Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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

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

Emily celebrates her birthday Wednesday, March 18.

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

Sal celebrates his birthday Friday, March 13.

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Happy 37th birthday to James Gallardo!

James celebrated his birthday March 6.

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Happy birthday to Trent Mitchell, Kelley Eyler, Dave Northcutt, Doug Buterbaugh, Dan Abney, Merle Clark, Don Hamman, Leon Chausse, and Veronica Still.

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The Purcell City Lake will celebrate its 70th anniversary on March 15.

The City of Purcell has plans to commemorate the anniversary during an upcoming event at the lake.

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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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The Purcell Public Library will present the “Healthier You: A Way to Wellness” Thursday, March 12, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the library.

A Way to Wellness is a free, evidence-based health education program designed to support adults in building sustainable, healthy lifestyles. The program began March 5 and will run through April 23 at The Purcell Public Library.

Classes will be held Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and will be led by Tamara Powell, Health Planning Specialist, alongside Bret Wood, Community Engagement and Health Planning manager, and Jasmin Lujan, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse for the McClain County Health Department.

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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The beginning of Daylight Saving Time is a great time to remember to test your smoke alarms.

“Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half as you only have about two minutes to safely get out,” said Loida Haffener-Salmond, executive director of the South Central and Southwest Oklahoma chapter of the Red Cross. “Every second counts when there’s a home fire and the sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get to a safer place.”

It only takes a few minutes to check your alarms and make sure you replace any that are over 10 years old.

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The deadline to pay the second half of property taxes is Friday, March 27, 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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Here’s a dish to serve to commemorate the Chickasaw Cultural Center’s annual Three Sisters Celebration, which will be held March 17-21 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.