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COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THE THREE RIVERS AREA

TODAY White County Iris Society Meeting

SEARCY — The White County Iris Society will meet at 2 p.m. at the home of Paul Love, 605 E. Race Ave. James Bledsoe, a member of the Hot Springs Iris Society and an American Iris Society-trained iris-show judge, will present a program on how to choose and prepare an iris for best results in competition. Final plans for the annual WCIS-sponsored iris show, set for April 26 at the downtown Regions Bank in Searcy, will be discussed. All are welcome to attend the meeting.

Izard County Historical Society Meeting

BROCKWELL — The Izard County Historical Society will meet at 2 p.m. at the Izard County Senior Center on Arkansas 9, south of Brockwell. The David Blankenship family will present a program of music and stories from “the old days” in Izard County. Blankenship was formerly a school counselor at Calico Rock High School. The meeting is open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

Doublewide, Texas Cancellation

JACKSONVILLE — The Community Theater of Jacksonville’s production of Doublewide, Texas, set to show today, has been canceled. The play has been rescheduled for July 27-29.

Harding University Chorus Concert

SEARCY — The Harding University Chorus will present an end-of-the year concert at 7 p.m. in Harding’s RhodesReaves Field House. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call (501) 279-4343.

MONDAY White County Retired Teachers Meeting

SEARCY — The White County Retired Teachers Association will meet at 2 p.m. at the

Carmichael Center. The Saxophone Quartet from Riverview will perform. The group will install officers and take suggestions for programs for next year.

HELP Meeting

CABOT — HELP (the Housing, Educational, Learning Program) is being developed to assist the homeless in Lonoke County. The group will meet at 4:30 p.m. at Criswell-Robinson American Legion Post 71, 114 N. First St. For more information, call Allen Miller at (501) 203-5715.

TUESDAY Cleburne County Retired Teachers Meeting

HEBER SPRINGS — The Cleburne County Retired Teachers Association will meet at noon at the Rustic Inn, 404 S. Seventh St. The group will have a business meeting with emphasis on the Area II meeting set for May 8 in Marshall. All retired school personnel are encouraged to attend and become members of the Arkansas Retired Teachers Association. For more

information, call Lavern Penn at (501) 206-0357.

WEDNESDAY Independence County Retired Teachers Meeting

BATESVILLE — The Independence County Retired Teachers Association will meet at 11:30 a.m. at Colton’s Steak House & Grill, 1553 S. St Louis St. Guest speakers will be the superintendents from the four Independence County school districts. All retired school personnel are invited to attend this informative meeting.

Izard County Election Commissioners Meeting

MELBOURNE — The Izard County election commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. in the Conference Room of the Izard County Courthouse. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, call (870) 670-4877.

THURSDAY Community Health Care Conference

SEARCY — A community health care conference titled Combating the Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Dogwood Education Classroom at Unity Health’s Specialty Care Campus, 1200 S. Main. Guest speakers will include Dr. Scott Palmer of the Mayo Clinic, Jimmy McGill of the Exodus Project and Josh Brown of Harding University. Registration is free but required. A box lunch will be provided. RSVP to (501) 268-2458 or scc@ searcychamber.com.

FRIDAY Red Hot Ladies Luncheon

BATESVILLE — Arkansas philanthropist Sharon Bale, who reigned as Miss Arkansas 1967, will be the featured speaker at the 2018 Red Hot Ladies Luncheon in Independence Hall at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. The doors will open at 11 a.m. for a silent auction. Open-seating tickets are $25 each, and reserved sponsorship tables for eight are $200. To reserve tables or for more information, call (870) 698-6234. Tickets may be purchased at the event or in advance at Citizens Bank’s Main and Eagle Mountain branches. Proceeds will go to Family Violence Prevention Inc. in Batesville.

The Jane Austen Experience

SEARCY — Harding University’s Women for Harding will host The Jane Austen Experience at 11:30 a.m. in the David B. Burks American Heritage Conference Center. The event will begin with a Jane Austeninspired tea party and continue throughout the afternoon and evening with presentations and activities that highlight the author’s timeless influence. Guests are encouraged to dress in period costumes for dinner with Mr. Darcy. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at

www.hardingtickets.com or by calling (501) 279-4276.

Fashion Gala

FAIRFIELD BAY — The 25th annual Fashion Gala, presented by the Xi Gamma Kappa chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, will take place at 1 p.m. at

St. Francis Parish Hall, 250 Woodlawn Drive. The event will feature prizes on display, homemade desserts and a style show with models wearing fashions offered by area merchants. Style-show tickets are $7, and raffle tickets are two for $1 — both available at the door. Proceeds will be donated to local charitable organizations.

Wardrobes and Rings

SEARCY — As the final performance of this year’s Arts and Life Concert Series, Harding University will welcome back playwright and actor David Payne as C.S. Lewis in Wardrobes and Rings at 7 p.m. in the Administration Auditorium. Tickets are $3 in advance or $5 at the door. For more information, visit www. harding.edu/concertseries or call (501) 279-4343.

SATURDAY Miracle League Benefit

SEARCY — A powder-puff game with a round-robin format will take place at 2 p.m. at Searcy Lion Stadium, sponsored by the Environmental and Spatial Technology class. Proceeds will benefit the proposed Miracle League field for children with special needs. Admission is $5, and donations will also be accepted. Concessions will be sold. For more information, call (501) 388-5238 or email peyton. wright@searcyschools.org. Concord Gifted and Talented 5K Run/Walk HEBER SPRINGS — There will be a 5K Run/Walk at Josh Park Trail (Dam Site Park) at 10 a.m., hosted by Concord Gifted and Talented. Packet pickup and registration will be from 8:309:30 a.m. Race fees are $20 for adults and $15 for students if registered by Friday, or $25 and $20, respectively, the day of the race. For more information, call or text (870) 668-6079 or (870) 307-8241. To register online, go to racesignup.com, and type in “Concord GT” under “Find a Race.”

Josh and Ashley Franks Concert

BRADFORD — Josh and Ashley Franks of Savannah, Tennessee, will perform at 6 p.m. at Denmark Baptist Church, 5857 Arkansas 87. The concert is free, but an offering will be taken. For more information, call (501) 278-6601.

Junior Auxiliary Charity Ball

SEARCY — The Junior Auxiliary of Searcy will have its yearly fundraiser, the Charity Ball, with a Roaring 20s theme, at 7 p.m. at the Searcy Country Club. The evening will feature a silent auction, a live auction by auctioneer Rodger Cargile, dinner by the Searcy Country Club, and music and dancing by Crown Entertainment.

The 2018 Charity Ball Queen is Mary-Lou Dunn. Tickets, at $65 each or $120 per couple, are available to the public, ages 21-plus, from any Junior Auxiliary member. To be a sponsor or donate an auction item, call (501) 254-9181 or email juniorauxiliarysearcyar@gmail. com. Donations are accepted at Junior Auxiliary of Searcy, P.O. Box 156, Searcy, AR 72143.

Cabot Litter Pickup

CABOT — Volunteers are needed for Cabot’s annual spring litterpickup campaign from 9 a.m. to noon, sponsored by Cabot City Beautiful in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup. Individuals, businesses and community groups are encouraged to participate in the effort. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. in the Cabot School District’s Administrative Building parking lot, 602 N. Lincoln St., to check in. Orange safety vests and garbage bags will be provided. Volunteers will meet back at the parking lot at noon for free food and drinks. For more information, contact the Cabot Clean-Up Committee at (501) 920-2122 or cabotbeautiful@yahoo.com.

ONGOING Bead Making Classes

MOUNTAIN VIEW— The Arkansas Craft School will offer

Beginner Glass Bead Making on April 13 and May 18; and Intermediate/Advanced Bead Making on April 14 and 15, and again May 19 and 20, with Sage and Tom Holland. The beginner single-day class will cover the basic techniques, skills and safety practices needed to create glass beads. In the second two-day class, students who have taken the beginning class or have previous experience in bead making are welcome to learn a wide range of techniques. For more information or to register, call (870) 269-8397 or visit arkansascraftschool.org.

Free GED Classes

MELBOURNE — Ozarka College in Mammoth Spring offers free GED classes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Evening GED classes are available at Salem High School from 4-7 Mondays. Instruction is available in math, writing skills, reading comprehension and refresher skills for college prep, the military or employability. An instructor is available at both locations for one-on-one assistance. Registration is ongoing. For more information, call Ozarka College’s Adult Education Department at (870) 368-2051.

VFW Tuesday Night Bingo

QUITMAN — Tuesday Night Bingo takes place each week at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 1295 Bee Branch Road. Doors open at 5:30 for bonanzas, and regular play starts at 6:30 p.m. Food is available. For more information, call (501) 362-9979.

American Legion Friday Night Bingo

HEBER SPRINGS — Friday Night Bingo takes place each week at the American Legion Hall, 49 Park Road. Doors open at 5:30 for bonanzas, and regular play starts at 6:30 p.m. Food is available. For more information, call (501) 362-9979.

Free Tax-Preparation Services

JACKSONVILLE — Residents in the Three Rivers Edition coverage area can receive free tax-preparation assistance from the Central Arkansas Development Council. Help is available at the city of Jacksonville, 109 S. Second St., by appointment. Call (501) 982-0026. For more information, call the CADC at (501) 315-1121. People who make under $54,000 may also self-prepare their taxes at myfreetaxes.com.

Photography Exhibit

SEARCY — The Stevens Art Gallery at Harding University is featuring photographs by Eleanor Hamby in an exhibit titled Seven: Continents, Wonders, Faces and Places through April 18. The exhibit documents Hamby’s journey across the globe spanning 105 countries and all seven continents, capturing the expressions of people and the beauty of the wonders of the world. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and admission is free.

Cabot Lions Club Meetings

CABOT — The Cabot Lions Club meets at noon the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at Colton’s Steak House & Grill, 195 Northport Drive. All are invited to the meetings.

Free Brown-Bag Lunch

CABOT — The Mount Tabor United Methodist Church Women of Cabot serve a free brown-bag lunch at 11 a.m. each Thursday at the church, 4100 Arkansas 89 S. To volunteer or make a donation, call (501) 843-3797.

Shepherd’s Center Wednesday Activities

BEEBE — Seniors participate in classes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday at the Shepherd’s Center at Beebe United Methodist Church, 302A N. Main St. The classes include quilting, art, jewelry making, scrapbooking, card making, genealogy, beginning computers, Bible discussions and bridge, as well as other classes at various times. Lunch is a potluck served to all who attend, whether or not they bring a dish.

Bluegrass Music Night

HEBER SPRINGS — Heber Springs Christian Church, 1101 N. Broadway St., offers a bluegrass music night from 6:30-8:30 every Tuesday. Musicians are invited to participate. Free coffee will be available. For more information, call the church at (501) 362-2389.

Beebe Kiwanis Club Meetings

BEEBE — The Beebe Kiwanis Club meets at noon the first and third Thursdays of each month in the Stephens Room of the Student Center at Arkansas State University-Beebe. Kiwanis is a volunteer organization with the mission of helping youth in the community. For more information, call Flo Fitch at (501) 230-2890 or Debra Crisco at (501) 454-3505.

Civitan Meetings

CABOT — Civitan meets at 6 p.m. the first and third Mondays of the month at First Security Bank in downtown Cabot. Civitan is an organization that provides training and support for people with developmental disabilities.

Opportunity for Bridge Players

BEEBE — Bridge players are needed at 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Shepherd’s Center at Beebe United Methodist Church, 302A N. Main St. Beginners are welcome. For more information, call (501) 843-2930.

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.

The deadline for calendar-item submissions is noon Tuesday.