Happy birthday to Mike McElderry, Nolan Douglas, Zackary Carpenter, Hannah Hail, Griffin Harwell, Taryn Knowles, Brock Hail, Hunter Perigo, John Rummage, Arely Resendiz, Sarah Bates Parker, Michelle Braden, Jeff McCaskill, Mark Holden, Cynthia Calixto, Sofia Ortiz and Amanda Powell.

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School started today in the Heart of Oklahoma.

Crosswalks and neighborhood streets will be filled with children walking and bicycling to school.

The message is simple:      Motorists - Put down the phone, stay alert and watch out for these precious, vulnerable children.

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The McClain County Boots & Badges Blood Drive will be held Friday, August 15, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the bloodmobile located across from First United Bank at 324 W. Main in Purcell.

To schedule an appointment call the Our Blood Institute at 877-340-8777 or obi.org.

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The August Heart of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce luncheon will be held Thursday, August 21, at the Mid-America Technology Center, 27438 State Highway 59, in Wayne.

Lunch is $20 and will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the program to commence at 12:10 p.m.

The program will feature superintendentsToby Ringwald, Wayne; Dr. Sheli McAdoo, Purcell; Chad Hall, Lexington; Chris Reynolds, Washington; and Mike Eubank, Mid-America Technology Center, who will be speaking on the “State of the Schools.”

The host for the luncheon is McClain Bank.

RSVP by Friday, August 15, by calling or texting 405-527-3093 or email elisabeth@theheartofok.com.

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The Heart of Oklahoma Music Festival will be held Saturday, September 27, in downtown Purcell.

The first band will perform at 11 a.m. and performers will include The Great Divide, Brother Heywood, Etowah Road, Gary Gibson Bank and Red Dirt Rangers.

The event will also feature food trucks and vendors and admission is free.

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With nothing but hot temperatures in the forecast for the near future, I thought a salad would be a good choice. It comes from my dear friend Eulene Webster.

Seven Layer Salad

Layer of lettuce, about 1 inch

Small bunch of broccoli, chopped, stem off

Red onion rings

1 lb. of bacon, fried crisp, crumbled

Box of frozen English peas

Layer each of the ingredients in order.

Cover with shredded cheese followed by 8 oz. Hellman’s mayonaise.

Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.