News

Sometimes, being in the right place at the right time is the most important thing.

That was the case Thursday for Yukon Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jason Simeroth and his family, who were spending the afternoon at Lake El Reno working on a boat.

Had the COVID-19 pandemic not happened, they would have instead been in Colorado Springs, Colorado, preparing for their daughter’s wedding.

Race relations with the local police will be the topic when El Reno hosts a Town Hall meeting, said Mayor Matt White. White, police officials, members of the city council along with city staff are expected to meet with the public at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 18.

The meeting will be held at the Centre Theatre, 110 S. Bickford, and is open to all. The theatre was chosen to provide enough space so people could feel comfortable not having to wear a mask.

While the number of positive tests for COVID-19 have been inching up in recent weeks, Canadian County officials do not believe it’s a precursor to a second wave of the deadly virus.

“According to the new cases per day, we are not seeing a large increase. We are seeing numbers going up and down so in terms of a second wave, it’s not that.

“We are opening up the state under Phase 3 and we are testing more and we are starting to get those people walking around that might have the virus and not have known it,” said Maggie Jackson of the Canadian County Health Department.

Like the rest of the nation, El Reno’s economy has taken a hit thanks to the COVID-19 shutdown. And when coupled with the collapse of the oil and gas industry, the pain inflicted locally has been especially harsh.

That reality was backed up by the most recent numbers produced by sales and use tax collections.

El Reno Mayor Matt White laid out the figures at last week’s meeting of the city council.

A woman who died more than 40 years ago and with a heart for El Reno, today, is helping people she never met.

For the second consecutive year, the Mary K. Ashbrook Foundation is covering essentially the entire cost for school supplies for students in El Reno Public Schools.

Canadian County Sheriff Chris West said he is looking for volunteers to serve on the Canadian County Sheriff’s Posse.

In a prepared statement, West said while traditional posses of the Old West were used to chase down and apprehend outlaws, he is more interested in volunteers who would be willing to assist the sheriff and his deputies in a broad range of missions, including in times of local crisis or state of emergency.

A Yukon man who was shot and killed by a Mustang police officer on Friday, June 5 had a history of traffic violations and minor offenses, but no felonies, court records show.

Benjamin Ballard, 42, was killed at approximately 6:45 p.m. after he allegedly pulled a weapon on a Mustang officer who was attempting to stop him for suspicion of driving under the influence.