News

The city of Yukon has hired El Reno attorney Roger Rinehart to serve as that city’s municipal attorney. Rinehart has held the same position in El Reno and said he will continue to do so.

Yukon City Council approved a contract with Rinehart, Rinehart & Rinehart, P.C., for Roger Rinehart’s services as city attorney. He’ll begin Jan. 1.

The attorney-client agreement signed last week is for an annual contract at a rate of $7,000 per month. Judge Gary Miller has been serving as the city attorney for Yukon. His final day to serve is Dec. 31.

Calling it an “early Christmas present,” El Reno city officials were pleased with the news the city, along with other areas of Canadian County, have been declared a disaster following the late October ice storm.

The news was received Monday that President Trump had declared that a major disaster exists in the state of Oklahoma and ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected.

A trust overseeing Canadian County’s new domestic violence center has signed a lease with county commissioners to occupy its new home.

Commissioners, at their Dec. 21 meeting, approved a real estate and leasing services agreement starting Jan. 1 with Cardinal Point Public Trust.

Cardinal Point is getting ready to occupy a 5,000-square-foot space inside the Canadian County Children’s Justice Center, 7905 East Highway 66.

El Reno fireman Tanner Hood, left, pulls slack on a water hose as fellow fireman Ty Gulickson moves into position to spray water on a shed fire last week on North Hoff. The inside of the shed was destroyed.

Following the 2016 presidential election, reports of Russian efforts to interfere in the U.S. election process prompted numerous congressional investigations and bipartisan efforts to better protect election security, U.S. Sen. James Lankford noted.

But the Oklahoma City Republican sees less interest in addressing many concerns raised about election integrity following the 2020 presidential election — even though he said those concerns are just as valid.

LAWSUITS

DNF Associates LLC vs. Gwendolyn Knowles for $3,946.71 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Arvest Bank vs. Marsha Bruce for $3,945.26 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC vs. Sharon D. Stucks for $2,351.72 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

OneMain Financial Group LLC vs. Tamera Culbertson for $2,540.87 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Some El Reno schoolchildren helped brighten the day for some COVID front-line health-care workers by sending them colorful cards and drawings.

Raven Bramlett teaches fifth-grade math and science at Roblyer Learning Center. Her former neighbor and El Reno resident, Melissa Knight, is an RN at Integris Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City. She works in the ICU with the primary task of caring for COVID patients.

Bramlett said she talked with her two classes, 42 students in all, about what the health-care workers were going through, working in “these crazy conditions.”

Three days into dispensing the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine, the eight counties which make up District 2 had used close to half of the initial allotment from the state of Oklahoma.

“I think it was amazing the number of hospital staffs that were willing to get the vaccine and that’s significant. Everyone has been positive and we are thankful they are willing to take this next step,” said Maggie Jackson, public information officer for District 2. Canadian County is one of the eight in District 2 along with Alfalfa, Blaine, Garfield, Grant, Kingfisher, Logan and Major.

As one drives onto the lands of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Concho, they are met with a picturesque view of the tribes bison herd grazing freely in the pastures blanketed in thick native grasses.

The sight is breathtaking and would explain the recent award presented to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Bison Program.

The Towering Spirit Award was presented to the tribes by the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful (KOB) organization.

About 8 a.m. on Dec. 7, El Reno police attempted to pull over a vehicle near Admire and Foreman.

An officer in an unmarked patrol car reported the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Joshua Wagner, 30, of El Reno, allegedly began to drive in a manner that allowed him to elude the officer.

A second uniformed El Reno officer in a marked patrol car located Wagner driving in the area of Jensen and Radio Road. The officer reported the vehicle appeared to be damaged with lights not working properly.