A new Canadian County Fairgrounds should be open for business within a year.

Architect Todd Gralla said the new $15 million fairgrounds is expected to be ready in time to host the 2021 Canadian County Free Fair.

Gralla, with Populous, the Norman-based firm hired to design the first phase of the project, said the new fairgrounds will include a combination expo center/arena that will accommodate crowds of about 2,000, all under one climate-controlled roof.

Mike Crowly has been a wheat farmer for 35 years. He struggles to recall a single season in which the weather and crop yields were better than what the fields in Canadian County have churned out in the month of June.

“This might be one of the first times I have had the situation to where we can cut wheat every single day and not be interrupted by any type of weather circumstances. We started and finished harvesting without any interruptions from the weather,” said Crowly.

On Tuesday, voters will decide a state question related to health care, as well as pick a Canadian County Court Clerk.

Early voting began on Thursday at the Canadian County Election Board. The polls on Tuesday, June 30, will open at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m., or until everyone in line at the time has a chance to vote.

An El Reno man was killed when the lawn mower he was riding was struck by a vehicle that apparently veered off the roadway.

Police Major Kirk Dickerson said Howard Noland, 71, was killed in the June 18 accident. The collision happened about 8:30 a.m. in the 600 block of South Shepard.

Police said the driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene of the accident and cooperated with police.