Happy birthday to my great-niece, Ellianna Rusler of Midwest City.

Ellianna celebrates her 12th birthday Thursday, September 25.

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Happy fall, y’all!

Fall officially starts Monday, September 22.

I’m ready for the  weather to stay cool and not flip flop every other day!

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Happy birthday to Kristin Kotecki, Brent Holden, Lucas Northcutt, Kylie Buterbaugh, Cash Castle, Charles Perry, Nancy Ewing Friedman, Velda Pack, Jade Chaples, Jolene Willis, Rocky Bates, Agnes Belfiore, Mary Ille, Rachel Loux, Tomas Trejo, Brandon Smith, William Troyano, Matt Lohn and Savannah Yates.

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The Washington Masonic Lodge is hosting an all you can eat breakfast Saturday, September 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a $10 donation.

This is to help the McClain County Deputy who had his house burned down.

The lodge is located at 206 Sharp Street in Washington.

Everyone is invited so come hungry and leave full.

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Homecoming at Purcell High School is this Friday, September 19.

The homecoming parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. and make its usual trek down Main Street.

The 2025 football homecoming queen will be crowned Friday night in a ceremony prior to the Purcell-Lexington football contest at Conger Field.

The King and Queen will be announced at the coronation ceremony starting at 6:30 p.m.

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Draggin’ Main, Cruisin’ Main, Relivin’ the Tradition, will be held Friday, September 19, after the Purcell High School Homecoming Game.

Friends, neighbors, alumni and newcomers are encouraged to come to Main Street from approximately 8 p.m. to midnight and enjoy the tradition of dragging Main Street.

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The Purcell Public Library will present the “Hispanic Heritage Festival” Thursday, September 25, from 5-7 p.m. in the meeting room of the library.

Discover the diverse cultures, traditions and experiences that make up our Hispanic community. Join us for food, fun and even some furry friends!

Deepen your connection with your community and expand your mindset on Hispanic culture. Learn with others in this interactive program with different Hispanic performers, entertainment, food trucks and more!

The program is for all ages.

For more information call 405-527-5546.

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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 Band and Red Dirt Rangers.

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

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The Purcell Public Library will present “Book Discussion: How to Solve our Own Murder by Kristen Perrin” Thursday, October 9, 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the library.

Join us in a lively discussion over “How to Solve Your Own Murder” by Kristen Perrin.

Connect with others to read, discuss and explore.

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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This year’s Heart of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Halloween of the Heart - Treats on the Trail will be held Saturday, November 1, from 3-6 p.m. at the Purcell Lake.

House-to-house trick or treating in Purcell will also be held on Friday, November 1.

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Here’s a good chicken recipe to put in your meal rotation.

Italian Chicken Casserole

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 TBLs butter

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 cup red bell peppers diced

Can cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk or half and half

1/2 cup chicken stock

4 oz. cream cheese cubed

1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix

3 TBLs grated Parmesan cheese divided

8 oz. uncooked bowtie pasta

Cook pasta per package directions, except cook for about 2-3 minutes less than recommended if making the casserole version. If you don’t plan to bake in the oven, then cook pasta the recommended amount of time suggested on the package. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken cubes. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper and saute until onion is translucent; about 3 minutes.

To the same pan, add the soup, the milk and the stock. Whisk until smooth. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until it’s melted and well blended into sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese and the dressing mix. Stir until well blended.

Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat well with the sauce and heat through. May be served at this point with no additional cooking.

    For Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 2-quart casserole.

Turn chicken/pasta mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and pasta is getting golden brown on the top.