Around Town:

The Phenix City Board of Education recently approved the naming of the former St. Patrick’s School to that of Creekside Early Learning Center. The school system has already begun renovations and anticipates opening the site this fall with six preschool classrooms. Parents of Pre-K students will be receiving a notice with specifics concerning their options from Phenix City Schools.

There’s a new app available that features nothing but your furriest friends at their finest-barking, meowing and otherwise enthusiastically announcing their presence to the world. The mobile app was launched June 15 and is called PetSmooch. The app will do for pets and their owners as other social media platforms have done for people. Users create profiles for their pets and start sharing photos and stories about them. Pet owners who are single will also find that PetSmooch is a great place to meet other single people. All users will be able to network with other animal lovers, breeders and animal shelters, creating connections. The app is available in the AppStore and Google Play.

A Coalition for Sound Growth member meeting will be held Monday, June 25 at Troy University, Riverfront Campus, Phenix City. Dr. David White, Vice Chancellor, Troy University, will give updates on the revitalization efforts happening in downtown Phenix City and riverfront area. Learn about the various community partnerships that have formed and how they have helped move the project forward for the benefit of our area. Lunch will be provided for $10. RSVP to Lucia Swift, csgcolumbus@gmail.com. which is needed for ordering purposes. The meeting will be at noon.

Arrow Exterminators recommends taking action to guard against the notorious pest-mosquitoes. Mosquitoes rank as the third most dreaded pests of 2018. Homeowners should remove all sources of standing water from around their home and cut back any unnecessary vegetation. Needing only small amounts of standing water to breed-a bottle cap full is enough-these blood-sucking pests can develop from egg to adult in just 10-14 days. Additionally, these pests are always in search of their next meal and sense a potential target from up to 75 feet away. To help homeowners protect themselves against mosquitoes this year, Arrow recommends the following proactive measures:

▪ Eliminate all sources of standing water such as childrens’s wading pools, birdbaths and flower pots.

▪ Keep rain gutters cleaned out to prevent water from standing in drains.

▪ Cut back or get rid of unnecessary vegetation around the home where mosquitoes can breed and/or rest.

▪ Keep swimming pools covered in colder months to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs there, and drain any water that has collected on pool covers.

▪ Remove water that has collected in tree holes and hollow stumps.

▪ Screen windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside your home.

▪ Consider using yellow bug light bulbs in outdoor light fixtures-the bulbs reduce the number of flying insects around your home.

Go to www.arrowexterminators.com for additional details.

This story was originally published June 15, 2018 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Around Town:."