The Hunter Showdown, a new stop on the Southern Drag Boat Association’s 2020 racing schedule, brought some interesting boats, paint schemes and speeds to Lake El Reno over the weekend. The SDBA event was the fourth stop on the 2020 tour but it was the first time the nationally-recognized racing series has held an event in El Reno.

Downtown El Reno could see sidewalk dining in the future after a joint meeting of the city council and the Municipal Planning Commission.

The groups gathered outside the Centre Theatre last week to discuss the idea and from the sounds of it, it’s an idea that is moving forward.

Vicki Proctor, chair of the planning commission, along with realtor Kyra Escott and Shana Ford of Main Street have been hanging lights on canopies of downtown businesses as a way to give the area a boost.

Voters who plan to cast their votes in the Nov. 3 General Election by absentee ballot should begin receiving them in the mail. Wanda Armold, Canadian County Election Board secretary, said more than 9,500 people had requested absentee mail-in ballots.

Armold said there were 84,578 voters in Canadian County as of Sept. 1, and those numbers have continued to climb.

In the 2016 presidential election, 5,682 people voted by absentee ballot.

While there were no floats due to COVID-19 concerns, El Reno High School held a socially-distanced football homecoming parade last week.