March 6
Health Connector Workshop
CONWAY — An Arkansas Health Connector workshop will be held at 4 p.m. at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St., to provide answers to questions about getting insurance in Arkansas. For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
March 7
Maumelle Newcomers
MAUMELLE — A Maumelle Newcomers coffee will be held at 10 a.m. at the Community Center in Maumelle. Everyone in the community is invited.
Fish Fry
MORRILTON — Knights of Columbus Council 5209 in Morrilton will hold its annual fish fry Friday at the KC Hall, 808 N. Cedar St. Carryout lunches will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $10. All-you-can-eat dine-in meals will be served from 5-8 p.m. for $13. Carryout dinners will be sold for $10 each, beginning at 4 p.m. The cost is $5 for children ages 4-12, and children younger than 4 may eat free. The public is invited, and proceeds will support charitable work in the community. Call-in orders will be accepted Friday by calling (501) 208-6520.
March 8
Home Run 5K
CONWAY — The first Habitat Home Run 5K to raise money and awareness for Habitat for Humanity of Faulkner County will begin at 9 a.m. at The Village at Hendrix, east of Harkrider Street. The race is sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of Faulkner County and the Hendrix College Habitat chapter. Registration fees are $5 for ages 6-12; $10 for students ages 13-18; and $20 for adults. There is no charge for children 5 and younger. T-shirts cost $5 extra. Registration may be done online at www.habitatforhumanityfaulknercounty.org or from 8-8:50 a.m. the day of the race. For more information, call Shenel Sandidge, Habitat executive director, at (501) 513-3244. Race proceeds will benefit A Brush With Kindness, a program that helps elderly and disabled residents, veterans and low-income homeowners eliminate health-and-safety issues around their homes by providing repairs and noncosmetic improvements.
Spaghetti Dinner
NEW DIXIE — St. Boniface Catholic Church will have a spaghetti and sausage dinner from 4-7:30 p.m. at St. Boniface Hall in New Dixie. The dinner will feature homemade rolls and peach cobbler. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Children younger than 6 may eat free with a parent. The public is invited. For carryout meals, call (501) 759-2896 after 3:30 p.m.
Shillelaghs & Shenanigans
CONWAY — Shillelaghs & Shenanigans will be held at 7 p.m. at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. Hailing from Conway and Russellville, this folk-rock collective will play its original Celtic music. The free concert is open to the public. For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
March 9
AGATE Parent Group Meeting
CONWAY — Parents and teachers who are interested in supporting the Gifted and Talented program in the Conway schools are invited to attend the AGATE (Arkansas Gifted and Talented Education) meeting at 2 p.m. in the Conway High School Administration Building. The discussion will focus on how parents can help their children and their schools.
March 11
Author Presentation
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will present Sam Taggart, M.D., at 7 p.m. Dr. Taggart is the author of The Public’s Health, a narrative history of the evolution of health and disease in Arkansas over the past 200 years.
Recreation and Parks Commission Meeting
RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department will hold the monthly meeting of the Recreation and Parks Commission at noon at the Hughes Community Center.
Retired Teachers Association
HEBER SPRINGS — The Cleburne County Retired Teachers Association will meet at noon at the Rustic Inn in Heber Springs. Information regarding current legislative issues and the status of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System will be presented by area leaders. All retired school personnel are invited to attend. For more information, call Lavern Penn at (501) 206-0357.
March 12
Arkansas Tech Distinguished Speaker Series
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Tech University College of Business will continue its Distinguished Speaker Series with an appearance by Tommy Craft. His lecture will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Tucker Coliseum. The free event is open to the public. To learn more about the Arkansas Tech College of Business, call (479) 968-0490 or visit www.atu.edu/business.
QuickBooks Special Features
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present QuickBooks Special Features from 9 a.m. to noon at Arkansas Tech University. This hands-on workshop is geared toward experienced QuickBooks users with an emphasis on enhancing the basics of day-to-day usage. Participants will learn to work with inventory, jobs, estimates, progress invoices, custom forms, custom reports and other features in QuickBooks. A computer will be provided for each participant to use during the interactive session. The cost is $65. Seating is limited, and registration is required by calling (479) 356-2067 or visiting asbtdc.org/training/russellville-events.
Ongoing
Conway Community Meditation Group
CONWAY — The Conway Community Meditation group meets from 12:30-1:30 p.m. every Tuesday at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. This session provides a time of unifying harmony with fellow Conway residents. All are welcome. For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
Spanish Practice Group
CONWAY — The Spanish Practice Group meets at 4 p.m. every Friday at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. Join other Spanish-speaking enthusiasts in conversation. Todos son bienvenidos! For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
Wordpress Conway
CONWAY — Wordpress Conway takes place at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. For anyone who uses Wordpress or wants to learn more about it, this central-Arkansas group can provide help with questions or issues Wordpress users may have. For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
Simply Said Storytelling
CONWAY — Simply Said is an informal, open-mic storytelling time held at 6 p.m. every Thursday at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. Participants are asked to share a story, no notes, in no more than five minutes. This month’s theme is “Failed New Year’s Resolutions.” For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
Fiber Circle
CONWAY — Fiber Circle is held at 5:30 p.m. the last Wednesday of every month at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. Those who knit, crochet, stitch or purse any other craft are welcome to work on their own projects or help fellow craftivists with theirs. For more information visit www.thelocals.be/events.
TeamKID Children’s Program
MAUMELLE — Southern Hills Baptist Fellowship and JumpZone have teamed up to offer a free children’s program, TeamKID, for first- through sixth-graders. The program is held at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday at the JumpZone building. For more information, call (501) 851-7729 or visit www.southernhillsbaptist.tv.
Sign Language Class
CONWAY — A sign language class meets at 5:30 p.m. Mondays at the Faulkner County Library.
Tea Party Meeting
HEBER SPRINGS — Arkansas’ We the People Tea Party of Cleburne County meets at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of every month at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, 1101C W. Main St. Various issues are discussed. For more information, call Marlin Schwartz at (847) 977-5261.
Friends of the Library Book Shop
HEBER SPRINGS — The Friends of The Library Book Shop, 2255 Arkansas 25B N., is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. The shop offers books at bargain prices. Proceeds from the shop benefit the libraries in Cleburne County. Volunteers are needed. Friends of the Library meet at 1 p.m. the second Thursday of the month. For more information, stop by the shop.
Upcoming
AARP Chapter Quarterly Potluck
MAUMELLE — The Maumelle AARP Chapter will hold its first potluck of the year at 6 p.m. March 13 at the Maumelle Senior Wellness Center. The evening will include home-cooked food and games — no business meeting. Members are asked to bring a dish to pass. Anyone 50 or older is welcome to attend. For more information, call Betty Hall at (501) 851-6828 or Jan Bowen at (501) 803-0089.
Chamber Banquet
VILONIA — The 2014 Vilonia Area Chamber of Commerce banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 14. Preston Scroggin of Vilonia, director of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission, will be the guest speaker. The menu will include brisket and smoked chicken. The deadline to purchase tickets, at $25 each, is Wednesday. Sponsorships are available, beginning at $200. The chamber is also accepting nominations for Citizen of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Business of the Year, Youth of the Year, School Employee of the Year and City Employee of the Year. To submit a nomination, email viloniachamberofcommerce@yahoo.com, or call Jill Bonnema, chamber CEO, at (501) 499-1312.
Deep South Quartet Convention
RUSSELLVILLE — The Crusader’s Ministries of Magnolia and Gateway Pentecostal Church of God of Russellville will host the Deep South Quartet Convention at 6 p.m. March 14 and 15 at Gateway Pentecostal Church, 1155 Bradley Cove Road. The Crusader’s Ministries, Ed Held, the New Living Quartet, Patrick Quick and the Travelers, and Terry Lemay will take the stage to minister through song, testimony and preaching. Church vans and buses are welcome. CDs and Christian-wear merchandise will be available before and after the service. For more information, call David at (870) 904-3118. Those who are unable to attend may watch the convention live at www.dsqc.org.
Chocolate Roll Festival
MARSHALL — The third annual Marshall High School Art Club Chocolate Roll Festival will be held March 15 at Marshall High School. The festival will begin at 10 a.m., and awards will be presented at 2 p.m. The centerpiece of the festival is a competition to determine who makes the world’s best chocolate rolls. After all, Searcy County is known as the Chocolate Roll Capital of the World. For more information, call (870) 448-6224.
Democratic Political Rally
CLINTON — A Democratic Political Rally will be held at 6 p.m. March 15 in the G.W. Building at the Van Buren County Fairgrounds. A ham, bean and cornbread supper will be served for a donation. Each candidate will have an opportunity to comment. Local entertainment will be provided. The rally is sponsored by the Van Buren County Democratic Central Committee.
Hendrix Wind Ensemble Concert
CONWAY — The Hendrix College Wind Ensemble, conducted by Karen Fannin, will present its spring concert at 7:30 p.m. March 17 in Staples Auditorium at Hendrix College. The program will include “Mother Earth” by David Maslanka, “Colonial Song” by Percy Grainger, Selections from “The Danserye” by Tielman Susato, “The Three Embraces” by Carter Pann and “The Circus Bee March” by Henry Fillmore. The free concert is open to the public. For more information, call the Hendrix College Department of Music at (501) 450-1422.
Book Signing
MARSHALL —Western author and former Marine John T. Wayne, the grandson of legendary actor John Wayne, will have a book signing at 4 p.m. March 22 at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Marshall. There will be a soup and chili supper at 5 p.m. The cost is $5 per plate, and all profits will go to the Veterans Memorial Hall. Entertainment will be provided by Alan Guthrie and The Family Band. For more information, call (870) 448-6176.
Anglers Expo
HEBER SPRINGS — The Anglers Expo will be held March 28 and 29 at the Heber Springs Community Center. Vendors supporting hunting, fishing, and sports industries will display their products. Featured guests will be The Swamp People from the History Channel. The event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Cleburne County. For more information, contact Rotarian Dara Samuel at (501) 362-8402 or dara.anglersexpo@gmail.com, or visit www.anglersexpo.com.
Weaving Workshop
CONWAY — A weaving workshop will be held at 1 p.m. March 29 at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. Local artist and school teacher Katy O’Neal will demonstrate how to weave with her homemade loom. Participants will learn the basics of weaving, by hand and with a loom. Children are welcome. For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, River Valley & Ozark Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203; fax to (501) 378-3500; or email to rvonews@arkansasonline.com. Deadlines for calendar-item submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.