Last November, New York City voters chose -- from a uniformly awful candidate menu -- “Democratic socialist” Zohran Mamdani for mayor.

They’re already starting to experience, and may even learn from, the consequences of that choice.

“Democracy,” HL Mencken wrote, “is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”

Graveside services for Lizette Inez Barger were held Monday, Feb. 23 at the El Reno Cemetery with Rev. Dustin Rodgers officiating. Services were under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home. 

Lizette died Feb. 18, 2026, at Select Specialty Hospital in Oklahoma City. She was born Dec. 6, 1969, in Pawnee.

A longtime El Reno resident, Lizette was a homemaker. 

The first-ever game utilizing a shot clock in the 71-year history of Jenks Simmons Field House came with two 35-second violations and some on-the- job training for the home team.

“We didn’t even practice using the shot clock for this game. The only thing that happened was the first time it (clock) went off our girls didn’t know what to do. So we had to tell them to keep playing.

“Even though the clock goes off, you’ve still got to play until you hear a whistle, because you don’t know if they're going to blow it dead or not,” said El Reno head coach Jennifer Douglas.

After battling through three ties and nine lead changes in the second half, El Reno High School’s boys basketball team was outscored 13-3 in the final four minutes of a 71-63 loss to the Oklahoma City Knights.

The setback closed out the regular season for El Reno with a 9-14 record.

El Reno rallied from five points down in the first half to fashion a 36-29 halftime lead. 

But the lead dwindled down to a one-possession game four times in the third period despite two 3-pointers and eight points from Bradley Island and four Gabe Osburn free throws.