A special happy birthday wish to my younger son, Matt Montgomery.

Matt celebrates his birthday Thursday, May 1.

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A special happy birthday to my handsome grandson, John Denny “Jack” Montgomery IV.

Jack celebrates his 14th birthday Tuesday, May 6.

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Happy birthday to our Cinco de Mayo girl,  Mary Zuech of Purcell.

Mary celebrates her birthday Monday, May 5.

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Happy birthday to Jason Midkiff, Greg Cypert, Jo Anderson, Kathy Smith, Susan Hilgenfeld, Joanna Swanner, Blake Ellis, Amber Espinoza, Vanessa Garcia, Trevor Nimmo, Luis Garcia, Maria C. Zamora, Omar Brown, Armando Vega and Catherine Weimer.

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The Purcell Parent Teacher Organization will be hosting the annual Freedom Fun Run Wednesday, May 7.

The annual Fun Run is a fundraiser for students in grades Pre-K through fifth who compete with their classmates to run the most laps.

Money raised will go towards supplementing classroom curriculum, purchase of new equipment for teachers, purchase of iPad cases for elementary students along with other projects.

The Freedom Fun Run will be held at the Bob Haley Track and Field Complex.

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The Purcell Public Library will present the “Creativity Unleashed: Rhyming Poetry” Thursday, May 1, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the library.

Explore your interests and discover one of the many ways that you can express yourself through structured and rhyming poems. Designed for teens 12-17 and adults 18+.

We all have an inner artist. Join us in discovering the endless possibilities of your creativity. You will be guided through this program exploring rhythmic poetry writing to produce your own work of art.

Snacks and supplies will be provided.

Registration is required for the program.

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

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Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Purcell will host a Cinco de Mayo Celebration Sunday, May 4, from 12-4 p.m. at the parish hall.

The event will include food and lots of fun with a bounce house and games for all ages.

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You can dispose of Styrofoam in a safe, environmentally-friendly manner by bringing it to the Purcell Public Library Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The library is hosting the foam recycling project with Church Caring for Creation whose mission is to “Save the planet ‘one drink cup at a time’ by recycling #6 plastic.”

Join in the recycling efforts to create positive change in our community by recycling Styrofoam.

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The Purcell Public Library will present the “Learn it! U.S. Citizenship Test Study Sessions” Tuesday, May 13, 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. The 2024 Heart of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Banquet is set for Thursday, June 5, at the Mid-America Technology Center in Wayne.

For more information call the chamber office at 405-527-3093 or email elisabeth@theheartofok.com.

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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, May 7.

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This is a quick and easy recipe.

Doritos Chicken Casserole

14.5 oz. package nacho cheese-flavored Doritos, lightly crushed

2 ½  to 3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded and cut into small pieces

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

15.25 oz. can corn, drained

8 oz. colby jack cheese, shredded and divided

10 oz. mild diced tomatoes and green chiles (Ro-tel)

4 oz. can green chilies

10.75 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup

8 ounces sour cream

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread half the crushed chips into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, black beans, corn, 1 cup of the cheese, Ro-tel, green chiles, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and the taco seasoning.

Spread the mixture evenly over the chips in the baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes. Spread remaining chips evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake another 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted.