While officials are keeping a close eye on any COVID-19 spikes from the Labor Day holiday, El Reno Public Schools will not be changing its current mask policy.

“We will continue to follow our continuous learning plan as passed by the board in July. There is no mask mandate but they are strongly encouraged,” said El Reno Superintendent Craig McVay.

McVay points to the district’s current infection rate, which is 0.069 percent, as reason to hold off on asking the school board to adopt a mask mandate – such as the one used during the 2020-21 school term.

Canadian County commissioners are recommending to state transportation officials that the State Highway 66/Banner Road intersection become a permanent four-way stop.

Last week, commissioners took no action on a proposed maintenance agreement for a federal-aid project between Canadian County and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to install traffic signals at the intersection, site of some serious traffic collisions over the past three decades.

The intersection is part of the state highway system in Canadian County District 1.

Firefighting units from El Reno, Okarche, El Reno Federal Correctional Institution and Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes teamed to battle this grass fire located west of Highway 81 near 150th Street last week.

El Reno Fire Department sent a brush pumper, command unit and a tanker to the scene. Okarche had two brush pumpers and a tanker, while FCI El Reno had a pumper and tanker on scene and C&A provided a tanker.

Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a two-part series about illegal marijuana grow operations occurring across rural Oklahoma. The series explores operation details, legislation to address the issue and more.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics has been fielding 30 to 50 tips per day about people trying to purchase land unsolicited, spokesperson Mark Woodward said. The calls from law enforcement officials have been increasing within the last eight to 10 months since September 2020.