News

El Reno picked up a pair of statewide honors recently when a well-known educator and a young aviation expert were recognized for their accomplishments.

The honors came from the Journal Record newspaper and the NextGen organization.

Dr. Kristy Ehlers, director of School Partnerships and the director of the BlueSTEM AgriLearning Center, was named one of the Women of the Year for 2020 by the Oklahoma City-based newspaper.

Adam Fox, who this year was named manager of the El Reno Regional Airport, was recognized as one of Oklahoma’s top leaders under the age of 30.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is asking the public to offer input on a new intersection design for SH 66 and Banner Road. A statement from ODOT said it is partnering with Canadian County commissioners to provide safety improvements to the intersection. A Yukon businessman was killed at the intersection in 2019 after his motorcycle collided with a truck that had reportedly ignored a yield sign.

Crews have begun canvassing El Reno neighborhoods collecting limbs that are placed at the curb, Mayor Matt White said on Thursday.

White told the El Reno Live audience the city has contractors collecting limbs lost from the recent ice storm. He said the plan is to have the pickup completed by Nov. 22.

El Reno Live airs on Facebook and can be viewed at the City of El Reno Facebook site, as well as the Facebook site of the El Reno Tribune.

Victoria Lee loves to shop. Mostly for others.

The owner of The Junkyard Diva has embarked on her second campaign she’s dubbed as “Pay it Forward - Warmth for Winter.”

Lee looks in stores throughout the year at everyday items people need. Shoes, coats, blankets and any other thing that can help make life a little less difficult.

And she has a system.

While she looks at the items, what she most notices is how much they are marked down. If the price is right, Lee scoops up all she can afford and stores it away.

City of El Reno workers, along with those from the Oklahoma Environmental Management Authority helped unload thousands of pounds of unwanted household items ranging from lumber to furniture and appliances for most of the day on Saturday.

The annual Bulk Trash Dump Day was deemed a great success as lines of pickups and trailers could be seen at the dump site just west of the Denny-Crump Rodeo Arena.

Applications are available online for tuition waivers and scholarships for current and prospective Redlands Community College students.

Tuition waiver scholarships range from $250 to $1,000 for each academic year, while the Redlands Community College Foundation offers nearly 40 scholarships.

High school juniors and seniors can also apply for a scholarship to offset fees associated with concurrent classes.

“We are pleased to be able to offer students a way to make a college education more affordable,” said Redlands President Jack Bryant.

Built with bond money from the Capital Improvements Projects close to a decade ago, the city’s Denny-Crump Rodeo Arena has become a popular stopping place on the rodeo scene.

“Our facility is really rodeo-friendly and it’s user-friendly. We have had circuses, car shows, corn hole tournaments and concerts there as well. We expect that will continue to grow,” said El Reno Mayor Matt White.

The arena has hosted the annual El Reno Wranglers Open Rodeo as well as specialty events such as barrel racing and bull riding. It recently hosted the K&S Ranch Hand Rodeo.

Ice storms demand attention, but so does Oklahoma’s persistent risk of wildfires once the ice has melted.

John Weir, Oklahoma State University Extension associate specialist, said although parts of the state received good rain during the summer, it’s the season for vegetation to go dormant and dry out. Precipitation can be fickle. Vigilance and preparation are always good ideas.

Steve Jensen won the race for Ward 1 El Reno City Council, beating Jacqueline Stevenson-Smith by 36 votes.

The final count was Jensen with 597 votes to 561 for Stevenson-Smith. Three provisional ballots were issued in Ward 1, said Canadian County Election Board Secretary Wanda Armold.

Those ballots were to either be counted or rejected by Friday when the official results were to be released.

Canadian County officials have taken the first steps in an effort to recoup some of the costs of recovering from last week’s ice storm damage.

County commissioners approved a proclamation declaring a state of emergency.

The approval will allow not only the county but municipalities an opportunity to seek federal disaster funds, should they be approved. The commissioners approved the proclamation without discussion.