This week's events in the Three Rivers area

April 1

First Quarter Membership Luncheon

BATESVILLE — Citizens Bank will host the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce First Quarter Membership Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Annex Building of Citizens Bank. The topic, presented by guest speaker Scott Sudduth, will be hospitality and tourism. He will focus on five guaranteed strategies to attract tourists to a place of business and get them to come back. Lunch costs $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Tickets are available at the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information, contact Allison Phelps at (870) 793-2378 or Allison.phelps@mybatesville.org.

April 2

Reynolds Southern Gospel Concert

JACKSONVILLE — Rita and Earl Reynolds will present a program of Southern gospel music at 7 p.m. at the Christian Church of Jacksonville, 200 E. Martin. All are welcome to hear this duo praise God with music.

April 2-6

Ozark Foothills FilmFest

BATESVILLE — The 13th annual Ozark Foothills FilmFest will be held April 2-6 in Batesville. Most screenings will be in Independence Hall at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. Coop Cooper will conduct a Breaking Into Screenwriting workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 4 in the Maxfield Room (119) on the Edwards Commons Lower Level at Lyon College. The cost of the workshop is $50, and preregistration is required. The festival will include Free FilmFest Saturday with screenings, Q&As and a filmmaker panel, Breaking Through: Promoting Cultural Understanding through Film, at 10 a.m. April 5, which will include screenings of three documentary films and a romantic comedy. For information, go to www.ozarkfoothillsfilmfest.org/panel.html. For a list of all the FilmFest screenings, events and prices, visit www.ozarkfilmfest.org/schedule.html. For more information, visit www.ozarkfoothillsfilmfest.org.

April 3

AARP Meeting

BALD KNOB — The Bald Knob AARP monthly meeting will be held at noon at the Bald Knob Senior Center. The group will eat lunch at 11 a.m. The speaker will be Leigh Anne Hornthorne of Habitat for Humanity of White County. For more information, call (501) 724-5817.

Banquet and Silent Auction

CABOT — The Open Arms Shelter’s second annual Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Banquet and Silent Auction will be held Thursday in the Cabot Junior High North cafeteria. The silent auction will be from 6-7:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30. Vicky Williams, the mother of former Razorback and professional football player D.J. Williams, will be the keynote speaker. Singer and songwriter Sondra Burnett will be the master of ceremonies. Tickets are $25 for individuals, $200 for table sponsors and $500 for dinner sponsors. For more information or sponsorship opportunities, call (501) 676-6166 or email rhondahouse73@gmail.com.

Gem and Mineral Club Meeting

CHEROKEE VILLAGE — The Spring River Gem and Mineral Club will meet at 10 a.m. at the Omaha Center. The program will be Rockhounding in Canada, presented by Ed Hakesley of Mountain Home. He will discuss the rock collecting he did in Eastern Canada: Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. The uniqueness of this area is that around Hudson Bay is some of the oldest rock on the surface of the Earth, yet in other areas, the rock is the youngest on the surface of the Earth because of glacier modifications. For more information, call club president Don Sabie at (870) 257-2970.

Spring Symposium

BATESVILLE — The Ozark Woodland Association will present a spring symposium and dinner for members and anyone interested in forestry on Thursday in Independence Hall at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. Sessions will include, at 1 p.m., a demonstration by Larry Morrison on using the Forest Stand Thinning Simulator; 2 p.m., a demonstration on using the computer to find aerial photos; 3 p.m., an introduction to climate change and its effects on forest management; and 4 p.m., silviculture in forestry. A dinner of Van Jackson’s barbecue ribs will be served at 6 p.m., followed by a business meeting at 7 and a program on present economics in forestry at 7:15. For more information, call Larry Morris at (870) 613-2229.

Classical Music of India

BATESVILLE — Lyon College will present the Ashley-Lewis Concert: An Evening of Classical Music of India at 7 p.m. in the Bevens Music Room at Brown Chapel. Sitar master Ustad Imrat Khan will perform classical Indian music with tablaist Monir Hossain.

April 5

Vietnam War Anniversary Events

JACKSONVILLE — The 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War will be commemorated Saturday at the Jacksonville Museum of Military History with a parade, an Honor and Remembrance Ceremony and dinner on the grounds. The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at no charge and will include an 8- by 12-foot vinyl map for veterans and Gold Star Families to sign; Vietnam exhibits, displays and movies; live music from the REAL Girls; and a dog-tag exhibit. The Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day Parade will be from 2-3 p.m. The Honor and Remembrance Ceremony will be from 3-4 p.m. with a POW/MIA Table Ceremony performed by the Little Rock Air Force Base Honor Guard. Dinner will be served from 4-6 p.m. for $10 each at the door. RSVP by Friday. Dinner sponsors are available for Vietnam veterans. For more information, call the museum at (501) 241-1943 or visit www.jaxmilmuseum.org.

Communitywide Yard Sale

MELBOURNE — The city of Melbourne will hold its annual Spring Communitywide Yard Sale from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. A list of sales will be available for pickup Thursday and Friday at the Melbourne City Hall. To be added to the list, call City Hall by 2 p.m. Wednesday. Sale tables may also be set up in Charles C. Miller Park. For more information, call City Hall at (870) 368-4215.

SAME Café

SEARCY — The SAME Café will be open from 4-5:30 p.m. at the West Side Church of Christ, 709 W. Arch St. in Searcy. The SAME Café is open the first and third Saturdays of the month to anyone who would like a free warm meal.

Senior Music Students Recital

BATESVILLE — Lyon College senior music students will give a recital at 7:30 p.m. in the Bevens Music Room at Brown Chapel. Senior music students Konnie Wright and Patrick Houston will perform musical-theater selections.

Chili Supper and Dessert Auction

EL PASO — The El Paso 4-H Club will have its annual chili supper and dessert auction from 6-8 p.m. in the El Paso Community Center. Chili will be served by club members. There is no charge, but donations will be accepted at the door. The chili supper will be followed by a dessert auction with pies, cakes and cookies offered to the highest bidders. Proceeds from the event will benefit 4-H club projects and the rehabilitation of the El Paso Bank Building, which is being renovated by the community to serve as a library. Contributions may be made to the El Paso Parks and Playground Association. For more information, call (501) 766-9832) or (501) 796-2298.

Ongoing

Financial Aid Workshops

BEEBE — Arkansas State University-Beebe will hold workshops to provide students with assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is required for students to receive the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, with June 1 being the priority deadline for the 2014-2015 FAFSA. Workshops will be held Thursday and April 7 at ASU-Searcy, Thursday at ASU-Heber Springs, April 17 at ASU-Beebe and April 24 at ASU-Little Rock Air Force Base. Applicants or parents of dependent students must bring the student’s Social Security number, a copy of their tax return and W-2 forms for 2013 and a FAFSA personal identification number if one has been issued. For more information, call the ASU-Beebe Financial Aid Office at (501) 882-8845, or visit www.asub.edu.

See How They Run

SEARCY — Center on the Square will present See How They Run, a classic English farce, written by Philip King and directed by Ann Nieto. Dinner theater productions will be April 4 and 5, with dinner at 6:30 and curtain at 7. A matinee performance will be April 6, with lunch at 12:30 p.m. and curtain at 1:30. Tickets for dinner theater are $29 for adults and $24 for seniors/students; and matinee theater (with lunch), $27 for adults and $21 for seniors/students. For more information or tickets, call (501) 368-0111 or visit centeronthesquare.org.

Second Time Around Bookstore

SEARCY — The Literacy Council of White County operates the Second Time Around Bookstore at 109 E. Center in downtown Searcy. Proceeds from the sale of donated books support the mission of helping adults in the community improve their literacy and English-language skills. The store and literacy office are open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays. For more information, call (501) 278-5500.

Pothole Hotline

SEARCY — The city of Searcy has created a pothole hotline because of the major damage to city streets caused by this winter’s severe-weather conditions. The hotline, however, is only for reporting potholes within the city limits of Searcy. For more information or to reach the hotline, call (501) 268-2483.

Education Center Relocation, Classes

MOUNTAIN HOME — Ozarka College in Mountain View has announced that the Baxter County Adult Education Center has moved to 1106 Arkansas 62 E., Suites 1 and 3, in Mountain Home. Free GED classes are held at the center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 3-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The center also offers GED classes at Norfork High School from 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and at Cotter High School from 6-9 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. Instruction is available in math, writing skills and reading comprehension, as well as refresher skills to prepare students for employment, the military or college enrollment. An instructor is available for one-on-one assistance. For more information, call (870) 425-7974 or (870) 368-2051.

Cabot Community Coalition Assistance

CABOT — The Cabot Community Coalition, a group of organizations in the Cabot area that provide assistance to those in need, meets at noon the second Thursday of each month at the Diner Restaurant on South Second Street in Cabot. The coalition recently added the Cabot Resource Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1-4 p.m. Mondays at 15361 Arkansas 5; and from 9-11 a.m. Thursdays at 114 N. First St. The center offers assistance with applying for programs such as ARKids and SNAP, training to live on a budget and connecting with sources that can provide financial, nutritional, medical or other assistance. For more information, call (501) 529-0604 or email CommunityCare@ChristUMC-Cabot.com.

NCA District Fair Entry Deadline

MELBOURNE — Online entries from youth exhibitors in the seven-county North Central Arkansas District Fair area for the Spring Junior Livestock Show are being accepted through Monday. The show will be held April 17 and 18 at the fairgrounds in Melbourne. Junior exhibitors from Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Sharp, Stone and Van Buren counties are eligible to enter beef cattle, goats and horses in the spring show. The tabloid, with a schedule and a complete list of classes, is available on the district fair website, www.ncadistrictfair.org. Exhibitors must enter online and pay entry fees by Monday. There is a link to online entries on the fair website. Entry fees can be mailed to NCA District Fair, P.O. Box 92, Sturkie, AR 72578.

Celtic Poetry Contest

BATESVILLE — The third annual free Celtic Poetry Contest sponsored by the Arkansas Scottish Festival is accepting entries through Monday. Entries may be any style and length. Poems must have a Celtic theme or be in traditional Celtic form. Entries will be judged by two-time contest winner Kenton Adler. The winning poem will be read by the author, if possible, at the Celtic Concert on April 11 during the Scottish Festival. Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. The first-place prize is $100. To submit poems, email entries to james.bell@lyon.edu and include “Poetry Entry” in the subject line.

TEAS V Test Dates

NEWPORT — Arkansas State University-Newport will administer the TEAS V (Test for Essential Academic Skills) on the following dates: Friday and April 18; and May 2, 16 and 30. The tests are limited to 22 examinees per session and will begin at 9 a.m. each testing day at the Academic Support Center in the library at ASUN. The testing fee is $40 and must be paid in advance at the ASUN Business Office. For more information or to preregister, contact Christy Mann at (870) 512-7867 or christy_mann@asun.edu. The test must be taken before registering in ASUN’s Surgical Technology or Practical Nursing programs.

Upcoming

White County Iris Society Meeting

SEARCY — The White County Iris Society will have its regular monthly meeting at 2 p.m. April 6 at the home of Paul Love, 605 E. Race. Society president Alice Jewell will lead a discussion of what’s happening in members’ gardens. Final plans for the annual iris show, scheduled for April 25 at Regions Bank, will be made. The meeting is open to all who are interested in the cultivation of irises. Refreshments will be served, and door prizes will be given.

Tutor Training Workshop

BATESVILLE — The Ozark Foothills Literacy Project will hold a tutor training workshop at 2:30 p.m. April 6 at the Literacy Project office, 608 Water St. The Literacy Project relies on trained volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring for adult students. There are approximately 10 students waiting for tutors in the Batesville area. To register for the workshop or for more information, call (870) 793-5912 or email info@literacyindependence.org.

Retired Teachers Meeting

CABOT — The Lonoke County Retired Teachers Association will meet at 11:30 a.m. April 7 in the Fellowship Hall at Mount Tabor United Methodist Church. All retired school personnel are invited to attend. The meeting will focus on plans for upcoming events. A potluck luncheon will be held.

Session for Musicians

BATESVILLE — Accordion, button box, banjo, autoharp, guitar, keyboard, violin and harmonica players of all experience levels are invited to come listen or play at 7 p.m. April 7 in the Community Room of First Community Bank. For more information, call Ed Casper at (870) 307-0258.

Retired Teachers Meeting

HEBER SPRINGS — The Cleburne County Retired Teachers Association will meet at noon April 8 at the Rustic Inn in Heber Springs. The guest speaker will be Donna Morey, the new director of the Arkansas Retired Teachers Association. All retired school personnel are invited to attend. For more information, call Lavern Penn at (501) 206-0357.

S.J. Tucker Concert

BATESVILLE — S.J. Tucker will perform at 7 p.m. April 10 in the Maxfield Room of Edwards Commons at Lyon College. Tucker is a singer-songwriter and Arkansas native whose style has been compared to Ani DiFranco, Fiona Apple and Joni Mitchell.

Heroes for Health

CABOT — The Cabot Lions Club Heroes for Health will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 11 at the Cabot High School Track, 401 N. Lincoln. The event will feature a Hero Dash and a 1K walk/run obstacle course for ages 4-12. Late registration and packet pickup will be from 5:30-6:30 p.m., and on-field sport demonstrations and interactions for kids will be from 5:30-6:15 p.m. Registration is $10 per child, which includes T-shirts and medals. Sponsors are needed — for $25, a business’s name will be printed on race T-shirts. Register by April 1 to receive a medal and T-shirt. Racers are asked to dress in their favorite superhero costumes and bring a towel and a change of clothes. Proceeds will benefit Rice Depot’s Food for Kids Program and the Cabot Lions Club. For more information, contact Shelia De Armond at (501) 985-4039 or sdearmond@fabandt.com.

Arkansas Scottish Festival

BATESVILLE — The 35th Arkansas Scottish Festival will be held April 11-13 at Lyon College. The festival celebrates Lyon College’s Presbyterian and Scottish roots and begins with the Celtic Concert at 7:30 p.m. April 11 in Brown Chapel. The opening ceremony April 12 will feature the Parade of Clans and Bands. Festival highlights include competitions for pipe bands, individual bagpipers, drummers and dancers, as well as a community quintathalon, sheepdog demonstrations, Scottish food, Celtic music and a traditional Feast and Ceilidh. The Iona Worship Service will be held the morning of April 13. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.lyon.edu/scotfest.

Relay for Life

NEWPORT — The Jackson County Relay for Life will be held from 6 p.m. April 11 to 6 a.m. April 12 at the Village Mall Parking lot in Newport. The relay includes Newport, Tuckerman, Swifton, Grubbs, Amagon and surrounding areas. The theme is “Disney: Once Upon a Dream, Once Upon a Cure.” The message of the event is that no one fights cancer alone. At 6 p.m., Jackson County cancer survivors will gather on the track for the Official Survivor Lap. A luminaria ceremony, with luminarias lining the track, will be held to remember those lost to cancer and to honor people still battling the disease. For more information, call (870) 495-3235 or (870) 217-7440.

Sonic Carhop Fundraiser

SEARCY — A Sonic carhop fundraiser for Jacob’s Place, White County’s homeless mission, will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 12 at the Sonic Drive-in on West Beebe-Capps Expressway. All tips and 10 percent of the day’s profits will go toward Jacob’s Place operational expenses. Jacob’s Place is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the homeless families of White County. For more information, visit www.JacobsPlace.org.

AARP Smart Driver Course

BALD KNOB —The Bald Knob AARP Chapter will host an AARP Smart Driver Course from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 12 at Central Baptist Church, 1507 W. Center. The instructors are Jerry and Bertie Yates. The cost of the course is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonmembers. To register for the class, call Jerry or Bertie Yates at (501) 283-0283 or (501) 283-0287.

Museum Dedication

CALICO ROCK — The Calico Rock Museum Foundation will hold the official dedication of the Calico Rock Museum and Visitor Center on April 12. The events will include the dedication of the main facility at 11 a.m. in the museum’s main gallery, the dedication of the Gwen Murphy Art Gallery at 11:30 a.m., a reception at noon in the art gallery and the dedication of the R.C. Matthews Library at 12:30 p.m. All of the events will be held indoors and are open to the public.

Golf Tournament

FAIRFIELD BAY — The Fairfield Bay Library Friends Inc. will host it sixth annual Tee It Up for Literacy golf tournament April 12 at the Indian Hills Country Club in Fairfield Bay. Sign-in will begin at 11 a.m., and food will be available. The shotgun start will be at 1 p.m. The entry fee for the four-person scramble is $55 per player. There will be two flights — men and mixed. The deadline to enter is noon April 10. For more information or to enter, contact the Indian Hills Pro Shop at (501) 844-6018.

Employability Workshops and Preview Days

MELBOURNE — Ozarka College will host What Employers Wish You Knew, an employability workshop, at Ozarka’s campuses in April. Following the workshop in Ash Flat and Mountain View, Ozarka College will host a Preview Day. These events are free and open to the community. The workshops will feature Jan McCormick, CEO of JobLingo and an expert in job readiness and interviewing skills. The Preview Day at Ozarka College’s Ash Flat and Mountain View campuses will provide attendees an opportunity to learn more about the programs Ozarka College offers and financial-aid availability. Workshops will be held in Mammoth Spring from 9-11 a.m. April 15; in Ash Flat from 1-3 p.m. April 15, with a Preview Day from 3-4 p.m.; in Mountain View from 9-11 a.m. April 23, with a Preview Day from 11 a.m. to noon; and in Melbourne from 1-3 p.m. April 23. For more information, call Kim Lovelace, Career Pathways director, at (870) 368-2038.

Frog-Listening Workshop

MAMMOTH SPRING — Ozarka College will partner with FrogWatch USA to offer a free frog-listening workshop from 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 17 and 24 on the Mammoth Spring campus. The seminar will be presented by Tom Krohn, Arkansas regional coordinator for FrogWatch USA. The first session will teach participants to identify frogs and toads in the area by their calls, to mimic frog calls, and to understand why frogs are important and what can be done to help them. The second session will provide an introduction to wetlands and frog-monitoring training for the FrogWatch USA national network administered by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Seating is limited. For reservations, contact James Spurlock, director of the Ozarka College-Mammoth Spring campus, at (870) 625-0411.

Awards Banquet

WARD — The Ward Chamber of Commerce invites all to their annual Awards Banquet on April 18 at Grace Community Church, 3o Second St. in downtown Ward. A social hour will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7. Ken Madden, the owner of Cruise Planners in Searcy and Cabot, will be the keynote speaker. Tickets are $25 per person or $175 per table of eight. For more information, call Sharon Roberts at (501) 743-4395 or Charlie Gastineau at (501) 413-9341, or visit www.wardchamber.com.

Spring Daylily Sale

SEARCY — The White County Daylily Society will hold a spring daylily sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 19 in the parking lot of Simmons First Bank on South Main Street. A good selection of lilies in a variety of colors will be available. All plants will be $4 for a double division. For more information, call Colleen Massengale, society president, at (501) 268-3711.

Political Speaking and Dessert Auction

WILBURN — The Wilburn Relay for Life Team will hold a Political Speaking and Dessert Auction on April 26 at the old Wilburn School Cafeteria (Arkansas 110 in Wilburn). Finger foods will be served at 5 p.m. Stumping will begin at 6 p.m., followed by an auction. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society. For more information, call Danita Hayes at (501) 206-2505.

CASA Crawfish Supper

LONOKE — Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) of Lonoke County will hold a crawfish supper fundraiser from 5-8 p.m. April 26 at the Lonoke County Fairgrounds, 1006 W. Third St. Crawfish, potatoes, corn, chicken strips, chips, dip and dessert will be served. A silent auction will be held. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door and $10 for children 10 and younger. For more information or tickets, call (501) 676-6533 or email casa@sbcglobal.net.

Farmers’ Market Opening

CABOT — The Cabot Farmers’ Market will open for the season at 8 a.m. May 3 at its new location, 1122 Second St., which is Re:New Community Church’s parking lot. The market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday through Oct. 4. Anyone who wants to participate may contact the market at (501) 920-2122 or cabotbeautiful@yahoo.com.

White County Relay for Life

SEARCY — This year’s White County Relay for Life will begin at 6 p.m. June 6 at the Searcy Event Center. Relay for Life teams are being recruited for the event. The theme is Where Fairy Tales End and The Reality of a Cure Begins. The next team captain meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Sassy Sweets in Searcy. Interested team members and/or volunteers may contact Denise Drye at (501) 593-5302 or Beth Batchelor at (870) 995-1910.

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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