Funeral services for Howard Hale Noland were held Tuesday, June 23, 2020, at Wilson Funeral Home, with burial following in the El Reno Cemetery.

Mr. Noland was born Nov. 28, 1948, in Vicksburg, Miss., to Gearold and Melba Noland, and was called home on June 18, 2020. Howard grew up in Crane, Texas, and graduated from Crane High School in 1967. After graduating high school, he worked in the oil field in Crane and overseas. He later moved to Oklahoma, where he met the love of his life, Sue. They married on July 6, 1979, in Jacksonville, Texas.

The current worldwide protests against racial injustice and inequality spurred by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 have prompted attacks on individuals who sold and owned slaves and defended the abominable practice of slavery.

It has led to the toppling of statues of Christopher Columbus, English slave trader Edward Colston (1636-1721), and Confederacy president Jefferson Davis, and to efforts to remove the 60-foot-tall statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va. It has also included assaults on proponents of imperialism, most notably Winston Churchill.

LAWSUITS

Aaron and Ginger Price, individually and as parents of Allison Price, a minor, vs. Yukon Public Schools for an amount in excess of $75,000 for alleged injuries and damages.

United Services Automobile Association vs. Patricia Ann Harris for $110,000 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

City of Piedmont vs. Steven J. Strehlow for $11,500 for alleged damages.

When Jason Duff joined the El Reno Fire Department at the age of 25, he soon found he wanted to follow a path that would help him make a positive impact in the community.

Now 22 years later, his journey has led to being the department’s new chief, taking over April 1 for the retiring Kent Lagaly.

“When I first started I didn't think I would ever want to be chief, but soon afterward I knew I wanted to be in a position to where I could influence people and be able to make a difference," said Duff.