News

Two Warr Acres residents were arrested in El Reno, one on complaints of trafficking of drugs, including heroin and methamphetamine, as well as possessing a loaded firearm during the commission of a felony.

Police reported pulling over a vehicle near Choctaw and Wade shortly after 11 p.m. March 20. Police said an officer noticed the decal on the license tag was reported stolen.

Cindy Lou Mathis, 27, and Roger Douglas Lindley, 39, were asked to exit the vehicle. Police said they found a knife as well as a .38 caliber handgun on Lindley.

Have you ever wondered why a service dog is needed or how one can be beneficial to a veteran?

Red Avery, with Versa K-9 for Vets, offers important insight to this very question. Versa K-9 for Vets is comprised of six instructors and guest speakers.

They work as a team to share information and thoughts as well as vote on any decisions that are made for veterans and their service dogs. Avery and his team have been training service dogs for the past four years, and they all currently have a service dog of their own.

A request to rezone about a half acre on South Rock Island from Commercial Office (CO) and Combined Residential (R-2) to Commercial Convenience (CC) won the recommendation of the Municipal Planning Commission in a 4-1 vote. The lone no vote was actually an abstention which counts as a no vote.

The request was made by David Jensen. The property is just east of Old Central which is part of the high school and junior high campus.

The issue will now go to the city council. 

A tax protest brought by the Oneta Power Company in Broken Arrow is once again bringing the Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma to the forefront.

In a dispute over property taxes, Oneta Power is questioning whether Wagoner County should be able to levy taxes since they are on tribal land.

Most of the McGirt discussion to date has focused on criminal cases. This one is different. If the Oneta Power Company were to prevail, it would call into question a large amount of property tax money that primarily benefits school districts.

Under current Oklahoma law, school districts can receive payment for students who have not attended in two years, informally referred to as “ghost students” since they exist only on paper.

Members of a state Senate committee have now voted to reform the funding formula to reduce the number of ghost students claimed by districts.

“It’s really more about efficiency within the formula to me and moving more towards the funding following the student, and schools not being funded for kids that they’re not educating,” said Sen. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole.

LAWSUITS

Cavalry SPV I LLC vs. Linda Barnett for $3,158.47 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Bank of America N.A. vs. Travis M. Hart for $5,449.70 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Bank of America N.A. vs. Carri A. Allenbach for $6,270.42 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Absolute Resolutions Investments LLC vs. John Flowers for $6,955.81 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

The El Reno Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance with identifying the person pictured. This individual is considered to be a person of interest related to the homicide which occurred in El Reno on 03/10/2021. 

If anyone has any information regarding the identity of the person pictured please contact the El Reno Police Department Tip Line: 405 295-9399 and reference ERPD Case #2021-0447.

Thank you for your assistance,
Major Kirk Dickerson

Burger Day is back.

Admittedly, it’s a slimmed-down Burger Day Festival, but it’s still about the fried-onion hamburger that El Reno made famous. And it will be held the first Saturday in May.

In early March the El Reno Main Street Board announced it would not host the Burger Day Festival for the second consecutive year. The festival was canceled in 2020 after COVID-19 forced people to stay away from one another.

Having just celebrated its 45th anniversary, El Reno Mobile Meals is bringing more than just hot meals to the table this year. With new ideas and plans under way, the organization recently welcomed its newly hired director, longtime chef Norman Sheridan.

El Reno Mobile Meals is a nonprofit organization that provides meals to anyone who is unable to prepare meals themselves.

Working solely with volunteers, meal packages are hand-delivered to the 125 recipients throughout the community.

El Reno School Board member Brad Baker gets his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine late last month. The district began giving the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine over the weekend and will continue throughout the week. (Tribune photographer/Glen Miller)