Wednesday, January 7, 2004

Thanks to those who helped with fund-raiser
Editor: Ive been trying to think of a time in the past 21 years that Golden Harvest Food Bank has been approached by a restaurant where the owners told me in no uncertain terms: Mike Firmin Executive Director Golden Harvest Food Bank

Traffic, not race, is issue for foes of new church
Editor: This is concerning a recent editorial urging people in the area of the proposed church near Lewiston Elementary School to be more tolerant. Kay Rexer Evans

Drives fight blood shortage
The Shepeard Community Blood Center, responsible for stocking area hospitals with blood donations, held emergency drives last week to stock depleted supplies.

Board of education elects new chairman
Roxanne Whitaker was elected chairman of the Columbia County Board of Education on Monday morning, her second turn as chairman in her eight years on the board.

Diner owner is honored for musical career
From Hee Haw to Miss Linda's Diner and all the Georgia honky-tonks in between, A. Jaye O'Bryant has led a colorful career that recently landed the Grovetown resident in the Georgia Country Music Hall of Fame.

Two new executives join chamber boards
The Augusta Metro and Columbia County chambers of commerce will hold their 96th joint annual meeting Thursday at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta, 2 10th St.

Rescue takes in unusual, unwanted feathered pets
A refuge in Appling for tropical birds? Doris Klose could see the potential.

Police arrest nine in holiday DUIs
With many residents celebrating through the holidays, the Columbia Cou

Local groups will gather for arts retreat
To bolster interest in the county's art scene, Columbia County Arts Inc. will hold an arts retreat Saturday in Evans.

New Year's promises are starting to work out
It's almost one week into 2004, and already some New Year's resolutions have been broken. But local experts say the key to keeping those resolutions is to start slowly and don't give up.

Officials discuss future of water, sewer system
Grovetown city officials and county commissioners will decide soon what direction they want to take with the future of Grovetown's water and sewage systems.

Pet of the week
This terrier mix, a friendly, lovable male estimated to be a year old, was picked up as a stray by Columbia County Care and Control and is available for immediate adoption. For more information, call Roman Howerton at 541-4077 or visit www.co.columbia.ga.us and follow the links to Animal Care and Control. Adult animals, such as today's Pet of the Week, cost $25 to adopt; the adoption fee for puppies and kittens is $20. All animals must be spayed or neutered.

Get up and go
The first of a five-part peace education series on Pax Christi, the Catholic peace movement, will be 7-9 p.m. Jan. 13 in the Upper Room of St. Mary on the Hill School. The other sessions will be Jan. 20, and Feb. 3 and 10. The sessions are open to anyone desiring to build peace in the new year. The cost is $5 for materials. For more information, call the Rev. Bob Cushing at 863-4956.

Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

School menus
Here are school lunch menus.

Time capsule
As reported 35 years ago in The Columbia News, Jan. 9, 1969:

Current events
The Columbia County property tax division of the Tax Commissioner's Office will reopen today in its new Evans location.

Two real nuts, and nutty words
For Georgia legal observers, this will have to be one of the biggest weeks ever. Jury selection began this week in Augusta for the first of four death-penalty trials for Reinaldo Rivera, and Dwight York goes on trial for multiple child-molestation charges in Glynn County.

Slow and steady, school sale coming
A couple of years ago, a passing commentary in The News-Times drew hasty denials from school system officials: No, they said, Evans Middle School wasnt for sale.

New judge sends tough message
Many in Columbia County were thrilled back in September when Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed Mike Annis of Evans to fill a vacancy on the Augusta Judicial Circuit bench.

'Flu' and other tales
If youre a reluctant shopper like I am, you probably forked over exorbitant postage and handling fees and ordered your gifts online or from a mail-order catalog, too. In the latter case, you also know what happened after you dropped that first envelope in the mail: Hundreds of catalogs from other optimistic merchandisers began arriving at your door.

Excitement greeted new theater
As the evening shadows fell on the town of Harlem on Aug. 11, 1949, excitement filled the air. There was an influx of people from all over the county and the surrounding areas.

Disc golf course is taking shape
Members of the Augusta Disc Golf Association planted three baskets in the ground at Wildwood Park Saturday in hopes of growing a crop of enthusiasts in their sport.

Athlete Spotlight
Michelle Swiec and Gavin Globensky have a few things in common.

Sports briefs
The Lakeside High School wrestling team finished sixth out of 18 teams competing in the Tara Classic last weekend in Jonesboro.

Schools' teams start grueling 2004 schedules
Columbia County's high-school athletes are back from winter break, and now the local prep squads will begin a back-breaking stretch.

Bottom Line: Jags Baseball team loaded with county talent
In less than a month the Augusta State University baseball team opens the 2004 season, and Columbia County will be well-represented when the Jaguars hit the diamond.

Area activities
The Marshall Family Y in Evans will celebrate its one-year anniversary from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday with a moon bounce, games, refreshments and membership specials. The event is free. For more information, call 364-3269.