For a third straight reporting period, new cases of the COVID-19 virus are on the rise across Canadian County according to numbers released by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

The OSDH is updating city numbers every seven days, with the rate of new infections in the county outpacing the number of recoveries by more than a 2-1 margin.

“The OSDH acute disease service is releasing updates weekly at this point,” said Canadian County Health Department spokesperson Maggie Jackson.

A partnership will help create a smooth path for students walking between buildings around El Reno High School for years if not decades to come.

The city of El Reno and El Reno Public Schools agreed to share the cost of demolishing and laying new concrete for walkways around the school building on Watts Street and Choctaw Avenue.

“We had a parent that was concerned over the damage on the walkways around the high school, especially with the ones affecting walking from one building to another.

Bob Ballhorn said he will seek re-election to the Ward 2 seat on the El Reno City Council.

The filing period for the Ward 2 election will be Monday, Aug. 30 through Wednesday, Sept. 1. All filings will be done at the Canadian County Election Board in downtown El Reno. The filing period closes at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 1. The election will be held Nov. 9.

The top vote-getter will be elected to the four-year term.

Ballhorn, who serves as vice mayor, said he is running because he wants to help continue the forward momentum he said El Reno is experiencing.

All intensive and immediate care beds at Canadian County’s only hospital have been filled since mid-July as COVID-19 cases rise.

Teresa Gray, chief hospital executive at Integris Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon, has joined other public health officials to ask Canadian County residents to get vaccinated if they haven’t already.

“We have experienced an increase in our COVID-19 positive patients requiring hospitalization beginning around July 14,” Gray said.