LITTLE ROCK — ONGOING Art Exhibit BATESVILLE - A collection of artwork by Mandy Maxwell will be on display through Sunday at the Batesville Area Arts Council Gallery, 246 E. Main St. For more information, visit batesvillearts.org.
GED Testing NEWPORT - The Adult Education Department at Arkansas State University-Newport will offer the two-part GED test five more times during the spring 2012 semester. The following are Monday/Tuesday dates with the test beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Mondays and at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays: April 2-3; April 16-17; April 30-May 1; May 14-15; and May 21-22. Candidates must register and fulfill preliminary testing requirements prior to taking the Official GED exam. Contact the Adult Education Center at (870) 512-7824 to determine eligibility.
Monday Night Bingo WARD - Charitable Bingo is held Mondays at the Ward Chamber of Commerce building, 80 W. Second St. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and quarter games will start at 6. More than $750 in cash prizes will be paid out, with a $1,000-jackpot possibility. Participants can play all bingo games for as little as $30. Food and beverage concessions will be offered by the Ward Chamber of Commerce. Proceeds will benefit the GymStars Parent Club. For more information, call (501) 278-5588.
TODAY Ozark Woodland Owners Meeting BATESVILLE - The Ozark Woodland Owners Association will hold its spring membership meeting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Conference Room at the Independence County Cooperative Extension Office, 1770 Meyer St. in Batesville. Jim Northum of the Arkansas Forest Service will speak on Forest Pests. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. All are invited to attend. For more information, call Larry Morris at (870) 283-6646 or (870) 613-0229, or Alice Witterman at (870) 793-5928.
TODAY AND SATURDAY Bone Marrow Donor Drive NEWPORT - A drive to select possible bone-marrow donors will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, at the Arkansas State University-Newport Student/Community Center. The event offers residents the opportunity to learn more about the process of donating bone marrow and to register as a potential donor.
FRIDAY Southern Gospel Group SEARCY - The Perrys of Gallatin, Tenn., will perform at 7 p.m. at First Assembly of God Church, at Benton and Cloverdale in Searcy. There is no charge for the concert, but love offerings will be accepted. For more information, call (501) 268-3289.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY Watercolor Workshop BATESVILLE - Marlene Gremillion will offer a Miniature Abstract in Watercolor Workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Batesville Area Arts Council. The workshop will use watercolors, colored pencils and an accent of acrylic or gold leaf. No previous experience in watercolor or abstract painting is necessary. The workshop fee is $100 for both days. Preregistration is required with a $25 deposit. To learn more about the artist, visit www.marlenegremillion.com. For more information or to register, contact the Arts Council at (870) 793-3382 or email baac@suddenlinkmail.com.
SATURDAY Reception for Hazel May CALICO ROCK - The Calico Rock Museum will hold a reception to honor Hazel May from 11 a.m. to noon. May worked at the post office in Calico Rock for more than 34 years, served as postmaster for many years, and volunteered countless hours in many capacities to help Calico Rock. The reception will offer an opportunity to visit with Hazel and her family, enjoy refreshments and tour the new museum exhibits. For more information, call the museum at (870) 297-4129.
Children’s Shelter Benefit WALNUT RIDGE - A beans and bluegrass fundraiser for the Children’s Shelter of Walnut Ridge will be held from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Ministry Activity Center at First Baptist Church, 322 SW Front St. A dinner of beans and cornbread will be served starting at 5, followed by bluegrass music at 6:30. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 10 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at the door, or in advance by calling the Children’s Shelter at (870) 886-5191 or Judy Turnbull at (870) 886-6796.
Relay for Life Fundraiser NEWPORT - A Relay for Life fundraiser will be held at 7 p.m. at the People Helping People building in Amagon. The Richwood Band will provide entertainment, and there will be a cake, cookie and pie auction. Tickets will be available at the door for $5, and all proceeds will benefit Relay for Life. The event is sponsored by Merchants and Planters Bank, and Merchants and Planters Insurance.
Vietnam Veterans Day JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Museum of Military History will hold a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day at 1 p.m. The museum is at 100 Veterans Circle. The event will include a parade on Main Street. For more information, call (501) 241-1943 or (501) 241-1944.
Easter Celebration BATESVILLE - The Old Independence Regional Museum will celebrate Easter from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be Easter games, crafts and stories. Admission is free for the entire family, but donations will be accepted. For more information, call (870) 793-2121.
Bunko Bash CABOT - The Cabot Lions Club will hold a Bunko Bash at 4:30 p.m. at the First Security Bank downtown branch, 205 W. Pine in Cabot. The cost is $30 at the door. Refreshments will be served, and prizes for players will be awarded. Therewill also be door prizes. Proceeds will go to Cabot Lions projects in the community. For more information, contact Jackie Jones at (501) 628-5401 or jackie.jones2@fsbank.com.
MONDAY Lonoke County Retired Teachers Meeting WARD - The Lonoke County Retired Teachers will meet at 11:30 a.m. at the Old Austin Methodist Church for a potluck lunch and a program by the Open Arms Shelter. All retired school employees are invited. Participants are asked to bring nonperishable food items for local food pantries. The church is at the corner of Ray Sowell and Arkansas 38 in Ward.
Author Lecture BATESVILLE - Brooks Blevins will speak at noon about his latest book, Ghost of the Ozarks: Murder and Memory in the Upland South, at the Mabee-Simpson Library at Lyon College. A brown-bag lunch will be provided. The book is about the 1929 murder of drifter Connie Franklin and the rape of his teenage fiancée in Stone County, followed by the arrest of five local men for both crimes and the confusion and superstition surrounding their trial and conviction. Blevins, an Ozarks native, is the Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies at Missouri State University in Springfield.
UPCOMING Ducks Unlimited Dinner CABOT - The Cabot Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Cabot Ducks Unlimited Dinner at 6 p.m. April 5 at the Cabot National Guard Armory. Tickets are $40 for adults and $60 for couples. Children’s tickets are $15. Bronze Sponsorships and corporate tables with reserved seating are also available. The event will feature raffle prizes, and the all-new Ducks Unlimited 75th Anniversary merchandise will be available. For more information or tickets, call Matt Robinson at (501) 412-8055.
Searcy AARP Driver Safety Course SEARCY - The PrimeTimes of the White County Medical Center will offer an AARP Driver Safety Course from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 6 and again April 21 in the Hubach Center. Participants are advised to park behind the hospital off Moore Street and use the elevator to go to the first floor. The cost of the course is $12 for AARP members with an AARP membership card, and $14 for nonmembers. The instructor will be Jerry Yates. To register for either class, call Anna Overbay at PrimeTimes at (501) 380 - 1050.
Medicinal Herb Workshop and Field Trip MOUNTAIN VIEW - An herbal field trip and medicinal herb workshop will be held April 6 and 7 at Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View. The cost for the field trip and workshop combination is $85 if paid before Friday, and $95 afterward. The cost of the field trip only is $30 before Friday, then $40. The workshop only costs $60 before Friday and $70 afterward. For more information, call (870) 269-3851 or email www.ozarkfolkcenter.com.
Comfort Foods Dutch Oven Workshop POWHATAN - A Comfort Foods Dutch Oven Workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 7 at Powhatan Historic State Park. Participants will learn to prepare several comfort-food recipes from theVictorian table and stay to eat them. The registration fee is $35 per person. Participants will leave with a Dutch-oven accessory kit and a recipe booklet. The fee includes all materials. Class size is limited. To reserve a space, call (870) 878-6765 or email powhatan@arkansas.com.
Habitat for Humanity Applications BATESVILLE - The next application meeting for Habitat for Humanity of Independence County will be held from 8 a.m. to noon April 7 at West Baptist Church, 1100 Central Ave. Volunteers will be available to help people complete applications for Habitat houses and answer questions. For more information, call Habitat for Humanity of Independence County at (870) 799-1999.
A.W.A.K.E. Meeting SEARCY - The sleep apnea support group A.W.A.K.E. will meet at 6 p.m. April 9 at Simmons First Bank, 401 S. Main St. The free meeting is open to all. For more information, call Pat at (501) 268-7686.
Little Shop of Horrors CABOT - The Cabot Community Theatre is taking reservations for its spring musical, Little Shop of Horrors, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman. Performances are set for April 12, 13, 20 and 21. The play follows SeymourKrelborn, a down-and-out florist assistant who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant, then soon realizes his meal ticket has a craving for something other than plant food. Reservations are required and can be made online at www.cabotcommunitytheatre.org or by calling (501) 941-2266. Cabot Community Theatre is at the CenterStage Playhouse, 204 N. First St.
Chamber Awards Banquet WARD - The Ward Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual awards banquet at 6 p.m. April 13 at Grace Community Church, 30 Second St. in downtown Ward. The keynote speaker will be Lt. Gov. Mark Darr. Tickets are $25 per person or $175 per table of eight. For more information, call Sharon Roberts at (501) 743-4395 or Chris Mann at (501) 941-9987, or visit www.wardchamber.com.
Appreciation Banquet HARDY - The Ozark Gateway Leo Rainey Tourism Appreciation Banquet will take place at 5 p.m. April 14 at Creekside Loft, 111 Woodland Hills Road. The event will feature speaker Skip Rutherford from the William J. Clinton Library in Little Rock, recent American Idol contestant Lauren Gray, awards presentations and dinner. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and space is limited. For more information, contact Cathy Drew at (800) 264-0316 or crdrew@sbcglobal.net.
Rotary Club Fundraiser WALNUT RIDGE - The Rotary Club of Walnut Ridge will havea barbecue-ribs fundraiser. The cost is $20 for one slab of ribs and $35 for two. Contact any member of the Rotary Club to purchase tickets. Ribs must be picked up from 4-5:30 p.m. April 19 in the parking lot of the Hays Store, 1000 SW Front St. Any ribs not picked up by 5:30 will be considered a donation. Bald Knob AARP Driver Safety Course BALD KNOB - There will be an AARP Driver Safety Course from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 23 at Central Baptist Church, 1507 W. Center. The cost of the course is $14 for nonmembers and $12 for AARP members with an AARP membership card. To register, call (501) 283-0283.
SUNDAYIris Society TourSEARCY - The White County Iris Society will host a tour of gardens at 2 p.m., beginning at 605 E. Race St. LaVera Johnson will give on-the-spot instructions for choosing, cutting and grooming irises for an upcoming show. The tour will end at the original meeting place, and society members will discuss the final plans for the upcoming show, to be held April 28 in the lobby of White County Medical Center. For more information or to join the group, call Alice Jewell at (501) 268-6634 or Marilee Coker at (501) 268-6851.
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 calendaritem submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.
Three Rivers, Pages 45 on 03/29/2012