Board of Education: The Sumter County Board of Education meets at 7 p.m. Aug. 10, both at the administration building, 100 Learning Lane. Both are open to the public.

Library Board: The Lake Blackshear Regional Library board of trustees holds its quarterly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17 at the library, 307 E. Lamar St. The meeting is open to the public.

Safety Meeting: “Be Aware, Prepare,” a program on how to be ready for severe weather is at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17 in the Magnolia Room, Magnolia Manor, 2001 S. Lee St. Nigel Poole, Sumter County Emergency Management director, and Mitzi Parker, Sumter County Extension agent, are presenters. Refreshments will be served. Free and open to the public. RSVP by Aug. 15 to Lydia 229-389-2940 or Sharon 229-389-2945.

Blood Drive: Phoebe Sumter Medical Center sponsors a community blood drive from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 18 at Americus First Baptist Church, 221 S. Lee St. Go to www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make tour appointment. Sponsor code is PCMC. All presenting donors will be entered into a raffle for $25 if they achieve five units over the goal. If they achieve 10 units over goal, the raffle is for $50. Goal iss 116 units.

Servsafe® Training for Food Service Managers: Training is Sept. 25 and 26. Pre-registration is required by Aug. 31. Cost is $140. Call 229-924-4476 for information or stop by the Sumter County Extension Office, Sumter County Agricultural Center, 127 William Bowen Pointe.

Community Assessment: The Southwestern Judicial Circuit Family Violence Council is expanding into the Southwest Georgia Victim’s Assistance Alliance and they need to know what the community needs. If you live or work in the counties of Macon, Lee, Sumter, Schley, Stewart or Webster, please take a moment to let us know what you think, how we can improve existing services and how to expand. These quick and easy 19 questions should take you less than 3 minutes to complete.

http://tinyurl.com/soweganeeds

Columbus

Review Panel: The Citizens Review Panel for the River Valley Region created under the Transportation Investment Act of 2012 meets at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 13 the River Valley Regional Commission, 710 Front Ave., Suite A, to review the progress of projects included in the approved Investment list for the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST). The meeting is open to the public.

Ongoing
Americus
Nextdoor: Nextdoor, a free phone and device app, is a great way to stay in the know about what’s going on in our neighborhoods — whether it’s finding a last-minute babysitter, learning about an upcoming event, or hearing about a rash of car break-ins. There are 141,000 “neighborhoods” on Nextdoor, with 14 in the Americus area. Citizens are finding lost pets, alerting others to suspicious activity and becoming closer neighbors through this free site. The website is www.nextdoor.com.

Six Flag Tickets: Stop by the Sumter County 4-H Office, 127 William Bowen Pointe, to purchase your ticket(s) and save! Cash only. Tickets are $45.50 each. No refunds. You save $25.51 on adult tickets and $4.31 on youth and senior citizen tickets. (Youth must be under 48 inches, seniors 55 years or older). Gate Price is $71.01. Tickets valid any regular operating day through Jan. 3, 2018. Children 2 years of age and under free. Questions, call 229.924.4476

Free Service: Americus Fire & Emergency Services offers free blood pressure checks from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at Station 1 (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 www.learningforeveryone.org or call 229-924-9443. 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 Southwest Georgia Chapter of the American Red Cross seeks volunteers willing to invest time in Disaster Preparedness Education for our chapter and the surrounding areas. Looking for dedicated individuals 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 229-924-2026 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, 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.

GED Testing Hours: GED testing at the McClain Center at South Georgia Technical College is 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Tuesdays and the first Saturday of each month. Free GED classes are available. Call 229-931-7323.

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.
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 Charlotte Watts 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.
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 effects 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.

Plains
Lions Club: The Plains Lions Club meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. Call President Michael Dominick at 942-2419 or information.

Free Classes: GED prep classes are offered from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Boys & Girls Club. Classes and books are free. Participants can study independently. Practice GED tests are given. Call 229-931-7325 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. Call 478-472-6518 to confirm meeting.

Albany

Mental Illness Support: NAMI Albany, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, offers support, education and advocacy, and regular programs and support groups meet at the Advocacy Resource Center, 3005 Old Dawson Road. Look for the NAMI signs. Night Education Program, open to the public is from 6:30-7:15 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month. Connection group for adults in recovery; Family group for family and close friends meet from 7:30-8:30 p.m. the second Tuesday. Family & Connection groups meet 6:30-8 p.m. fourth Tuesday of the month. Call for information: (229) 329 1444 or albanynami@gmail.com