Current events
Early voting
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Early and advance voting for the Aug. 10 runoff elections will be held 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Columbia County Board of Elections office, Building E, 500 Faircloth Drive, Evans. Call (706) 868-3355.
Homecoming
Bethesda Baptist Church, 5793 Old Augusta Highway, Harlem, will celebrate its 110th anniversary today with morning worship at 11 a.m., followed by dinner on the grounds and an afternoon sing at 1:45 p.m. featuring Terri Gibbs and the Southern Gospel quartet 4Given.
Democrats meet
The Columbia County Democratic Party will hold a potluck dinner meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Columbia County Government Complex Auditorium in Evans. For information, go to www.columbiacntydemocrats.com.
Orchestra
The Columbia County Civic Orchestra holds weekly rehearsals 7:15-9:15 p.m. Mondays in the music suite at West Acres Baptist Church, 555 Gibbs Road, Evans. Returning and new musicians are welcome. For information, go to www.columbiacco.org.
Purple Heart
The third annual appreciation program and luncheon for Purple Heart recipients and guests, sponsored by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Communication Workers Hall, off Davis Road behind Georgia Military College. Reservations are due Tuesday by calling (706) 733-0188, ext. 7210.
Preschool
Trinity Baptist Preschool, 4594 Columbia Road, Martinez, is accepting registration for the 2010-11 school year for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds. Call Shannon Story at (706) 799-0637.
Gardening series
The Columbia County Cooperative Extension Service's Gardening at Lunch series with Extension Agent Charles Phillips at the Columbia County Library in Evans continues at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday with a program on hydrangeas. For information, call (706) 868-3413.
Anniversary
First Baptist Church of Evans will celebrate its 80th anniversary at the 11 a.m. worship service Aug. 8. Reservations are requested by Thursday by calling (706) 863-1228.
Immunizations
The Columbia County Health Department will hold back-to-school immunization walk-in clinics 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily through Aug. 9 at the Martinez/Evans Clinic 616 Government Center Way, Evans; (706) 868-3330; at the Appling Clinic, 6420 Pollards Pond Road, Appling; (706) 541-1318; and at the Harlem Clinic on Euchee Creek Drive, Grovetown; (706) 556-3727.
Marine League
The Marine Corps League Riverfront Marines Detachment 1132, meets the second Thursday of every month at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1002 Carolina Ave., North Augusta, with dinner at 6 p.m. and the meeting at 7 p.m. For information, contact Paul Brewer at (706) 306-6667 or usmc1008@bellsouth.net.
Addiction help
Mosaic United Methodist Church's Celebrate Recovery program will hold information sessions from 7-8 p.m. each Friday in August at Bean Baskette in the Columbia County Library. Weekly group sessions will begin in September at the church, 678 Columbia Industrial Blvd., Evans, at 7 p.m. each Friday. For information, call (706) 877-6468, or go to www.mosaicumc.org.
Singles group
The Sanctuary Church singles group will meet at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Mi Rancho, Eighth Street at Riverwalk in downtown Augusta. For information, call Susan Fleming at (706) 564-3000 or the church office at (706) 364-8284.
Warrior benefit
VFW Post 6445, on Wrightsboro Road in Harlem, will have a Wounded Warrior Benefit Saturday, with hot wings and other food, a pool tournament with an early bird entrance fee of $5 or $7.50 after 1:30 p.m., and raffles.
Book signing
Local author Carole H. Camak will be signing her book, There Came A Lion , from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at The Grove Bookstore, 302 Byrd Road, at The Sanctuary Church.
Rotary exchange
Applications are available for Rotary Club group study exchange team members to travel to New Zealand April 1-May 10, 2011. Interviews will be held in September. Team members must be between the ages of 25-40, and not be a Rotarian. For information, call Pam Lightsey at (706) 840-2087, or e-mail plightsey@aug.edu.
Phones for soldiers
Starling Funeral Home, on Highway 78 in Harlem, is accepting donations of cell phones from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday for the Cell Phones for Soldiers drive, which raises funds to provided prepaid calling cards to deployed troops. For information, call (706) 556-6524.
Cancer support group
The MCG Breast Cancer Support Group meets on the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the first-floor community room at the MCGHealth Cancer Center, 1411 Laney-Walker Blvd. For information, call (706) 721-4109 or go to mcghealth.org.
Church concert
The women of Marvin United Methodist Church are sponsoring a concert with the Kimbell's, Chris Goss, Susan Osborn and the Marvin UMC Choir at 3 p.m. Aug. 15 in the sanctuary on Wheeler Road at South Belair Road. Admission is free.
Law academy
Applications are being accepted for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office Citizen's Law Enforcement Academy, which begins Sept. 16 and is offered free each Thursday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. for 10 weeks. Download applications from the Sheriff's Office Community Services link at www.columbiacountyso.org, or call (706) 541-2856.
Help group
Celebrate Recovery meets each Thursday evening at The Sanctuary Church, 302 Byrd Road, Evans. For information, call Matt Lever at (706) 421-0089.
Teams sought
The Augusta Alzheimer's Association is recruiting teams and individuals to participate in the 20th Annual Memory Walk, to be held Nov. 6 at the Augusta Commons. For information, call (706) 731-9060, or go to www.georgiamemorywalk.org.
Survivors
Fort Gordon's Survivor Outreach Services, for families of deceased soldiers, is available at (706) 787-4767 or at myarmyonesource.com.
Hearing loss
The Hearing Loss Association of Augusta meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Monday each month at Room 100 of the Adult Building of First Baptist Church of Augusta. For information, call Debbie Rish at (706) 650-2496, or e-mail hlaag.rish@yahoo.com.
Alzheimer's groups
Three Alzheimer's caregiver support groups meet in Columbia County.
Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church, 5555 Hereford Farm Road: 7 p.m., second Tuesday each month. For information, call (706) 541-0085 or (706) 541-0185.
Morningside of Evans, 353 N. Belair Road: 11 a.m., second Saturday each month. For information, call (706) 228-4709.
Brandon Wilde, 4275 Owens Road: 7 p.m., third Tuesday each month. For information, call (706) 854-3519.
Seat inspection
Safe Kids East Central Georgia holds free child safety seat inspections on the second Wednesday of each month at the Columbia County Sheriff's Office substation, 650 Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans. To make an appointment, call (706) 541-3970 or go to mcghealth.org.
TOPS groups
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), nonprofit weight-loss support groups, meeting on the following dates:
Harlem Baptist Church, 9 a.m. each Thursday; (706) 6556-3309.
Grovetown United Methodist Church, 206 E. Robinson Ave., 6 p.m. each Thursday; (706) 863-0726.
Pine View Baptist Church, 119 Pleasant Home Road, 4:45 p.m. each Tuesday; (706) 863-6525.
Clothes closet
The clothes closet in the family life center at Marvin United Methodist Church, Belair at Wheeler Road, is open Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Clothing is free, but donations are welcome.
Hosts needed
World Heritage Student Exchange Program is seeking local host families for high school boys and girls for the 2010-2011 school year. For information, call Kim Hines at (706) 228-4112, or go to www.world-heritage.org.
Women vets
The Women's Veterans Club meets at 11 a.m. the first Saturday of each month. Dues cost $24 per year. For information, call April Starks at (706) 868-5601.
Health event
Melissa Anderson, M.D., will present a free dinner program on understanding and controlling blood pressure at 6 p.m. Aug. 24 at Be My Guest Catering & Events, 4216 Washington Road, Evans, next to Academy Sports. Reservations are required at www.universityhealth.org/calendar or by calling (706) 828-2502.
Cancer benefit
The third annual Boule on the Bayou fundraiser for the American Cancer Society will be held 7-11 p.m. Aug. 27 at Savannah Rapids Pavilion, with a Cajun dinner, dancing, music and live and silent auctions. Tickets cost $75 per person, or $125 per couple if purchased by Aug. 1. Corporate tables and sponsorship opportunities are available. For information, call (706) 731-9900 or go to www.bouleonthebayou.com.
Eyeglass help
The Grovetown Lions Club offers financial assistance for qualifying Grovetown individuals in the purchase of eyeglasses. For information, write to Grovetown Lions Club Eyeglass Program, P.O. Box 248, Grovetown, GA 30813.
Volunteers sought
The Grovetown Senior Center is seeking volunteer, licensed drivers with their own vehicles to deliver meals to shut-ins in the Grovetown area. For information, call (706) 210-8699.
Volunteers wanted
Regency Hospice is seeking volunteers. Training is provided. For information, call Nancy Browning at (706) 868-4422.
Dulcimer lessons
The Garden City Dulcimer Club is offering free dulcimer lessons. For information, call (706) 868-0120.
Pet adoptions
Happy Tails Rescue holds pet adoptions from 1-4 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday at Tractor Supply, 596 Bobby Jones Expressway. For information, call (706) 955-0438.
Leah High search
The Columbia County Historical Society is seeking photos, information and artifacts related to the former Leah High School for inclusion in a historical display. For information, call Gary or Nancy Blanchard at (706) 541-0043.
Seniors sought
Senior citizens ages 60-older are being sought to work 20 hours per week to help children read. Positions receive an hourly stipend and mileage reimbursement. For information, call Jackie Kennedy at the Senior Citizens Council at (706) 868-0120.
Donations sought
Dropped Stitches, a group at Washington Commons that knits blankets for hospitals and soldiers, is seeking donations of yarn from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily at the retirement community on Washington Commons Drive off Washington Road across from Club Car. For information, call Holley Howard at (706) 860-0402.
WWII vets sought
The Augusta-Richmond County Historical Society is seeking veterans of World War II for videotape interviews as part of the veterans history project. Volunteers to conduct the interviews also are needed. For information, call (706) 738-8242.
Recycling
Drop-off containers for plastics recycling, newspapers, office paper and cardboard are now available at the Columbia County Government Complex.
Rotary meets
The Columbia County West Rotary Club meets at 12:15 p.m. each Tuesday at Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church on Columbia Road at Lewiston Road. For information, call Richard Swann at (706) 868-3559.
Hope Soap
Hope Soap, a private, nonprofit agency that collects toiletries and packages and distributes them to area shelters, has collection sites in the community. Donations, particularly of personal-sized items from hotels, may be brought to The Columbia County News-Times , in the Publix shopping center on Washington Road, Evans, and Wild Birds Unlimited, West Town Shopping Center, Martinez.
Help needed
Volunteers are needed to help staff the gift shop and book sales area at the Columbia County Library in Evans. For information, call Barbara Williams at (706) 863-8760.
Coast Guard Auxiliary meets
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Mi Rancho Mexican Restaurant, 4534 Washington Road, Evans. For information, call John VanOsdol at (864) 391-2170.
Optimists meet
The Martinez-Evans Optimist Club meets at noon each Thursday at the Jones Creek Clubhouse. For information, call (706) 830-5730.
Volunteers needed
Golden Harvest Food Bank is seeking volunteers to help sort donations in the warehouse. For information, call (706) 736-1199.
Volunteers sought
Safe Kids East Central Georgia is seeking volunteers to help with events, such as car seat and bicycle checks, and to lead ongoing programs that teach safety to children and teens. Training is provided. For information, call (706) 721-7606.
Volunteers needed
Volunteer opportunities are available at the Columbia County Library in Evans. For information, call Jessica Thompson at (706) 863-1946, or e-mail jthompson@columbiacountyga.gov.
Hospital classes
Doctors Hospital offers a variety of classes each month. For information on all classes, call (706) 651-2450, or go to www.doctors-hospital.net.
Drivers needed
The American Cancer Society's Augusta chapter is seeking volunteer drivers for its Road to Recovery program, which provides transportation to cancer patients. For information, call (706) 731-9900.
Fire information
The Georgia Forestry Commission, Columbia County Unit, offers advice to all Columbia County residents on whether their home is in line of fire from brush or wild land fires. For information, call (706) 556-3962.
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 (706) 724-5200.
Rotary meets
The Rotary Club of Columbia County meets at 7 a.m. Wednesdays at the Brandon Wilde Clubhouse. For information, call president Lee Clark, (706) 863-2000.
NAMI meeting
The Augusta Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church on Walton Way. For information, call (706) 432-0021.
Diabetic network
The JDFR Family Network is available to families of children with Type 1 diabetes. For information, call (706) 733-2034.
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. to noon Monday-Friday, (706) 793-9998.
Foster homes sought
Georgia SAFE Therapeutic Foster Care is seeking foster homes for at-risk children and teens. For information, call (706) 210-3435.
Harvest help
Golden Harvest Food Bank is seeking volunteer groups of 10-20 people, ages 13 and up, for Saturday help in sorting donated products. For information or to reserve a time, call (706) 736-1199.