News

For the 35th year, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes will host the annual Oklahoma Indian Nation Powwow in Concho.

The 2025 edition honors “35 years of tradition and culture,” the Tribes announced. The powwow will be Friday to Sunday, Aug. 1-3 in Concho.

The honorees have been announced for this year’s powwow and will include Elder Cheyenne Ruth Yellowman Brooks; Elder Arapaho Eloise Bushyhead Rice; Senior Miss Yanna Yellowfish; Junior Miss Emily La’Miyah Gray; and Little Miss Parker Blessing.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics (ODAA) welcomed the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) on July 1 as the state’s space industry agency merges into the department.

The move, prompted by passage of SB 912 during the 2025 legislative session, is a signal to the nation that Oklahoma intends to launch into a new frontier of space industry development, not only at the Air and Space Port located in Burns Flat, but also across the state.

CHICKASHA — Jim Cowan, executive director of the Chickasha Economic Development Council, has spent years promoting tourism in a city best known for its giant leg lamp.

That changed 18 months ago when a private developer joined city and state leaders to transform a mile-long road through a wheat field into the center of what they’re calling the “Oklahoma Land Run 2.0.”

If all goes to plan, the field will soon be home to an industrial park, anchored by a data center with its own power plant.

LAWSUITS

LVNV Funding LLC vs. Dustin Houston for $4,303.59 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Barclays Bank Delaware vs. Chad Campbell for $7,172.27 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Northwest Arkansas Hospitals LLC vs. Ramsey Grasnick for $4,505.91 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Mariner Finance LLC vs. Kasandra Miller for $3,152.18 to pay a debt plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

Farming, for many, has always been considered a family business.

That’s why it’s all hands on deck as local farmers get creative in ways to cut the final acres of the 2025 harvest of red winter wheat.

“It’s all hands on deck, that’s for sure,” said El Reno farmer Steve Jensen.

Jensen, along with brother, Peter and their sons, Carson, John David and Jack joined forces with family cousin, Mike Crowley. The group, including Crowley’s brother-in-law, Larry Schwarz, swarmed a field southwest of Heaston Church with two harvesters, support trucks and grain haulers.

Charges of animal cruelty have been filed against an El Reno man and woman who authorities said had more than 50 animals living in “deplorable” conditions inside a residence at 1208 S. Hoff. The house has been condemned, officials said. 

The charges were filed in Canadian County District Court against Jay Silveria and Julie Silveria. 

These Canadian County administrative offices will be closed as follows during a move to a temporary location as they prepare for the new courthouse build:

Canadian County Treasurer - July 7-10. Will resume normal operations on July 11.

Canadian County Clerk - July 15-18. Will resume normal operations on July 21.

The county treasurer and county clerk’s offices are moving to the old Department of Human Services building, 314 W. Rogers, during the courthouse construction project.

Canadian County Sheriff Chris West was sworn in as the 85th president of the National Sheriffs Association last week. The ceremony took place at the NSA Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“I’m extremely humbled with the high honor of serving the NSA and its members in this position, and I wouldn’t be able to do so if it wasn’t for the support of my wife, Kelly, the awesome staff at the sheriff’s office and the support of the Oklahoma Sheriffs Association,” said West.

Suzie Campbell, publisher of the Countywide & Sun in Tecumseh, officially assumed the role of president of the Oklahoma Press Association (OPA) on July 1.

OPA members elected Campbell during the association’s annual business meeting held June 6-7 at the OPA Convention in Shawnee.

She succeeds Shauna Belyeu and will serve a one-year term as president.

Before her newspaper career, Campbell held various positions including nearly 10 years at Tinker Air Force Base.

A new mural being painted on the back wall of the Redlands Community College gym has been transformed from the sketching phase on June 16 to bright colors.

The mural is being painted by Enid artist Tox Murillo and should be completed in a few weeks.