Bounds! El Reno, Okla. Watch us Grow to 100,000.

The ad was purchased by The Packers Industrial Company of El Reno.

While the expectations for population growth have been tempered, the new City of El Reno comprehensive plan titled Route to the Future sets out a plan to build and improve on what has been accomplished since that 1910 advertisement was printed.

In less than two weeks, Oklahomans will vote in the first major election since the COVID-19 pandemic surged to a level that locked down much of the state.

The disruption has left many voters with questions about the voting process itself, in addition to basic questions about dates, deadlines and the ballot lineup.

Here’s what you need to know about voting in the June 30 primary.

What’s on the ballot?