Current events
Jackson to speak
Former state Rep. Bill Jackson will be the featured speaker at a God and Country Rally 11 a.m. today at Shiloh United Methodist Church in Winfield.
Road to close
The closure of Stevens Creek Road for construction has been delayed until Tuesday .
Phone book recycling
Metro Augusta and Columbia County Clean and Beautiful have placed telephone book recycling containers in the parking lot of the Government Complex in Evans; at the Water Works office, 4235 Evans-to-Locks Road; and at the county landfill. For information and other recycling locations, call 261-4390.
Emergency training
The Columbia County Emergency Management Agency will hold a training session for Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) Tuesday . For information on this and other CERT training sessions, call the EMA office at 868-3303.
Grant workshop
A workshop for faith-based and community-based non-profit organizations seeking loan and grant funds will be 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the RSC Community Center, 821 MLK St. in Thomson. The workshop is sponsored by USDA-Rural Development. For information, call (706) 554-7001.
Church anniversary
Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church, 703 Furys Ferry Road, Evans, will celebrate its 124th anniversary with several activities. A prayer and praise service and health walk will be 6:30-10 p.m. Wednesday ; a senior citizen banquet 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday ; a picnic 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at Clarks Hill Lake; and a church celebration 2:30 p.m. July 11. For information, call 860-7091.
Church barbecue
Church of Our Savior Episcopal Church, 4227 Columbia Road, will hold a barbecue supper Saturday at the church. Also, Creative Impressions will perform at 7 p.m. July 24 at the church. The events are to raise funds for the church's medical mission to the Dominican Republic. For information, call 863-1718.
Greyhound meeting
Greyhound Lifesavers will hold a meet-and-greet at PetSmart in Augusta 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For information, call 796-1708.
Auditions set
Auditions for the opening production of Stage III's 2004-05 season, the Neil Simon comedy, The Odd Couple, will be 3 p.m. July 12 and 7 p.m. July 13 at 517 Granite Point, Martinez. The production will be Aug. 26-29, and roles call for five men and two women over 20 years old. For information, call 868-9663.
Art competition
July 16 is the deadline for entries in the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art's 24th annual Juried Fine Art Competition, open to all artists age 18 or older. For information, call 722-5495.
Sierra Club
University of South Carolina Professor Dr. Adam King will give a presentation on the population of the Savannah River Basin prior to European settlement at the July 20 meeting of the Sierra Club, 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church on Walton Way. For information, call 737-1539.
Investment seminar
Secretary of State Cathy Cox and the CSRA Regional Development Center will present an investment education seminar 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. July 31 at the Sheraton Augusta Hotel. Admission is free, but reservations are required. For information, call (888) 265-1115.
Gastric bypass group
The gastric bypass support group will meet starting 6 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Wellness and Weight Loss Center, 677-A North Belair Road, Evans. For information, call 860-0070.
Toastmasters
Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters meets at noon Wednesdays at The Clubhouse, 2527 Washington Road, Augusta. For information, call 854-0090.
Free produce
The Golden Harvest Food Bank's Manna Truck with free produce for needy families will be at Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church 10 a.m. July 24.
SCORE advice
The Service Corps of Retired Executives, SCORE, provides counseling and mentoring to business people who are starting up or expanding a business. There is no charge for services. For information, call 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday, 793-9998.
Preschool registration
Trinity Baptist preschool, 4594 Columbia Road, is accepting registration for the 2004-05 school year. The program is open to 2-4 year olds, and begins Aug. 17. For information, call Shannon Story, 863-7523.
Cooling centers open
Three cooling centers are open for Columbia County residents:
Bessie Thomas Community Center, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday;
Patriots Park, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1-6 p.m. Sunday;
Wesley United Methodist Church in Evans, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Transportation is available through Columbia County Public Transit at 556-0308. For more information, call 868-3303.
Absentee voting
Absentee ballots for the July 20 primary are available at the Columbia County Board of Elections office in the Evans Government Complex, Building B. For information, call 868-3355.
Kids Club
The Laurel & Hardy Museum in Harlem holds Kids Club 1-4 p.m. each Monday during the summer. For more information, call 556-0401.
Mistletoe activities
Special programs are scheduled most Saturdays during the summer at Mistletoe State Park in Winfield, with educational programs on raptors, animal adaptation and water safety. For information call the park office at 541-0321.
Putt-Putt lock-in
Putt-Putt in Martinez will hold an all-night Christian lock-in 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. July 16. Admission is $15 per person. Each Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is Can Day at Putt-Putt, with aluminum cans collected for the Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation in return for a free bumper boat ride or TotalPlay admission. For information, call 868-0083.
Grants available
The Junior League of Augusta is accepting applications from CSRA non-profit agencies for community enabling grants to be awarded in November. The deadline is Sept. 10. For information, call 736-0033.
School supply collection
Miracle Making Ministries is collecting school supplies to distribute to inner-city children July 31. For information, call 722-8693.
Foster homes sought
Georgia SAFE Therapeutic Foster Care is seeking foster homes for at-risk children and teens. For information, call 210-3435.
Science Center camp
The National Science Center's Fort Discovery is holding summer camps for grades 3-6. For information, call Lisa Golden at 821-0646.
Vacation Bible schools
Columbia County Christian Church will hold vacation Bible school for ages 3 years-fifth grade 6:15-8:30 p.m. July 18-22. The church is located at 4004 Prescott Drive, Martinez. For information, call 863-0535, or 863-6973.
Ship reunion
The 50th reunion of the shipmates of the Ashtabula, a U.S. Navy tanker that sailed from 1943-1982, will be Friday-Sunday at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on Broad Street in Augusta. For information, call 798-7868.
Dance club
A social dance group meets each week at A World of Dance studio, 3497 Wheeler Road, Augusta, for dance lessons and practice. For information, call 650-2396.
Swamp Saturday
Volunteers from the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy will lead a 2.5-mile walk through Phinizy Swamp starting at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 7. For information, call 828-2109.
Child safety seminar
SAFE Kids of East Central Georgia and the MCG Children's Medical Center will hold a seminar, Child Passenger Safety for the Child Care Provider, 6:30-8:30 p.m. July 7 at the Augusta Fire Department on Highland Avenue. Cost for the class is $5, and provides two hours of credit for child-care providers. For information, call 721-5437.
Hosts sought
Hosts are needed for visiting students from Japan and the former Soviet Union. The 4H program for fifth- and sixth-graders requires a host sibling, with Japanese students visiting July 21-Aug. 19. High-school age students from Japan and the former Soviet Union arrive in August and attend local schools for the full school year. For information, call 868-3413.
Lighthouse club
The newly formed CSRA Harbour Lights lighthouse collectors club is seeking members. For information, call 863-1970.
Harlem night
July 30 will be Harlem Night at Augusta GreenJackets stadium, with all tickets $5 and available at the Laurel & Hardy Museum or Harlem City Hall. For information, call 556-0401, or 556-3448.
Harvest help
Golden Harvest Food Bank is seeking volunteer groups of 10-20 people, ages 13-up, for Saturday help in sorting donated products. For information or to reserve a time, call Laurie Harmon at 736-1199, extension 208.
Rape counseling
Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services offers group counseling to victims of rape, sexual assault and childhood abuse. All services are free. For information, call 724-5200.
Students sought
Rotary District 6910, which covers most of north Georgia, is interviewing youths interested in attending high school overseas for a year as part of an international exchange program. Local families also are being sought to house incoming students. For information, call Jim Heaney at (706) 495-7601.
Six Flags tickets
Half-price Six Flags coupons are available from the Columbia County 4H office in the Savannah Rapids Pavilion, 3300 B Evans to Locks Road, Martinez. For information, call 868-3413.
Donations needed
The Harlem High School Drama Department continues to seek donations to fund its trip to the Scotland Fringe Festival in August. For information, contact Roy Lewis at 556-5980 or rlewis@ccboe.net.
Scholarships available
Applications are being sought for 2004 graduates seeking scholarships to attend Georgia's military colleges. Students are nominated from each of Georgia's U.S. congressional districts, and are nominated by state senators in those districts. For more information, call the state Senate office at (800) 282-5803.
Class reunion
Hephzibah High School's class of 1984 is seeking class members for a 20-year reunion this fall. For information, contact Thomas Self at 592-4634, or Kim Edgar Stripling at 278-1001.
Advocate training
The Court Appointed Special Advocate program of Child Enrichment Inc. is seeking volunteers at least 21 years old to advocate for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system.
Volunteers need no experience, and will be provided with specialized training. For more information, call 737-4631.
Parents sought
Foster and adoptive parents are being sought for Columbia and Richmond County children. For more information on the program, call Christina Ruetz in Columbia County at 541-1640, or Rosalyn Boyd in Richmond County, 721-7171.
Happy Tails adoption
Happy Tails Rescue will hold pet adoptions each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 4-6 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., at Superpetz on Bobby Jones Expressway in Martinez. For more information, call 863-5310.