News

The Delta variant of the coronavirus is considered to be the leading cause of a recent spike of new cases across Canadian County and throughout Oklahoma.

“Since May the Delta variant has become the predominant strain and represents nearly 80 percent of COVID-19 cases,” said Maggie Jackson, spokeswoman for the Canadian County Health Department.

In an eight-day period from July 20-28, the county saw a spike of 232 new COVID-19 cases reported and one death according to numbers released by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

After meeting with the leadership from the Oklahoma State Department of Health and Canadian County Health Department Infectious Disease Specialists and consulting with local medical providers, El Reno Public Schools will begin school August 12, 2021 much like we ended school last May.

The District will follow CDC recommendations in regard to the spread of the Delta Variant of the COVID-19 virus (except in areas of the recommendations which are forbidden due to changes in Oklahoma State Statute).

A longtime El Reno Public Schools employee has been reportedly found dead at a Tennessee rest stop just days after a felony warrant was issued for his arrest.

Jeffrey Warner Watt, age 59, of Minco, was wanted out of Caddo County on two counts of lewd molestation, records indicate.

Caddo County Sheriff Spencer Davis confirmed the arrest warrant had been issued and that the public’s help had been sought over the Internet and social media sites to locate Watt.

He said those posts have since been removed.

El Reno police arrested a 34-year-old man on several complaints after he was reportedly driving more than 90 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour area.

Police reports said officers took Dustin Casey Whitebuffalo of El Reno into custody after he ignored police sirens and signals to pull over.

Police had received reports of a vehicle driving recklessly on I-40 west toward El Reno. The vehicle, a silver SUV, had reportedly been involved in an earlier hit-and-run incident.

A Canadian County sheriff’s deputy was recognized this week for his heroic efforts trying to save a girl in a fiery crash. Deputy Jeff Allen has been named the Mustang American Legion Post 353 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for 2021.

Post 353 Officer Paul Ray read aloud a citation honoring the sheriff’s deputy during the Canadian County commissioners meeting.

A U.S. federal court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block an effort by the Biden administration to revise how the country’s navigable waters are to be regulated.

For Oklahoma farmers, this new rule could create a lot more problems than solutions when it comes to which water sources are considered under federal regulation. 

“The biggest definition with farming is how the water stands on a piece of land, and whether it then becomes protected wetlands,” said Rodd Moesel, president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau 

MUNICIPAL COURT

Anabel Williams, El Reno, failure to appear warrant, $295.

Jonathan Dyer, El Reno, failure to appear warrant, $295.

Brandy Jean Buchanan, El Reno, driving without license issued, $252.

Daryl Max Bear, Yukon, speeding, $165.

Gary Lee Smith, Edmond, speeding, $175.

Gerardo Guerrero, El Reno, speeding, $245.

Kayla Trejo, El Reno, speeding in a school zone, $295.

Austin Cole Edwards, El Reno, failure to appear warrant, $295.

Todd Ebert is a regular driver on both the Southern and Kentucky Drag Boat Association circuits but has never been to Smoke on the Water.

“We have heard a lot of good things about the races from other drivers,” said Ebert.

To see for himself, Ebert packed up his family recreational vehicle along with two boats and racing supplies, a pair of support trucks and a party of 10 people to make the nearly five-hour, 338-mile trip from his northeast Kansas home of Wamego.

OKARCHE – On July 28, 1981, at 1:30 in the morning, three Spanish-speaking Ladino (non-indigenous) men snuck into the rectory of Santiago Apóstol Catholic Church in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, looking for the parish priest.

They found and seized Francisco Bocel, the 19-year-old brother of the associate pastor, put a gun to the terrified young man’s head, and threatened to kill him if he did not take them to the pastor.

Francisco led the attackers down the stairs and to the door of a corner utility room. He knocked, calling out in terror, “Padre, they’ve come for you.”

Your El Reno Tribune, as a way to say thank you to the local businesses that have chosen to consistently advertise in the newspaper, as well as keep readers better informed, created social media news videos.

The videos provided information about stories that would be published in the upcoming issue, as well as a salute to the businesses that help support local journalism.

The Tribune’s Lyndsay Bayne worked with co-publisher Sean Dyer to produce the videos. Businesses were included in the video free of charge.