Columbia County newsmakers

GC&SU Top 100

Four local students are among those chosen for the list of Top 100 entering freshman at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville for fall 2002.

Ashley Dietrich, Taylor Roy and Cassidy Thigpen, all of Martinez, were among the students chosen for the honor. Britney Graham of Grovetown also was included on the list.

The Top 100 list is determined on the basis of high school grade point averages and combined SAT and ACT scores.

//

GC&SU ambassador

David Nguyen of Evans has been chosen to serve on the Georgia College & State University Student Ambassador Team. Nguyen, a freshman chemistry major, is the son of Theresa Luong and Hung Do of Evans. He graduated from Evans High School.

GC&SU student ambassadors are a select group of students dedicated to enhancing the image of the university. Their duties include serving as hosts and hostesses and providing information during semester and summer orientation programs, and at special GC&SU events sponsored by the president, the admissions office, the advancement office and the schools of the university.

Ambassadors are student admission representatives, campus tour guides, commencement and convocation ushers and attendants, and role models and informal mentors to prospective and incoming students.

Volunteer award

Senior Morgan Butler has been named the Augusta Christian Schools volunteer of the year in the Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards program.

She worked more than 300 hours during high school at University Hospital. She is also a volunteer firefighter. Sponsored by Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the award recognizes outstanding community service by young Americans. Morgan is now eligible for the Georgia youth volunteer of the year awards.

In a special ceremony at Augusta Christian Schools, principal Leanne Hines praised Morgan for her commitment to volunteer service and presented her with a certificate from the Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards program.

TIP scholars

Several Augusta Christian School students were selected recently to participate in Duke University's Talent Identification Program, or TIP.

The TIP Talent Search is now beginning its 24th year and is the largest program of its kind in the nation. The Talent Search identifies academically talented seventh-graders based on standardized test scores achieved while attending elementary or middle school.

Candidates are identified and invited to complete either the SAT I: Reasoning Test or the ACT Assessment college entrance examination. Through the sharing of information, programming, recognition ceremonies and the special attention inherent in the Talent Search identification process, TIP offers supplementation of local efforts to motivate, enrich and academically challenge some of our community's brightest young people.

CMU graduate

Joseph Dingle of Grovetown is among 2,100 students who graduated in August from Central Michigan University. Dingle received a master of arts degree.

Teaching scholarships

Emily Moore of Martinez is one of 15 University of Georgia College of Education students who have been awarded student teaching scholarships for spring semester 2004.

Moore is studying language education from UGA. Scholarship funding is $750 for each student teacher, with funding from the UGA Foundation and Trust accounts.

Dean's List

Morgan E. Starr, daughter of Travis and Diane Starr of Martinez, has been named to Dean's List at the University of Alabama. She previously earned Dean's List honors at Georgia State University where she attended last year.

Starr is a 2000 graduate of Lakeside High School.

Legislative award

Georgia State Rep. Ben Harbin, R-Evans, was presented with a 2003 Legislative Service Award by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia during the ACCG 7th District Meeting Nov. 18 at the Burke County Office Park Complex in Waynesboro.

The Legislative Service Award is given annually to lawmakers who demonstrate distinguished leadership and interest in working with county governments for the benefit of Georgia's citizens.

Harbin is credited with co-sponsoring legislation to create a House Study Committee on Franchise Fees and the Use of Public Right-of-Way. Counties, unlike cities, do not have the authority to charge franchise fees to most public utilities for the use of county rights-of-way. The purpose of the study committee is to look at all types of franchise fees and explore options for making these fees more equitable among all users of local government rights-of-way.