Time Capsule

As reported 31 years ago in the pages of The Columbia News and The Martinez-Evans Times, Wednesday, June 15, 1977:

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Budget approved

The Columbia County Board of Education approved the tentative 1977-78 school budget of $8,377,178.95. The tentative budget has been thoroughly reviewed during six called meetings, and it will be subject to final adoption in July.

Superintendent John Pierce Blanchard announced that he would make a recommendation for a reduction in maintenance and operation taxes for the next school year, based on the amount of the final approved budget.

Pastors called

- Kiokee Baptist Church in Appling has called Bill Derryberry to serve as pastor. G.B. Pollard Jr., chairman of the pulpit committee, states that Derryberry has accepted the call of the historic church, which was issued in a special business conference on Monday, May 8, 1977.

The 34-year-old minister is a native of Ohio. He has preached on every inhabited continent of the world.

- Evans Baptist Church extended a call Sunday night to Michael Williams as minister of music. Williams will assume his responsibilities with the church the first of August. Pastor John Miller said, "We are extremely pleased that Mike has accepted the call and look forward to working with him and sharing the ministry of our church."

Courthouse fund cut

Columbia County will not receive adequate public works funding to build a new courthouse, and the city of Grovetown is expected to receive more Economic Development Authority funds than was anticipated by city officials.

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners, county zoning administrator Steve Szablewski, administrative aide Hank Fitch, Grovetown Mayor Leon Davidson and Grovetown Councilman Herman Austin met with CSRA Planning Commission representatives Monday, June 13, and discussed the EDA allocations, which total $701,000.

Columbia County, which requested more than $2 million to build a courthouse, will receive $182,000. Grovetown will get $519,000 for additional sidewalks, storm drains, street lights and street markers.

Because the EDA grant will not adequately finance a new courthouse, the county would have to seek more than $1.7 million in funding from other sources.