News

A familiar face was surrounded by hope and love as she walked on stage to accept an annual award demonstrating her long-standing commitment to help those impacted by domestic violence in Canadian County.

Kristie Chandler, who led Cardinal Point Family Justice Center during its first four years, was honored with the Compass Award during Cardinal Point’s fifth annual Honoring Hope luncheon at Yukon’s Discovery Church.

Presenting the award was Chandler’s successor, Karla Docter, who became CEO in November 2024.

Redlands Community College will host its first-ever Fall Family Festival from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28 at the Darlington campus, bringing the community together for an evening of fall-themed fun, food and entertainment.

This family-friendly event will feature seasonal activities including a pumpkin patch, hayride, cow patty bingo, costume contest, cake walk, face painting, petting zoo, inflatables, pumpkin-painting contest, photo booth and more.

The City of El Reno is bringing back its curbside bulk waste collection to help residents clear out large items conveniently from their homes.

Collection will run from November through December, with one scheduled pass per street.

Residents must place all bulk waste at the curb by 7 a.m. on their scheduled collection day. Crews will not return to a street after the scheduled pass and are unable to assist with moving items.

Gemini Industries Inc., an employee-owned manufacturer of wood coating solutions, has added a new, fully automated packaging line to its main production operation in El Reno.

Company officials said the investment represents Gemini's “continued vision to push the boundaries of coatings technology and manufacturing and remain a leader in innovation, efficiency and customer service.”

The Canadian County Sheriff’s Office was recognized for outstanding service and dedication during the annual Oklahoma Sheriffs Association (OSA) Banquet held in Tulsa.

Several members of the sheriff’s office received top honors for exceptional work and heroism.

Undersheriff Kevin Ward was named the OSA Undersheriff of the Year, recognizing his leadership, professionalism and unwavering commitment to the citizens of Canadian County and the deputies he serves alongside.

STILLWATER – One man’s waste can be a beetle’s treasure, according to Oklahoma State University entomologist Wyatt Hoback.

Who would have thought that beetles pushing dung and dead carcasses into the ground would benefit soil, livestock and even human health?

Worldwide, beneficial insects face growing threats from changes to weather patterns, natural ecosystems and the food they eat as well as unintentional exposure to insecticides.

The fifth annual El Reno Air Show and Community Day turned out to be exactly that, a celebration of community and aviation, enthusiastically topped off by the grand opening of the Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field. 

Tony Caldwell, the Oklahoma City businessman who brought his vision for showcasing America’s love for aviation to life in a restored 1943 hangar at the airport, said the day was all about family and community.

El Reno voters will decide a more than $69 million school bond issue on Tuesday, Oct. 14

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Voters living within the district will decide on the proposed $69.5 million request, which is broken up into two proposals. 

There are 8,287 registered voters in the district, information from the county election board shows.

State law requires 60 percent majority approval for passage of school bond issues.

El Reno school officials held two public meetings to field questions about the bond proposal.

In a solemn and historic undertaking more than two years in the making, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, in partnership with the U.S. Army, have begun the sacred process of returning 16 children with Cheyenne and Arapaho bloodlines to their homelands.

The disinterment began Sept. 8 at the Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Canadian County’s domestic violence agency since 1986, Intervention & Crisis Advocacy Network (ICAN) is observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.

ICAN, which will have its 40th anniversary in 2026, now has staff members at two locations in Canadian County. ICAN’s program house is in El Reno and ICAN is the on-site domestic violence service provider at Cardinal Point Family Justice Center in Yukon.