As a volunteer slowly walked a brown quarter horse named Simon to the loading ramp, a smile immediately took over the face of Etta Dale eighth-grader Alan Barbosa.

It was a common expression on the faces of El Reno students who would be the first to ride horses at Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program since March. That’s when the COVID-19 pandemic closed the operation.

El Reno Live debuted last week with Mayor Matt White fielding questions submitted by residents.

The program used Facebook Live and generated numerous questions from residents concerning a wide range of topics. White answered questions from City Hall, while City Manager Matt Sandidge collected the inquiries off the social media site.

The 30-minute program attracted more than 2,000 views.

An El Reno man who is accused of leaving his young son in a hot car in 2018 is expected to appear in court next week on second-degree murder charges.

A jury trial for Adam Kolar was scheduled to begin last week in Canadian County District Court, but it was postponed. Kolar now is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for a hearing.

Kolar, a former employee at the Federal Correctional Institution, is accused of leaving his 3-year-old son, Ryker, inside his pickup for about six hours on Aug. 2, 2018.

Yukon City Manager Jim Crosby said he plans to retire in January.

Crosby, who is in his second stint as city manager, announced his plans at the end of Tuesday’s city council meeting.

In a letter given to council members, Crosby said he wants to spend more time with his family, which includes two teenage sons.