Spanish classes offered

John Jay Center for Learning is offering conversational Spanish classes starting next week.

 Classes will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday evenings starting Oct. 15 and run through Nov. 19 on the second floor of the learning center, 101 N. Meridian St., Portland. Maggie Cardenas will lead the class, which is being offered in partnership with Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition and Community Affairs and Spanish Assistance (CASA) de Portland.

Registration costs $85. To learn more, contact (260) 729-5525 or email [email protected].

Pumpkin painting

It’s not too late to paint a pumpkin at Fort Recovery Public Library.

Registration is open for children to sign up for painting sessions Saturday at the library. The cost is $2 per pumpkin for the general public and free for Fort Recovery Friends of the Library members. All materials are provided.

To learn more, call (419) 375-2869 or visit fortrecoverylibrary.org.

Added to archive

Indiana Arts Commission announced recently it has partnered with the Indiana State Library to add 28 poets to the State of Indiana’s poetry archive — INverse.

“Celebrating and preserving the work of Indiana poets is a very worthy project and the Indiana State Library is honored to participate in this collaboration,” said Jake Speer, state librarian, in a press release. 

"The Indiana Arts Commission appreciates the partnership with the Indiana State Library, which allows us to preserve and showcase the work of Hoosier poets," said Miah Michaelsen, IAC executive director. "The poets highlighted in the INverse Poetry Archive demonstrate the creative talent at work in Indiana."

The archive is available at bit.ly/INverse.

Masquerade ball

Tickets are on sale for a new event at Jay County Fairgrounds this year.

Peer Addiction Support Team (PAST) Recovery Services is organizing a masquerade ball from 6 to 11 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Bubp building, 806 E. Votaw St., Portland. There will be dinner, dancing, a silent auction and recovery spotlights. The event will serve as a charity fundraiser for assisting individuals in their recovery.

Tickets are $30 per person or $50 per couple. They’re available at Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition. 

Statehouse internships

Applications are open for interns with Indiana House Republicans for the 2025 legislative session.

The Indiana House of Representatives offers a spring semester internship at the statehouse in Indianapolis during the session, which starts in January and concludes in April. House interns earn $900 biweekly and work full-time through the week. Internships are open to college students and recent graduates. Students may apply for a $3,000 scholarship to use toward school expenses.

Applications are available online at indianahouserepublicans.com/internship and are due by Oct. 31.