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

Varnado Store Museum event

In conjunction with the “Community Heroes” exhibit at the Varnado Store Museum, the museum will hold a special event outdoors beside the museum to introduce families and especially children to those in our community who provide security and protection to our parish. Visitors will have the opportunity to see a fire truck and meet a fireman, see a law-enforcement vehicle and meet an officer, and much more. Everyone is invited and the museum hopes that many children and young people will take advantage of this opportunity for an up-close-and-personal visit with some community heroes. This event will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20. The museum will also be open for the viewing of the exhibit inside. Admission is free.

Fair Queen information meeting

Washington Parish Fair Queen Lindsey McGehee and the Queen Committee cordially invites young ladies between the ages of 17-22 interested in becoming the next Washington Parish Fair Queen to attend an informational meeting on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m. at The Rock House in Franklinton (building located across the street from First Baptist Church).

Substitute in-service

Franklinton Primary School, Franklinton Elementary School, Franklinton Jr. High School and Franklinton High School will have their substitute in-service on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 9 a.m. in the FPS Special Education auditorium. Anybody interested in subbing at any Franklinton school will need to attend this meeting.

Mayoral candidates forum at Bogalusa High School

The Community Action Organization is holding a mayoral candidates’ forum on Tuesday, Aug. 23, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Bogalusa High School auditorium, located at 100 M.J. Israel Drive in Bogalusa. The event is free and open to the public. The purpose of this forum is to give all Bogalusa voters an opportunity to hear candidates discuss the issues that are important to them in this election. All questions are asked to be submitted to CAO President Joel Miller Sr. at 532 Austin St. in Bogalusa, or by call or text to 985-518-8655, no later than Saturday, Aug. 20. If time permits, questions will be allowed from the audience.

Clean up day and movie night

The Franklinton Chamber of Commerce, along with the Town of Franklinton and Amwaste Management, is excited to present the first annual “Team Up to Clean Up Day and Movie Night,” which will be held Saturday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., ending with the movie night at 6:45 p.m. All adults, children of all ages, families, businesses, organizations and churches are invited to form teams of two or more in efforts to rid the town of litter. To sign up, contact Penny Jones, Community Pride committee chair, at 334-301-4969. Sign up and receive a “Team Up to Clean Up” T-shirt. The T-shirt and coloring sheet will grant you access to the movie (Monsters, Inc.). Bring your chair, blanket and a picnic dinner to enjoy the movie, which will be shown behind the Washington Parish School Board, across the street from Franklinton Jr. High School (800 Main St.). For more information, visit the Facebook page of “Franklinton Chamber of Commerce/Events.”

Coffee with the Principal

Join together at the Bogalusa High School library on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 8 a.m. for “Coffee with the Principal.” Come discuss issues, concerns and goals for the upcoming school year.

Columbia Food and Music Festival

The Columbia Food and Music Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 3, in downtown Columbia, Miss. Food trucks and musical acts from throughout the Southeast will be on hand from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., and starting at 5 p.m., Main Street will be filled with cars and trucks from every generation until 8 p.m. Country, rock, gospel and more will be played throughout downtown.

Monthly prayer for Bogalusa

Join Tuesday, Sept. 6, at the Bogalusa YMCA at 9 a.m. for a monthly prayer for the city. Pastors, ministerial staff and the public are invited to attend.

Red Hot Fire Trot

Franklinton’s Red Hot Fire Trot, a 5-K walk/run to remember, will be Saturday, Sept. 10, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Washington Parish Fairgrounds. There is a $25 pre-registration fee. You can register on Facebook at “Franklinton’s Red Hot Fire Trot” or at the Franklinton Fire Department, located at 415 11th Ave.

Boo-galusa

The Bogalusa Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission will be presenting “Boo-galusa” on Saturday, Oct. 29. More details will be released soon.

Mark your calendar for 2nd balloon festival

The Bogalusa Balloon Festival has already announced its date for the second annual event. Mark your calendars now for June 2-4, 2023. Follow the festival on Facebook to stay updated.

American Legion bingo

Bingo is every Thursday at the American Legion. Doors open at 5 p.m. Great food. All jackpots pay out 100 percent, including the $1,000 blackout.

YouthBuild Bogalusa

YouthBuild Bogalusa (YBB) is enrolling students for its program. To gain entry in the program, a student will need to be between the ages of 16-24, and have not graduated from high school or earned his or her HISET. The new applicant will take the TABE placement test, in order to gain entry in the program. There will be testing for placement, Monday through Thursday every week from 9 a.m. until noon. YBB offers opportunities in educational aid in passing the HISET, Carpentry Skills (NCCER Certification/OSHA 30), mentoring, AmeriCorps (educational stipend/award), CNA, and welding, along with life skills (community involvement/leadership skills). YBB provides monetary incentives to learn — up to $500 every two weeks. YBB also has a full-time Case Manager and Counselor on staff. If you have any interest in the program or know of any one that will benefit from the program, visit YBB at 1242 Austin St. in Bogalusa, or call 985-545-1622.

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.

Bogalusa Help Center

Bogalusa Help Center, our local food bank, 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.