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.

The Harrogate Book Station, located at 310 Bristol Road, is having an ongoing book sale. The selection includes hardcover, $1; large paperback, 50 cents; and paperback, 25 cents. For more information, call 423-869-9777.

FEB. 26-MARCH 1

Lone Hack School Center’s Youth Service Center will host a Fox in “Socks Drive” Feb. 25 through March 1 (during Dr. Seuss’ Read Across America Week). If you would like to donate new socks, you may drop them off at the school.

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. For more information on the evening out, addiction treatment or how you can help “Stand in the Gap“ call 423-300-1302, email standntgap@gmail.com or mail P.O. Box 539, Cumberland Gap TN 37724.

FEB. 28

Dr. Meredith Evans and his family will be speaking on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Middleboro Public Library in the community room. The Bell County Historical Society invites everyone to attend.

MARCH 1

Applications are being accepted for the ARH Scholars Award. The application process must be completed online starting March 1. Deadline for the spring session is March 22. The program is designed to help fund the cost of education for those interested in seeking a career in healthcare. For more information, call 855-WORK-ARH or visit www.arhcareers.org/arh-scholars.

Bloodroot, a literary magazine of Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College, is seeking submissions and contest entries from Appalachian writers in short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and art. Considerations include one short story of up to five pages, one creative nonfiction piece up to five pages, or up to five poems. Submission deadline is March 1. Prizes include $50 for each category. Sponsored by the Southeast Honors Program. Send electronic submissions to: donnak.cox@kctcs.edu; mail to: Donna Cox – Bloodroot, SKCTC Harlan campus, 164 Ball Park Road, Harlan, KY 401831.

MARCH 2

Middlesboro Mall will host the 2019 Read Across America event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 2, sponsored by The Children’s Reading Foundation of Appalachia.

Pine Mountain Sate Resort Park will host the American Cornhole League Singles, Doubles and Blind Draw beginning at 10 a.m. on March 2. Everyone is welcome to play and watch.

MARCH 5

The Bell-Whitley CAA Inc. Board of Directors meeting will begin at 11 a.m. on March 5 at Cumberland Inn in Williamsburg. For more information, contact Kayleigh Straup or Sandy Hoskins at 606-337-3044 or 606-549-3933.

MARCH 6-APRIL 24

The Bell County Cooperative Extension Service will host Weigh 2 Go Wednesdays starting March 6, and run every Wednesday through April 24. Meet at 10 a.m. in the Extension Office.This is an eight-week program that will include nutrition information, recipes, weekly weigh-ins and exercise. To register, contact the Extension Office at 606-337-2376.

MARCH 7, 14, 21, 28

Beginner line dance classes will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays during March at the Broken Spur Dance Club, located at 335 Fulkerson Street in Tazewell on the top floor of the American Legion building (below SMMS). Dates include: March 7, 14, 21 and 28. All ages are welcome, and classes are $5 each. For more information, call or text 423-489-9829; or check out Facebook and YouTube.

MARCH 7

The Bell County Cooperative Extension Service will host a “Where Does Your Money Go?” workshop at 1 p.m. on March 7 at the Extension Office. Participants will learn the difference between needs and wants and evaluate your spending — just to see where your money goes. To register, contact the Extension Office at 606-337-2376.

Expert herbalist Melissa Calhoun will present “Value Added Herbal Products” from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on March 7 at Pine Mountain Settlement School. Participants will learn about simple herbal products that can be manufactured in the new community commercial kitchen from high-value herbs such as goldenseal and bloodroot. There will be a free soup bean dinner after the workshop. For more information, call 606-558-3571 or email office@pinemountainsettlementschool.com.

MARCH 8

The Bell County Cooperative Extension Service, in partnership with Bell-Whitley, will offer a parenting class at 10 a.m. on March 8 at Bell-Whitley. Parents can join in for a time together to laugh, learn and play. To register, contact the Extension Office at 606-337-2376.

MARCH 10

There will be a Bill of Rights and Second Amendment meeting at 2 p.m. on March 10 at the Middlesboro National Guard Armory, located on 30th Street.

MARCH 14

The Bell County Historical Society will host a fundraiser at Sagebrush Steakhouse in Middlesboro from 4 p.m. to closing on March 14. Fifteen percent of your final ticket will go to help the historical society. You must let your server know that you are there to support the cause.

MARCH 16, 23

Middlesboro Elks Lodge No. 119 will host its second annual Academic Quiz Contest for area students at 11 a.m. on March 23 at the Elks Lodge, located at 1670 North 25th Street in Middlesboro. A total of $2,700 in Walmart gift cards will be given away as prizes. Contest will be open to students enrolled in the sixth- through eighth-grades in any public or accredited private school in Bell, Claiborne or Lee County and who will be less than age 16 by March 23. Contest is open to the first 50 students that pre-register (must be completed by parent/guardian). Pre-registration is from 2 to 5 p.m. on March 16 at the Elks building. For more information or to inquire about remaining openings, call 606-269-7055 or 606-248-9133. Detailed contest rules will be provided to parents at registration. At the conclusion of the contest, pizza and soft drinks will be available for students, parents and others present.

MARCH 18

The next Bell County 4-H Junior Homemaker Club meeting will begin at 4 p.m. on March 18 in the Extension Office.

MARCH 19

Pine Mountain Settlement School will host “Soil Health” from 5 to 6 p.m. on March 19. Learn how to test your soil to determine what nutrients are missing and discuss how to best use cover crops, composting, animal manures and other fertilizers to ensure a bountiful harvest. For more information, call 606-558-3571 or email office@pinemountainsettlementschool.com.

The Bell County Cooperative Extension Service will host Tasty Tuesday at 1 p.m. on March 19. Participants will make BBQ sweet potato nachos. To register, contact the Extension Office at 606-337-2376.

MARCH 28

The Bell County Cooperative Extension Service will host the monthly Homemaker Leader Lesson at 1 p.m. on March 28 in the Extension Office. The lesson is “Eating Healthy for Less.” To register, contact the Extension Office at 606-337-2376.

APRIL 11

Traditional Beekeeping will be hosted by Pine Mountain Settlement School from 5 to 6 p.m. on April 11. Local beekeeper and traditional skills expert Gary Branson will demonstrate how to build and use hollow-log style beehives. You will also learn what you need to know about selling honey and other honey-based, value-added products to the public as well. For more information, call 606-558-3571 or email office@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.

APRIL 18

Applications are now available at the Bell County Cooperative Extension Office, at http://bell.ca.uky.edu/ and in all local high schools for Bell County Homemakers Scholarships. Scholarships of $500 will be awarded to two students advancing their education beyond the high school level for each semester in the 2019-2020 school year. Applications must be returned by April 19 to the Bell County Extension Service, 101 Courthouse Square, Pineville, KY 40977. For an application, call 606-337-2376.

APRIL 19-21

Pine Mountain Settlement School will host Wildflower Weekend April 19-21. Pine Mountain has more than 100 species of wildflowers viewable through guided walks. PMSS does all the planning and provides lodging and meals. For more information, call 606-558-3571 or email office@pinemountainsettlementschool.com.

MAY 4

Pine Mountain Settlement School will host Draft Animals 101 from noon to 3 p.m. on May 4. Join as participants learn the old-time methods and skills necessary for plowing, log skidding and sled pulling with draft animals. For more information, call 606-558-3571 or email office@pinemountainsettlementschool.com.

MAY 10-12

Pine Mountain Settlement School will host Black Mountain Wildflower Weekend May 10-12. Celebrate the unique and important ecosystem the highest point in Kentucky, home to many rare species of wildflowers, rare birds, mammals and insects. For more information, call 606-558-3571 or email office@pinemountainsettlementschool.com.

MAY 12

Pine Mountain Settlement School will host a Mother’s Day Dinner from 6 to 7 p.m. on May 12 in Laurel House. A farm-fresh supper is free for moms, everyone else is $10.

JUNE 7-8

Bell County’s first Laurel Music Festival will take place June 7 and 8 at the Laurel Cove Amphitheater, organized through a partnership with Main Street Pineville, Pine Mountain State Resort Park and Bell County Tourism. Lineup and ticket information will be announced at a later date.

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February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month and the Humane Society of the U.S. sets aside the last Tuesday in February as “Spay Day USA” in an attempt to raise awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering. Spay Day USA this year is on Feb. 26. In honor of that, Friends of the Bell County Animal Shelter (FOS) will partner with the vet school at LMU to spay/neuter 10 dogs. Contact FOS or the Bell County Animal Shelter for information on their SNAP program, which provides low-cost spay/neuter for animals of low-income Bell County residents.

Plant sales for the spring season are underway at the Bell County Extension Office. This season will offer a variety of produce. Plants and pricing include strawberries (Allstar and Earliglow), bundles of 25 for $4; blueberries (Blue Crop and Patriot, at least one of each variety should be planted together to allow for cross-pollination), $6 per plant; blackberries (Natchez), $3 per plant; raspberries (Tula Magic), $2 per plant; asparagus (Jersey Knight), $1 per plant; Bristol Black raspberries, $3 per plant; and onions (Candy), $4 for bundle of 60. To place your order, contact the Bell County Extension Office at 606-337-2376. Orders will be available for pick-up at the Extension Office in early April (notification will be sent).

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 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, at 325 Straight Creek Road, New Tazewell, 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 Bell, Harlan, Knox and Whitley 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, 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, 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 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, and at 1 p.m. on Thursdays. Youth support groups (ages 10-18) meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Lighthouse Ray of Hope Children’s Advocacy Center, 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, at 2130 Cumberland Avenue. Meetings are open.

Lighthouse Mission Center, 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 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lighthouse Career Training Center, 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 to 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, 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.