For this year’s annual Citizenship Award Dinner, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs was honored to have sports journalist Jason Whitlock as our keynote speaker. Whitlock is known for his refreshing takes on sports and social issues and didn’t disappoint.

The deadline to obtain a REAL ID has been pushed back to May 3, 2023, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Homeland Security made the announcement last week.

The federal government says air travelers 18 or older still will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card or another ID that meets Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines for security checkpoints to fly domestically and internationally.

You’ve heard the line – what if you held a party and no one came?

Well, what if you didn’t hold the National Land and Range Judging Competition and students still came – from Indiana?

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and for the safety of students and all involved, the National Land and Range Judging Contest was canceled in 2020 and again this year.

The new terminal at El Reno Regional Airport will have to wait a bit longer after construction bids for the project came in well above the original plan.

Mayor Matt White said during last week’s El Reno Live program the project would need some “value engineering” after the bids came in well above the $1.5 million planned for the project. Much of the funding is expected to come from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission.

White said the terminal is expected to be revisited in the fall.