Time capsule

As reported 47 years ago in the pages of The Columbia County News-Times, Thursday, Feb. 2, 1961:

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School building program updated

A $230,000 school bond issue election slated here on Feb. 15, 1961, to finance a school improvement program, has created strong public interest with many Columbia County civic organizations and individuals publicly endorsing the issue.

A large group of Columbia County's leading citizens visited county schools on Wednesday to see, first hand, the conditions of the schools.

A series of public meetings has been scheduled in all school districts to explain all phases of the proposed school improvement projects.

John Pierce Blanchard, Columbia County school superintendent, said the proposed building program will include a new 14-classroom elementary school in Martinez. Other improvements and additions call for new classrooms at Grovetown and Harlem elementary schools and at three black schools: George T. White, Gibbs and Blanchard.

The new school in Martinez will be located on Flowing Springs Road near Edgewood subdivision, Blanchard stated, and a 12-acre tract has been purchased for the building.

Eight new schools were constructed in Columbia County in 1956-57, four white and four black, at a total cost of $1.3 million.

Agents make moonshine arrests

Federal agents this past week made a daylight raid pay off with the arrest of four Columbia County men, apprehended at a 2,000-gallon whiskey still.

Destroyed along with the still were 2,000 gallons of mash and 75 gallons of whiskey.

Officers said the mash was being cooked in two 1,000-gallon tanks. One tank was being cooked when the 4:15 p.m. raid was made.

A spokesman for the FBI said the still had been in operation for about six weeks.