Time capsule

As reported 36 years ago in the pages of The Columbia News and The Martinez-Evans Times, Oct. 6, 1971:

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County grows

Columbia County has become the fastest-growing county in Georgia.

The census shows an increase in population from 13,423 in 1960 to 22,327 in 1970, an increase of 66.3 percent.

Almost all of the increase occurred in the Martinez-Evans area.

Judge rejects suit against dress code

A federal judge has upheld the Columbia County Board of Education's authority to enforce the school dress code and has dismissed a $1 million suit filed against the board by William Leger Jr. of Martinez.

Judge Alexander A. Lawrence made the ruling at a hearing in Savannah.

Lawrence said enforcement of the dress code was "a school board problem - they're running the schools."

He dismissed two petitions filed by Leger, father of an Evans High School student who was dismissed from school for six days for refusing to have his hair cut to conform to the dress code requirements.

Attorneys for Leger had filed petitions attempting to prevent the school board from enforcing the hair-length regulations against Ricky Leger, an Evans High sophomore. The student's father had sought $1 million in damages for the six days of school his son missed.

The school board was represented by attorney Franklin Pierce, and the attorney for Leger was George Snelling.

Judge Lawrence, who also is presiding over the Richmond County desegregation case, wasn't too happy over having to appear at the hearing.

"As busy as I am," the judge told both parties, "why should I have to decide the length of a boy's hair?"