Thursday, June 5, 2008
Republican candidates 'leery' of speaking to Democratic voters
I am the chairwoman of the Columbia County Democratic Party. Recently, I have been asked by some of the candidates for county commission seats if they could come to one of our meetings and extend an "olive branch," shall we say, to our party members.
Much-maligned president of Confederacy should be remembered
June 3 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of the American statesman and Confederate president, Jefferson Davis.
Cheaper way to gas up
Floyd Harrison has opted to cruise on two wheels instead of four. With fuel prices approaching $4 per gallon, the 67-year-old Evans retiree purchased a Honda scooter last week from Street and Trail Motorsports in Evans to save money.
Augusta Prep holds commencement exercises
The last of Columbia County's high schools to graduate its seniors held a ceremony Sunday.
Studio will have first recital
Students at Shock Dance Academy will end their first year at the studio with a summer recital. The Martinez studio's students will perform Saturday at Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center.
Toastmasters want to build young leaders
The fear of speaking in public is common among adults. The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service is hoping to embolden the next generation by offering the Toastmaster Teen Leadership Program this month.
Lions Club to hold annual Dog Walk
Dog owners are invited to cruise with their pooches around a scenic Columbia County pond Saturday. The Evans Lions Club is holding its annual Dog Walk from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday at the Memorial Gardens behind the Columbia County Library.
Pupils bring hit show home
The Augusta Players Youth Theatre is bringing Disney's High School Musical to Columbia County.
Adoption spotlight
This female Bassett hound is between 2 and 3 years old and is available for adoption from Columbia County Animal Care and Control. For more information, call (706) 541-4077 or visit www.columbiacountyga.gov and follow the links to Animal Care and Control.
Cedar Ridge Elementary honor roll
Fourth nine weeks honor roll for Cedar Ridge Elementary.
South Columbia Elementary School Honor Roll
Fourth nine weeks honor roll for South Columbia Elementary School.
Current events
Cellist Paul Brantley and pianist Steve Beck will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center in Evans to benefit the Georgia Transplant Foundation. Tickets are available at www.tixonline.com or by calling (803) 278-4849.
Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Additional reports are available at www.columbiacountyso.org:
Kenny Chesney fans gather
Shannon Stampley, a visitor named Stephanie, Lisa Goddard, April Powell, Yvette Donaldson, Shannon Barlett and Tara Landrum attended a Kenny Chesney concert in Columbia.
Commendable steps to open government
In days gone by, finding out what your government was doing required a visit to the courthouse or tax office for tedious, eye-straining searches of monotonous documents.
Editorial cartoon
Editorial cartoon for Wednesday, June 4, 2008.
Testing issues still confused
Scrambling to set up makeup classes for the 467 eighth-graders who flunked the math portion of the Criterion Reference Competency Test, Columbia County's school system wound up giving out conflicting dates for the start of the middle-school classes.
Teams compete at tournaments
The '99 Patriots under-9 boys team finished in second place at the Atlanta Fire tournament in Duluth, Ga.
Summer brings signs of change
Evans coach Ricky Beale walked out to shake hands at home plate with Chris Wilkins and later with T.J. Davis as summer baseball kicked off Thursday. It was his first experience coaching against their teams, but he knew them well.
Area competitors excel in sports
Corky Holloway, top picker in the News-Times' Pigskin Picks contest.
Area standouts solid this season
It is no secret Columbia County has some of the premier baseball programs in Georgia. Region titles are expected, and deep playoff runs are the norm.
Lions grad set to test his versatility
Corey Critell enrolled at Augusta Christian this year as a senior, finished second in the shot put at the South Carolina Independent Schools Association AAA state meet, and signed a track scholarship with Shorter College on May 29.