Thought for today: You’ve been blessed. Now, go be a blessing. You’ve overcome that addiction; help someone else overcome it. You’ve been promoted; help someone else be promoted. Give away what you’ve been given. (Joel Osteen)

Birthdays: Happy birthday to Vickie Wood, Jason Gilbreath, Ann Mathis Boggs, Dana Blackman, Melody Leggett, Mary Kelley, Gail Drummonds, Coach Jennifer Lee, Teresa Brazier, Caroline Powers, Reba Castleberry, and to my sweet sister-in-law, Jackie Thomas.

Deaths: Please keep the families of Jimmie Nell “Lillian” Callahan, Leonard Watson, Mary Sullivan, Shannon Crowley, and Paula Southern in your thoughts and prayers.

Church: The St. Clair County Night of Worship will be held at Mt. Pisgah Church on Wednesday, Aug. 9 beginning at 6 p.m. The speaker will be Jay Stewart and worship by Rush of Fools.

Congratulations: Duran Junior High had five students who placed in events at the National Junior Beta Convention in Louisville, Ky. held in June. The following former 8th graders represented the Pell City School System well: Savannah Lee, 2nd place in Language Arts; Ava Hathorn, 4th place in poetry; Landy Shi, 5th place in pottery; Marie Sophia Kaplan, 6th place in painting; and Tomazz Jackson, 9th place in spelling bee. Congratulations to all for these outstanding accomplishments and for being great ambassadors of the Pell City School System!

School: Well, it is about that time again-school registration. Returning students were to be registered through the Parent Portal. The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 7.

PCHS Seniors, you can now Paint Your Parking Space. Go to: pchs.pellcityschools.net/ and scroll down for information. You will be able to do this on Aug. 3 and 4 from 8 a.m.-noon. You need to read all the requirements and directions.

The Pell City School System is switching online payment systems for school meals from MySchoolBucks to LINQ Connect. Go to the School System website or Facebook page to connect to the new system. Remaining balances from the old system will automatically transfer over to the new one.

The Pell City School System is looking for bus drivers. If you are interested, even if you don’t have a school bus license (they will train you towards earning it), give the Transportation Department a call at 205-884-4800. Full-time employees are eligible for health insurance and state retirement.

Sports: We are excited about our new football season and want you to be also. Want to support our kids? Did you know you can become part of the Pell City High School Touchdown Club, even if you do not have a student in school? Come be a part of our team. First football game is an away game against Moody on Aug. 25.

VCS Lady Lions Girls Basketball Camp at VCS Gym on July 27-28. Open to all girls entering 1st-6th grade. Cost Is $40 per child. Each child will receive a T-shirt. Contact jaredbarnoldlaw@gmail.com or call the school at 205-338-2901.

PCHS Volleyball Camp will be held July 31 and August 1 from 1-3:30 pm. This camp is for rising 1st–6th graders.

You can still register your child for fall baseball, soccer and softball until July 30. you can register online at pellcity.recdesk.com or visit the Civic Center.

Softball Skills Camp at the Pell City Civic Center. For more information, text Evi Edwards at 205-569-3256. Registration and payment due by Friday, July 28 at 4 p.m.

CEPA: Auditions for Grease roles will be held July 27-28 at CEPA at 6 p.m. The 27th and 28th will be the auditions for other roles. It’s recommended that everyone comes to one night of lead auditions and one night of ensemble auditions.

Friday, July 28, CEPA will present the showing of Suessical Jr.! Doors open at 5:30 and the show starts at 6 p,m,! This show is open to the public so come stop by!

Tickets are $5 for kids and $10 for adults. Children under 2 do not need a ticket.

On July 29 at 7 p.m., Lance Lipinsky and the Lovettes will perform at the CEPA. The band has described its music genre as: “American Made Rock & Roll music,” and it’s obvious that Lipinsky is an evolution of time preserving these American melting pots of Rockabilly, Rhythm & Blues, Western Swing, Doo Wop, and Soul. Tickets are $25 at pellcitycepa.com/tickets.

Sounds of Summer, the Easy Street Band, featuring the Holladay Sisters, will perform on Aug. 13 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available for purchase at pellcitycepa.com/tickets.

Local: Coming to Celebrations on Aug. 10, Tumbling & Cheernastics classes. Contact Jessica Brannon at 205-585-1379 for more information.

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m., Ann’s New Life Center will hold its 2023 Fundraiser Dinner at Cropwell Baptist.

On July 24, 1833, the Cropwell Post Office, first named Coosa, was established. Its name was later changed to Diana. In 1837, the name was changed to Cropwell.

Eating avocados, peanut butter, and olive oil can up your odds of living a long, healthy live by 25%. These are plant-based foods that are high in healthy mono-unsaturated fats and can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and blood pressure and improve blood vessel function to help avoid heart trouble and strokes.

Remember: When people are in deep pain, they don’t need explanations, advice, encouragement, or even Scripture. They just need you to show up and shut up. Just be with them. It’s the healing ministry of presence. (Rick Warren)

See you next week. Contact me at 205-338-5590 with information about family’s news and gatherings. Have a wonderfully blessed and safe week. You can also email information to annette_snow@yahoo.com.