this week’s EVENTS

TODAY Black History Month Celebration

BATESVILLE — The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville and Lyon College will partner to present the fourth annual Black History Month Celebration at 3 p.m. in Independence Hall at UACCB. The keynote speaker will be state Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock. The event will also feature a slideshow presentation by the Melba Theater and performances by the Lyon College Gospel Choir, Alicia Williams and the First United Methodist Praise Team, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, and The Mathis Family, who were contestants on Nickelodeon’s America’s Most Musical Family.

TUESDAY Fashion With a Twist

FAIRFIELD BAY — Fashion With a Twist, sponsored by Laureate Alpha Lambda, will take place from 1-3 p.m. in the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Hall, 250 Woodland Drive. Drinks and refreshments will be served. For tickets, at $6 each, contact Bonnie Hookman at (501) 884-6652 or Annalee Culp at (501) 884-6350.

Mardi Gras Party

BATESVILLE — St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will have a Mardi Gras party at 6 p.m. The menu includes New Orleans gumbo and bread pudding. Purchase tickets, at $25, from anyone in the men’s group or at the church office. Drinks are included. For more information, call (870) 793-2203.

TUESDAY AND MARCH 3 AND 10 Introduction to Welding

BATESVILLE — The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville’s Community Education will offer Introduction to Welding from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday and March 3 and 10 in Room 223 of the UACCB Main Campus Building. Instructor Daniel Winston will teach an introduction to welding equipment, metal preparation and welding butt and T-joints. The class fee is $49. For more information, contact Katrina Stevens at (870) 612-2082 or katrina.stevens@uaccb.edu.

THURSDAY American Legion Post 71 Meeting

CABOT — Criswell-Robinson American Legion Post 71,

114 N. First St., will have its monthly meeting at 7 p.m., with a meal served at 6 for $5. All active-duty or honorably discharged military personnel are welcome to join Post 71. For more information, call (501) 203-5715.

The Conductor Office Hours

HEBER SPRINGS — The Conductor will offer office hours for free one-on-one consultations for aspiring or current entrepreneurs in 30-minute sessions, from

1-4 p.m., at the Heber Springs Chamber of Commerce,

110 S. Seventh St. Register at arconductor.org/office hours.

Beebe Chamber Banquet and Fundraising Auction

BEEBE — The Beebe Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Banquet and Fundraising Auction at 6:30 p.m. in the Arkansas State University-Beebe Student Center. There will be a meet-and-greet and a silent auction, followed by dinner and a live auction. Tickets are $45 for members or $50 for nonmembers, or a table of eight at $250 for members or $350 for nonmembers. Purchase tickets at the Beebe Chamber office, 102 N. Main St., or by calling (501) 882-8135.

FRIDAY Black Student Association Banquet

BATESVILLE — Lyon College’s Office of Diversity, in partnership with Lyon’s Black Student Association, will host the Black Student Association Banquet at 6 p.m. in Maxfield.

SATURDAY Arkansas Hospice Volunteer Training

SEARCY — Arkansas Hospice will host a volunteer training session at 9 a.m. at the Arkansas Hospice office, 410 N. Apple St. Lunch will be provided. For more information or to register, email volunteer coordinator Sarah Hagerman at shagerman@ arkansashospice.org, or call (501) 305-3650 or toll-free at (855) 305-3650 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cardio+ Forum: Heart Health

BATESVILLE — In honor of National Heart Health Month, the Independence County Library and ARcare will host the Cardio+ Forum to promote heart-health awareness at 11 a.m. at the library,

267 E. Main St. Come hear a presentation on heart health by an ARcare professional, as well as stories of heart-disease survivors. The event will include heart-healthy refreshments and free recipe booklets for healthy meal alternatives for the whole family. For more information, call Hunter Weeks at

(870) 793-8814.

Baked Potato Bash

FAIRFIELD BAY — The Indian Rock Village Baked Potato Bash will take place from 5-7 p.m. at Fairfield Bay Baptist Church, 481 Dave Creek Parkway. The event offers baked potatoes, a drink and dessert for a $5 donation. Proceeds will go to the IRV Auxiliary to support assisted living and health care.

2020 Bald Knob Chamber Banquet

BALD KNOB — The Bald Knob Chamber of Commerce will present its 2020 Chamber Banquet at 6 p.m. in the Bald Knob High School Cafeteria. Impressionist Gary Crain will be the event’s special guest. Tickets are $15, and reserve tables are available for an additional $25 per table of eight. For tickets or more information, call

(501) 724-3140.

ONGOING Small Works on Paper Exhibition

SEARCY — The 2020 Small Works on Paper, an annual touring visual-arts exhibition that showcases the work of Arkansas artists, is on display through Friday in the Elizabeth Mason Gallery at Harding University, 915 E. Market Ave. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and admission is free. Small Works on Paper is a juried exhibition that showcases Arkansans’ artworks that are no larger than 18 by 24 inches. Thirty-nine pieces are featured in this year’s show, which travels to nine galleries statewide. For a full schedule of the exhibition, visit arkansasarts.org.

Youth Tour Applications

JACKSONVILLE — High school juniors whose parents or guardians are First Electric members may apply for the Youth Tour, an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., set for June 19-25. Applications are due March 13 at any First Electric office, or mail to Marketing and Development Department, First Electric Cooperative, P.O. Box 5018, Jacksonville, AR 72078. For more information, call (800) 489-7405 or visit www.firstelectric.coop

or www.facebook.com/ firstelectric.

Get Up & Give Collection Drive

HEBER SPRINGS/BATESVILLE — The 11th annual Get Up & Give collection project asks Arkansans to contribute necessities to the children and families in the organization’s care during the 40 days of Lent — Wednesday through April 9. Participants can donate personal-hygiene items, clothes, shoes, school supplies, bedding, funds and other items to the Methodist Counseling Clinic in their community. All items need to be new, and money is also accepted. Deliver donations to 515 N. Main St., Heber Springs, AR 72543; or to 500 E. Main St., Suite 310, Batesville, AR 72501. For more information, visit

www. methodistfamily.org/getup-and-give.html or call (501) 906-4201.

Humane Society Meeting

HEBER SPRINGS — The Heber Springs Humane Society meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at the Cleburne County Library, 1009 W. Main St. The Humane Society’s mission is to care for homeless animals, find them loving homes and educate the public on the benefits of spaying and neutering dogs and cats. The society’s shelter, at 49 Shelter Lane, is open from noon to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

STARS Meeting

CABOT — STARS (Small Town Amateur Radio Service), a ham radio group, meets at 1:30 p.m. the second Sunday of each month at Criswell-Robinson American Legion Post 71, 114 N. First St. The group has testing available. For more information, contact Scott Berrier at berriersm@gmail.com.

Back to the Basics Exhibition

BATESVILLE — The Batesville Area Arts Council presents Back to the Basics, an exhibition by Aline McCracken, through Saturday at the BAAC Gallery on Main, 226 E. Main St. The show features a series of watercolors that explore beauty found in simple everyday objects. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

First Electric Scholarship

JACKSONVILLE — First Electric Cooperative is accepting applications for its scholarship program from high school seniors whose parents or guardians are First Electric members. Applications for the scholarship program are due May 1 at any First Electric office, or mail to Marketing and Development Department, First Electric Cooperative, P.O. Box 5018, Jacksonville, AR 72078. For more information, call (800) 489-7405 or visit www. first electric. coop or www.facebook.com/ firstelectric.

Fairfield Bay TOPS Meetings

FAIRFIELD BAY — The TOPS Arkansas 0612 chapter (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets each Thursday in the Conference Room of the Hart Center, 134 Hillview Drive, behind the Senor Center of Fairfield Bay. Weigh-ins begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by support meetings from 9:30-10:30 a.m. The first meeting is free. The cost to join is $32 yearly for national dues and $3 monthly for chapter dues. For more information, call Patty at (501) 253-3790 or Jeannie at (501) 253-3824.

Ash Flat Senior Center Activities

ASH FLAT — The Ash Flat Senior Life Center invites residents of Ash Flat and surrounding areas to the following weekly events: bingo from 9-10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays; card games, board games and painting from 9-10:30 a.m. Thursdays; and exercise classes from 10-10:30 a.m. Thursdays. Coffee, cookies and more are available throughout the week. Visit the senior center, and sign up for $3 meals served at 11:30 a.m. For more information, including travel arrangements, call Veronica Fortich at (870) 994-2174.

Heber Springs TOPS Meetings

HEBER SPRINGS — TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets each Monday at the Church of the Nazarene, Eighth and Quitman streets. Weigh-in begins at 7:30 a.m., followed by a support meeting from 9:30-11 a.m. Prospective members are welcome. Enter the church through the back entrance. For more information, call Geneva Earles at

(501) 827-1243 or Janiece Brierly at (501) 250-5087.

Searcy Lions Club

SEARCY — The Searcy Lions Club meets at noon every Tuesday on the second floor of the Heritage Building at Harding University. New members are welcome. For more information, visit the Searcy Lions Club on Facebook.

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.

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. All are welcome. To volunteer or make a donation, call (501) 843-3797.

Bluegrass Music Night

HEBER SPRINGS — Heber Springs Christian Church, 1101 N. Broadway St., offers a bluegrass music night from 6:308:30 every Tuesday. Musicians are invited to participate. Free coffee is available. For more information, call the church at (501) 362-2389. 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.