The Middlesboro Daily News will publish local events in the community calendar free of charge as space allows. We do not accept submissions called in via phone. All submissions should be emailed to beth.key@harlandaily.com or dropped off at our office, 1275 North 25th Street, Middlesboro. Submissions should be received no later than four business days prior to the event. If received in time, it will be published one or two days prior to the event. Announcements are also available at middlesborodailynews.com.

JAN. 19-20

Speedwell Church of God, located at 345 Carr Gap Road, will host a weekend revival Jan. 19-20. Services start at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Bro. Ronnie Pittman will be preaching. Pastor Daniel Ellison and congregation invite everyone to attend.

JAN. 20

The Friends of Lincoln School, Inc. will hold their annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration on Jan. 20. The day will begin with a caravan (motor vehicle) from the Middlesboro City Parking Lot at 2:30 pm. All ministers, veterans, soldiers and government leaders are invited to join. A van is available for those needing transportation. The caravan will proceed to Thankful Baptist Church, 321 N. 19th Street for a 3 p.m. service with the Rev. Jake Ravasee and special music. There will also be a special presentation of The Samuel Coleman Sr. Award. Transportation will be provided for those wanting to attend the MLK celebration at LMU. If you need a ride, be at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church by 1:15 p.m.

TUESDAYS

Stand in the Gap Coalition (SIGCO), a 501(c)3 nonprofit, faith-based organization, along with local churches in the Tri-State area is hosting an evening out for grandparents and caregivers by providing childcare on the second Tuesday of each month. SIGCO is located at 325 Straight Creek Road, New Tazewell, Tennessee. A service of SIGCO is to provide free saliva based drug testing kits with instructions, called Give Me a Reason (GMAR). For more information on the evening out, addiction treatment or how you can help “Stand in the Gap“ call 423-300-1302 or email standntgap@gmail.com or mail P.O. Box 539, Cumberland Gap TN 37724.

JAN. 22

The Bell County Chamber of Commerce’s Fall Festival Committee will meet at 6 p.m. on Jan. 22 at Bell County Tourism/Alexander Arthur Museum, located at 2215 Cumberland Avenue in Middlesboro. The public is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 606-248-2482 or email jon@bellcountytourism.com.

Middlesboro Mall will host a Mall Walker’s Appreciation Event from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Jan. 22 with free health screenings including blood pressure, pulse, pulse ox, glucose, grip testing and stroke assessment provided by Middlesboro ARH staff. There will be a presentation by Adam Mills, physical therapy assistant at Middlesboro ARH, at 9 a.m. at Center Court and door prizes.

JAN. 24

The Bell County Cooperative Extension Service will host a Baking for One or Two Homemaker Leader Lesson at 1 p.m. on Jan. 24 at the Extension Office. To register, call 606-337-2376.

JAN. 25-27

Pine Mountain State Resort Park will present the annual Winter Photography Weekend Jan. 25-27 with evening programs by guest professional Paul Hassell. New this year is the Cell Phone Class (this can be a stand alone entry (entering four images like the other traditional three classes) or as an additional image if you are entering in another class (entering your four normal images, then one extra in the phone class). Also for this year, category suggestions will be accepted. Send suggestions via Facebook message or to Keith.Bowling@Ky.gov. Early bird registration is $30 (two weeks prior to event date) or $40 at the door. For more information, call 606-337-3066.

JAN. 29

The Middlesboro Independent Schools Local Planning Committee will conduct a public forum at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 at Middlesboro Middle School, located at 4400 Cumberland Avenue. This meeting is an informal gathering to encourage local participation through community suggestions relative to future utilization of existing school facilities and construction of new school facilities. These community suggestions or recommendations will be closely monitored by the Local Planning Committee. This meeting will be immediately followed by the Middlesboro Independent Schools Local Planning Committee meeting.

The Bell County Cooperative Extension Service will be hosting a Tasty Tuesday class at 1 p.m. on Jan. 29 at the Extension Office. The class is free and participants will make some sweet potato soup. To register, call 606-337-2376.

FEB. 2

There will be a benefit movie night beginning at 1 p.m. on Feb. 2 at the Pineville Theater to help raise money for Gunnar Simpson, who has Trisomy 18/Kleinfilters, to go to NAPA (intensive therapy in Boston). Tickets to the movie “Wonder” are $6 and include one small drink and popcorn. There will also be a silent auction.

FEB. 12

The seventh annual Chamber Chocolate Craze, a chocolate sampling event, will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 12 at Middlesboro Mall, sponsored by the Bell County Chamber of Commerce.

FEB. 14

Pine Mountain Settlement School will host a Candlelight Valentine’s Dinner at 6 p.m. on Feb. 14. Relax and enjoy traditional Appalachian cuisine in the historic Laurel House. For more information or to register, call 606-558-3604.

FEB. 19

Regularly scheduled Bell County Board of Education meetings for 2019 will be held on the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at the District Administration Building in Pineville on the following dates: Feb. 19, March 19, April 16, May 21, June 18, July 16, Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.

FEB. 23

Pine Mountain Settlement School will kick off the gardening season with the annual seed swap from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 in Laurel House. Lunch is provided for free at noon. Heirloom seed expert Bill Best will be on hand. Many rare local bean and tomato varieties will be available for purchase, and be sure to bring your own heirloom seeds to sell or trade. For more information, contact David Hinkle at 606-558-3604 or dhinkle@pinemountainsettlementschool.com.

APRIL 13

Antiques, Arts & Crafts in the Crater will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 13 in the Middlesboro City Parking Lot, presented by Middlesboro Main Street, Bell County Tourism, Southern Girls Events and the Bell County Chamber of Commerce.

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Free rat bait is available at the Bell County Cooperative Extension Service, located in the basement of the Bell County Courthouse in Pineville. Business hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Rat Bait Program is sponsored by Bell County Farm Bureau and the Bell County Cooperative Extension Service. For more information, call 606-337-2376.

Several posts of the American Legion will provide new coats and new toys to some eligible Appalachian youth in several counties (McCreary, Pulaski, Whitley and Bell counties) of eastern and southeastern Kentucky during this winter season. If you wish to support this effort with monetary donations, new coats or new toys, please contact the Legion representative at Hope.4.estrn.kentuckians@gmail.com.

GED classes are being offered to anyone 19 years or older. Improve your reading, writing and mathematical skills and study to receive your GED. For more information, contact the following: Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College Middlesboro campus at 606-248-3175, Bell County Council on Literacy at 606-248-2014 or the Pineville Learning Center at 606-337-3044.

Volunteers are needed for the Kentucky Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (Cumberland Valley District) to read a while, play a game of checkers, discuss the day’s events, reminisce or just sit and watch TV with a local senior. If you currently visit someone in a long-term care facility or would like to become involved, contact Arlene Gibson at 606-864-7391, ext. 119.

Free saliva-based drug testing kits are provided and sponsored through UNITE and Stand in the Gap Coalition (SIGCO). Give Me a Reason (GMAR) is designed for parents/guardians to use to talk with their children and randomly test them, which gives them a reason to say no when tempted or offered drugs. Kits can be obtained at 44 different distribution points throughout the Tri-State area and at the SIGCO office, located at 502 Pennlyn Avenue in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. For more information, contact the SIGCO office at 423-300-1302. To pick up a kit, stop by on Mondays from 1 to 5:30 p.m.

The American Red Cross is seeking volunteers with flexible schedules to respond to single and multi-family home fires in the Lake Cumberland service area, which includes Casey, Adair, Cumberland, Clinton, Russell, Pulaski, Wayne, McCreary, Whitley, Laurel, Clay, Knox, Bell and Harlan counties. Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers respond to assist families with shelter, support and access to basic needs immediately following a home fire – often arriving on scene even as the fire is still burning. Volunteers may apply online by visiting http://www.redcross.org/volunteer or by contacting Chapter Executive Terry Burkhart at 859-253-1331 or terry.burkhart@redcross.org.

The Lighthouse Homeless Shelter, located at 117 South Pine Street in Pineville, is open seven days a week. For more information, call 606-337-9736.

Lighthouse Lifeline of Bell County non-residential support groups are held at the Lighthouse Mission Center, located at 3609 Hwy. 119 in Pineville. For more information, contact Sharon Teaney at 606-269-2187 or Ules Baker at 606-670-1949. Men’s and women’s support groups meet from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, and at 1 p.m. on Thursdays. Youth support groups (ages 10-18) meet from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Lighthouse Ray of Hope Children’s Advocacy Center, located at 3619 Hwy. 119 in Pineville, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For information, call 606-337-9955.

The “Something Different” Narcotics Anonymous group meets at 7 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays at the First Christian Church of Middlesboro, located at 2130 Cumberland Avenue. Meetings are open.

Lighthouse Mission Center, located at 3609 Hwy. 119 in Pineville, will have food giveaways at 11:30 a.m. on the third and fourth Tuesday of each month. Emergency food boxes are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, call 606-337-1834.

A military support group for all active, separated or any former military men or women meets at 6:30 p.m. each first and third Monday of the month at the Middlesboro National Guard Armory, located on 30th Street. If you face financial, relationship, criminal, adjustment, substance abuse or other problems, this is for you.

GED classes will be held on Tuesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Lighthouse Career Training Center, located at 980 Old Bell High Road off of U.S. 119 in Pineville. For more information, call 606-337-9955.

Benchmark Family Services, serving Bell, Harlan, Clay, Knox, Laurel and Whitley counties, invites you to become a foster parent. Free orientation classes are held from 5-6 p.m. on any Tuesday. For more information, call 606-526-6992 or toll free at 866-526-6992.

Applications are available for the Lighthouse Medical Clinic, located at 3619 Hwy. 119 in Pineville, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Visits are by appointment only. For more information, call 606-337-9955.

Narcotics Anonymous will meet at the Living Clean Group Wallsend Community Room in Pineville. Meetings begin at 6 p.m. on Mondays; at noon on Wednesdays, closed for addicts only; and at 3 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, call 606-499-0238 or 606-302-6972.

Narconon is reminding families that the use of addicting drugs is on the rise. Take steps to protect your family from drug use. If you know anyone who is struggling, get them the help they need. For a free brochure on the signs of addiction for all drugs, call 800-431-1754 or visit DrugAbuseSolution.com. Narconon also offers free screenings and referrals.