this week’s EVENTS

Editor’s note: Many events have been canceled or postponed due to concern about the coronavirus.

MONDAY 9th BAAC National Juried Exhibition

BATESVILLE — Monday is the deadline to enter the 9th annual Batesville Area Arts Council National Juried Exhibition, set for April 20 through June 5. The show’s juror is Landon Perkins, an interdisciplinary artist from Tallahassee, Florida, and a preparator at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. The exhibit is open to artists 18 and older working in 2-D media, and $1,500 is available in prizes. Entries must be original works created within the past five years and not previously shown at the BAAC Gallery on Main. Artists may submit up to three images with an entry fee of $25 ($20 for BAAC members). Two additional images may be submitted for an additional $5 each. To enter or for more information, visit www.batesvilleareaartscouncil.org/9th-annual.

TUESDAY SAL Meeting

CABOT — The Criswell-Robinson Sons of American Legion (SAL) will have its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. at Criswell-Robinson American Legion Post 71, 114 N. First St. COVID-19 health practices and guidelines will be followed.

For more information, call Post 71 at (501) 203-5715. THURSDAY Josh’s Bench Unveiling SEARCY — An unveiling will take place at 4 p.m. at Berryhill Park, 501 Davis Drive, of a Josh’s Bench for Awareness, in support of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The bench was donated to the park by Cindy and Barry Nadelbach. For more information on Josh’s Benches, visit www.joshsbenches.com.

Raised Bed Gardening

BATESVILLE — The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville Community Education will offer Raised Bed Gardening from 6-8 p.m. Participants will learn the basics of growing the perfect garden in a raised bed. The course fee is $15. Register at uaccb.coursestorm.com.

SATURDAY Arkansas Poetry Out Loud

The Arkansas Arts Council, in partnership with Arkansas Heritage, will present Arkansas Poetry Out Loud at 9 a.m. on Zoom. High school students who won poetry competitions via their schools or educational groups will compete for the state title. The virtual event is free and open to the public. Register on Facebook or at www.eventbrite.com/e/arkansas-poetry-out-loudregistration-142144874145. For more information, email drekkia. morning@arkansas.gov, or visit www.arkansasheritage.com/educate/teacher-resources/poetry-out-loud.

Safe Sitter Essentials

BATESVILLE — The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville Community Education will offer Safe Sitter Essentials with CPR from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The class is designed to prepare sixth- through eighth-graders to be safe when they’re home alone, watching younger siblings or baby-sitting. The class includes games and roleplaying exercises. Students will use manikins to practice skills such as choking rescue and CPR. The course fee is $69. Register at uaccb.coursestorm.com.

ONGOING After Birds Exhibit

BATESVILLE — The Batesville Area Arts Council presents After Birds, an exhibition by Ian Campbell, at the BAAC Gallery on Main, 226 E. Main St., through April 17. Campbell is an assistant professor of art at Lyon College. After Birds is an ongoing series of infrared photographs documenting the habitats of extinct, endangered and disappearing species of American birds. The exhibit is open during BAAC’s regular gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Free Fitness Center Enrollment for Military, Law Enforcement

MELBOURNE — Ozarka College is offering free enrollment in its Paul Miller Fitness Center to all local law enforcement officers and active-duty military members. The center, located in the John E. Miller Building at Ozarka College in Melbourne, offers state-of-the-art fitness equipment, and personaltraining regimens may be developed by fitness-center coordinator Stacy Gore. For more information or to make an appointment for enrollment, contact Gore at (870) 368-2090.

WRHS Visiting Hours

BATESVILLE — White River Health System has again modified its visiting hours. Patients hospitalized for conditions other than COVID-19 may now designate, upon admission, one person to be with them through their entire stay. The visitor will be allowed one exit and re-entry per day. No other visitors will be allowed, except in specific circumstances. People visiting White River Medical Center from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday must enter through the East Entrance, and at all other times, through the emergency department. At Stone County Medical Center in Mountain View, visitors will enter through the ED.

Veterans Food Pantry

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — The Veterans Villages Helping Hand Program Food Pantry,

8325 MacArthur Drive, serves all veterans, as well as activeduty, Guard and Reserve service members and their families in Pulaski and White counties. The food pantry will be open from 8 a.m. to noon every other Wednesday, including March 10. The Veterans Villages of America Program is designed to also help with unemployment, health care and housing for veterans and service members. For more information, contact Mark Diggs at (501) 442-1237 or mark@ diggsandassociates.com, or visit www.veteransvillagesofamerica.org.

Free COVID-19 Assessments

BATESVILLE — White River Health System continues to provide free 24/7 assessments on WaveLink for residents experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath. Patients can access the WRHS telehealth service using any smartphone, tablet or computer that has a webcam. Visit wavelink. whiteriverhealthsystem.com, and use the code COVID-19 in the Enterprise box. WRHS also has a Coronavirus Assessment Tool on the right side of its website, whiteriverhealthsystem.com.

GED Enrollment

BEEBE — Enrollment for General Educational Development classes is open at Arkansas State University-Beebe Adult Education centers in Beebe, Searcy and Heber Springs, and at the Augusta Public Library and Westside High School in Greers Ferry. The free instruction and testing are for students 18 or older and for 16and 17-year-olds who meet the state minimum requirements, along with high school graduates who need refresher courses to enter college. English as a Second Language classes are offered in Searcy. For more information, visit www.asub.edu/adult-education or call (501) 882-3600.

Painting Classes

BATESVILLE — Two continuing painting classes take place at Gallery 246, at 246 E. Main St. A watercolor class, taught by Aline McCracken, meets from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. The fee is $10, with supplies provided. Acrylic: Paint With Panaché, taught by Jim Tindall, meets from 10 a.m. to noon Thursdays. The fee is $45, with supplies provided. To register, call (870) 262-8066, visit the gallery, or see its Facebook page. COVID-19 precautions are observed in the gallery.

Bald Knob VFW Free Coffee

BALD KNOB — The community is invited to get a free cup of coffee from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Bald Knob Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10007, 3012 Highway Ave. Volunteering to serve coffee are Will “Ace” Marler, a Purple Heart recipient and post quartermaster; Bill “Rhino” Morton, a veteran service officer; and Savannah Breaux, commander of VFW Post 10007.

UPCOMING STARS Meeting

CABOT — STARS (Small Town Amateur Radio Service), a ham radio club, will have a meeting, with testing available, at 1:30 p.m. March 14 at Criswell-Robinson American Legion Post 71, 114 N. First St. For more information, contact Scott Berrier at berriersm@gmail.com, or visit the group’s Facebook page, #Cabot STARS Club (W5STR). STARS meets the second Sunday of each month.

‘Murder on the Menu’

BATESVILLE — Stella’s Brick Oven Pizzeria and Bistro, 250 E. Main St., will present a dinner-theater production of “Murder on the Menu,” performed by the Batesville Community Theater, at 6:45 p.m. March 16 and 18. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Dinner will include an appetizer, a side salad, pizza, a drink and dessert. To purchase tickets, at $39.95 for adults and $19.95 for kids, call (870) 805-3045.

Safe@Home

BATESVILLE — The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville Community Education will present Safe@Home by Safe Sitter from 6-7:30 p.m. March 18. The class, taught by Cathy Shonk, is designed to prepare fourththrough sixth-graders to be safe when they’re home alone and teach them how to handle emergencies. Students may attend the class in-person or virtually. The course fee is $30. Register at uaccb.coursestorm.com.