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.

MARCH 12

The Upper Cumberland/KEA Retired Teachers will hold their annual pre-delegate caucus on March 12 at David’s Steaks in Corbin. Lunch (provided) begins at 11:30 a.m. and meeting at noon. Business will be an update of the legislative session and other items of interest to retirees. all elected kea-r and kea delegates are encouraged to attend to receive information concerning the April 3-5 Delegate Assembly. All members welcome. Additional information is available from UCEA-Retired President Pat Bingham by e-mail to fsdir@hotmail.com.

MARCH 13

The Bell County Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting for the re-grand opening of KFC at 10 a.m. on March 13.

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.

Martin’s Station Masonic Lodge No. 188, located on Dr. Thomas Walker Road west of Rose Hill, Virginia, will have a catfish and chicken dinner from 4 to 7:30 p.m. on March 15. Menu will be fish or chicken tenders, fries, baked beans, slaw, hush puppies, dessert and drinks. Meals are $9; age 6-12, $6. Carry out available. Proceeds will benefit the lodge’s Scholarship & Benevolence Fund.

MARCH 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 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 15

Indian Creek Baptist Church will have a spaghetti dinner from 4-8 p.m. on March 15 in the fellowship hall. Dinners are $5 and include spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, dessert and drink — dine in or carry out. Everyone welcome.

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.

A blood drive will be held at Thomas Walker High School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 18. Walk-ins welcome.

MARCH 18-22

New Beginning Baptist Church, located at 2305 Hwy. 63 in Cumberland Gap, will have a revival beginning at 7 p.m. March 18-22. Rev. Bob Zavatierri will be preaching and Ben Dishner will be leading worship. Everyone is welcome and invited to attend. For more information, contact the church office at 423-869-7378.

MARCH 19

The Middlesboro Board of Education’s regular board meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. on March 19 at Middlesboro High School in the cafeteria, 4404 West Cumberland Avenue.

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.

The Bell County Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting for Sassy Tan at 2 p.m. on March 19 in the Village Square Shopping Mall.

The Cumberland Valley Chapter of the Kentucky Public Retirees (KPR) will meet March 19 at Golden Corral in London. Mealtime will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the meeting to follow. The guest speaker will be House District 89 state Rep. Robert Goforth. Any retiree (and spouse) receiving retirement benefits from KERS, CERS or SPRS is welcome to attend. Membership information will be available at the meeting or at kentuckypublicretirees.org. For more information,, call 606-877-0079 or 606-260-0490.

MARCH 21

The League of Women Voters will host a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. on March 21 at the Middlesboro Library. The subject will be the impact of drugs on our community and what can be done to address the problem. Middlesboro Mayor Rick Nelson, Pineville Mayor Scott Madon and Bell County Jailer Gary Ferguson will attend to discuss the issue and to address questions and comments from the audience. This is a public meeting and concerned citizens are urged to attend and participate.

Old Mountain Remedies, presented by Walt Cross, Preventive Lifestyle Educator, will begin at 6 p.m. on March 21 at the Claiborne County Senior Citizens Center, located at 310 Londonderry Road in Harrogate. This free informative lecture will explore the outcomes of natural remedies. For more information and to register, call 423-973-4398 or email DVD.Lehrman@gmail.com.

MARCH 22

St. Anthony Catholic Church in Pineville will have a Lenten Fish Fry from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 22. Tickets are $7 — dine in or carry out. For more information, contact the church office at 606-248-2068.

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.

MARCH 31

Indian Creek Baptist Church will host a fifth Sunday singing at 10:30 a.m. ton March 31 featuring The Shepherd’s Way gospel group, of Oneida, Tennessee and others. Lunch will be served following the service. Everyone is welcome.

WEDNESDAYS

The Bell County Cooperative Extension Service will host Weigh 2 Go Wednesdays 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.

APRIL 1

Opioid Epidemic Education Symposium will be held on April 1 at the LMU Hamilton Math and Science Building, 6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway in Harrogate. Local law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, elected officials and community members are invited to attend this symposium structured to increase recognition of the devastating effects of the opioid abuse epidemic focusing on education. Participant registration and meet and greet is from11:30 a.m. to noon, symposium is from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, contact Jeremy Buchanan at jeremy.buchanan@LMUnet.edu.

APRIL 2

Pineville Chapter No. 89 Order of the Eastern Star will meet at 7 p.m. on April 2 at the Masonic Building in Pineville. The meeting will be preceded with a meal at 6 p.m.

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

Applications are now available at the Bell County Cooperative Extension Office, online at at http://bell.ca.uky.edu/ and in all local high schools for the Bell County Toledo Alexander Moss 4-H Scholarship. A $500 scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student in Bell County who will be a full-time University of Kentucky student in fall 2019. Applications must be returned by April 19 to the Bell County Extension Service, 101 Courthouse Square, Pineville, KY 40977. If you would like 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; the cost for everyone else is $10 per person.

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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New Beginning Christian Academy (NBCA), located at 2305 Hwy. 63 in Cumberland Gap, is currently accepting applications for K3- through eighth-grade for the 2019-2020 school year. The A Beka curriculum is offered with a small Christian learning environment, less distractions and more emphasis on your child. To schedule an appointment or request an application, call 423-869-7378.

Appalachian Promise of Claiborne (APCC), a 501(C)3 faith-based organization, provides free IOP classes for those battling addiction with drug testing every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon at N. 1718 Broad Street in Tazewell. All services are free to the Tri-State area and assistance with rehab placement is also available. Parenting and anger management classes along with job placement is provided as well. Families can learn about treatment and other programs offered in family support groups available on Thursdays at 2 p.m. For more information, call 423-259-8189.

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.

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.

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.