Eric Hughes was talking with his good friend, Adam Hall.
The pair were discussing what should be done with the property Hall had just purchased from the family of the late Cliff Johnson.
In El Reno, the asphalt-covered lot with the 1960s-looking diner along Sunset Drive is known as Jobe’s Drive-In. At least it was until 2015 when Johnson bought it at auction after longtime owner Robert Sanders decided to retire from the restaurant business.
Children in El Reno began receiving free monthly books in February through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Since its launch, the program has expanded to include Union City and Calumet. This month, some 5,000 books will have been delivered to local children for free.
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library for the El Reno area has exceeded every benchmark set by the international program, said Amy Neathery, one of the coordinators for the local program.
Four Canadian County organizations will benefit from an upcoming event at the Canadian County Expo and Event Center.
The Expo and Event Center, 3001 Jensen Road East, is preparing to present the second annual Oklahoma Wine Brew and BBQ Festival and Competition.
Festivities will be noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 inside the center’s climate-controlled arena.
“We’re getting more vendors by the day,” said Mandy Davis, executive director of the Expo and Event Center.
Vendor booth fees, ticket sales and sponsors will benefit the cause.
For the first time since 2019, El Reno High School held its Haunt the High School on Halloween.
Kids and adults walked two floors of the high school as student organizations and sports teams handed out more than 5,000 pieces of candy.
El Reno High School’s Academic Team is off to a strong start for the 2023-24 season, placing 10th or better in each of its first four meets, including winning the 2023 Oklahoma Secondary School Athletic Association’s Class 5A District 2 Championship.
El Reno picked up the district title by defeating Guthrie in a three-game battle held at the Jeff Mills STEM Center.
The Indians swept the first two games by a combined 430-140 margin over the Bluejays.
Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, center, was joined by El Reno Mayor Steve Jensen, left, and Vice Mayor David Black at last week’s annual El Reno Chamber of Commerce Banquet.
The event focused on the tourism potential Oklahoma and El Reno has with historic Route 66 and the upcoming centennial of the famous highway in 2026.
Investigators with the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office arrested Joshua Paul Wayne Mackey, 46, of Mustang, last week on multiple charges, including aggravated possession of child pornography.
Sheriff Chris West said the investigation opened after his office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Reports were a residence in Mustang was distributing child pornography over social media.
Redlands Community College was recognized during the recent National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) district conference in Colorado Springs, winning bronze Medallion Awards for both print and novelty items.
The NCMPR Medallion Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges in each of NCMPR’s seven districts. Oklahoma is in District 4 along with Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming.
The Redlands Community College Livestock Judging Team clinched team honors as well as several individual awards at the American Royal Livestock Exhibitors contest in Kansas City.
Competing against 28 teams from across the country in the junior college division, the Redlands team was named Second High Team Overall, and three team members earned individual honors.
OKLAHOMA CITY — State senators last week explored the conditions that led a global tire company to decide to close its Ardmore factory and probed economic development officials on solutions to retain businesses in Oklahoma.
The Senate Select Committee on Business Retention and Economic Development delved into Michelin’s announcement last week that it will close its 53-year-old Ardmore plant that employs 1,400 workers.
The news that the plant will close by 2025 came as a shock to state leaders and many in the community.
