The Pine Belt Calendar is a service of thepinebelt.com and these local radio stations... To have your announcement posted in this space and aired on our stations, please e-mail calendar@thepinebelt.com or send a fax to 601-545-8199 or 601-649-8199. Please include in the announcement when and where your event takes place as well as a phone number we can pass along to the public. Thanks for visiting and thanks for listening.

Swine Flu With a number of cases of swine flu already reported in the Pine Belt as well as the rest of the state, the Mississippi State Department of Health has opened a statewide swine flu hotline. If you have questions about swine flu, please call, toll free, 1-877-222-9FLU (1-877-222-9358); lines are open seven days a week from 8:00am-9:00pm.

Check out the WXHB-FM concert calendar by visiting www.alive.fm -- then click on "Concerts".

Summer '09 Child Safety B95, Rock 104, KZ 94.3, Alive 96.5, thepinebelt.com and the U.S. Postal Service remind you that summer vacation is here, and that means kids out to play. Please caution your children to stay a safe distance from moving postal vehicles and do not approach as the carrier arrives or is pulling up to the mailbox. For more details, contact the post office nearest you.

Now until July 3rd Ellisville State School: Early Intervention Program Offers free educational services for children up to 3 years old with developmental delays, who live in Wayne County and surrounding areas. Services include special instruction, parent coaching and support. For more details, call 601-477-6171 or 601-477-5717.

Now until July 12th Boater Education Classes The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks will be holding boater education classes throughout the Pine Belt. Boater education courses are mandatory for everyone born on or after June 30th, 1980 -- who plans to operate a boat. For more details, visit http://home.mdwfp.com/education.aspx or call 601-928-3720.

Now until July 12th Covington County Boys & Girls Club: Shoe Drive Donations for Soles4Souls will be collected throughout the month. The club will be collecting your gently worn footwear and/or donations to ship the shoes to a person in need. For more details, e-mail jeasterling@cov.k12.ms.us or call 601-797-3159.

Now until July 18th Mississippi National Guard: Youth ChalleNGe Academy Selected as the 2008 Best Overall Program across the nation, the academy is now accepting applications for class #31, which starts July 18. Students 16 to 19 years of age have the opportunity to earn an Adult High School Diploma, and if qualified up to 15 Semester hours of College. Both males and females are encouraged to apply. For more details, visit www.ngycp.org/site/state/ms or call 1-800-507-6253.

Every Friday until July 19th Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Yard Sale Takes place from 5:00pm-8:00pm at 1345 Ellisville Boulevard, two blocks north of the Magnolia Center. For more details, call 601-649-3153.

Now until July 31st Southern Miss/Downtown Hattiesburg: Midsummer Daydream Concert Series Enjoy your next lunch in downtown Hattiesburg accompanied by the soothing sounds of a string quartet from Southern Miss. Concerts will be each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 12:00pm-1:00pm at these restaurants through July 31st... The Bottling Co. – June 24, 25, 26 The Pastry Garden – July 1, 2, 3 Walnut Circle Grill – July 8, 9, 10 Brownstone's – July 15, 16, 17 206 Front – July 22, 23, 24 Bianchi's Pizzeria – July 29, 30, 31 ...the concert series is sponsored by The Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association and Visit Hattiesburg. For more details, call 601-268-3220.

Now until start of 2009-2010 school year The Share! This high school exchange program is seeking volunteers -- with or without children -- who'll provide a bed and meals. Students are between the age of 15-18, have their own medical insurance, spending money, and will attend a school closest to the host family's home. For more details on hosting an exchange student, e-mail ycoffman@sharesouthwest.org or call 1-800-941-3738.

Now until October Pine Belt Farmers & Artisans Market The market begins in Hattiesburg on the 1st Thursday of April -- and continues every Thursday through October. The Downtown Laurel location will begin the 1st Friday of June and continues every Friday through October. At both locations, expect the Market to open at 3:00pm and close at 6:00pm. For more details, e-mail info@pinebeltfarmersmarket.net, visit www.pinebeltfarmersmarket.net or call 601-459-0200.

July Southern Miss: Summer Drummin' Camps A total of four camps will be held this summer. For more details, visit www.johnwooton.com or call 601-266-4993.

July 4th Stars and Stripes: A Fourth of July Celebration Presented by Group One of the 2009 Leadership Pinebelt class and Brownstone's restaurant, the celebration takes place from 5:00pm-9:00pm at Town Square Park in downtown Hattiesburg. The event features live music, food, an antique car show and a patriotic finale. For more details, e-mail jennifer.rigney@usm.edu or call 601-545-2250.

July 4th Lions Club of Sumrall: 4th of July Celebration Starts at 10:00am with a parade, starting at the school parking lot. An auction will be held at 10:30am. There will also be activities throughout the day -- and a spectacular fireworks display at 9:00pm at the Sumrall Lion's Club Park. For more details, call 601-758-4234 or 601-758-4712.

July 4th Benefit at Weeze Choppers Starts at noon in Magee at 502 SCR 62. With live music, bike games, food, moonwalk/bounce House, a 13' water slide and a fireworks display. Admission is $10 for adults, children 12 and under $5. RV's and tents welcome. Proceeds benefit expenses following a house fire. For more details, visit www.weezechoppers.com or call 601-733-2353.

July 4th-5th LRMA: Closed the 4th of July The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will close on Independence Day in observance of our nation's birthday. The museum will reopen July 5. Contact the museum at www.lrma.org or call 601-649-6374.

July 5th-8th Sand Hill Baptist Church: Revival Starts July 5 with their 10:30am and 6:00pm worship services -- and continues July 6-8 at 7:00 each night. Rev. Bill Stafford, evangelist from Cleveland, Tennessee will be preaching the revival. Sand Hill Baptist Church is located at 69 Sand Hill Road in Ellisville. For more details, call 601-763-6045.

July 5th Corinth Baptist Church of Heidelberg: Homecoming Rev. Tommy Tanner will bring the message with a fellowship meal afterwards. The homecoming also features a performance from the Crimson City Quartet. For more details, call 601-787-3828.

July 6th-10th JCJC: Show Choir Performance Camp Will be held at the campus of Jones County Junior College in Ellisville. Participants do not have to be a member of a show choir to attend. Campers will be working with professional choreographers and music industry professionals. For more details or to register, visit www.showchoircamp.net or call 601-577-3988.

July 6th-10th JCJC: Art Camp Takes place from 9:00am-11:30am at the JCJC Visual Arts building. The cost is $100 per person and children (age 5-12) will need to wear proper clothing for painting. For more details, e-mail paula.pierce@jcjc.edu or call 601-319-2520.

July 6th-13th City of Laurel: Public Works Department Will be closed July 6 to observe Independence Day. Garbage schedule is as follows: Monday routes will run July 7 with the Tuesday routes running July 8. Regular garbage schedule resumes July 13. For more details, call 601-428-7376 or 601-319-9347.

July 8th La Leche League of Hattiesburg For more details on this meeting for mothers-to-be, call 601-582-8419, 601-566-0201 or 601-297-7786.

July 9th Covington County Chamber of Commerce: Community Blood Drive Takes place from 12:00pm-6:00pm at First Baptist Church of Collins. All donors get a free t-shirt and registered to win a $1000 travel voucher. Plus Boy Scout Troop 8 Collins will give a free car wash. For more details, visit www.bloodhero.com (use sponsor code "covington" to make an appointment) or call 601-765-6012.

July 10th Laurel: Night Out Against Crime Fundraiser Takes place from 11:00am-1:00pm at the Laurel pistol range on Hillcrest Drive. The Laurel Police Department will be selling ribeye plates for $7, served with chips and a drink, to raise money for Night Out Against Crime. Deliveries are available on orders of five or more. For more details, call 601-319-9426.

July 11th Benefit Bull Bash Gates open at 6:00pm with opening ceremonies at 7:00pm at The Magnolia Center in Laurel. Admission is $10 per person -- and the event includes a silent auction. Proceeds benefit the family of Will Graves, who was seriously injured in a car wreck.

July 14th Wayne County Health Fair Presented by the Wayne County office of the Mississippi State Cooperative Extension Service, the fair takes place from 11:00am-1:00pm on the courthouse parking lot in Waynesboro. Come by and get information and tips to live a healthier life. For more details, call 601-735-2243.

July 15th (register by July 7th) Carbon Market Short Course from MSU Co-operative Extension Service The carbon market is an emerging market for forest landowners. Growing trees and storing carbon offsets carbon released by burning fossil fuels, and landowners can get paid to store carbon in trees. Registration fee for the course is $35 for individuals, or $50 for couples. For more details, call the Forrest County office at 601-545-6083 or the Jones County office at 601-428-5201.

July 15th Farm Service Agency Farmers are reminded that they must file an acreage report by July 15 at your local Farm Service Agency. Failure to file this report can result in the loss of many program benefits. For more info contact your local Farm Service Agency.

July 17th-18th 31st Annual Mize Watermelon Festival Takes place at Mize City Park with music, arts and crafts, food and lots of watermelons. Gates open at 5:00pm on July 17 with Gospel music at 6:00pm. On July 18, the fun starts at 8:30am and goes all day; later that night, a performance from Shenendoah. Festival admission is $5 for adults, $3 for 10 and under each day. Sponsored by Mize Volunteer Fire Department. For more details, call 601-733-5647 or 601-733-2218.

July 18th-19th (register by July 6th) Forrest General Hospital: Spirit of Women - Spirit Girl Auditions Open to girls who are residents of Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Lawrence, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Wayne or Walthall County who are entering the 7th-12th grades. Spirit Girls participate in Spirit of Women events, fashion shows, focus groups, community and charitable events throughout the year. Girls must make an appointment to audition. For more details, contact FGH OnCall at 1-800-844-4445, then press 1.

July 19th Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District They're offering to prepare students to take the GED. If you're interested, pick up an application from the office (910 Sawmill Square Mall, Suite 236, Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm). Recieve $100 when you complete the GED. For more details, call 601-426-9596.

July 19th Shady Grove First Baptist Church: Old Fashion Homecoming Takes place during their worship services at 1220 Highway 11 in Heidelberg. Guest speaker will be Rev. Bill Boulton and songleader Jelly Welborn. Dinner afterwards in the fellowship hall. Everyone is welcome. For more details, call 601-787-4614.

July 25th South Jones H.S.: Class of 1984 Their 25th year class reunion will be held from 7:00pm-11:00pm at The Courtyards in Laurel. For more details, e-mail sjh.class84@gmail.com

July 31st FGH: United Way Pace Setter Their Western themed campaign kickoff takes place from 11:00am-2:00pm. Event includes music from an outdoor country band, a mechanical bull, a great high-noon Western meal (Brisket and all the fixins') and more. For more details, e-mail TWarden@forrestgeneral.com or call 601-288-2730.

Aug. 4th Laurel Police: Night Out Against Crime Takes place from 6:00pm-8:00pm at Mason Park. There will be free food, games, entertainment and more. The Laurel PD is asking for donations for the event. For more details, call 601-498-7136 or 601-425-4711 ext. 117.

Aug. 15th South Mississippi Children's Center: Wine Tasting and Silent Auction Takes place at the Hattiesburg Train Depot. For more details, contact Rebecca Hartfield at rhartfield@mchscares.org or call 601-264-7079.

Christian Services, Inc: Angel Food Ministries With the cost of groceries sky rocketing, you can save money when you buy groceries from Angel Food Ministries. Each month, ou can get $60-$70 worth of first quality food for roughly half the cost. There are no income or age qualifications. For more details, visit www.christianserve.org or call 601-582-5683.

Domestic Violence If you are a victim of abuse or know someone who is, call the Domestic Abuse Family Shelter, toll free at 1-800-649-1092 for help. All calls will be confidential.

JCJC Small Business Development Center: First Steps These workshops are for anyone wanting to start their own business. This free workshop will cover financing, business planning, presenting your plan to a lender, what steps to take to prepare to be in business and gathering relevant information. Hundreds of wasted hours and thousands of wasted dollars will be saved by attending this workshop. The workshops will be held at the following locations and times. § Hattiesburg, Southern Miss' Business Assistance Center: First Tuesday of each month, 9:00am – 12:00pm § JCJC, Advanced Technology Center: Second Tuesday of each month, 6:00pm – 9:00pm § JCJC, Advanced Technology Center: Third Monday of each month, 1:30pm – 4:30pm § Hattiesburg, Southern Miss' Joseph Greene Hall, Room 104: Fourth Tuesday of each month, 6:00pm – 9:00pm Seating is limited so please call for reservations. Call Kathy St. Amant at 601-477-4235 for reservations. The deadline to register is one week before the workshop.

Jones County History and Family History Book The Jones County Genealogical and Historical Organization is taking orders for the book. The books are $50.00 plus $5.00 for shipping and handling. For more details, click here for a PDF, e-mail JCGHOL@yahoo.com or call 601-649-8170.

Old Hattiesburg High School: Reconstruction The building was damaged in 2007 after arsonists set fire to it. For more details on the Hattiesburg Downtown Association's Cornerstone Campaign, an effort to construct the building, visit www.downtownhattiesburg.com/cornerstone or call 601-583-4329.

Red Cross: Seeking Nurses/EMTs The Pine Belt Chapter of the American Red Cross is seeking nurses and EMTs to volunteer 2-3 hours a month with the Chapter’s Wednesday morning Blood Pressure screening program. For more details, contact Peggy Owens-Mansfield at 601-426-9071 weekdays between 9am-4pm.

Red Cross Speakers The Pine Belt Chapter of the American Red Cross has speakers available to help local families prepare for disaster situations. Current emphasis for groups of senior citizens or anyone who did not receive the disaster preparedness information a year ago through school distributions in Jones, Jasper, Smith & Wayne counties. If you would like to have a speaker attend a church, business or civic club meeting, call the Pine Belt Chapter at 601-426-9071 to arrange a date and time for this free presentation. Please call a week or two in advance for scheduling, contact Peggy Owens-Mansfield.

Training in Construction Trades Jones County Junior College is offering no-cost training in construction trades. Students will learn the fundamentals of construction to qualify you for positions in the industry. Those completing the construction training will receive national certification and job placement assistance at no cost. For more details, contact the Lauren WIN Job Center at 601-399-4005. This program is funded by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and the Department of Labor.

USDA Farm Service Agency They are conducting a sign-up for timber owners who suffered qualifying losses from 2005 hurricanes. The Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program is offering assistance to landowners. For more information, contact your local Farm Service Agency