This week's events

Feb. 3

Iris Society Meeting

SEARCY — The White County Iris Society will meet at 2 p.m. at the home of Paul and Joli Love, 605 E. Race Ave. in Searcy. LaVera Johnson will present a slide show of tall-bearded irises. The group will discuss the American Iris Society Convention in Dallas and the iris show scheduled for April 25 in Searcy. Anyone interested in growing irises is welcome.

Feb. 4

Cabot Civitan Meeting

CABOT — The Cabot Civitan group will meet at 6 p.m. at First Security Bank in downtown Cabot. Louise Allison, founder of People Against Trafficking Humans, will be the guest speaker. Meetings are held the first and third Mondays of each month. The public is invited. For more information, call Tom Knolting at (501) 606-3731.

Retired Teachers Meeting

CABOT — The Lonoke County Retired Teachers will meet at 11:30 a.m. at C.J.’s Cafe & Deli in the Village Green Center. The program will be on the Wade Knox Child Advocacy Center. All retired school employees are invited. Participants are asked to bring nonperishable food items for local food pantries.

Beginning Beekeeping Course

SEARCY — A three-part beginning beekeeping course will be held from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 4, 11 and 18 in Room 123 of the Pryor-England Science Building at Harding University. The free class is open to the public and is sponsored by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. For more information, call the White County Cooperative Extension Office at (501) 268-5394.

Feb. 5

Author’s Presentation

BATESVILLE — John Hornor Jacobs, a novelist and Lyon College graduate, will give a public interview and reading on the Lyon campus. The interview will be at 11 a.m. in the Alphin Board Room of the Alphin Building. The reading will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Bevens Music Room of Brown Chapel. Jacobs’ appearance is part of the Lyon’s Visiting Writer Series. For more information on this and other Lyon College activities, call (870) 307-7488, email chandra.huston@lyon.edu, or visit www.lyon.edu.

Ongoing

Batesville Choral Society Rehearsals

BATESVILLE — The Batesville Choral Society will rehearse from 7-9 p.m. Mondays at First Presbyterian Church, 775 E. Boswell St. The group is directed by Michael Oriatti. All interested singers are invited to participate. A concert is scheduled for April 11. For more information, contact Alice Witterman at (870) 793-5928 or alicekw@suddenlink.net.

Black History Month

POCAHONTAS — The Eddie Mae Herron Center and Museum will observe Black History Month throughout February with activities and events that will include hog butchering, quilting, food preparation and lectures. Admission to the events is free. For more information, call (870) 892-4661, email rctourism@suddenlinkmail.com, or visit www.HerronCenter.org.

Upcoming

Zumbathon

CABOT — A Zumbathon will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 9 to benefit the Crossroad House for Girls. The event will be at ReNew Church, 2792 S. Second St. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are $20. Kristy Stewart and Leslie Evans will be the Zumba instructors. There will also be door prizes. For more information, visit www.crossroadhouseforgirls.org.

Sweetheart Auction

CALICO ROCK — The Sweetheart Auction will be held Feb. 9 in Calico Rock. This auction will feature a myriad of items, ranging from furniture to local crafts. Admission is free. For times, location and other information, call (870) 297-8665, email calicorock@centurytel.net, or visit www.calicorock.us.

Gourd Crafts

POCAHONTAS — Davidsonville Historic State Park will offer a Gourd Crafts Workshop on Feb. 9. The cost of the workshop is $15. Attendees will learn how to turn a plain garden gourd into a fun craft project while finding out how American Indians and pioneers used gourds. Workshop space is limited. Reservations are required and must be made at least three days in advance. For more information, call (870) 892-4708, or email davidsonville@arkansas.com.

Mardi Gras Dinner

HEBER SPRINGS — The women of St. Francis Episcopal Church will hold their annual Mardi Gras Dinner from 5-7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in the Parish Hall, 20 Woodland Cove just off Arkansas 110 across from the Heber Springs Sports Complex. The menu will feature shrimp gumbo, chicken gumbo, red beans and rice, salad, French bread, dessert and assorted beverages. Dine-in and takeout options are available. Tickets prices are $10 for adults and $4 for children ages 7-12, with children under 6 being allowed to eat free. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the St. Francis Episcopal Church outreach ministries. For more information, call (501) 365-6564 or (501) 362-3311.

Charity Bunko Bash

CABOT — The Junior Auxiliary of Cabot will hold a charity bunko bash at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at the National Guard Armory, 103 Commerce Park Drive in Cabot, as part of a Mardi Gras celebration. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Proceeds will benefit programs that support kids in need in the Cabot School District. There will be food, door prizes and a silent auction. Doors will open at 5:30. For more information, email jacabot@gmail.com.

Volunteer Network Meeting

BATESVILLE — The North Central Volunteer Network will hold its quarterly brown-bag lunch meeting at noon Feb. 14 in the Community Room of the First Community Bank Southside Branch at the corner of U.S. 167 and Allen Chapel Road. The speaker will be Emily Ingram, associate director of the Arkansas Coalition for Excellence (ACE), based in Little Rock. To attend the meeting, register by Feb. 13 by contacting Nicole Stroud at (870) 793-5912 or info@literacyindependence.org. To learn more about ACE, visit www.acenonprofit.org or contact Ingram at eingram@acenonprofit.org or (501) 375-1223. The NCVN is open to volunteer and nonprofit coordinators and anyone interested in volunteerism or nonprofits.

Valentine’s Day Buffet

MOUNTAIN VIEW — The Skillet Restaurant at Ozark Folk Center State Park will offer a Valentine’s Day buffet for sweethearts on Feb. 14. For the cost, serving times and more information, call (870) 269-3851, email ozarkfolkcenter@arkansas.com, or visit www.ozarkfolkcenter.com.

Quapaw Quartet Concert

BATESVILLE — The Quapaw Quartet, the resident string quartet of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, will give a concert at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Bevens Music Room of Brown Chapel at Lyon College. The quartet will perform a selection of classical music in the annual West Concert. The concert series is endowed by Dan and Sydney West. Dan West is a former president of Lyon College. For more information, contact Chandra Huston at (870) 307-7488.

Prayer Meeting

BEEBE — Merging Streams and Dutch Sheets will hold a prayer meeting from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 16 at Open Arms Assembly, 1103 N. Fir St. The public is invited to attend.

White County Razorback Club

SEARCY — New University of Arkansas football coach Bret Bielema will speak to the White County Razorback Club at 6 p.m. Feb. 21 in the Sullards Annex at Searcy High School. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased at Ronnie McFarland Farm Bureau Insurance, Brian Maddox State Farm Insurance, Richard Cargile Shelter Insurance, Ralph Haymond Insurance and at the Searcy main bank locations of First Security Bank, First Community Bank, Regions Bank, Centennial Bank, Liberty Bank and Simmons First National Bank. Bielema will discuss his decision to lead the Arkansas program, spring practice and the upcoming season. Prior to his presentation, Bielema will sign autographs for those in attendance.

Scrapbooking Event

ASH FLAT — The fourth annual Crop This House scrapbooking event will be Feb. 22 and 23 at the Ash Flat Church of Christ. Registration is $50, and proceeds will benefit the Rock This House fund. Those who preregister will receive a Crop This House T-shirt, along with a complimentary lunch and demonstrations of techniques. Doors will open at noon Feb. 22, allowing uninterrupted scrapbooking time until 9 p.m. Feb. 23.

Master Gardener Training

BATESVILLE — The Independence County Master Gardeners will hold training classes from March 7 through April 3 for people interested in learning more about gardening. Members in Izard, Independence, Sharp and Fulton counties will work together to conduct the training programs. Upon completion of the training and Master Gardener certification, participants will be asked to donate 40 hours to help with community and educational projects. For more information, call the Independence County Extension Office at (870) 793-8840.

Gold City Concert

WARD — Gold City, a Southern gospel quartet, will perform at 7 p.m. March 7 at First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church. There is no admission charge, but an offering will be collected. For more information, call (501) 843-3336.

Griffithville Alumni Reunion

GRIFFITHVILLE — There will be an alumni reunion March 15 and 16 for all who attended school in Griffithville. For more information, contact Stacy Southerland at (817) 996-7672 or srsoutherland@hotmail.com.

To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, Three Rivers Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203; send faxes to (501) 378-3500; or email trnews@arkansasonline.com. Deadlines for calendar-item submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.

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