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Up in lights

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Visitors driving down either Choctaw or Rock Island avenues, day or night, will not have a hard time finding the exact location of El Reno High School’s main building or adjacent STEM Center.

Just look for giant new ER logos.

Last week a two-man crew from Sign Dynamic installed two El Reno logo signs in the center of the archways which span Choctaw Avenue between the two buildings.

J.D. Lee looks over the electronics inside one of the 8-foot round lighted logo signs

ODOT continues to design safety measures for deadly intersection

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State transportation officials say they “remain committed” to making a permanent safety upgrade at the State Highway 66/Banner Road intersection.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation continues to work through the engineering design of several alternatives discussed with the public.

Three primary options have been proposed for permanent improvements at this intersection – a single-lane roundabout, all-way stop control or signalized intersection.

The east/west lanes have been narrowed to one lane

New home permits still on the rise

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New home construction in El Reno continued on an aggressive pace with the city reporting 19 permits being issued in June.

Shelly Dalla Rosa in the Community Development Office reported the June numbers push the total permits for this year to 94. March saw the highest number of permits issued with 36.

February produced the lowest number with just four permits issued that month. El Reno experienced record cold for at least two weeks in February.

Construction workers roofing one of the new homes under construction

Pratt named to Oklahoma Hall of Fame

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A native of El Reno, Harvey Pratt is a 2021 Oklahoma Hall of Fame honoree. He will be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame on Nov. 18.

Born in El Reno, Pratt spent his childhood years in El Reno Public Schools.

A self-taught Oklahoma artist and Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal member, Pratt was selected through a national competition to create the Smithsonian’s National Native American Veterans Memorial for the National Museum of the American Indian.

Harvey Pratt talks with El Reno High School students

State officials tour airport

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Representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce recently toured El Reno Regional Airport at the invitation of Airport Manager Adam Fox.

Fox served with the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission before being named airport manager here two years ago.

State officials tour airport_story

Wrongful death suit transferred to county

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A wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a deadly 2018 crash near El Reno was transferred June 22 to Canadian County.

Kristin Flores, the widow of Bryan Flores, is the plaintiff in a civil suit originally filed Nov. 6, 2020, in Pushmataha County District Court. Defendants are Chance Girten and Lyanna’s Lakeside LLC.

The case stems from a traffic collision that occurred shortly after midnight Nov. 10, 2018, on Cedar Road near S.W. 15th.

RCC’s Reach Higher Program aids students return to classroom

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Through the Reach Higher program, Redlands Community College is helping students who have some college credit get back in the classroom and on the path to earning an associate degree.

During its Reach Higher: RECONNECT event July 22, the college will hold sessions to help students find out how to pay for college and discover a career that’s right for them. Academic advisers will be available throughout the event to answer questions and help students enroll for the fall semester. Attendees can also take a tour of the campus.

Redlands Community College sign

Canadian Valley Technology Center to offer surgical program in October

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A new Surgical Technology program will open in October as the first of a handful of new educational opportunities following an extensive expansion at Canadian Valley Technology Center’s Cowan Campus, near Yukon.

The $19.6 million project will help the school educate more people for in-demand jobs in various industries across central Oklahoma, said Superintendent Dr. Gayla Lutts.

“The northern portion of our school district in Canadian County has grown more than 28 percent in the last decade,” Lutts said.

Canadian Valley Technology Center’s Cowan Campus

Study eyes neighborhood blight’s impact on state’s homeowners, communities

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OKLAHOMA CITY - State Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa, filed an interim study request last week to review neighborhood blight throughout Oklahoma and how it affects homeowners and communities.

Neighborhood blight refers to neighborhoods with abandoned houses or lots often in disrepair. When neighborhoods experience blight, property value decreases for everyone, including small businesses in the area.

Monroe Nichols_story
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