Happy birthday to my daughter-in-law, Emily Montgomery of Purcell.

Emily celebrates her birthday Tuesday, March 18.

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A special happy birthday to Jeff Salmeri of South Easton, Mass.

Sal celebrates his birthday today, Thursday, March 13.

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Happy 36th birthday to James Gallardo!

James celebrated his birthday March 6.

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Celebrate like you’re a little Irish, even if you’re not!

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Happy first day of spring today, Thursday, March 20!

I’m so ready to say goodbye to winter!

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Doesn’t seem possible that next week is already spring break!

Watch out for all the kids next week as they enjoy some (hopefully) warm spring days!

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Happy birthday to Trent Mitchell, Merle Clark, Don Hamman, Kelley Eyler, Dave Northcutt, Doug Buterbaugh, Craig Perigo, Leon Chausse, Veronica Still and Debbie Wilkinson.

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The deadline to pay the second half of property taxes is Friday, March 28, at 4:30 p.m.

If anyone has questions regarding their tax statements, call the McClain County Treasurer’s Office at 405-527-3261.

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The Purcell Public Library will present the “Learn it! U.S. Citizenship Test Study Sessions” Tuesday, March 11, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the library.

In these sessions you will prepare for the U.S. Citizenship test.

Strengthen your study skills! This program is a series of study sessions to help you prepare for the U.S. Citizenship test.

This activity is supported by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

The program is designed for adults and registration is required.

For more information call 405-527-5546 or register online at pioneerlibrarysystem.org.

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Purcell City Hall will be closed from 1-2 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month for training.

The offices will be closed Wednesday, April 2.

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The Purcell Public Library will present the “Information Investigation: Immigration Q&A” Tuesday, March 18, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the library.

Our world is full of information, which can be overwhelming. Get your immigration questions answered from an immigration attorney.

Have a question about immigration? Each month, a licensed bilingual immigration attorney will hold a Q&A session to answer your immigration questions.

This activity is supported by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

The program is designed for adults and registration is recommended.

For more information call 405-527-5546 or register online at pioneerlibrarysystem.org.

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Here’s a dish to serve to commemorate the Chickasaw Cultural Center’s annual Three Sisters Celebration, which will be held March 18-22 at the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur.

Three Sisters Stew

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups onion, diced

6 cups water

2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes

6 cups red skinned potatoes, cubed

15 can tomato sauce

1 cup corn, frozen

1 cup yellow squash, diced

1 cup zucchini, diced

15.5 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can blackeyed peas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup quick cooking barley

4 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 tsp. black pepper

Brown ground beef and onions, drain.

In a large stock pot, add all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Serve immediately.