News

Each year, Janice Cox dreams of setting a record for the National Letter Carriers Association Food Drive in El Reno.

And each year she comes up a bit short.

But this Saturday, May 11, is a new drive and maybe, just maybe, that elusive 10,000-pound goal the veteran letter carrier has set in her mind will be achieved.

Cox has been coordinating the Letter Carriers Food Drive in El Reno for the past 18 years. She would love to hit the 10,000-pound mark for donated food items.

Two new windows have been installed at the Historic Fort Reno Visitors Center.

Debra Kauffman, president of Historic Fort Reno Inc. and full-time volunteer, said 23 windows in the building need to be replaced.

“So far, this is only the beginning,” she said.

Kauffman said Historic Fort Reno, a nonprofit organization, received a $50,000 grant from T-Mobile to purchase windows. That grant will cover replacement of 11 windows, she said.

Levi Davidson holds up his daughter, Poppy J as she blows bubbles from a machine purchased from a vendor at the 36th Annual El Reno Burger Day Festival over the weekend in downtown El Reno.

Dozens of vendors and organizations were on hand to sell various items and promote their businesses or causes.

An eight-member committee has been appointed to help oversee the next phase of Canadian County’s new courthouse construction project.

County commissioners on April 29 appointed these county officials to serve on the Schematic Design Committee: District 3 County Commissioner Tracey Rider, County Assessor Matt Wehmuller, County Clerk Sherry Murray, Court Clerk Marie Hirst, County Treasurer Jay Arnold, District Judge Khristan K. Strubhar, District Attorney Tommy Humphries and County Maintenance Director Jason Acuff.

An inmate at the El Reno Federal Correctional Institution was found unresponsive Saturday night and later was pronounced deceased.

Correctional officers found Irvin Cooper, 45, unresponsive and summoned emergency medical services personnel, while beginning lifesaving efforts.

Cooper was subsequently pronounced deceased by EMS personnel.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified.

No employees or other incarcerated individuals were injured and at no time was the public in danger, the emailed statement said.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Landowners Bill of Rights, or HB 3159, was signed into law.

The bill gives landowners the right of first refusal if the land is ever sold by the state or anyone who received the land through the use of eminent domain authority. 

Rep. Eric Roberts, R-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman, were the bill’s House authors.

“This bill is a big win for the people of east Norman,” Menz said.

The clock is ticking for a signature collection effort to put State Question 832 on the ballot and ask Oklahomans to raise the minimum wage for the first time since 2008. Organizers have 90 days to collect the necessary signatures after the state Supreme Court gave the petition a green light.

LAWSUITS

Todd Millard and Dawn Millard vs. Home Depot USA Inc. and Daryl Flood Logistics Inc. for an amount in excess of $75,000 for alleged compensatory and punitive damages.

Sam Alzubi vs. Lindsay Maidt for $15,920 for alleged actual damages.

Wells Fargo Bank N.A. vs. Michael Adkins, Deceased, for $142,226.36 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees and foreclosure of mortgage on Lot 3, Block 6, East Pointe Addition Section 2, Mustang.

WASHINGTON – The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are looking to Congress to gain ownership of land lost centuries ago in order to build a living history/amusement park at Fort Reno.

“I think that the proposed park would really support not only the tribes in an impactful way, but it would help the city and the community,” said Cheyenne and Arapaho Gov. Reggie Wassana. 

The 73rd Annual National Land and Range Judging Contest kicked off on Tuesday with hundreds of teens from across the nation examining the soil at Lake El Reno.

The contestants, representing some 36 states, converged on Lake El Reno for the first of two days of practice.

For the second consecutive year, the Canadian County Expo Center served as host site for the event.