Current events

Singers perform

The group Creative Impressions will perform 7 p.m. Saturday at Church of Our Savior Episcopal Church, 4227 Columbia Road, to raise funds for the church's medical mission to the Dominican Republic. For information, call 863-1718.

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. Saturday .

School festival

Columbia County's Back to School Festival for students and families will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 31 at Evans High School, 4550 Cox Road, featuring speech and vision screenings, nutrition and immunization information, bus schedules and other tips. For information call 868-3231.

Church 'July Jam'

Evans Community Baptist Church is holding its inaugural "July Jam" 6-10 p.m. July 31, with a performance by Soul Purpose. The event includes concessions, games and family activities. The church is located next to Evans High School at 302 Byrd Road. For information, call 854-1411.

Donations sought

Money, personal hygiene items and craft materials are being sought for a medical mission trip to Santana Bani in the Dominican Republic. The mission is a partnership of Church of the Holy Comforter in Martinez, Church of Our Savior in Martinez and St. Paul's in Augusta. For information, call 210-1133.

Free legal help

Staff from the Georgia Legal Services Program will give free legal help to seniors on a first-come, first-served basis 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Grovetown Senior Center, and 8:30-10:30 a.m. Aug. 10 at the Bessie Thomas Senior Center. For information, call 721-2327.

Crafters sought

The Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem is seeking crafters for the Oct. 2 event. For information, call 556-0401.

Circus coming

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will perform July 28-Aug. 1 at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.

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.

Nature walk

Spirit Creek Educational Forest will hold a family nature walk and wagon ride 9-10 a.m. Saturday , and a session on animal tracks 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday. For information call 790-2351.

Children's crusade

Augusta First Church of the Nazarene, 2044 Lumpkin Road, will hold a children's crusade 6-9 p.m. July 26-Aug. 1. For information, call 793-2251.

Gospel workshop

Youth ages 11-up are invited to attend a free gospel music workshop 6 p.m. July 30 and 9 a.m. July 31 at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, 1714 Olive Road, Augusta. The choir will perform in concert 6 p.m. July 31. For information, call 733-0341.

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.

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.

Child safety seminar

A seminar on child passenger safety for child-care providers will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 31 at Advent Lutheran Church, 3232 Washington Road. Cost is $5, and the class offers two hours of continuing education credit. For information, call 721-5437.

Class reunions

Glenn Hills High School class of 1972 will hold its 50th reunion Sept. 4. For information, call 863-3703.

The T.W. Josey High School class of 1985 is holding monthly reunion planning meetings at 6 p.m. each third Saturday at the Naval Marine Reserve Center, 2869 Central Avenue. For information, call 733-5810.

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.

Toastmasters

Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters meets at noon Wednesdays at The Clubhouse, 2527 Washington Road, Augusta. For information, call 854-0090.

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, MDO signups

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.

West Acres Baptist Church is accepting registration for its mother's day out program for ages 18 months to 4 years of age. For information, call 863-2542.

Registration is available for Marvin United Methodist preschool for ages 2-4 years. For information, call 798-6870.

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.

Teen seminar

Understanding Your Teen-ager will be presented 6:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at First Baptist Church of Augusta, 3500 Walton Way. The speaker will be Duffy Robins, chairman of the youth ministry department at Eastern College in St. Davids, Pa. For information, call 733-2236, extension 204.

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 animal adaptation, turkey calling and water safety. For information call the park office at 541-0321.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Auto auction

The Salvation Army will hold its third quarter auto auction 10 a.m. Aug. 7 at its office at 1384 Greene St. Pre-registration and fleet inspection will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 5-6, and registration only 8-10 a.m. the morning of the auction. A $5 registration fee is required for bidders. For information, call 826-7933.