TODAY

SOUTHERN FRIED FLICKS FILM FESTIVAL: Today-Sunday; Imperial Theatre, 745 Broad St.; pass for all films, $20 adults, $15 seniors, pupils; per film, $5 adults, $3 seniors, pupils; (706) 722-8341, www.imperialtheatre.com

HERITAGE GALA: 6 p.m. Feb. 3; Augusta Marriott Hotel & Suites, 2 10th St.; with the Rev. Otis Moss III; formal attire; $100; reservations required by today; held by the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of History; (706) 724-3576, www.lucycraftlaneymuseum.com

THURSDAY

ART HALL OPENING RECEPTION AND EXHIBIT: 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Sacred Heart Cultural Center, 3101 Greene St.; exhibit by Lisa Baggs and Libby Osbon; free; (706) 826-4700, www.sacredheart augusta.org

RELAY RALLY FOR RELAY FOR LIFE: 6 p.m.; Simmons Hall, Warren Baptist Church, 3202 Washington Road; fundraising kickoff for American Cancer Society's Relay for Life: 7 p.m. Friday, May 11, Wilson Branch of The Family Y, 3570 Wheeler Road; (706) 729-2185

AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY'S BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS: 9 a.m.; board room of the J. Madden Reid Administrative Building, 1435 Walton Way; (706) 312-3158

RICHMOND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION: 4 p.m., committee meetings; 6 p.m., monthly business meeting, board's central offices, 864 Broad St.

AIKEN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT: 4 p.m., Oakwood-Windsor Elementary, 3773 Charleston Highway, Aiken. Meeting will be held to discuss principal vacancies.

FIGHTING THE COLD

You have a cold, and all you want is something to make you feel better. But the thought of the 4,000-plus products in the pharmacy aisles is enough to make you want to hide under the covers. Here's a simplified breakdown of what to look for.

There are four basic ingredients in cough and cold medications: antihistamine, decongestant, expectorant and cough suppressant.

ANTIHISTAMINE: Use when you have a runny nose, sneezing or itchy eyes. Side effects: Can be very sedating.

DECONGESTANT: Use for stuffiness, nasal congestion and pressure. Side effects: Hyperactivity, palpitations and dizziness.

EXPECTORANT: Use an expectorant when you have a productive cough - one with mucus. If mucus stays in the lungs, pneumonia can develop. If any of the mucus is green or yellow or contains blood, contact your physician.

SUPPRESSANT: A dry cough needs to be stopped because it can cause hoarseness and irritation. Nonproductive coughs need an antitussive such as dextromethorphan. Antitussives are also in throat lozenges.

Sources: www.drgreene.com; www.familydoctor.org