News

As reform efforts take shape and the coronavirus pandemic causes delays within the criminal justice system, Oklahoma’s prison population has steadily declined since early March.

The number of inmates in state and private facilities is down 9.4% over the past four months, from 24,923 on March 9 to 22,580 on July 13.

Overall system capacity dropped from 101% to 89% in the same period, according to Department of Corrections data.

LAWSUITS

LVNV Funding LLC vs. Cynthia Ellis for $1,150.80 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Bridgecrest Acceptance Corporation vs. Jeremy Peters and Erin Riley for $5,006.70 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Bridgecrest Acceptance Corporation vs. Christopher Coburn for $8,696.04 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Green Okie LLC vs. Kirby Mason Woolard for an amount not exceeding $10,000 for damages alleged to have occurred during an automobile accident.

The El Reno School Board approved the basic framework for the district’s plan to teach children but will have a special meeting to determine the method of instructing students for the upcoming school term.

Students and teachers have not been inside classrooms together since March after the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. The school year was completed in a virtual setting district-wide.

“What we intend to do is go back to normal. I know our teachers want to be back in school with the kids and all the health professionals I’ve spoken with say the kids need to be in school.

Many in El Reno Back the Blue.

On Friday, a police appreciation event was held at Adams Park. Dozens of people turned out to show support, chat with officers and eat to their heart’s content.

The event, honoring the El Reno Police Department and the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office, was organized by Sandy Gore along with Kelli Webster and Stephanie Ramey. All three are the wives of police officers.

Sandy is married to Detective Jeremy Gore, Kelli to Capt. Samuel Webster, and Stephanie to Sgt. Jake Ramey.

In a world that seems to be on a never-ending roller coaster of pandemics, ugliness and self-absorption, some are trying to remind people that kindness, faith and hope are still worth holding tight to.

Melissa Prigmore, with help from her son, Crozier and others, has been busy planting Spreading Kindness signs in the yards of El Reno residents who believe as she does. Namely, that these virtues are still with us even as the nation is rocked by what seems to be a daily avalanche of unrest.

El Reno was hit with storms Friday and Saturday nights and again early Monday morning. Friday’s storms knocked out power to large blocks of residents in the city, with one section near Hillcrest Learning Center not getting power restored for more than 11 hours.

The El Reno City Council will consider appointing a person to fill out the term of Vice Mayor J.T. Chronister.

As Ward 1 council representative, Chronister forfeited the position after missing more than half the meetings in the last several months.

City Attorney Roger Rinehart informed Chronister in a letter last week that he was no longer eligible to serve on the council.

Union City School Superintendent Todd Carel resigned last week after failing to gain the support of the school board concerning his call to dismiss the district’s director of special education.

Carel said he, as well as board president John Everett resigned from their positions.

Carel said it became clear the board was not going to follow his recommendation even though an audit by the state Department of Education found a number of violations related to the special education program.

Carel, 49, served as superintendent in Union City for 14 years.

Employees of Canadian County could soon have an extra benefit, identity-theft protection.

Representatives of Legal Shield attended last week’s county commissioners meeting to make a presentation to the board. The Ada-based company offers a variety of services including legal coverage and identity-theft protection.

The company’s representatives said Oklahoma County recently agreed to purchase identity-theft protection for its employees.

The proposed new secretary of the Commissioners of the Land Office ran an energy company which filed for bankruptcy last year and had been underpaying the commission royalties for oil and gas production.

In a special meeting this week, the commissioners will consider the appointment of Elliot Chambers to be the new secretary at the Land Office, which runs a $2.3 billion trust fund of oil and gas leases and property to benefit public education.