community

An indoor and outdoor weekend event in Tuscaloosa that highlights local artists is being billed as "perfect opportunity to find some one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list." The Kentuck Art Center's Art Market Holiday Extravaganza is set for Saturday, Dec. 14 at Kentuck at Queen City on Jack Warner Parkway.

Registration is open for an annual fundraising effort that benefits the Lee County Special Olympics and its athletes. The 13th Annual Auburn Polar Plunge is set for Saturday, Jan. 18. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the City of Auburn’s Samford Pool.

The Auburn Community Orchestra is set to provide an evening of musical cheer. The annual holiday concert will take place at the Auburn United Methodist Church on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m., featuring traditional and several sing-along tunes.

Holiday cheer is being spread around by The University of Alabama Museums. Free events are being offered at Gorgas House Museum, Paul W. Bryant Museum and Alabama Museum of Natural History during "the most wonderful time of the year."

The Auburn Public Library is now offering its new Favorite Authors Club, a service designed to make it easier for patrons to stay up to date with 15 popular authors’ latest releases. Library patrons who join will automatically be placed on hold for new books as soon as they become available.

The Druid City Chorus will hold its inaugural performance on Tuesday night at the Moody Music Building. The show is the long-awaited showcase of community talent and is free to the public. The group is open to students, faculty and staff from UA, Shelton State Community College and Stillman College, as well as citizens across West Alabama.

In today’s episode of StoryCorps, Leonard Stewart talks to wife Chandra Brown about her involvement within the Mobile community. Chandra emphasizes the importance of social programs and advocating for what we deserve.

The University of Mobile community is honoring one of its basketball players who collapsed and died on campus. A spokesperson for the private institution says 18-year-old Kaiden Francis was found unresponsive this week. This happened shortly after he finished a workout with the university’s coaching staff and trainers.

A conference to discuss the changing educational landscape in Alabama and explore what’s possible for the future is on the books. More than 400 education advocates, policymakers, school leaders, teachers, students, parents and community stakeholders from across the state are headed to Birmingham for the Alabama Opportunity Summit.

Today at StoryCorps, coworkers Kirsten Purvis and Yohana Carrillo discuss their lives working within the English as a Second Language (ESL) department at Mobile public schools. Throughout their work, they've learned the true meaning of community and the ways our differences make the world a better place.