Current events
County to address adult bookstores
Columbia County planning officials Thursday evening will meet to discuss revisions to the county's zoning ordinances involving adult bookstores. The public hearing will take place during the county's Planning and Zoning Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Evans Government Complex Auditorium.
Jeff Browning, director of planning and development, says the proposed revisions to the ordinance actually are aimed more at changes in industrial land use.
The issue arose three months ago when planners heard complaints from school officials about a zoning change near Columbia Middle School and Crossroads Academy. A requested industrial rezoning could have allowed uses that school officials felt would have been incompatible with the school, and zoning officials began researching ways to restrict some industrial uses to keep them away from schools and similar facilities.
The solution, Browning said, is to use restrictive language similar to laws that currently limit the location of adult bookstores. Thursday's hearing will discuss those limits, and planning officials will propose adding them to some heavy industrial uses.
Scholarship pageant
The 2003 Miss Columbia County Fair Scholarship Pageant will be Saturday. The pageant is for single women ages 17-24 and includes swimsuit, evening gown and talent divisions.
For more information, call Pat Becton at (706) 863-7645 or Debbie Zapata at (706) 863-3754.
Spaghetti supper fund-raiser
The annual Columbia County Cares Family Spaghetti Supper will be from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, at Marvin United Methodist Church gymnasium at the corner of Belair and Wheeler roads.
Tickets cost $5 each, and families of four or more eat for $20. Tickets can be obtained by calling (706) 541-2834 or at the door.
Proceeds provide the Columbia County Cares food pantry with funds to purchase foodstuffs from the Golden Harvest Food Bank.
For more information, call David Titus at (706) 556-8090.
Monthly inspiration lunch
The First Baptist Church of Evans will hold Time Out, its monthly inspiration and lunch gathering, at 11:50 a.m. Thursday at the church at Washington and Belair roads in Evans.
The speaker will be Chaplain John Messick of University Hospital.
Lunch costs $5, and reservations are requested by Wednesday. For more information or reservations, call the church at (706) 863-1128 or e-mail fbce@mindspring.com.
Winfield Fire meeting
The annual subscribers meeting of the Winfield Fire Department will be Thursday at the department on Cobbham Road.
New programs will be discussed, and hot dogs and hamburgers will be served.