What’s Happening in Cherokee County

by Staff reports

The Cherokeean Herald welcomes announcements for publication in our weekly edition. Please submit calendar information by noon Friday for publication in the following Wednesday’s edition of our paper. Send information to news@thecherokeean.com.

JAN. 14

A Jan. 14 East Texas Fruit, Nut and Vegetable Conference at Cross Brand Cowboy Church in Tyler will offer both professional and amateur gardeners suggestions on cultivating a variety of produce in East Texas. Cost is $25 per person and includes lunch; an East Region AgriLife Conference and Expo will be held at the location at the same time. For more information on either conference or to pre-register, contact the Smith County Extension office at 903-590-2980. The church is located at 11915 FM 2015 in Tyler.

JAN. 15

Budding bards are invited to participate in a Jan. 15 poetry gathering at the Jacksonville Public Library, 526 E. Commerce St., from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. For more information, contact event coordinator Peter Hoheisel at 903-530-7873.

Small Town Books, on the Downtown Square in Rusk, will host local author Carol B. Weaver, from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at 152 S. Main St.

JAN. 16

Grace Fellowship will host a presentation of the American Family Association movie “In His Image” at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 16. This movie is designed to help Christians understand the difficult struggle of indi-viduals involved in homosexuality and transgenderism. Come and hear encouraging testimonies of trans-formation in Christ. Attendance is free, but an offering will be received for the American Family Associa-tion. The subject matter in this movie is not recommended for younger children. Grace Fellowship is lo-cated on 2904 Loop 343 in Rusk. For more information, please visit www.gracefellowshiprusk.com.

JAN. 20

This year's TEEA Chili Luncheon & Bake-off will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 20, at the Cherokee County Annex, 165 E. 6th St. in Rusk.

The 97th Jacksonville Chamber banquet and dinner will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, at The Lega-cy, 782 CR 1511 in Jacksonville. Ticket are $45 members, $50 members or $500 for a reserved table of 8. Contact Ashley at the Chamber office – 903-586-2217 or email info@jacksonvilletexas.com ¬to learn more.

JAN. 21

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site will host kick-off events for its Grass House rebuild, Friday and Sat-urday, Jan. 21-22, at the Texas Highway 21 site.

JAN. 22

An "(UN) Apologetic Evangelism Conference" will be held Saturday, Jan. 22 at Central Baptist Church, 1909 E. Rusk St. in Jacksonville, for students and adults. Keynote speakers are Frank Turek and Greg Koukl, with several breakout speakers lined up. Cost is $35 students, $45 adults. To register, vis-it https://texasbaptists.regfox.com/2022-unapologetic-conference-jacksonville-registration

Mission Tejas State Park will host two programs on Saturday, Jan. 22: At 9:30 a.m., join in the fun as park rangers discuss “Primitive Fire, History in Action” at the amphitheater. Check out the tried-and-true methods of starting a fire as guests build a natural tinder nest with native materials and then learn about creating a friction fire from start to finish. Then, at 2:30 p.m., take a guided tour at the Nabedache Loop, and discover unique habitats hidden behind the pines on a one-mile hike!

While events are free, there is a $3 per person admission for visitors ages 13 and older. The park is locat-ed on Texas Highway 21, west of Alto.

JAN. 24

The BMA Theological Seminary in Jacksonville begins its Spring Semester Jan. 24.

JAN 26

The Greater Rusk Area Garden Club will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Rusk li-brary. Members and guests are encouraged to attend.

Troup FFA will host its Alumni and Friends Banquet, 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Troup High School Cafeteria, 927 Arp Dr. A free dinner and live and silent auctions are planned, with donations cur-rently accepted for the auctions. Contact Caitlyn, 903-245-4794 or email caitlyn@theranchersmarket.com, for more information.

JAN. 27

The Friends of the Library will meet at the Rusk Public Library, 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, and invite new members to attend. To learn more, call 903-683-5916.

JAN. 28-30

DNOW, featuring Breakaway Worship and Robert White, will be hosted Jan. 28-30 at First Baptist Church in Rusk for youths in grades 7-12. Cost is $30 per person. Register online at www.ruskfbc.com.

JAN. 29

An “Intro to Bushcraft – Beginner Shelter” demonstration will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at Mission Tejas State Park. Sharpen your outdoor skills, as you help build a primitive shelter from foraged natural materials with a ranger! While events are free, there is a $3 per person admission for visitors ages 13 and older. The park is located on Texas Highway 21, west of Alto.

JAN. 31

The Friends of the Rusk Public Library will hold a Jan. 31 drawing for a beautifully stitched, neutral baby quilt, with tickets at $10 each. The quilt is on display at the library; proceeds benefit the library’s chil-dren's programs.

FEB. 4

The 2022 Annual Seed Swap hosted by Cherokee County AgriLife Extension will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, at the Rusk Civic Center, 555 Euclid St., offering a variety of seeds, transplants and information provided by the extension office, members of the Cher-okee County Master Gardeners and other donors, all free of cost.

FEB. 5

Small Town Books, located at 152 S. Main St. in downtown Rusk, will host a Feb. 5 discussion on how to make wine, everything you need to get started and growing grapevines in East Texas. Cost is $15 per person. To learn more, call 903-393-6933.

FEB. 7

Jacksonville High School will host its annual JHS Freshman Fair, 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, at the JHS Cafeteria. The event features information on all core subjects, endorsement pathways, clubs and organiza-tions offered at the school. It is open to eighth grade students and their parents.

FEB. 10

A monthly Alzheimer’s support group meeting will be held at Bonner Street Plaza Nursing & Rehabilita-tion, 421 S. Bonner St. in Jacksonville, on Thursday, Feb. 10.

CASA of Trinity Valley will host a “CASA 101” training session, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, at 506 E. Commerce St. in Jacksonville. The non-profit outfit trains and mentors volunteers to advocate for chil-dren in foster care, for which there is great need in Cherokee County. Light refreshments will be provid-ed. For more information, call 903-284-6245 or visit www.casaoftv.org.

APRIL 9

An April 9 barbecue competition hosted by the Jacksonville Citizen Police Academy and the Jacksonville Police Association will be held from 4:30-9 p.m. Saturday, April 9, in downtown Jacksonville. For more information, contact event coordinator Dillon Rodriguez at drodriguez@txnationalbank.com or call 903-284-1685.

MAY 28

The 2nd Annual 5K Warrior Run is planned for Saturday, May 28, in Rusk. The event begins at 8 a.m. Sponsors, volunteers and coordinators invited to help with the event.