Wednesday, Jan. 16

COMMUNITY · The Walker County Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting from 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, for new State Farm agent Jason Long at 2611 North Highway 27 (next to Wal-Mart) in LaFayette. To RSVP, contact Natalie Davis at natalie@walkercochamber.com.

COMMUNITY · The Chickamauga Public Library Board of Trustees will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, at the Chickamauga Public Library. For more information, call 706-638-7557.

COMMUNITY · The Walker County Health Department will offer a free, basic diabetes education class. The eight-hour series will be taught by nurse Linda Long. The second of two series will be held on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 and 31, Feb. 5 and 7, at the Chickamauga Public Library. Call 706-638-5577 to register.

COMMUNITY · LaFayette Parks and Recreation Department will offer zumba classes Wednesdays at the Max Stoker facility beginning Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. For more information, call Gabriel Dudley at 423-413-0958.

CHURCH · First Baptist Church of Fort Oglethorpe will hold a free six-week video series, “The art of marriage,” beginning Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 6-7:15 p.m. Dinner will be provided from 5-6 p.m. for a minimal charge. The series is for single adults who are interested in marriage or married adults who desire to enrich their marriages. For more information, call the church at 706-866-0232.

CHURCH · A year-round Parents Day Out program will be offered from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, at Rock Spring United Methodist Church, 3477 Peavine Road in Rock Spring. Children ages 6 months to 5 years old may participate. Bring your child to socialize and play in a Christian environment. There is no registration fee. Cost is $12 a day per child, or $10 a day per child for two or more siblings. Call 706-764-1404 for more information.

COMMUNITY · Girl Scouts have started taking orders for Girl Scout cookies. Orders will be taken through Feb. 10. Cookie deliveries and booth sales are March 1 - 24. For more information, visit girlscoutcsa.org or call 1-800-474-1912.

COMMUNITY · Seniors and Friends of Fort Oglethorpe meet from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, at Constitution Hall on Forrest Road in Fort Oglethorpe, for games, crafts, refreshments and blood pressure and blood sugar checks. For information or transportation, call Peggy Stanfield at 706-866-1369.

COMMUNITY · Registration deadline for the North Georgia Community YMCA Father/Daughter Dance (Friday, Feb. 8, 2013) is Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. for girls ages 5-11. Cost is $75 per couple, $35 for each additional daughter. The dance will be held at the Colonnade in Ringgold. To register, call 706-935-2226 or go to ngaymca@ymcachattanooga.org.

COMMUNITY · Entries in the annual DNR “Give Wildlife a Chance” poster contest must be postmarked by Wednesday, March 27. This year’s theme is “Everyone can be a citizen scientist.” The contest is open to kindergarten through fifth-grade students in public and private schools and homeschool groups. Participants enter at the local school level with drawings that depict their observations of Georgia’s native nongame animals and plants. Visit georgiawildlife.com/PosterContest or botgarden.uga.edu for more information.

Thursday, Jan. 17

COMMUNITY · The Friends of the Catoosa County Library will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, in the library’s multi-purpose room. The library is at 108 Catoosa Circle (Benton Place campus off Battlefield Parkway) in Ringgold.

COMMUNITY · Lafayette Physical Therapy will hold a “lunch and learn” from noon-2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at 120 West Villanow Street in LaFayette. Guest speaker is Dr. Jay Jolley. For more information, call Vicki at 706-638-5983.

COMMUNITY · Lafayette Physical Therapy will hold “fit and fun” sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays, through Jan. 31, from 10:30-11:30 a.m., at 120 West Villanow Street in LaFayette. For more information, call Vicki at 706-638-5983.

COMMUNITY · Coosa Valley Regional Services board will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at the main office in Rome, 3 Riverside Industrial Parkway, N.E. The meeting is open to the public.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Notables, a jazz combo out of Rome specializing in mainstream jazz standards and tunes from the Great American Songbook, will perform a free concert at Dalton State College Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 pm. The concert will be held in Goodroe Auditorium, at Gignilliat Memorial Hall. Seating is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 706-272-2528.

COMMUNITY · The United Way’s Center for Nonprofits (CNP) is offering workshops for local nonprofit organizations and their volunteers. Most sessions are offered at 630 Market Street, unless otherwise noted. To learn more, call Sara Collier at (423) 752-0329 or email saracollier@cnpchatt.org. You can also go and register online at cnpchatt.org. On Thursday, Jan. 17, from 10-11 a.m., take Intro to Foundation Directory and learn to use this online database of grant markers and records.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Hunter Museum of American Art and Lee University will host String Theory at the Hunter on Thursday, Jan. 17, with a concert featuring performances by David Shifrin, Wu Han and David Finckel, as well as the Miro String Quartet. To purchase tickets, call (423) 267-0968 or visit stringtheorymusic.org.

COMMUNITY · A diabetes education class will be offered from 1:30-4:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17, at Erlanger Chattanooga Lifestyle Center. This class will explore ways to manage diabetes. Call 778-9400 for more information on physician referral and insurance reimbursement.

COMMUNITY · Learn the waltz and the foxtrot! Registration for ballroom dancing classes at FortOGeorgia.com headquarters has begun. To sign up call 706-866-9919 or drop by the store (2738 Lafayette Road, next to Sears Shoes Clearance Store in Fort Oglethorpe). Darla Toker of The Tempo Dance Studio will teach the six-week course on Thursdays: Jan. 24, 31, and Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, from 6:30 –8 p.m. Cost: Individual: $55 for entire course, or $99 for two people (team up and save). Note: One of the classes falls on Valentine's Day. A special class will be offered that evening -- but if you have other plans, a make-up class will be made available.

Friday, Jan. 18

ENTERTAINMENT · The Walker County Chamber of Commerce will host its 2013 Annual Membership Dinner on Friday, Jan. 18, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Mountain Cove Farms Show Barn. The program will include the recognition of retiring directors, as well as the official passing of the gavel from Chair Vickie Hodge of The Jimmy Simpson Foundation to Incoming Chair Sherry Foster of the City of Rossville. The winners of the 2012 Chamber Member of the Year and the 2012 Small Business of the Year will also be announced. Entertainment and dancing will be provided by the Nathan Farrow Band. Attendees are reminded that the event will be taking place in a converted barn; cowboy boots and western themed clothing are encourage The cost to attend is $50 per person or $500 for a reserved corporate table of eight; registration will end on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, at midnight and no walk-ins will be accepted. Non-Chamber members are required to pay online by Visa or MasterCard at the time of registration.For more information, email: info@walkercochamber.com.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Black Jacket Symphony will perform Fleetwood Mac's Rumours at the Tivoli Theatre on Friday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m. Visit chattanoogaonstage.com or call (423) 642-TIXS for ticket information.

ENTERTAINMENT · In collaboration with the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, the Ruth S. Holmberg Chair of American Music at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga presents “Backstage with Louis Armstrong,” written and performed by Danny Mullen. This free event will be held Friday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m., at the Roland Hayes Concert Hall, in the UTC Fine Arts Center.

COMMUNITY · The opening reception for "Reflections," an exhibition of paintings by Mitchel de la Garza, will be held Friday, Jan. 18, from 5:30-7 p.m. at The Arts Center. Call (423) 745-8781 or visit athensartscouncil.org for more information.

ENTERTAINMENT · Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga (ETC) will open its 2013 season with AVENUE Q. The show will run weekends through Jan. 27; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Performances will take place at Eastgate Town Center, 5600 Brainerd Road in Chattanooga. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for students and are available at ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com or call 423-987-5141. Doors open 30 minutes before each performance. Free parking is available at the Eastgate Town Center.

COMMUNITY · The United Way’s Center for Nonprofits (CNP) is offering workshops for local nonprofit organizations and their volunteers. Most sessions are offered at 630 Market Street, unless otherwise noted. To learn more, call Sara Collier at (423) 752-0329 or email saracollier@cnpchatt.org. You can also go and register online at cnpchatt.org. On Friday, Jan. 18, from 10-11 a.m., take Nonprofit Startup and learn the steps to follow and forms needed to file to become an exempt organization. There is a registration fee.