County to celebrate prayer day

Columbia County officials will meet in prayer Thursday for the first time in their own county for the National Day of Prayer.

Previously, county officials had attended a similar event that is held each year in Richmond County. This time, Columbia County will hold its own prayer breakfast starting at 7 a.m. Thursday at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion.

"It's been my desire in talking to other commissioners that we should have something like that in our county,'' said Columbia County Commission Chairman Ron Cross in a recent commission meeting.

Bill Harrell, the pastor of Abilene Baptist Church, spoke to the commission about the event at the recent meeting, saying he was glad such an event would be held in Columbia County.

"We're hoping this is something that will grow over a period of time,'' he said.

Cross said the event also would include bluegrass gospel music.