Community Calendar for week of Feb. 20

Chili dinner scheduled at local church

HAMBLEN TWP. — Goshen Community Church will host a free chili dinner Wednesday, Feb. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. or when the food runs out. The church is on Gatesville Road.

For questions or directions, call Mable at 812-988-1926. If no answer, leave a message.

Church announces service time change, Bible study

HAMBLEN TWP. — Sprunica Baptist Church’s morning services now start at 10 a.m. Sundays.

The church at 3902 Sprunica Road will conduct Wednesday night Bible study at 6 p.m. first and third Wednesdays of each month. The next meeting will be Feb. 21. Snacks and fellowship will be available after every Bible study. All are welcome.

East Hill Cemetery annual meeting scheduled

MORGANTOWN — The Board of East Hill Cemetery will have its annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21 at the Morgantown Community Center. All lot owners are invited to attend.

Meet Republican candidates for office at fairgrounds

The Brown County Republican Party Central Committee will sponsor an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. Voters can meet with candidates for local, state and national offices at the event, which will take place at the Brown County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall.

Congressional candidate to stop at local library

Dan Canon, candidate for U.S. Congress in Indiana’s 9th District, will make a campaign stop at the Brown County Public Library from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26. Residents can attend and ask Canon questions about “anything and everything,” he said in a press release.

Retreat for girls at Hope for Hearts Horse Farm

BEAN BLOSSOM — A retreat for girls ages 10 to 14 will take place at Hope for Hearts Horse Farm Mondays, Feb. 26 and March 5.

This is the third year for the “Free to Be Me” retreat. It’s for girls to “discover freedom in who they are” and how to handle issues like body changes, social media and texting along with abstinence from pre-marital sex, alcohol and drugs. The retreat also will teach girls how to deal with peer pressure and when they make a mistake related to those issues, organizers said.

The cost is $45 and includes snacks and non-riding horse activities. Sessions run from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

To register, call or email Lisa Bowman at 317-496-0189 or [email protected]. Space is limited.

Hope for Hearts Farm is on State Road 45 near Bean Blossom.

Youth Music Showcase fundraiser to help BETA

The annual Youth Music Showcase featuring Kara Barnard and her music students will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 3 at the Brown County Playhouse.

This is a fundraiser for nonprofit Brown County Enrichment for Teens Association, or BETA. It will include a silent auction.

To donate items for the silent auction or for more information, call Clara Stanley at 312-310-3617 or Guy Knaus at 812-671-5233.

After-school activities offered Tuesdays for teens

Brown County Enrichment for Teens Association, or BETA, offers after-school programs from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the BETA Center, 45 S. Jefferson St.

Free, healthy snacks, games, arts and music programs are available to junior high, high school or home-schooled students. Drum lessons are taught from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. by Guy Knaus and free guitar lessons from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. by Nathan Dillon, director of Everybody Rocks.

BETA also offers free tutoring at the junior high from 3 to 4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays with paraprofessional Sharon Snodgress, and at the high school before school and during hallway time on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays with National Honor Society students. Call Clara Stanley at 312-310-3617 with questions about tutoring.

For more information, call Guy Knaus at 812-671-5233.

Raptor center requests sheets, towels

Indiana Raptor Center Inc., the bird-of-prey rehabilitation center in Nashville, is in need of clean, used sheets, pillowcases and towels.

Donations of these items can be dropped off at the raptor center any afternoon by appointment, as the center is closed for tours until March 1. Call 812-988-8990 for directions and to notify personnel of your arrival.

The center also accepts cash donations to help feed animals in its care.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent to Indiana Raptor Center, P.O. Box 1153, Nashville, IN 47448.

Community band seeks new members of all ages

The Brown County Community Band practices from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays in the band room at Brown County High School. New members, young and old, are welcome.

The first concert this year will be the annual Habitat for Humanity concert May 12. The next will be the annual Sweetwater Homeowner’s Association concert June 23. All concert dates are Saturdays.

Sign up for four-wheel drive convention

The Indiana Four Wheel Drive Association will have its annual convention Friday and Saturday, March 16 and 17 at The Seasons Lodge, 560 State Road 46 East.

The event is free for IFWDA members. The sign-up deadline is Saturday, March 10. Those who call The Seasons and mention the IFWDA can get a special rate for lodging.

For non-members, the convention costs $30 per person if signed up before Tuesday, Feb. 20. After that date, the event costs $40 per non-member, which does not include lodging.

The fee includes an Italian buffet dinner Saturday evening with door prizes and awards. Off-road trail driving in the area (depending on weather and ground conditions) is planned for Saturday, as well as a road rally on the back roads of Brown County.

For more information, call 317-729-5752.

Talk to a lawyer for free at the library

The Brown County Public Library will host free, short, legal consultations between 3 and 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 3.

Local attorneys will volunteer their time to help with legal questions on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is sponsored by Legal Aid District 11.

For those who speak Spanish, a helpline will also be available statewide during the same time at 1-800-266-2581.

For more information, call the library at 812-988-2850.

Writers conference planned at History Center in April

Guest speakers will talk about the business of writing, marketing yourself and your book, and writing for children at a conference in Nashville from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 21.

The conference at the History Center, 90 Gould St., costs $35, which includes snacks and drinks. Lunch is on your own downtown. The conference will end with a panel discussion.

For more information, email [email protected]. To register, use [email protected] for PayPal.

Bluebird nest boxes for sale this spring

The Brown County Bluebird Club is selling cedar bluebird nest boxes for $15 each or two for $25 to raise money for the club. Email Dan Sparks at [email protected] or call 812-200-5700.

Book-a-Librarian service offered

Individuals or small groups can make an appointment with a Brown County Public Library librarian through the free Book-a-Librarian service. Sessions are limited to 30 to 60 minutes and are best used for instruction on how to use the library catalog, databases, digital resources and the Internet. Call 812-988-2850 for an appointment.