New Members

The Curious Fox Co. 803 Avenue D Opelika, AL 843.209.4043 http://thecuriousfox.co/ Retail Hometown on the Plains 1943 A South College St Auburn, AL 256.476.0823 http://www.hometownlendersontheplains.com Mortgage Lender Traye Hulsey 205.276.2043 Insurance

Liberty Communities: The Chimneys 1007 West Point Pkwy Opelika, AL 205.208.8989 Contractors Holland Homes - Morgan Alexander 256.777.8002 Real Estate - Agent Barber's Driving School, Inc 3709 Gentian Boulevard Suite 5 Columbus, GA 706.561.2509 Driver's Education Class

State Farm Insurance - Scott Holley January 20 I 2 pm 778 N Dean Rd Suite 200 I Auburn Southern Union State Community College Administration Building January 25 I 11 am 301 Lake Condy Rd I Opelika Dani's Cheesecake January 27 I 3 pm Opelika Chamber | 601 Avenue A I Opelika

Transform your business by undergoing a hands-on training session to develop your planning, problem-solving & decision-making skills to achieve your company goals for the 2022 year! This is a professional development workshop on February 4th from 8:30am-10:30am and will be offered in-person at the new Opelika Public Library! Tickets are $20 for Chamber Members and $30 for Non-Chamber Members. Deadline to register is February 3rd at 5:00pm.

Register here!

Join the Opelika Chamber on Friday, February 11th for the annual State of the City address featuring the Honorable Mayor Gary Fuller of Opelika. Mayor Fuller will give a comprehensive update on the state of the City of Opelika. State of the City is brought to you by our presenting sponsor ESG Operations, Inc. The price to attend is $45 for chamber members and $55 for non-chamber members. The deadline to register is Friday, February 4th at 5:00pm. Register here! The Opelika Chamber is extending a call to our members and the Opelika community, because who knows our town better than the people themselves! If you have a business you know and love with an incredible story or experience they are willing to share, please click the button below and let us know! We feature local businesses and are looking to fill our upcoming publication with feature articles of stories our members want to hear or even tell! Submit a story here!

MEMBER NEWS

Rock N' Roll Pinball January 19 | 7pm | OAPAC evening of Film Noir in the Jailhouse January 20 | 7:30pm | Trivia on Music January 21 | 8pm - 10pm | Sutton Smith performs January 22 | 8pm - 10pm | Daniel McDaniel performs Opelika Career Center January Events The Opelika Career Center will be hosting many events this month to help people not only get the job, but also keep the job! Check out their full list of events here. The career center's VITA program is also taking appointments now for the upcoming tax season, for more information call 833.755.2179. January 25 | 10am - 12pm | Job Fair at the new City of Opelika Library January 27 | 10am - 12pm | Job Fair at the Auburn Chamber Office Digital High School Job Board Opelika High School and Auburn High School have joined together to create a digital high school job board to help fill your hiring needs! If your business is looking to hire high school students for part-time employment, please email Amy Hanna at [email protected], Stephanie David at [email protected], or Audrey Marshall at [email protected] to get your job openings posted. For more information see here. Opelika City Schools Reinstate Mask Requirement Due to the local high positivity rate of COVID and based upon the recommendations of local physicians, the Opelika City Schools will reinstate the mask requirement for all students and staff beginning Tuesday, January 18, 2022. OCS will have masks available for those who need them. Masks will be required indoors and on school buses through the end of the school day on Friday, January 28, 2022. OCS reminds parents to monitor their children for COVID symptoms and keep them home if they are sick.  City of Opelika's Court Forgiveness Program The City of Opelika is offering its first ever Court Forgiveness Program. The program provides an opportunity for those with certain municipal court charges to clear their cases without concern of being physically arrested. For a full listing of details on the Court Forgiveness Program, visit www.opelika-al.gov or call the Opelika Municipal Court office at 334-705-5196. Heritage Gifts & Gourmet Closing - 50% Everything In Store After 28 years Heritage Gifts & Gourmet is closing its doors. Now through January 31 everything in the store will be 50% off the original price. Heritage Gifts wants to thank all its customers and supporters over the years and will miss the interaction with everyone. Blu Haven Spa January Healthcare Workers Special A Blu Haven Spa is offering $30 off any of their 3 facials through the entire month of January for healthcare workers! For more information see here.

Lauren Bland State Farm is Hiring Are you outgoing and customer-focused? Do you enjoy working with the public? If you answered yes to these questions, working for a State Farm independent contractor agent may be the career for you! State Farm agents are independent contractors that market State Farm insurance and financial services products. Lauren Bland State Farm is looking for a new team member! This position will be filled by someone who is enthusiastic and motivated to assist customers with insurance and financial services to help them manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. Employees of State Farm agents must be able to successfully complete any applicable licensing requirements and training programs required by the agent. To apply or learn more see here. 2022 AMEA Scholarship Program Application Deadline is February 14th Will you be graduating from high school in the spring of 2022? Do you receive your electricity from a public power utility in Alabama? Then if your answer to these questions is “yes,” you could be eligible to receive a scholarship from the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority (AMEA) and its Member cities/utilities. AMEA and its Members will make available 44, $2,500 scholarships (4 scholarships per Member city) in 2022. Applications are currently available from school counselors in AMEA Member cities, or you can go online to the AMEA web site, www.amea.com, Scholarship. Application deadline is Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. For more information see here. Opelika Theatre Company Announcements The Opelika Theatre Company has many great things going on to start off 2022! Check out the list below and for more information see here. Opelika Theatre Company Shoe Drive has been extended to February 15th. They have currently collected 35 bags with a goal of collecting 65. The shoes will be sent to third world countries to help citizens improve their economy. Drop off locations are Opelika Library, Auburn Bank, Tigertown, Franklin Tire, Southside Center, Opelika Observer, and the Chamber of Commerce. O-ACT academy classes are growing by leaps and bounds. They offer classes for ages 5 through adults in all aspects of stage performing and musical theatre. The acting classes focus on scene studies, audition skills, acting techniques, improv, communication skills, character development and more. Wesley Knox, veteran stage actor and director will be offering adult acting classes on Wednesday nights from 6:30pm-8:00pm. Register for an introductory FREE class for Wednesday, January 24th. The OTC is partnering with NAACP/ACT-SO and R.E.A.C.H. to present a showcase for Black History Month - Celebrating Black Greatness. This show will be at Southside Center for the Arts on February 26th at 2pm and 7pm. Applications are being accepted for performers of all ages and the deadline for applications is January 31st. Access the application here.

Check out our NEW youtube video below!

The Connector Policy Please contact Lenzi Womack, [email protected] if you have an announcement that you would like to put on The Connector newsletter. Our policy is to run the announcement for 2 weeks. Check out our community calendar on our website, www.opelikachamber.com.   601 Avenue A, Opelika I 334.745.4861 I www.opelikachamber.com