Americus
Hydrant Testing: The Americus Fire & Emergency Services will begin annual hydrant testing on April 18 and should be finished within six weeks. These tests are required to maintain Americus’ ISO rating, which affects property insurance rates. They also ensure that the hydrant system is kept in top working order, to keep our citizens safe and protect property. If you have discolored water, run your faucets for 10-15 minutes. If, after doing this, your water is still cloudy, call 924-3213.

Blood Drive: A Community Blood Drive, sponsored by Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, is from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. April 22 in the fellowship hall of at First Baptist Church, 221 S. Lee St. Call 1-800 Red Cross to make an appointment.

Arts in Rees Park: The Ameriucus Arts Council hosts Arts in Rees Park from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 23 featuring music, food, and entertainment for the whole family. For more information about the event visit the Arts Council’s website americusarts.org

Senior Picnic: Middle Flint Council on Aging is getting ready for itsr Annual Senior Picnic. Last year over 1,200 seniors from across the State of Georgia came to enjoy fellowship, games, entertainment, and a grilled out lunch. This year’s Picnic is Tuesday, May 10.  The theme is “Super Seniors – Super Heroes”.

Americus Idol: The Boys and Girls Club of Americus-Sumter County Inc. presents the fourth annaul Americus Idol competition June 25. The competition begins at 1 p.m. at GSW’s Jackson Hall. All contestants will sing one song. The top 20 contestants will move on to the final round of competition and will sing their second song. There is a $25 entry fee per person and the winner will be crowned “Americus Idol” and will receive $300 cash. All proceeds benefit our local Boys & Girls Club of Americus/Sumter County Inc. Admission for the public is $5 per person. Children 10 and under are $3 each. Deadline to enter is 5 p.m. June 22, 2. Application should be mailed in with a $25 check payable to the Boys & Girls Club to P.O. Box 1192, Americus GA 31709 or dropped off at 103 Hosanna Circle at the Boys & Girls Club Administrative Office. Call Interim CEO Andrea Sartiano at 229- 942-5114 to arrange a time to pick up or drop off your application.

Honors/Recognition Ceremony: Georgia Southwestern State University honors students, faculty and staffat 6 p.m.  April 25 in Jackson Performance Hall during the annual Honors and Recognition Ceremony. GSW faculty and staff will be recognized for excellence in teaching, scholarship, advising and service, while student excellence in each academic discipline will be honored. The 2016 Outstanding Scholar Carleen Wise of Plains will also be recognized. A reception in the Wheatley Administration Building will immediately follow the ceremony.

Benefit Concert: In honor of President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, the Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel sponsors Pandit Nayan Ghosh in concert 5:30-7 p.m. May 15 at the Windsor Hotel. At 7 p.m. an authentic Indian dinner with wine is served. Tickets are $200 each. Proceeds benefit Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and Downtown Development Authority. Call Kim Fuller 229-928-4825 or Divya Patel 229-924-1555 ext. 2 for information/tickets.

Plains
Boys & Girls Club: Jimmy & Rosalyn Carter Boys and Girls Club is  accepting summer registration forms for kids ages 5-15 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday June 6-July 16. A fee of  $75 covers the entire summer. For information, call Miranda Crimes at 229-824-5989.

Andersonville
Veterans Help: A movement is underway in Andersonville to help out veterans. Free booths/spaces for veterans or their spouses are available to come and sell their crafts, trade or antiques for extra income. Many veterans are disabled or cannot find work so Andersonville is trying to give them the opportunity to come to a veteran friendly town. A lot of military and other visitors visit downtown Andersonville after visiting the POW Museum and National Cemetery and this would be the ideal time for veterans to make some extra income. And this is all free! If you are a veteran or know of veterans that could take advantage of this great opportunity, call 229-591-8023 for more information.

Albany
Mental Health Symposium: Transforming 2 Wellness Recovery Symposium 2016is from noon-5 p.m. April 27 at the Mount Zion Baptist Church Family Center 1905 Martin Luther King Jr. Come learn about mental health and/or substance abuse challenges and see what recovery looks like, success stories, local resources and community conversations. Admission is free. To ensure lunch, pre-register by April 20. Preregistration can be done online at  www.eventbrite.com/e/transforming-2-wellness-tickets-24169847665. Anyone without online access can call 229-329-1444.

Richland
Craftin’ & Carvin’ at the Legion: The third annual Arts & Crafts Fair & Chainsaw Carving Competition & Auction, sponsored by the American Legion Morton-Richardson Post 128 in Richland,, is 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. May 7 featuring a parade, craft and food vendors, silent auction, auction of carved items, 50/50, children’s activities pertaining to crafts. Cost: $5 per adult. Free parking in and around area of fair. This is the Post’s annual fundraiser and a family oriented event. Funds youth and community programs. No alcohol will be served, sold, or consumed during event.

Ongoing
Americus
Six Flag Tickets: 2016 Six Flags Tickets are $43.50 each at the Sumter County 4-H Office,127 William Bowen Pointe. Cash only. You save $25.39 on adult tickets and $4.20 on youth and senior citizen tickets. Youth must be under 48 inches, seniors 55 years or older, Children age 2 and under are free. Gate Price is $68.89. Tickets valid any regular operating day through Jan.1, 2017.  Questions, call 924-4476.

Free Service: Americus Fire & Emergency Services offers free blood pressure checks from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at Station1 (South Lee Street).

GriefShare:  First Baptist Church offers a non-denominational video series and biblical concepts for healing after the death of a loved one. Led by caring people, participants are provided workbooks for personal study and receive encouragement through small-group discussion. Meetings are from 7-8:30 p.m. the first and third Mondays of each month. There is no cost and the meetings are open to anyone grieving the death of a loved one. For information call the church 229-924-9035 or Ann Beaver 229-894-9825.

Narcotics Anonymous: First Step Group meetings have moved to a new location at 126 Forest Street and are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.

Volunteers Needed: Learning for Everyone Inc. (LEAP) is seeking volunteers for its Mentor Partnership with the Sumter County School System. Volunteers will mentor children in the grades 3-9. Interested applicants may check out our website at www.learningforeveryone.org or contact Brittany Dawson, Mentor coordinator at 229-924-9443 or bdawson@learningforeveryone.org. They may also attend our mentor trainings. Mentor trainings are held at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at 200 Cotton Ave.

Volunteers Needed: The Flint River Chapter of the American Red Cross seeks volunteers willing to invest time in Disaster Preparedness Education for our chapter and the surrounding areas. We are looking for dedicated individuals that are willing to speak and train others on what to do before, during and after a disaster. Any volunteer with time on his/her hands is an excellent candidate for this program. This is of vital importance to our area as we never know when a disaster will happen. Call Marvin Grace, Community Disaster Educator at 229-733-9738 or the chapter at 229-436-4845 for more information.

Weight Watchers: Weight Watchers meets Thursdays at First Presbyterian Church, 125 S. Jackson St. Weigh-in is at 5 p.m., followed by meeting at 5:30 p.m. Visit weightwatchers.com

Become a Mentor:  LEAP “Learning for Everyone … Avenue to Progress” continues to provide mentorship to elementary, middle and ninth-grade academy students and free adult education classes to the citizens of Sumter County. LEAP is currently accepting applications for the 2013-2014 school year. Applicants need to be 18 or older and commit 30 minutes per week for one academic school year. For more information or to make a donation, contact Brittany Dawson at leapcis@gmail.com or call at 229-924-9443.

Mustard Seed House: Calvary Episcopal Church’s Mustard Seed House is open from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday on Brannan Avenue. Stop by for some great deals.

Al-Anon: You do not have to be an alcoholic to suffer from the effects of alcoholism. Al-Anon offers a safe place to recover from the effects of another person’s drinking. Meetings are 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays at the AA Clubhouse, Ga. Highway 30. All meetings are confidential and open to interested persons.

A.A. Meetings: Alcoholics Anonymous meets from 3-4 p.m. Wednesdays at New Beginnings and the Addiction Recovery Center of Middle Flint Behavioral Healthcare, 952 Anthony St. (across from GSW baseball field). Call 928-2201 for more information.

Help Available: The ROAD Program (Reaching Out to Assess Dementia) is a free and confidential memory screening. The  goal at the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving is to screen for memory loss and refer for further follow-up, as indicated. Stay active in your care and decision making. Call today for free screening 229-928-1234.

GED Testing Hours: GED testing at the Stein Center are 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and the first Saturday of each month.

Youth Mentoring: Love & Mercy Outreach Programs Inc. presents the S.O.L.A.C.E. Youth Mentoring Program from 7-8 p.m. every Saturday at 1243 Faith St. Annex Building; LMOP Inc. Activities Center. All teens ages 12-18 are welcome. For more information or for a ride, contact Tanya Reese 229-591-2565 or Qaijuan Willis 229-942-7220. Also e-mail us at solaceyouthprogram@gmail.com

Anonymous Crime Tipline: The Americus Police Department has an anonymous crime tip line 924-4102. Citizens can leave information for police about crime in their neighborhood or other areas. The calls are completely anonymous.

Faith Clinic: Sumter Faith Clinic is a non-profit organization directed at meeting the spiritual and health care needs of residents of Sumter County who do not have health insurance or an affordable means to health care. Services include basic, non-emergent medical care of acute conditions as well as treatment of some chronic conditions. Services are delivered by volunteers. The clinic is located at 127 S. Jackson St. next to First Presbyterian Church. Hours of operation are 6-9 p.m. Mondays and 1-5 p.m. Thursdays.

CPR Classes: Americus Fire and Emergency Services will offer American Heart Association CPR certification classes. Call Harriett Williams at 924-3213 for more information.

Water Restrictions: The City of Americus has implemented the following water restrictions, established by the State Environmental Protection Division. Outdoor water use for the purpose of planting, growing, managing, or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants is allowed daily, but limited to between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. Outdoor water use for any purposes other than watering of plants, such as power washing or residential car washing, is limited to an odd/even address watering schedule. Odd numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Even numbered addresses are allowed to water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. For more information please call 924-4411 ext. 232.

Drug Problems: Narcotics Anonymous meets 7:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays for members only. A meeting open to the public is held 7:30-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. All meetings are held at Williams Road Church of Christ. Call George C. 942-3752 or Charlie S. 938-0218 for more information.

Volunteers Needed: Phoebe Sumter Hospice, a local nonprofit, is looking for volunteers to serve as a member of the hospice team by sharing skills and interests in a manner that provides comfort and enriches the quality of life for those served. As a volunteer you serve with patients or help in the office with staff. If you are interested please call Belinda Bond at 229-931-7421/ the office 229-928-4000 or email nfranklin@phoebesummter.org

Needs Volunteers: The Mattie Marshall Center is looking for volunteers to help do activities. Do you play an instrument, sing, dance or have a club or group that would like to come visit? We need volunteers of all ages and types for parties, Bingo, exercise, church services, snacks, etc. For information call Nikki Jones 924-9352, ext. 3089.

Ambassadors Needed: The Ambassadors of the Americus-Sumter County Chamber of Commerce are looking for new members. Chamber member businesses are invited to nominate someone to join this elite group of business minded individuals who perform volunteer work on behalf of the Chamber. Call 924-2646 for information.

Free Classes: Free GED classes are 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mondays in Sumter, Schley, Marion, Macon, Webster and Crisp counties. For information call 931-7323.

Support Group: The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group meets from noon-1:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month in the Magnolia Room at Magnolia Manor Retirement Center. A light lunch will be served.

Substance Abuse: Love and Mercy Outreach programs presents Alpha and Omega Substance Abuse and Awareness Program from 6-7 p.m. every Saturday at 511-D W. Forsyth St. All people with alcohol and drug addiction issues and their friends and family are welcome. For more information or for a ride, call James Ross 229-331-4746 or William Wallace 229-331-8160.

American Legion: American Legion Post 2 meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month.

Lodge Meeting: M.B. Council Lodge No. 13, F&AM meets at 7 p.m. first and third Tuesday of very month at the Masonic Temple, 1209 Crawford St.

Pilot Club: The Americus Pilot Club meets (focuses on brain-related injuries and disorders) meets at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month in the Magnolia Room, Magnolia Manor Retirement Center, South Lee Street.

Soup Kitchen: The Soup Kitchen, at 437 S. Hampton St., is open at 6 p.m. every Wednesday to all in need.

Volunteers Needed: SOWEGA Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), office serving a six-county area, needs volunteers to work with abused and neglected children who are involved in the court system. A CASA volunteer advocates for the child’s best interest before the court. Training classes are available soon. For more information, call 931-4488.

Family Workshop: Who would make your final health care decisions if you couldn’t make them for yourself? The Critical Conditions Family Workshop can help you and your loved ones talk about these issues before decisions might have to be made. The CRITICAL Conditions Family Workshop is free! If you are aware of a group who would be interested in participating in a workshop presented by United Hospice of Cordele, call contact Jana Dew at 1-800-288-8466.

Adult Reading Skills: Adult Literacy Action Inc. has several openings for adult individuals interested in improving their reading skills. The organization is affiliated with the Lake Blackshear Regional Library. Volunteer tutors are available to work with individuals on a one-on-one basis. Generally sessions are held one or two times a week for about an hour. Training materials are furnished at no charge. If interested, call 924-9010.

Recovery Program: Doing things the same never brings change. Got problems? Drugs, divorce, alcohol, porn; it doesn’t matter. Join us at 7 p.m. every Monday at 245 Southland Road for Celebrate Recovery. Contact us at 924-7409 or 937-2966 for more information or visit www.cornerstoneamericus.com and click on Celebrate Recovery.

Al-Anon: You do not have to be an alcoholic to suffer from the affects of alcoholism. We offer a safe place to recover from the effects of another person’s drinking. Meetings are 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays at the Carswell House, Calvary Episcopal Church, 133 Brannan Ave.. All meetings are confidential and open to interested persons.

Girls Rock: 4-E Learning & Prevention Center Inc., 802 Ashby St., sponsors Girls R.O.C.K. (Respecting Ourselves with Charisma & Klass) from 4-6 p.m. every Friday for girls ages 8-16. Learn etiquette skills, music and dance, participate in community projects and enjoy field trips. Membership is $40 per month. E-mail fourecenter@yahoo.com or call 928-8001 for information.

Make A Difference: Become a volunteer at Magnolia Manor Nursing Center where there are several opportunities for you to make a difference in someone’s life. Contact Activity Director Sherry Beck, 924-9352, ext. 3079.

Plains
Lions Club: The Plains Lions Club meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. Call President Doug McKinney  at 924-1433 or information.

Free Classes: GED prep classes are offered from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays at the Boys & Girls Club. Classes and books are free. Participants can study independently. Practice GED tests are given. Call 824-5388 or South Georgia Technical College Adult Literacy for more information.

Ellaville
AA Meetings: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the John Gill House, 2237 S. Broad St. between Ameris Bank and Ellaville United Methodist Church. Call for 815-3001 for more information.

Montezuma
Al-Anon: The Macon County Al-Anon Family Group has changed its meeting time from Wednesday nights to 1:30 p.m. Sundays at St. Mary’s, 608 Rawls St. Parking is in front of the church.

Cordele
State Park Programs: Georgia Veterans State Park is gearing up for the upcoming school year. It offers excellent field trips that cover a wide range of classroom material. There are four miles of nature trails that can be explored and is an excellent teaching tool. This trail offer examples of invasive species to Georgia, natural habitats for wildlife and is great exercise. There are also tours of indoor museums and outdoor exhibits. The indoor museum features artifacts dating from the Civil War to the recent Gulf War. Outdoor exhibits include a B-29 Super Fortress, a Sherman tank, a Patton tank and a “Huey” helicopter. All nature trails and museum tours are guided by Amanda Norris, activities coordinator and the cost is $1 per student. There are picnic tables available for lunch. The park is open seven days a week and scheduling a tour would not be an issue for multiple class field trips. For more, call Amanda at Georgia Veterans State Park 229-276-2371. `