MARK YOUR CALENDAR

THURSDAY, FEB. 16 The Catoosa County Democratic Party will hold its February meeting

on Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Catoosa County Library Community Room. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Elections will be held for the committee officers, as well as the Catoosa County representative on the state Democratic Committee. For more information, contact Greg Bentley at Gbentley61@gmail.com.

MONDAY, FEB. 20

Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) in Dalton will offer its next Take it to Heart Program on Monday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 25 at scheduled times. The program includes a free cardiac risk assessment and information to help you prevent future heart problems. This program is free and open to anyone who has not participated in Take it to Heart in the last five years, is not currently being treated by a cardiologist, has not had stents put in, and has at least two of the following risk factors: Family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, history of smoking and being overweight. A physician’s order for the cardiac scoring is required. Please have your physician send the order to Hamilton Diagnostics Center on or before Feb. 20 in order to receive a free CT scan. Fasting for lab assessment is required. If you would like to attend this event and need assistance with interpretation services and/or auxiliary aids, please indicate when registering. To register or for more information, call 706-272-6114. Space is limited. CDC guidelines for healthcare facilities will be followed to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.

TUESDAY, FEB. 28 The Lafayette Woman’s Club is hosting

“Whiskers for Wellspring” on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lafayette Recreation Department. This is a fun family fundraiser for you and your pet. There is a $10 pet entry fee and an additional $2 fee to enter the pet pageant. Additional pet contests and opportunities will be available during the event. Register on site at 638 South Main Street or go to www.gfwcgeorgia.org to register now. This will be a tail-wagging event. Make sure your four-legged friend is there. For more information, contact Rachel Oesch Willeford at 706-200-8099 or racheloeschwilleford@ gmail.com.

There will be a special Zoom meeting of Walker County Democrats on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Email walkercodems@gmail.com for the link or call 706-7642801. To comply with recently changed state bylaws, the only agenda item will be the election of a state committee member for Walker County.

Walker County African American Historical and Alumni Association Inc.’s

2023 African American History Month Contest

consists of designing a minimural for the Walker County African American Museum and Cultural Center. WCAAHAA has a professional muralist for the actual mural design; however, the student winners’ murals will be exhibited in the center and on Beverly’s Historical Moments television show. There will be a first-place, second-place and third-place winner in each of the following categories: elementary school, middle school and high school. Elementary school includes kindergarten. Private, public, home school and GED students 18 years old and under may enter. Winners will not be per school, but per category. In each category, first place will receive $100; second place $50 and third place $25. The Lafayette Woman’s Club will be partnering with this project with Theresa Dorsey, chair of the art committee. Deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 5 p.m. Please contact WCAAHAA’S African American History Month program chair, Kisha Caldwell-thomas, EDD, for more information and contest rules. Email: kisha.thomas@ chattanoogastate.edu.

FRIDAY, MARCH 3 Catoosa County Public Schools is accepting applications for Georgia’s lottery-funded prekindergarten through March 3.

Parents or legal guardians who want to enter their child’s name in the drawing must complete and return a Request to Participate in Pre-k Drawing Form. Any request received after March 3 will be placed on the school system’s waiting list after the lottery drawing is completed. The Request to Participate in Pre-k Drawing Form is available at all primary and elementary schools in Catoosa County (8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) and may also be completed at the Student Enrollment Center, 108 High Street, Ringgold, Georgia (8-11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.) Monday through Friday. A public drawing to award available prekindergarten assignments will be held virtually on the Catoosa County Public Schools website on Friday, April 21, at 9 a.m. Pre-kindergarten enrollment is open and nondiscriminatory, based on a public lottery among those eligible to participate. Children will not be denied participation on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. Eligibility: Currently, a child must be born between September 2, 2018, and September 1, 2019, to be eligible for Georgia prekindergarten services. The child must be a Catoosa County resident at the time of the drawing. Georgia residents outside of Catoosa County will be placed on a waiting list until all children within the district are enrolled.

GENERAL Walker County African American Museum and Cultural Center

features graphic and interactive exhibits highlighting the history and culture of African Americans of the Lookout Mountain Judicial District with emphasis on Walker County but includes Catoosa, Chattooga and Dade counties. Located at 309 N. Main St. in Lafayette, the center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. Closed: Mondays and Tuesday, the first weekend of each month, 1-2 p.m. for lunch and holidays. Museum phone: 706670-1165, email: wcaahaa@ yahoo.com; website: www. walkercountyafricanamerican.com; like us on Facebook at Walker County, Georgia African American Museum and Memorial Park (https:// www.facebook.com/walkercountygeorgiaafricanamericanmuseumandpark).

The

NWGA Baptist Food Pantry is open

on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until noon at Second Baptist Church, 500 W. Main St., Lafayette.

Lookout Mountain CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) needs volunteers to advocate for the best interest of the abused and neglected children of Catoosa, Dade, Walker and Chattooga counties who are in foster care. CASA volunteers serve as the eyes and ears of the juvenile court judges. For more information, email Annice Goodwin at lookoutmtncasa@gmail.com or call 423-402-0843.

The

Friends of the Gordon-lee Mansion offers tours of the mansion

in Chickamauga from Memorial Day to Labor Day, each Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $5 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under. Proceeds benefit the Friends 501c3 group to improve and enhance the mansion. For more information, visit www. friendsofthegordonleemansion.org or call 423-488-0861.

The local board of

EFSP (Emergency Food Shelter Program) of Walker County

consists of nonprofit agencies within Walker County that work toward assisting

Individuals and Families With Children with Food, Shelter, Household Assistance, Counseling, and much more. EFSP of Walker County is part of the national board of EFSP in Virginia. Any agency within Walker County desiring to be a part of the local board to receive federal funds please contact Tanya Nave at 423903-9779 or Denise Jackson at 404-234-7211.

Narconon would like to remind families that the use of addicting drugs is on the rise. If you know anyone who is struggling with drug addiction, Narconon is available to help. Call for a free brochure on the signs of addiction for all drugs. Narconon also offers free screenings and referrals. Call 800-431-1754 or visit Drugabusesolution.com. The opiate epidemic is an ongoing issue that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. Fentanyl is being laced in drugs, including marijuana, in order to get the consumer addicted and returning to the supplier for more. Pills are being sold as if they are produced by a legal manufacturer when they are in fact pressed Fentanyl pills. People are overdosing and dying due to the intense potency of Fentanyl. It is important to seek help before it’s too late and you buy and consume a lethal dose of Fentanyl. If you or a loved one are struggling with Fentanyl addiction, reach out for help as soon as possible. We can help you get your life back on track and learn to live a drug-free life. To learn more about the growing opiate epidemic, visit: https://www. narcononnewliferetreat.org/ blog/how-fentanyl-is-accelerating-the-opioid-epidemic.html. Narconon can help you take steps to overcome addiction in your family. Call today for free screenings or referrals: 1- 800-431-1754.

The Rossville Downtown Development Authority generally meets the first Tuesday each month at 8 a.m. at the Rossville Public Library.

The Catoosa County Democratic Party generally meets the third Thursday each month at 6:30 p.m. For more information, go to www.catoosadems.org or contact Greg Bentley at Gbentley61@gmail.com.

Open Bible Full Gospel Church,

2803 Ga. Highway 151 in Lafayette, invites the public to worship on Sundays: Sunday school at 10 a.m., morning service at 11 a.m., and night service at 5 p.m.

The

Kiwanis Club of Fort Oglethorpe

was chartered in 1954 and is Catoosa County’s oldest service club. The club meets each Friday at noon at Park Place Restaurant. To learn more about Kiwanis contact Club President Chris Mckeever at 706-861-2860 or visit its Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/groups/ ftoglethorpekiwanis.