A special happy birthday wish to Brady Moakley of Norman.

Brady celebrates his 22nd birthday Wednesday, July 1.

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Happy birthday to Jake Harris, Carolee Maxwell, Pat Martin, Leona Mote, Pam Irwin, Wayne Nix, Isidro Ibarra, Ma. de Jesus Cruz, Shane Ellis, Kathleen Loux, Juan Aguinaga, Sarah Dumas, Loretta Farley, Andrea Johnson, Amy Woods, Amber McCoy, Janone McCoy and Katie Wilson Blue.

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Purcell’s Independence Day Celebration will be held Friday, June 26, at the Purcell City Lake.

The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. and will include food trucks, games and a car show with the fireworks show beginning at 9:45 p.m.

For more information contact the Purcell Parks at 405-527-7227.

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The Purcell High School Class of 1976, the bicentennial class, will have its 50th reunion Saturday, June 27, at 6:15 p.m. at the Canadian Theatre.

For more information call Vickie Thurston Meyers at 325-668-4321 or email vlynn215@gmail.com or Teresa Genson Jones, 405-830-2120 or email tjones713@aol.com.

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Harvest Time, 2726 N. Ninth in Purcell, is sponsoring a Food Pantry Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Supplies are limited and the event is first come, first served.

The pantry is open the last Saturday of every month.

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The Purcell Public Library will present the “Tornado Alley Disc Dogs” Saturday, June 27, from 10-11 a.m. in the meeting room of the library.

Come and enjoy Tornado Alley Disc Dogs, a not-for-profit group located right here in Central Oklahoma. Their show is filled with high-flying dogs and spectacular tricks!

Be aware that this event takes place outside, please bring water and take precautions against the heat.

The program is for all age groups.

For more information call 405-527-5546.

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The Purcell Public Library will present the “Hooplahoma” Tuesday, July 7, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Purcell Multi-Purpose Center indoor gym, 1400 Chandler Road.

Join performance artist Chelsea “Hooplahoma” Parks in this interactive program all about unearthing the key to her amazing circus skills.

Dig into the secrets of the Hoop, explore the art or using your mistakes to learn, and be inspired to embark on your own adventures by the time the show is over!

The program is for ages through 11 and registration is required for children, but not their caregivers.

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

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The Purcell Public Library will present the “Art in Action: Learn About Illustrating a Book and Create a Children’s Book Layout” with Josh S. Brunet.

The program will be held Wednesday, July 8, from 2-3:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the library.

Art professor and children’s book illustrator, Joshua Brunet, will give a presentation on the elements of illustrating a book--from sketching images to painting the illustrations. Participants will learn how to create a book layout. Joshua will show sketches, clay models, photo reference, and all the images and revisions he creates for publishers before he starts on the final, painted illustrations.

The program is for teens 12-17 and registration is required.

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

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Here’s a perfect casserole to fix for the Fourth of July!

Firecracker Casserole

2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. salt

2 TBL chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

2 TBL chopped jalapeno

1 can ranch style beans, undrained

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup

8 corn tortillas (broken up into 6 pieces each)

6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium skillet, brown the beef and then drain.

Add all other ingredients except tortillas and cheese to the beef and stir.

Spray a 13×9 casserole dish.

Tear up tortillas and place them in the bottom of the casserole dish. Add meat mixture and top with shredded cheese.

Bake for 50 minutes or until bubbly.