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If you have any information for the Community Calendar, please email it to justin.schuver@bogalusadailynews.com.

New agriculture association

All citizens are invited to attend an organizational and festival planning meeting of the newly formed Washington Parish Watermelon, Fruit and Vegetable Association. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at Franklinton Town Hall. Masks will be required. For more information, call 985-732-4755 or 985-516-3665.

Rainbow trout stocking at state park

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Community Fishing Program will begin stocking the water at Bogue Chitto State Park with rainbow trout, beginning Thursday, Feb. 3. For more information, visit online at wlf.la.gov/gof.

Art gallery exhibition

The Riverstone Gallery, located at 415 S. Columbia St. in Bogalusa, is excited to present its first exhibit of the year with Louisiana artist and photographer, Patrick Lera, on Saturday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m. “Through My Lens” tells the story of Patrick’s journey as a photographer with a disability that changed his world. View this stunning 25-piece black and white life long collection, from Italy to Germany to Louisiana — from historical sites to pavement cracks, this compelling collection is a stunning representation of Lera’s skill in the darkroom and unique eye for composition. Lera will be sharing his story and revealing techniques, as well as offering guests the opportunity to ask questions. Complimentary wine and refreshments will be served. Entry is $15 per person. PayPal at riverstonegalleryla@gmail.com, or message the gallery on Facebook for other payments. RSVP required, up to the day of the event. Masks will be required for entry. The gallery will be limiting the number of guests — reservations are first come, first serve. Donations to Riverstone are accepted though PayPal, cash or check. Please message the gallery on Facebook for more information. Doors will open at 6 p.m., the artist talk and Q&A will be at 7 p.m., music and mingling will be at 7:45 p.m., and acknowledgements will be at 9 p.m.

COVID-19 testing locations

To help lessen the burden at hospitals and clinics, Washington Parish citizens may also schedule a COVID-19 test at the following locations: Washington Parish Health Unit, 626 Carolina Ave. in Bogalusa, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., appointment is recommended (drive-up only), call 985-732-6615; Washington Parish Health Unit, 120 11th Ave. in Franklinton, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., appointment is recommended (drive-up only), call 985-839-5646, ext. 1; Walgreens, 217 Superior Ave. in Bogalusa, by appointment only and drive-thru only, visit online at www.walgreens.com/covid19testing or call 985-735-6434. Please note that most locations are experiencing a higher than normal request, and therefore the rapid test may not be available. Additional locations can be found online at ldh.la.gov/page/3934 and then click on the specific parish.

‘Sixty-four Parish Strong’ scholarship

The LSU College of Agriculture is once again sponsoring the “64 Parish Strong” scholarship program. The program offers a $1,000 scholarship to one eligible student from each parish. Students are automatically considered for this scholarship by being a Louisiana resident and submitted their College of Agriculture scholarship application by the deadline of Feb. 1. Scholarship criteria include must be accepted to LSU, must be majoring in agriculture, must submit an application, and should have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. To nominate a student or apply, visit online at conta.cc/3K2uaOh.

American Legion bingo returns

Bingo is back at the American Legion building every Thursday. Doors open at 5 p.m. and outstanding food will be served also. There is an ATM for your convenience.

Washington Parish alert system

Stay alert by enrolling in the Washington Parish Emergency Notification System. This alert system provides rapid notification of emergencies, critical events and urgent situations. The alert system can send notifications through the following methods: phone call, text, email or TTY/TTD service for the hearing impaired. Landline phones are automatically entered for the alert system. To receive alerts through a mobile phone or email, a citizen must register through one of the following options: call 985-282-2620, text “Alert” to 985-282-2620, or sign up online at www.hyper-reach.com/lawashingtonsignup.html. Citizens can also download the Hyper Reach Anywhere app to any smartphone. This alert system is completely free.

Bogalusa Help Center

It’s easy to smile when someone cares, and Bogalusa Help Center, our local food bank, cares. It is now a drive-through operation, located at 350 Martin Luther King Drive in Bogalusa. It is open from 8 a.m. until noon every Wednesday (except the fifth Wednesday of the month) providing food to those in need in our community. Since partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank/USDA, and along with generous donations from our community, BHC now distributes 35-40 pounds of food each month to over 400 families. These distributions include canned goods, meat, dry beans, peanut butter, fresh fruit and vegetables, etc. New clients can apply each week. They must provide: Name of head of the household; driver’s license or ID; address; number of persons in the household and ages; and SNAP or SSI printout, or proof of income of all in the household. Donations are always very much needed and appreciated. For more information, BHC may be reached at 985-735-6404 every Wednesday.

Ongoing services at the Bogalusa branch library

• The Bogalusa branch of the Washington Parish Library offers a variety of services throughout the year. Faxing is available for $1 per 20 pages, and copies can be made for 20 cents each (black and white) or 50 cents each for color. There is also free computers for use — the first five copies are free, and it is 10 cents a copy after the first five.
• If you are an E-book reader, check out the selections offered by the Washington Parish Library in partnership with four other library systems.
• Patrons have free access to ancestry.com at any Washington Parish Library, and free access to heritagequest.com from any home or personal device, as well as a large selection of genealogy materials at the Bogalusa and Franklinton branches.
• The Bogalusa branch receives current copies of local and national newspapers, as well as popular magazine publications. The public is invited to sit in the comfortable reading center to enjoy their favorites.
• For students, the Homework Louisiana website offers a variety of assistance methods, including a live online tutor, “Skills Builder,” homework help and tutoring for kindergarten through basic college level, a writing center, a career center and an adult education center.