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MUNICIPAL COURT

Bailey Christopher Denny, El Reno, speeding, $185.

Agustin Beltran Ibuado, Las Vegas, speeding, $175.

Shannon Lei Ward, El Reno, expired tag, $165.

Donald Carl Grantham Jr., Oklahoma City, speeding in a construction zone, $495.

Gerardo Martinez, Oklahoma City, speeding and driving without license issued, $427.

Megan Nicole Lallemand, Edmond, speeding, $165.

Jassee Lee Leno, El Reno, dog at large, $145.

Rick L. Adams, Okarche, speeding, $165.

As if city of El Reno and OEMA employees didn’t have enough to deal with following the massive ice storm, some prankster thought it would be funny to place this trash cart on top of a shelter at Lake El Reno. Authorities said they were not impressed.

Alternating weeks of warm and cold weather are typical this time of year in the Southern Plains, but the recent cold snap across much of Oklahoma still seemed significant. 

In some ways, that proved to be true: Freezing rain that hit Oklahoma at the end of October caused widespread power outages still being addressed in certain communities and regions.

A surge in the number of students placed into quarantine from a small pool of positive tests for the coronovirus has forced El Reno Public Schools to close both its high school and junior high campuses to in-person learning.

Superintendent Craig McVay said Etta Dale Junior High and El Reno High School will be shuttered through November 29. The closures were effective at the end of the school day Thursday, Nov. 12.

The current plan is for students to return to in-person classes on Nov. 30.

El Reno High School continued its tradition of remembering Veterans Day with a virtual ceremony last week due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 Gifts to the Yanks drive is now under way. Donations are being accepted by El Reno students in grades 9-12 to purchase gifts for veterans at the VA Hospital in Oklahoma City.

Classes are also selling shirts and other items ahead of the Dec. 10 virtual assembly where gifts will be displayed and then taken to Oklahoma City. For more information or
to make a donation, call the school at 405-262-3249.

Craig McVay has a long-range plan for El Reno Public Schools, but the events over the first 10 months of 2020 have pushed the superintendent toward revamping those ideas.

“What we have talked about ahead of reviewing our long-range plan was to find out what the community expects, what our teachers expect and what our students expect,” said McVay.

McVay said guiding the district’s educational needs through the global COVID-19 pandemic as well as the rising awareness of racial inequalities was the driving force behind looking at the plan again.

El Reno Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts canvassed neighborhoods last Saturday at part of the annual Scouting for Food Drive.

Nikki Pruitt, founder and director of The Lord’s Harvest which benefits from the effort, said more than 2,765 pounds of non-perishable food items had been rounded up by the Scouts. Pruitt said by the end of the week she expected that total to climb even higher.

Steve Jensen was sworn in to serve as El Reno’s Ward 1 City Council representative Tuesday evening by Municipal Judge Richard Lewis.

Canadian County veterans were honored at Sunday’s Veterans Parade.

The Ninth Annual Canadian County Veterans Day Parade featured parade entries from throughout the county. El Reno School Superintendent Craig McVay served as master of ceremonies for the program following the parade.

Sheriff Chris West offered the invocation, while Sen. Lonnie Paxton led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. The National Anthem was performed by Ellen Jensen. Randy Hurst led the Salute to Services.

An El Reno man was killed in an accident on I-40 Monday afternoon, according to reports from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The accident that happened three miles west of Hinton at mile marker 98 claimed the life of 59-year-old Martin Hoselton. The accident happened at 3:18 p.m., OHP said.