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.

NOV. 21

Black in Blue, a film about the untold story of the four UK athletes who broke the color line in the Southeastern Conference, will be shown at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21 at the Bell Theater in Pineville with free admission.

NOV. 22

The Cumberland Valley Chapter of the Kentucky Public Retirees (KPR) will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 22 at Golden Corral in London. Mealtime will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the meeting to follow. The guest speaker will be 89th District 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 is available at kentuckypublicretirees.org. For more information, call 606-260-0490.

NOV. 24

First Christian Church of Middlesboro will host the annual community Thanksgiving worship service on at 3 p.m. on Nov. 24. The service will feature a wide variety of sacred and gospel vocal and instrumental music with participation from Binghamtown Baptist, Covenant United Methodist, East Cumberland Avenue Baptist, First Christian-Middlesboro, First Presbyterian, Middlesboro Church of God Mountain Assembly, Mt. Moriah Baptist and St. Mary’s Episcopal churches and Todd Spangler. Everyone is invited to attend.

NOV. 26

Bell County Cooperative Extension Service will be hosting Learn, Laugh and Craft at 1 p.m. on Nov. 26 in the Extension Office of the old courthouse. The topic is pumpkins. Participants are asked to bring their own 18 inch square pierce of fall colored fabric. To register, call the Extension Office at 606-337-2376.

NOV. 30

Dylan Strong Run 5K will begin at 9 a.m. on Nov. 30, hosted by Making Ripples Training Studio. Proceeds will benefit Bell Central eighth-grader and football player Dylan Bingham who is fighting leukemia. The run starts at Making Ripples Training Studio. For registration and sponsorships, contact Ashley Ramsey at 865-228-9727 or visit https://localraces.com/makingripples/dylan-strong-run.

DEC. 2

Kentucky Department for Public Health, the Kentucky Pharmacist Association and the Bell County Health Department’s Harlan Reduction Program, SKCTC along with local coalitions will be offering free Naloxone education and kits to everyone 18 years or older from 2 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 2 at SKCTC’s Educational Alliance Center, Community Educational Room 106. For more information, contact the health department at 606-248-2862 or check out their Facebook page.

Crater of Hope, Inc. Youth Club kick off will take place from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 at 1507 Exeter Avenue in Middlesboro. This is a free service offered weekly by Crater of Hope, Inc. on Mondays and Wednesdays directed to assist fourth graders in preparing for middle school. For more information, email craterofhope@gmail.com.

DEC. 6

A Gem City Christmas Parade will begin at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 in Pineville.

DEC. 7

Middlesboro’s Magic City Christmas Parade will be held at 1 p.m. on Dec. 7. Along with the parade, there will be street vendors, tree lighting and carolers and storytelling and a movie to finish the evening.

The Cumberland Gap Artists Co-op will host a Victorian Christmas from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the historic town of Cumberland Gap on Colwyn Avenue.

A Frontier Christmas at Martin’s Station will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Wilderness Road State Park in Ewing, Virginia. Witness a Christmas 18th century style featuring carols, refreshments and more. Admission is $4 per vehicle.

DEC. 10

Appalachian Promise of Claiborne County, a 501©3 that serves the Tri State area and is insured, invites everyone to attend the new Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Group bi-weekly meetings on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. beginning Dec. 10. The organization can educate, comfort and help caregivers understand what is happening with their loved ones and provide coping skills. This program is being provided by a trained facilitator. For more information, call 423-259-8189 or email apccclaiborne@gmail.com.

DEC. 14

Karlan Christmas Fest with a visit from the Grinch will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 14 at the Karlan Mansion at Wilderness Road State Park in Ewing, Virginia. Trees can be viewed and those in attendance can listen to the Grinch tell his Christmas story at 6:30 p.m. in the mansion dining room Refreshments will be provided

DEC. 21.

Karlan Christmas Fest with Santa and Mrs. Claus will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 21 at the Karlan Mansion at Wilderness Road State Park in Ewing, Virginia. Children in attendance will receive a gift from Santa. The public may view over 30 uniquely decorated trees. Admission is $1 per person.

TUESDAYS

Stand in the Gap Coalition will host Support Transition and Recovery Training (START) on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 325 Straight Creek Road in New Tazewell (old Powell Valley Electric office). START, conducted by James Shoffner, pastor of Riverview Baptist Church, will address substance abuse and addictive processes as well as provide support and education to individuals and families to help them overcome the strongholds associated and will also be providing life skills trainings. For more information, contact Shoffner at 865-279-9661 or the Stand in the Gap office at 423-300-1302, email Standntgap@gmail.com.

• • • • • • •

Appalachian Promise of Claiborne County, a 501©3 that serves the Tri-State area and is insured, can assist with drug rehab placement on Mondays at 6 p.m. for those in need who are both insured and noninsured. The organization also provides assistance for those transitioning from rehab into the workforce with life skills, job skills training, resumes, rebuilding family bonds and building the bridge from being a felon into the workforce with the Fresh Start Program. Money management classes are available the last Monday night of each month. For more information, call 423-259-8189 or email apccclaiborne@gmail.com.

The Freedom at the Hill Recovery Program meets at 6 p.m. every Thursday at the Hill Church, located at 1216 Cedar Fork Road in Tazewell. Groups for Addiction Recovery, Setting Boundaries in Relationships, Anger Management and more. Everyone is welcome. For more information, call 423-526-5655.

RCIA inquirer sessions have begun at St. Julian Catholic Church, located at 118 East Chester Avenue in Middlesboro, for anyone wishing to learn more about the Catholic faith. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays following 6:30 p.m. Mass (approximately 7:15 p.m.) in the Adult Education room in the parish hall. All are welcome.

The Middlesboro Elementary School SBDM Council will meet every second Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. in the school’s conference room.

GED classes are being offered to anyone 19 years or older: Improve your reading, writing, mathematical skills, and study to receive your GED. Follow your children by improving your education free of charge. For more information please call Southeast Campus at 606-248-3175, Bell County Literacy Center at 606-248-2014, or Pineville Learning Center at 606-337-3044

Want to improve your reading, writing, and mathematical skills? We can help! We also offer help with introduction to computers, resume creation, and personal finances/budgeting. For more information please call Bell County Literacy Center at 606-248-2014, Bell County Skills U at 606-248-3175, or Pineville Learning Center at 606-337-3044.

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.

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. Men’s and women’s support groups meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.

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.

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.

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.

Appalachian Promise of Claiborne County (APCC), a 501(C)3 faith-based organization, has announced new office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office, provides smart recovery services for those battling addiction provided by a licensed facilitator, these services are by appointment only, rehab placement services are also available. Job placement services and money management classes are also offered. For more information, call 423-259-8189.