An internal White House report about states in the so-called red zone for COVID-19 includes Oklahoma and recommends mandating masks and closing bars and gyms in localized areas where infections are spreading rapidly.
A former Yukon resident was executed last week for his role in the 1996 torture and murder of a family in Arkansas.
Daniel Lee Lewis was put to death at 7:08 a.m. July 14 at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind.
His death came almost 24 hours after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., had halted the execution.
However, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in early last Tuesday, clearing the way for the execution to proceed.
Lewis is the first person executed by the U.S. government since 2003.
A Yukon man was arrested last week after a family member told authorities he had been having sex with her child for more than a year. The alleged assaults took place at a home in El Reno.
Michael Arthur Brooks, 25, was arrested on allegations of sodomy and lewd acts with a child under 16.
Sheriff Chris West said the arrest came after the child’s mother contacted authorities on July 10 to report the crimes, which allegedly had been going on since Halloween.
With five of the six high schools in Canadian County releasing their plans to return to in-house classes next month, the dependent school districts have also been drafting back-to-school plans.
“Everything is up in the air but we are working hard to get a comprehensive plan together to move forward and remain together as long as we can in our building.
“We are planning to open in-person with social distancing and precautions in place,” said Sacred Heart Catholic School Principal Shannon Statton.
LAWSUITS
Leon and Kimberly Taylor vs. State Farm Insurance Company Inc. for an amount in excess of $75,000 for alleged actual and punitive damages.
Kelly Hill, individually and as parent of B.H., a minor vs. Shannon Brown, Nicole Chaney and Eric Goettsch for an amount in excess of $75,000 for injuries and damages alleged to have occurred during an automobile accident.
The Canadian County Free Fair will move forward in August, but in a significantly scaled-down fashion.
The county’s fair board voted last week to let the fair continue. However, only the livestock portion of the fair will be held.
Even that, according to the fair board, will be scaled back to a “Show and Go” format.
The fair is scheduled for Aug. 26-28 at the fairgrounds complex.
According to the fair board, all of the activities including the carnival, food trucks, horse show and other exhibitors have been canceled.
El Reno could have $10 million to use for infrastructure and capital needs if interest rates and terms are favorable.
The city council last week, in a unanimous vote, approved soliciting proposals to sell up to $10 million in municipal bonds. The proposal is expected to be brought back to council in August where a decision will be made whether to move forward with the plan or scrap it.
Last week it was announced the Mary K. Ashbrook Foundation had contributed to two projects in El Reno.
The foundation, created in 1978 after the death of the El Reno businesswoman, gifted $20,000 to help purchase bleachers at the Little League football field, as well as more than $7,000 to purchase new computers at the historic Carnegie Library.
City Manager Matt Sandidge said the foundation has been instrumental over the years in helping to promote efforts to improve life for El Reno residents.
“These computers are for public use,” Sandidge said.
The Canadian County Children’s Justice Center will continue to make beds available for young offenders from outside of the county.
County commissioners voted 2-1 last week to approve an agreement with 19 other counties to provide bed space.
The agreement is through a contract with the Oklahoma Department of Juvenile Affairs, and for most of the counties is simply a renewal of previous agreements.
Commissioners David Anderson and Jack Stewart voted for the agreements, while Marc Hader voted against them.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused economic disruptions at every level of American life, and the cancellation of the Oklahoma State Fair will be having a major effect on the collective wallet of Oklahoma City and the entire state.
According to the published 2019 Oklahoma City CVB Report, the Oklahoma State Fair generated more than $103.9 million in direct spending.
