A decision on whether to increase the Canadian County sheriff’s base salary as allowed by state statute is expected next week.
County commissioners voted 2-1 to table for one week action related to county officers salary range.
Sheriff Chris West, citing a growing challenge to recruit and retain deputies, has asked commissioners to approve a resolution that would increase the sheriff’s base salary to $74,500.
El Reno will celebrate the Christmas season with the annual Downtown Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 7, and will follow that up a week later with The Holly Jolly Trolley.
Christmas in the Movies is the parade theme for the annual event. It's a fitting nod to the impact the movie Twisters is expected to have.
El Reno was featured in the dramatic ending of the movie, much of which was filmed in the downtown in the summer of 2023.
The movie has already helped lure tour bus groups to town.
The parade, put on by Main Street, is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
The Oklahoma Environmental Management Authority (OEMA) said it has acquired four new compressed natural gas (CNG) waste management vehicles, funded in part by a grant from the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG).
The grant has enabled OEMA to purchase a side-load CNG truck and a front-load CNG truck and two roll-off CNG trucks.
As a service to taxpayers, Canadian County Treasurer Jay Arnold is bringing back mobile payment sites for the 2024 tax season.
“I am excited to announce our return in offering a more convenient way to pay your property taxes,” Arnold said.
“We had tremendous success last year with many requests to open up the mobile site locations for the second-half payment as well as for those who choose to pay their property taxes in two installments.”
LAWSUITS
Discover Bank vs. Charles LaFollette for $20,770.75 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.
Discover Bank vs. Jack Hawkins for $12,482.75 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.
Bank of America N.A. vs. Elwood Wooden for $13,617.20 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.
MidFirst Bank vs. Leyna Tran and Kim Nguyen for $281,207.16 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees and foreclosure of mortgage on Lot 10, Block 12, The Brook Phase III Addition, Oklahoma City.
El Reno Public Schools recently announced its site Teachers of the Year award winners and the group of seven were honored last week in a special assembly among peers at the high school.
“This is the time of year we get to come together and honor the hard work of our educators,” said El Reno Superintendent Matt Goucher.
Site teachers are voted on by educators at those schools from a list of eligible candidates.
Goucher said the district Teacher of the Year Award is voted on by a panel of administrators after observing each site winner in the classroom.
A design development process is in full swing for Canadian County’s new courthouse build.
County department heads have been meeting with the project architect, MA+ Architecture, to provide input on the design of each county and district court office that will occupy a new four-story building at 200 N. Choctaw.
More meetings are planned in December.
“It’s moving forward, this is an exciting time!” said District 3 Commissioner Tracey Rider, who chairs the Canadian County Courthouse Building Committee.
Todd Branson, 4-H educator for Oklahoma State University Extension in Canadian County, and Courtney Keck, horticulture educator for OSU Extension in Canadian County, recently graduated from the OSU Extension Leadership Academy. The program concluded with a retreat in Tulsa.
Two men have been charged with instigating and encouraging illegal cockfighting in Piedmont.
Jorge A. Velasco Duran, 36, and Rafael Duran Velasco, 39, were charged Oct. 24 in Canadian County District Court with the felony crime.
Piedmont police responded April 14 to a complaint of cockfighting at a home in the 7700 block of Akeman Drive, according to the affidavit of probable cause for arrest attached to the charge.
How to Cook a Turkey from Heidi Curtis’ kindergarten class at Maple School:
First you need to buy a turkey from the pet store. Before you cook the turkey, you need to put salt on it. Cook the turkey in the oven at 8 degrees for 4 minutes.
After the turkey is cooked, you need to eat it with a fork. You should eat turkey with cookies and pepper. - Grayson B.
