Columbia County newsmakers
Church calls new pastor
The Rev. Jerry Pitman is the new pastor of Silver Run Baptist Church in Harlem.
Pitman and his wife Carolyn have lived in Grovetown for 35 years. They have a son, Jerry Jr., and a daughter, Jenny Willis, and four grandchildren.
Pitman graduated from Augusta State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and earned his Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Foundation donates to university foundation
The Watson-Brown Foundation Inc., a Georgia nonprofit corporation, has pledged to donate $250,000 to the State University of West Georgia Foundation over the next five years to provide scholarships for students enrolled in the Advanced Academy of Georgia.
The Advanced Academy of Georgia is one of fewer than 10 programs in the nation that allows gifted high school juniors and seniors to live on a university campus while they complete their high school graduation requirements and earn university credit by taking university courses.
The Watson-Brown Foundation was established in 1970 initially to provide merit- and need-based college scholarships for students from the Central Savannah River Area of Georgia and South Carolina.
The Watson-Brown scholarships at West Georgia will be presented to students of particularly high academic merit and preference will be given to students who demonstrate compelling financial need and area from rural areas of Georgia.
Local student wins award
Autumn Beryl Hostetter of Augusta has been awarded the Gordon Barber Memorial Poetry Award at Berry College in Rome, Ga.
The award is presented annually to the students submitting the best original poems.
Hostetter, a sophomore psychology major, is the daughter of Beryl F. Hostetter.
Greenbrier teacher recognized
Diane Mitchell, a teacher at Greenbrier High School, has been recognized by the National Youth Leadership Forum for encouraging students to pursue their career interests.
"Mitchell shows commitment to enhancing the educational experience by nominating Greenbrier High School students to explore NYLF programs in Law, Medicine, and/or Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy," a statement by the NYLF said.
Local student honored by Michigan college
Kenyia Batts, a 2000 graduate of Evans High School, has been honored by Adrian College for her service to the campus and community.
Batts, a freshman communications major, is the daughter of Myron and Katherine Batts.
Local students honored by VSU
Two students from Columbia County have been inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta, a national freshman honor society, at Valdosta State University.
Rebecca E. Brown of Evans and Christina Sesto of Martinez met the honor society's criteria of having a cumulative grade point average of 3.5, based on a minimum of 12 credit hours taken during the student's first semester at VSU.
Local student graduates from Georgia Tech
Thomas Dabbs has received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.
He is a 1997 graduate of Evans High School and the son of Steve and Dori Dabbs of Evans.
Evans graduate wins scholarship
Stephen Alexander Box, a 1998 graduate of Evans High School, has been awarded the Gerald B. and Charlotte Alexander Saunders Scholarship for graduate studies at the University of Georgia's School of Forest Resources.
Box, a senior, will graduate from the university this summer and will begin graduate school in the fall.
He is the son and Mr. and Mrs. Alex Box of Martinez.
Lakeside graduate earns Master's Degree
Brian P. Murrell, a 1996 graduate of Lakeside High School and a 2000 graduate of Georgia Southern University, has received a Master of Science degree in biology from Georgia Southern.
He graduated with an overall grade point average of 3.95 in his graduate studies.
He is the son of John and Sandra Murrell of Martinez.
Library employees win recognition
Several employees of the Columbia County Libraries have been recognized for their achievements.
Honored were Christina Rice, director of the libraries; Kathy Hebert, branch manager of the Gibbs Library; Helen Munari, a library associate; and Sherryl James, reference librarian.
Grovetown student named to academy
Jessica West, a student at Harlem High School, has been named a United States National Award Winner.
She will appear in the U.S. Achievement Academy Official Yearbook.
She is the daughter of Ralph and Robin West of Grovetown.
Jazz dancer
Tracy Sickles is a 1998 graduate of Evans High School, and recently graduated from the dance education department at the University of Georgia. She attended the World Jazz Congress in Mexico last year and will be auditioning with the Giordano Jazz Dance Company in Chicago. Giordano is considered one of the premier jazz company in the US. She's also a finalist in the 2002 Leo's Jazz Dance Choreography Competitive Event.
Art graduate
Kirsten Danielle Hill, graduated May 4 from Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Ga., with a bachelor of arts in art. She will attend The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City in the fall, and will study accessory design. She is a 1998 graduate of Evans High School and the daughter of Daniel and Claire Hill of Martinez.
Panel Appointment
Don Strogonoff, Training Director for ComputerLand Advanced Technology Group in Augusta has been appointed to the Product Research Panel for Elementk, one of the largest training solutions provider in the world. Strogonoff, of Harlem, has been the training director for ComputerLand ATG since it started the training division in 1999.
BSU award
Janeice Peoples, a senior psychology major from Evans, won the longevity award at the Augusta State University Black Student Union's annual awards banquet April 19.