, January 24. All Lions and their guests are encouraged to attend, and the meeting is open to the public. The Altus Lions Club meets every Thursday at noon at Western Oklahoma State College in the Student Activity Center. For more information, call 482-1934.

The Friendship Volunteer Fire Department reminds all that membership dues are now due. If you did not receive a notice, call 482-2589.

3rd District CASA, Inc is once again accepting acceptions for the next volunteer training class which will begin Feb. 3 and run for six weeks. Training classes will be each Monday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. Potential volunteers must complete a criminal background check and interview before attending class. Applications can be picked up at the CASA office located in the NBC Bank Room #230 or by phoning 482-4600. CASA volunteer advocates speak up for the abused and neglected children within the courts and many new volunteers are needed.

Square dance lessons continue tonight and each Thursday night in Altus at the Community Center on Falcon Road hosted by the Altus Twirlers square dance club. The ABC lessons are FREE and are from 7 to 9 p.m. d line dances are also available. For more information contact John and Debby Tunning at 580-482-5430.

Altus York Rite Masons will conduct some degree work at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24, with Fellowship at 6 p.m. All York Rite Masons are urged to attend.

The Altus Kiwanis Club will meet at noon, Friday, Jan. 25 in the Student Center at W.O.S.C. Loyd Colston, Emergency Management Director for the City of Altus, will present the program. Kiwanian of the Day will be Mike Nettles.

Chapter CM of PEO will hold a meeting at 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24. Elaine Nolan wil be the hostess and Melda Moor and Betty Fox will be co-hostesses.

Church of Christ, on Elm and Hudson, will be hosting a “Soup Saturday”, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 26.

Church of the Nazarene Food Pantry will be open Saturday, Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to Noon, 700 N. Main St . Must have photo ID and live in Jackson County. Please bring your own bags.

The Board of Directors of Southwestern Youth Services, Inc. will hld their regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m., Monday, Jan. 28 in the conference room at the administrative offices of SWYS, located at 317 N. Hudson. Any interested person is invited to attend.

Church of Christ, located on 400 N. Hudson, will be holding the 29th Annual Area-Wide Singing from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2. The song leaders will be Herman Nesser, Don Hayes, Joe Waugh, Mack Powers, Eddie Stegall, T.A. Allen, Stephen Boyd, David Epler, Matt Long and Mike Suiter. Refreshments will be served.

Prince of Peace Catholic Church will be holding a Boys Scouts of America Kickingbird District Awards Banquet at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 16, 1500 Falcon Road. The menu will consist of BBQ and fixin's. The cost for adults is $14 and youth (12 and under) is $9. After February 8 the cost will be $18 adults and $13 youth. Please make checks out to: Boy Scouts of America. Mail form and payment to: District Banquet, c/o Randy Culver, 20953 ECR 153, Blair, OK 73526. For more information please contact Randy Culver at 580-563-9568 or 253-381-1787.

Scotch Doubles Bowling will hold a fundraiser sponsored by the Officer's Spouse's Club February 22, at 6 p.m. at the Galaxy Lanes. All base personnel are welcome regardless of rank. Sign-up as a team of two. Contact Karin Westeren, 482-0365, for registration or questions.

The Altus Adult Learning Center is now taking registration for G.E.D. Morning, afternoon and evening classes are available and enrollment will continue throughout January. For more information please contact Maria at 481-2134 or come by the office at 220 North Park Lane, Monday through Thursday. Classes are offered free of charge.

Red River Toastmasters will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at Club Altus, located on the Altus Air Force Base; and from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, in the Francis Herron Seminar Center, at the Southwest Technology Center. Guests and prospective members are welcomed to attend.

The Altus area TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) group meets at 6 p.m. every Thursday, at Highland Heights United Methodist Church, 1911 N Main. For more information about TOPS, see www.tops.org or phone Ling Lih McBlain at 477-4420.

Emmanuel Baptist Church is holding an “A.W.A.N.A.” and “B.L.A.S.T.” program for children age 4 years through 6th grade. A.W.A.N.A. is a program that combines activities and Bible memorization that runs concurrently with the school year. The program runs every Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m. B.L.A.S.T. is an after-school program for students Kindergarten - 6th grade. This ministry begins with an after-school snack followed by a Bible study, music, games and a homework time as well. B.L.A.S.T. is a free program for all. For more information, please call Emmanuel Baptist Church at 580-482-1775.

A GED class is currently being held at 1:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Towers. For more information please call 481-2127.

OPAT (Oklahoma Parents as Teachers) are now taking in new families. OPAT goals include providing parents with the best possible information concerning the early development stages of their child's life and increasing parent knowledge in four areas of development. For more information please call 477-7611.

Altus Original Group Alcoholics Anonymous will hold meetings every day at 8 p.m. The location is at 315 N. Crain. For more information please call 483-2873 or 480-0417.

Mission on Wheels is in need of children's and baby clothing, as well as bed linens. Call Edna Douglas at 482-0997 or 649-8620.

Department of Public Safety Driver License Testing new office hours are from 8 to 11:45 a.m. and from 1 to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Fridays.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol is offering a free boat safety course. To enroll go to www.okboated.com.

Southwest Oklahoma Community Action Group, Inc. RSVP Program is looking for volunteers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program also known as VITA. Volunteers will be trained on the basic income forms.

Volunteers are needed in Harmon, Greer and Jackson Counties. For training dates or more information, contact the RSVP Office at (580) 482-4141 or the Mangum Office at (580) 782-3357.

Grace United Methodist Church has Olive Wood items for sale that are hand made from the Holy Land. All proceeds will go to the church's building program.