Ardmore Native American Family Gathering

The 2nd annual Ardmore Native America Family Gathering will be held on May 10-11 at John Barnes Park (30515 Ardmore Ridge Road in Ardmore). The event will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 10; and from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, and will feature special guest Cabot Barden — author of I Will War No More: Selocta’s Story. There will be Native crafts, storytelling, dancing, fry bread, and more activities on both days; contact 931-814-2640 for more information. 

Ardmore Truck & Tractor Pull

The sixth annual Ardmore Truck & Tractor Pull will be held May 10 at John Barnes Park (30515 Ardmore Ridge Road, Ardmore, Tennessee 38449), with proceeds benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama. Gates open at 9 a.m. for the day-long event, which includes entrants in antique, farmstock, and open categories — as well as a 7 p.m. session featuring the Tennessee Pullers Association. For more information, call Aaron Boldin at 931-205-0422.

Limestone County NAACP Steps Book Club

The Limestone County NAACP Steps Book Club will host a session for students from pre-school to 8th grade on Saturday, May 10 at the Round Island Creek Mission Center (13829 Lucas Ferry Road in Athens). Held from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., the session offers assessments, reading awards, confidence building, and mentorship for reading fluency and accuracy. Lunch and snacks also will be provided. Learn more at www.limestonecountyalnaacp.org/events or call 256-216-5668 for more information.

Decoration Day at Johnson Cemetery

Decoration Day at Johnson Cemetery will be held on Saturday. May 10. The cemetery is located off Alabama Highway 251 in Limestone County (turn onto Johnson Lane from Highway 251 and then onto Johnson Cemetery Road.) All donations are appreciated. For more information, call Patricia M. Johnson at 256-423-6384.

Decoration Day at O’Neal Cemetery

O’Neal Cemetery will be having a Decoration Day on Saturday, May 10. For details, contact Dana at 256-874-1112. 

Master Gardeners program

The Alabama Master Gardeners will present “Gettin’ Dirty at the Library” on Tuesday, May 13, from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the Athens-Limestone Public Library, 603 Jefferson Street. The program, presented by Chris Becker, Assistant Director for Field Operations for Northeast Alabama, will focus on garden pests. The program is free and open to the public.

Women Empowering Women

Every fourth Sunday of the month, the Women Empowering Women of Alabama will meet at Freshwind Church, located at  17200 Lucas Ferry Road. Athens, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. from February to October. For more information, you can contact Rev. Janice Elisa Lanier Williams at 256-233-5995 or you can visit their website at https://wewoa.org/.

Ceramics hand-building workshop with Aaron Benson

The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts in Florence  is pleased to present an opportunity to participate in a ceramics hand-building workshop with Aaron Benson, UNA Chair of Visual Arts and Design, Associate Professor and Director of Ceramic and Sculpture. Join us 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 31 to learn more about clay by building and glazing your own work in this one-day class.   Registration is limited and can be done online before the May 30 deadline at https://www.florencealmuseums.com/calendar. Participants also may register in person at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts (217 East Tuscaloosa Street., Florence, AL. Cost for the session is a workshop fee of $95, which covers both instruction and the provided materials. Payments made in person at the Art Center can only be done via cash or check; call 256-760-6379 for additional information. 

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 Houston Memorial Library and Museum is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Home to a large collection of mystery, fiction, children’s, young adult and western books to be checked out with a $5 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 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.

Hearts 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.

Flower and Flag Regulations for Athens Cemeteries

(City; Hine-Hobbs St., Old City, Roselawn and Thatch-Mann Cemetery) No flowers or decorations allowed on the ground for maintenance, unless following a funeral. Placement of flowers is acceptable year-round on monuments. Flowers will be removed after funerals as follows: Fresh flower removal will take place seven (7) days following a funeral. Silk flower removal will take place twenty-one (21) days following a funeral or to be placed on grave as specified above. Approval by Superintendent of Cemeteries is required before planting flowers, shrubs, trees, or sod grass. City Cemetery personnel shall remove any trees or shrubs that become detrimental to the adjacent lots or prevent opening of a grave. The City of Athens Cemetery Department will remove flags and properly dispose of them, when they are so worn that they are no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country. The City of Athens will not replace any worn flags that it removes. The City of Athens does not assume any liability for any monument, flowers, shrubbery, ornaments, flags, etc. in any City owned cemetery.