Columbia County newsmakers
DeBolt inducted into Golden Key
Tracy Lynn DeBolt, of Martinez, recently was accepted into Golden key International Honour Society and was honored at a ceremony on the College of Charleston campus. DeBolt is a 2000 Lakeside High School graduate and daughter of Roy and Teresa DeBolt.
The society is a nonprofit, academic honors organization that provides academic recognition, leadership opportunities, community service, career networking and scholarships.
Jump-ropers break goal
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Pupils from Columbia County Christian Academy recently raised $1,400 for the American Heart Association at Jump Rope for Heart on April 4. The 40 students broke the $1,000 goal. Funds raised for Jump Rope for Heart help fight disease and stroke.
First-grader places in state art contest
Lauren McNeely, a first-grader at South Columbia Elementary School, was awarded Honorable Mention in the K-3 Visual Art category of a statewide contest sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. On March 27, Lauren and her parents, Chad and Terri McNeely, attended the 2003 Agriculture Day awards ceremony at the state Capitol in Atlanta, which was presided over by Gov. Sonny Perdue, Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin and Scottie Mayfield of Mayfield Dairies.
Lauren's oil-pastel landscape, for which she was awarded a medal and certificate, was submitted by her art teacher, Ivey Coleman.
Martinez native earns honors
Jessica Crouse, a 1999 Evans High School graduate, recently was honored at a campus ceremony at Florida State University, where she was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society for superior scholarship, leadership and character, and the Seminole Torchbearers for demonstrating organizational leadership, academic leadership and volunteer service.
Crouse, a senior industrial engineering major, received a Student Seminole Award for participation, leadership and service to FSU activities and was named in Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. She also was nominated for the J.R. Harding Award for exceptional leadership and education persistence through personal obstacles. Crouse is the daughter of Tom and Joni Crouse of Martinez.
Lakeside grad takes photography prize
Stacy Elise Poole, daughter of Sally Poole of Martinez, took second place in the Photography category of the Young Harris College Fine Arts Gallery annual Student Art Exhibit, which opened April 6. The show will run through April 29.
Poole is a 2001 Lakeside High School graduate and a member of the Young Harris women's soccer team.
Miss Paine College moves to alumni pageant
Jamey A. Frails, a junior English/mass communications major at Paine College, is the reigning Miss Paine College. Frails, a Harlem High School graduate, recently was featured in the April issue of Ebony magazine and a recent participant in the National Miss HBCU Alumni Hall of Fame Pageant in Atlanta.
Frails is the daughter of James and Catherine Frails of Harlem.
Martinez native elected junior class representative
Billy Byler of Martinez recently was elected student government representative for the junior class at Trevecca Nazarene University for the 2003-04 school year. He is the son of Bill Byler and a graduate of Augusta Christian School.
Byler, a sophomore mass communication major, is a member of the forensics team, editor of the school paper and is active in an inner-city basketball ministry. He is planning for a career in sports broadcasting.
Grovetown native makes honor list
Richard Eric Wheeler, a senior at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., was named to the college's Military Honors List at Honors Day ceremonies April 6. To be eligible for the list, students must attend classes full-time and earn at least a 3.5 grade-point average.
Excellence in Teaching winners named
The Westinghouse Savannah River Co. announced the winners of its 2003 Excellence in Teaching mini-grants at a reception in late April. The grants support excellence in teaching by providing grant money to enhance public elementary- and middle-school science, mathematics and technology programs.
$1,000 winners: Joan Adkins, Lenoir Stokes, Shelley Evans, Emily King and Tonya Cadle, all of Riverside Middle School.
$750 winners: Callie Goodrum, Janet Neihoff, Mary Cleary and Melissa McCook, all of Columbia Middle School, and Lanese H. Thomas, Riverside Middle School.
$350 winners: Angela Culverhouse, Belair Elementary School, Linda Rennick and Lynn Carswell, both of Blue Ridge Elementary School, and John Eckworth, Riverside Middle School.
Martinez native enters MCG
Amy Hendrickson, daughter of Phil and Carol Hendrickson of Martinez, recently was accepted into the dental hygiene program at the Medical College of Georgia. She is a 2001 Evans High School graduate and is currently a sophomore at Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville.
Science students
Whitney Daly and Alex Jones, two seventh-grade Columbia Middle School pupils, have pursued an interest in science by competing and winning in many science fair competitions.
Alex researched the effects of x-ray radiation on bean seeds and Whitney researched the effects of music on plant growth. Alex won first place and Whitney won second place in the CSRA Science and Engineering Fair at Columbia Middle School. Both Alex and Whitney won first place in the CSRA RESA Regional Science Fair at Lakeside High School. Alex won third place at the CSRA Science Fair at Augusta State University and won the Outstanding Project Award and a $50 check from the Savannah River Chapter of the Health Physics Society. Both Alex and Whitney competed in the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair at University of Georgia in Athens. Alex placed second and Whitney placed honorable mention at the University of Georgia science fair competition. Whitney and Alex have maintained a 100 average in science throughout the year.