This week

Historical Society Meeting

The Limestone County Historical Society will hold its quarterly meeting on Sunday, Jan. 19, in the Rodgers Center of the First Presbyterian Church in Athens. Allynn Griffin, the new archivist for the Limestone County Department of History and Archives, will speak about the history of the County Commission Building, formerly the U.S. Post Office, on Washington Street. Refreshments will be served at 2:30 p.m., with the meeting to follow at 3:00 p.m. Anyone interested in Athens and Limestone County history is invited to attend.

Dr. King Holiday March (CANCELED)

The annual Athens-Limestone Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday march will be held on Monday, Jan. 20, at 9 a.m. The special event will start on the westside of the Limestone County Courthouse and end at the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives where they will hold a program in the civil rights leader’s honor. This event has been canceled due to the damage the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives received from the Dec. 28, 2024, tornado.

Dr. King Holiday Celebration

The Limestone County NAACP will hold the 2025 Athens-Limestone Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration on Monday, Jan. 20, at Pincham-Lincoln Community Center, located at 606 Trinity Circle, Athens, AL. The event is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. The program will include the reveal of the 20th annual student essays and art contest winners. For more information, please contact NAACP President Benard Simelton at (256)-444-1300.

Lincoln-Bridgeforth Park Committee’s MLK Day Celebration

The Lincoln-Bridgeforth Park Committee will hold their Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration on Monday, Jan. 20, at Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, located at 803 Westmoreland Ave. The special event will start at 11 a.m., and the guest speaker for the event will be Shannon Moore.

Ask-a-Master Gardener

The Athens-Limestone County Public Library will host their weekly meeting with the Limestone County Master Gardeners for a special reference service for all local plant and garden enthusiast on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 10 a.m. For more information, please visit www.alcpl.org/event/ask-a-master-gardener.

Limestone County DHR Board Meeting

The Limestone County Department of Human Resources will host a special called board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at the Limestone County DHR Building, located at 1007 W. Market St., Athens, AL 35611. For more information, please contact Chequawnia Malone at (256)-216-6426 or Finance Officer Carla Ingle at (256)-216-6405.

Dr. King Day Prayer and Breakfast

The Curtis Coleman Center for Religion, Leadership and Culture at Athens State University will host its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Prayer and Breakfast on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 9:30 a.m. in the Founder’s Hall Chapel at Athens State University. The location of this year’s event is at 300 N. Beaty St. Athens, AL. The theme of the event is “Prayer Against Violence,” all members of the public are welcomed to attend and no registration will be required. For more information, please contact Eric Betts at (256)-233-6518.

TVA Information Session

Calhoun Community College in Decatur will host a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Information Session on Thursday, Jan. 23, at the ATC Lecture Hall from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. The TVA is currently recruiting for nuclear student generating plant operators at the Brownsferry site. Entry level requirements include; one must be associates of applied science in a technical field. Candidates with relevant formal training and experience may also be considered. For more information, please contact Calhoun’s Career Services Team with questions at (256)-306-2993.

Upcoming

EMS Information Session

Calhoun Community College in Decatur will host an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Information Session on Monday, Jan. 27, at the Health Sciences Building, room 106. They will hold another EMS info session on Wednesday, Feb. 19, as well. To learn more about Calhoun’s EMS, please visit calhoun.edu/ems.

FBI Information Session

Calhoun Community College will host a Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Information Session at the MSCIS, Multifunction Room on Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.

Ongoing Weekly

Heart for Homeless

Please join The News Courier, and several others, as we try and help out our homeless population in Athens and Limestone County. Please give whatever essentials you can. All donations can be left at The News Courier’s office at 410 W. Green St. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Other donation sites include; Don Carter Heating and Cooling on 72 East, Toodlebugs on E. Hobbs St. and One Main Financial on 72 East.

Crochet Club at the Library

The Athens-Limestone County Public Library will host the Crochet Club every Saturday in December at 9:30 a.m. The event is for crocheters at any skill level.

Support Group

Support groups for domestic abuse victims and survivors will be held at the Family Resource Center on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and on Fridays at noon. Facilitated by Crisis Services of North Alabama. For more information, please call (256)-230-1240.

Houston Memorial Library

The best kept secret in Athens — The Houston Memorial Library and Museum is open Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Home to a large collection of mystery, fiction, childrens, young adult and western books to be checked out with a $5.00 per year membership. The historic residence, which was built in 1834, also has a book sale room that is open each day. The museum has period furniture, civil war memorabilia and Native American artifacts.

Virtual exercise class

Limestone County Council on Aging presents virtual exercise class 2–3 p.m. Mondays and Fridays via Zoom. The classes are called S.A.I.L., which stands for Stay Active and Independent for Life. More information: (256) 233-6412.

Book sale

Friends of the Athens-Limestone Public Library host a used book sale from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. each Tuesday and the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the library, 603 S. Jefferson St., Athens. More information (256) 232-1233.

TOPS meeting (Mondays)

Athens AL TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Evening Chapter #0616 meets weekly on Mondays, at the Athens Activity Center on Pyror Street. Weigh-in starts at 6:00 p.m., and the meeting at 6:30 p.m. For more information, email: AthensAL616TOPS@gmail.com.

Food giveaway

Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church’s food pantry will be open 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at 1911 Hine St., Athens. Patrons must provide proof of at least one of the following: eligibility to receive supplemental food assistance (SNAP/food stamps); eligibility for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families; eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income; income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level; or special circumstances. Eligibility forms provided at distribution site. Must have valid ID card or driver’s license. Only one distribution per household while supplies last. Monetary and food donations accepted. More information: (256) 424-5403.