Nov. 4: Elections Day. Tuesday is Elections Day, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at designated polling locations throughout the city and county. Citizens may visit the My Voter Page, at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov, hosted by the Georgia Secretary of State, which contains specific voter information and a sample ballot. Contact the Lowndes County Board of Elections at (229) 671-2850 for more details.

Nov. 4:ZBOA Meets. The Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA) will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, at 2:30 p.m., in City Hall Annex Multi-Purpose Room. The ZBOA hears all variance requests and appeals regarding staff interpretations to the City of Valdosta Zoning Ordinance. Contact the Planning and Zoning Office at (229) 259-3563 for information.

Nov. 4:City Council Meets for Work Session. The Mayor and City Council will meet for a work session on Tuesday, beginning at 5:30 p.m., which allows council members to spend an adequate amount of time discussing agenda items. The meeting is open to the general public and is held in the second floor Council Chambers of City Hall, at 216 E. Central Avenue.

Nov. 6: Valdosta City Council Meets. The Mayor and City Council will meet this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The meeting is open to the general public. Click here to view the agenda.

Nov. 6: VPD Citizen's Police Academy Continues with Week #7. Citizens who signed up for the Citizen's Police Academy are in week #7 of an 8-week program on Thursday evenings to get a better understanding of the internal workings of a modern day law enforcement agency. The class is free and is one of three citizens information programs designed to engage and educate citizens on their local government. Call VPD Officer Vernotis Williams at (229) 292-7785 for more information or to get an application for the next class.

Nov. 7: Public Art Unveiled Downtown. Valdosta Mayor John Gayle will unveil the new public art mural "The River of Life in the Azalea City" in downtown Valdosta at a dedication event on Friday, Nov. 7, at 5:30 p.m., in conjunction with the monthly First Friday event. The event is hosted by the Turner Center for the Arts, the City of Valdosta and Downtown Valdosta merchants and will be held in Bennie's Alley near Colyer's Jeweler. Refreshments will be served.  Click here, or call (229) 247-ARTS.

Nov. 8: Have a Heart for the Homeless. The Valdosta-Lowndes Area Community Partners are collecting items for the homeless in our area at the Have a Heart for the Homeless event, on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Olympic Park. Citizens who would like to donate winter clothing, blankets, personal hygiene items, bottled water and a number of other necessities may drop these items off at the Saturdayevent OR may drop them at the Valdosta Fire Department Station #1 prior to the event.  For a full list of items that are being collected or to find out how you or your organization can get involved in these efforts, call the VFD at (229) 333-1835.