Newsmakers

Rotary honors

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The Columbia County West Rotary Club recently presented the Johns Citizenship Award to a fifth-grade and eighth-grade boy and girl at each of the county's elementary and middle schools.

The Johns Citizenship Award is named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Otis Johns, both Columbia County teachers, who together contributed more than 75 years of dedication and inspiration to their students. Mrs. Johns helped the club develop the criteria for the awards; each school nominated the winners.

Each award winner received a certificate and a medal. The winners' names are inscribed on a plaque at each school.

The sponsors help offset the cost of the awards, and the 2006 contributors are: Georgia Power, Georgia Bank & Trust, The Columbia County News-Times, Evans Martinez Medical Center, Augusta Allergy and Dermatology, Cherry Bekaert and Holland, Landrum Supply Company, Meybohm Realty, and Norvell Fixture and Equipment Co.

The winners of this year's awards are: Belair - Ester Kwon and Alexis Gonzalez; Blue Ridge - Victoria Hall and Elijah Scott; Brookwood - Taylor Cason and Jared Williams; Euchee Creek - Hanna Bright and Hunter Peace; Greenbrier - Tori Moody and Michael Dalton; Grovetown - Samantha Genoa and John Christiansen; Lewiston - Alicia Beam and Hunter McBride; Martinez - Tara Sharpton and Bryce Adair; North Columbia - Keyonte Harris and Hunter Evans; North Harlem - Kelsey Green and Sean Spurlin; River Ridge - Kayla Weiters and Stephen Santiago; Riverside - McClain Lambert and Scott Bisch; South Columbia - Celeste Sanchez and Matthew Jenkins; Stevens Creek - Carson Crowley and Casen Belding; Westmont - Daly Jackson and Jeramie Bozeman.

Middle school awardees are: Columbia - Monica Ridlehoover and Alex Poppell; Evans - Vanessa Mata and Callan Thomas; Greenbrier - Hillary Matfess and Brian Underwood; Grovetown - Elaine Heim and Dexter Manning; Harlem - Lindsay Bennett and Brian Jordan; Lakeside - Allison Harrison and Malachi Anderton, and Riverside - Alicia Charette and Alex Moosariparambil.

The club supports these awards through the annual bike ride in conjunction with the Oliver Hardy Festival.

Citizenship award

Wayne Turner House, of Augusta Christian Schools, was recently given an Excellence in Citizenship award from Secretary of State Cathy Cox. House received a certificate signed by Cox and a letter from her office.

Inductees

Latonta Chanta Samuels was inducted into the Alpha Chi Delta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Augusta Technical College on May 30. Samuels, of Harlem and a major in business, is the daughter of Mr. Harry Crawford and Mr. and Mrs. Bernice Griffin, of Augusta.