this week’s EVENTS

SEARCY — The White County Republican Committee will meet at 7 p.m. at the Wilbur Mills Court Building, 301 W. Arch in Searcy. State Sen. Missy Irvin of Mountain View will present the program. All are invited, and new members may file to join the committee. For more information, call Joel Pritchett at (501) 827-0777 or email whitecogop@hotmail.com.

WinShape Camp Registration SEARCY - An opportunity to register children for WinShape Camp will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. today at the Carmichael Community Center. Through a collaboration between several churches in White County, the faith-based camp will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Aug. 3 at Riverview High School in Searcy. The camp is for firstthrough sixth-graders. For more information, visit winshapecamps. org or call Kristen Snow at (501) 268-5896.

Movie Thursday CABOT - Christ Church, at 100 Gateway Drive, invites the public to More Than a Movie Thursdays. The church will show a familyfriendly movie and provide a kidhealthy snack from 2-3:30 p.m. For more information, call the church at (501) 843-2302 or Colleen at (501) 529-0604.

TODAY AND FRIDAY Summer Bible Series BATESVILLE - The Church of Christ in Quail Valley, at 4104 Harrison St. in Batesville, will continue its Summer Bible Series from 7-8:15 p.m. today and Friday. The theme is “Bible Roads,” and the series will cover events of history occurring on the road to Bethel, Jericho, Emmaus, Damascus and heaven. The Bible classes are designed for various age groups, from 2-year-olds to adults. For more information, call (870) 793-6700 or (870) 569-4491 or visit www.qvcoc.com.

Summer Lunch Program CABOT - The Cabot School District will serve free lunch to students and adults of the community today and Friday. Lunches are served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Ward Central and Westside elementary schools. This is the last week for the program. For more information, contact Amanda Elizandro at (501) 843-3363, ext. 1059, or Amanda. Elizandro@cps.k12.ar.us.

FRIDAY Bald Knob Driver Safety Class BALD KNOB - The Bald Knob A ARP Chapter and Central Baptist Church, at 1507 W. Center in Bald Knob, will host an AARP Driver Safety Course from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All school personnel will be honored in the months of July and August by AARP by allowing them to take the course for $5. The instructors are Jerry and Bertie Yates. The cost of the course is $12 for AARP members who present an AARP card and $14 for nonmembers. To register for the class, call Jerry or Bertie Yates at (501) 283-0283.

SATURDAY AND AUG. 25 Batesville Driver Safety Class BATESVILLE - During the months of July and August, with the help of local sponsors, the AARP Driver Safety Program will allow educators to take the driver safety course for $5. The discount will apply to teachers, retired teachers and all other school workers, including home-school teachers and Sunday School teachers. In Batesville, the classes will be held at First Community Bank on Saturday and Aug. 25. For more information, call (870) 307-0110. There is no test in class, and those who are 55 and older who complete the course can expect to qualify for a discount on their vehicle insurance premiums.

SUNDAY Melody Boys Quartet Concert JACKSONVILLE - The Melody Boys Quartet, a Southern gospel music group, will perform a free concert at 6 p.m. at Bayou Meto Baptist Church, 26200 Arkansas 107 in Jacksonville. For more information, call (501) 988-1966.

MONDAY - AUG. 3 Vacation Bible School CABOT - Our Savior Lutheran Church, 301 S. Pine, will hold Vacation Bible School with the theme “SKY: Everything Is Possible With God” from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday through Aug. 3. For more information, call Helen at (501) 605-8850.

Drama Camps BATESVILLE - The Batesville Area Arts Council will offer halfday drama camps Monday through Aug. 3. Artists fromthe Trike Theatre, Northwest Arkansas’ professional theater for youth, will be in residence and teach the camps, which use drama skills to build life skills for kindergartners through eighth-graders. Registration information is available at the BAAC Art Gallery on Main at 246 E. Main St. For more information, call (870) 793-3382 or email baac@suddenlinkmail.com.

ONGOING Farmers Market HORSESHOE BEND - Faith Presbyterian Church sponsors a farmers market from 8 a.m. to noon each Wednesday in the church’s parking lot at Fourth and Church streets in Horseshoe Bend. Everyone is welcome to bring fruits, vegetables, crafts or baked goods to sell. There is no fee to participate.

Adult Flag Football Registration JACKSO N VIL L E - Adult Flag Football registration will continue through Aug. 23. The games are seven-on-seven with up to 12 people on the roster. Games will begin at 2 p.m. every Sunday. The cost is $350 per team. A coaches meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Jacksonville Community Center. For more information, contact Megan Handy at (501) 982-4171 or mhandy@cityof jacksonville.net.

Literacy Champions NEWPORT - The Summer Reading Tree program at Walmart in Newport, in partnership with the United Way of Northeast Arkansas, is promoting summer reading forelementary children in Jackson County. The program will provide two new books for firstthrough third-graders in Jackson County. Literacy Champions can pick up a tag at Walmart, purchase the books requested and return them to Walmart by Friday. For more information, contact Paula Robertson at the United Way of Northeast Arkansas at (870) 935-3658 or paula.robertson@unitedway. org.

Wednesday Movie Nights BATESVILLE - Believers Community Church, 3645 N. St. Louis St. in Batesville, invites the community to free movie nights at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday.

Mission 5,000 Free Meals JACKSONVILLE - First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville provides afree meal to the community twice a week. Mission 5,000 is open from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the church’s Family Life Center, 308 W. Main St. Everyone is invited for food and fellowship. For more information, call the church at (501) 982-8176.

Searcy Burn Ban SEARCY - As a result of the extremely dry conditions, a burn ban has been issued for the city of Searcy. This ban is effective for all areas within the city. The ban will run concurrently with the burn ban recently issued for White County by County Judge Michael Lincoln and will be in effect for the duration of the countywide burn ban.

UPCOMING Gem and Mineral Club Meeting CHEROKEE VILLAGE - The Spring River Gem and Mineral Club will meet at 10 a.m. Aug. 2 at the Omaha Center in Cherokee Village. The program, “Name That Rock” by State Geologist Bill Prior, will be about identifying minerals, a process that helps identify types of rock. For more information, call Ruth Maxedon at (870) 257-2361.

Democratic Forum and Fundraiser NEWPORT - A Democratic Forum and Fundraiser will be held for Scott Ellington from 4-6 p.m. Aug. 2. The event, hosted by the Jackson County Democratic Women, will be in the Garden Room at 306 Front St., next to Napoli’s Restaurant. The public is invited to meet the candidates and enjoy pizza and salad catered by Napoli’s.

MOPS Preview Party CABOT - The Cabot Mothers of Preschoolers will hold its 2012 Preview Party from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 6 in Room 103 at First Baptist Church Cabot. Moms are invited to find out if MOPS is for them through a showcase of each aspect of MOPS, including monthly speaker topics, discussion groups, community service, crafts/ activities, MOPPETS and food. MOPS is a nondenominational program designed to nurture mothers who are pregnant or have children who are infants through kindergartners. For more information, call Katherine Bynum at (501) 258-5531 or email cabot_mops@hotmail.com.

Healthy Woman NEWPORT - Former The Biggest Loser contestant AbbyRike will be featured at the annual Healthy Woman event at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 7 at the ASUNewport Student/Community Center. Rike will talk about how health and wellness can promote spiritual, emotional and physical healing, and will be available for a meet and greet and book-signing after the event. Tickets are $20, payable upon admission, and include dinner. Participants must register by calling (870) 512-3081 or by visiting www.harrishospital.com/healthywoman.

New Teacher Welcome JACKSONVILLE - New teachers will be welcomed to Jacksonville from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 9 at theJacksonville Community Center. The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce requests donations for goodie bags to be given to new teachers. Items for the bags may be dropped off at the chamber by Aug. 9, or call (501) 982-1511 to arrange for pickup.

Sip and Paint NEWPORT - The Iron Mountain Regional Arts Council will host the second annual Sip and Paint from 5:30-8 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Newport Business Resource Center, 201 Hazel St. This is a social evening intended to inspire artists and encourage the arts in Newport and JacksonCounty. Participating artists will be Debra Bennett, Barbara Smock and Donna Hohn. Those who attend will have their choice of two images to work with. The cost is $30, payable at the door. Space is limited, so to RSVP, call Bennett at (602) 290-5249. Participants are asked to bring their favorite beverage. All other supplies will be provided.

Chuck Wagon Gang Concert WARD - The Chuck Wagon Gang mixed quartet will give a gospel concert at 7 p.m. Aug. 16 at First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Ward. For more information, call (501) 843-3336.

Business Expo WA L N U T R I D G E - T h e Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce will host the second annual Business Expo from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 28 at Walnut Ridge First Baptist Church. The expo’s theme, “Cruisin’ to Success,” will emphasize the rockabilly roots of the area. Booth space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The registration and payment deadline for booths is Aug. 14. For more information, call (870) 886-3232.

Ward Jamboree WARD - The Ward Chamber of Commerce’s annual Jamboreewill be held from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 15 at the chamber building. T he fre e eve nt includes a concert by John Michael Vance and the Delta Blues, as well as other musical groups throughout the day. A beauty pageant for infants to 17-year-olds will be held, with cash prizes and trophies. There will also be bingo games, cakewalks, a silent auction and the Arkansas vs. Alabama football game on the big screen, which will be raffled off afterward. For more information about the pageant, contact Kelly Probus at (501) 658-9384. For more information about renting booth space to sell, advertiseor promote products, services, organizations, businesses or political candidates, contact Chris Mann at (501) 941-9987. For more information, visit www.wardchamber.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 - 350 0 ; or email trnews@arkansasonline.com. Deadlines for calendaritem submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.