News

Last year’s October ice storm, coupled with the sub-arctic temperatures that arrived in February, proved too much for the tree in Petree Plaza that served for 30 years as El Reno’s Community Christmas Tree.

Assistant City Manager Kent Lagaly said a new 23-foot pre-lit artificial tree will now serve as the El Reno Christmas Tree.

The tree will be plugged in Saturday evening when the El Reno Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting event is held downtown.

The tree lighting is expected to take place after 5:30 p.m. The parade that day will begin at 11 a.m.

Health Career students from Canadian Valley Technology Center’s Cowan campus volunteered last week to prepare boxes of food for the Blessing Baskets Christmas distribution to families. 

Blessing Baskets is preparing to help more than 500 families, which includes approximately 1,000 children.

High school juniors and seniors can earn up to 27 credit hours tuition-free through Redlands Community College’s concurrent enrollment program. Both eight-week and 16-week courses are offered online or via Zoom, as well as on high school campuses or on the El Reno campus.

Two Canadian County attorneys and a Canadian County judge received recognition at the Nov. 11 Annual Meeting of the Family Law Division of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

Attorney David Halley received the Guardian Ad Litem of the Year Award. This award recognizes the contributions made in family law matters representing the minor children of the parties.

Attorney Mark Osby received the Integrity Award of the Year, and Judge Charles Gass received the Family Law Judge of the Year Award.

LAWSUITS

Midland Credit Management Inc. vs. Mark Long for $1,000 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Midland Credit Management Inc. vs. Lacey Wilkerson for $2,497.44 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Ford Motor Credit Company LLC vs. Bobby Tillman for $8,255.23 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Discover Bank vs. Deborah K. Epperson for $2,079.09 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of a two-part look at efforts to revitalize Sunset Drive.

Emily Fitzsimmons spent hours pouring over old photos at the Canadian County History Museum.

Working with Hoffner Design Studio, Fitzsimmons was there to find anything and everything she could about what Sunset Drive looked like decades ago.

With help from Museum Director Vicki Proctor, she found plenty.

Standing in the bed of the family’s pickup, Trey Ratliff kept a close eye on the flames from the massive wildfire which engulfed miles of cedar trees, brush and farmland southwest of Calumet.

His wife, Melodie and daughter, Ella were inside their house along Karns Road packing up clothes and valuables when a large pop could be heard from a distance inside the growing wall of flames.

“That must have been the transformer which popped,” said Ratliff, after his wife emerged from the house saying the electricity was off.

Entering its 40th year, Canadian County’s Intervention and Crisis Advocacy Network – ICAN - now has two county locations.

Executive Director Matt Whetzel, who joined the nonprofit team in March, is working with the board and staff, expanding services and making sure everyone can access them when needed.

“ICAN is the certified domestic violence agency for Canadian County, and we are an onsite partner agency at Cardinal Point,” Whetzel said.

With county school elections looming and record voter registration, Canadian County officials have selected the company that will print ballots for 2022. Canadian County now has about 89,000 registered voters, with an increase mirroring the county’s 33.6 percent population growth over the past decade.

County commissioners have awarded the low bid contract to Midwest Printing of Sapulpa to print ballots that Canadian County voters will see at the ballot box.

Drivers need to pay more attention to deer crossing Oklahoma roads while the animals are listening to other instincts this time of year, said Dwayne Elmore, Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife management specialist.

Elmore provided some insight and tips for dealing with deer on the move:

▶ Oklahoma deer are not migratory, but they do move more within their territories during seasonal changes.