Wednesday, July 23, 2008

County's water-bill newsletter shouldn't be written by chairman
An increasing number of Columbia County citizens are becoming angry at the monthly publication, "Endless Opportunities," which comes in the mail with our water bills and is written by County Commission Chairman Ron Cross.

Evans Town Park opens
Evans Town Park is officially open for business. About 250 local business people and dignitaries celebrated the grand opening of the retail and office complex Thursday.

Hospital volunteer receives top award
She loves working with kids so much she spends several days each week volunteering with the patients in the pediatrics unit of Doctors Hospital.

Camp gives Scouts Earth-friendly lessons
Cub Scouts from the Kiokee district took control of Wildwood Park last week for some fun in the sun.

Noise complaints rise as shows grow
With its numerous concerts and music festivals, Columbia County Amphitheater attracts large crowds from Augusta and surrounding areas.

Band playing locally gains national notice
Before Saving Jane performs Sunday in Columbia County, lead singer Marti Dodson explains to fans just what type of band they are.

Sales tax talks change focus
Columbia County officials held another public meeting Thursday at the Appling courthouse to discuss projects for the next round of sales tax revenue.

Officials talk of funds split
Officials from Columbia County, Harlem and Grove-town met last week in hopes of settling negotiations over the split of 1-cent local option sales tax revenue among the three governments.

Make-A-Wish seeks volunteers
A presentation was all it took for Linda Walker to volunteer with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Planning board OK changes
The Columbia County Planning Commission recently gave the green light to certain design variations for an energy-efficient office building in Evans.

Children at the heart of Beagle Club's festivities
Though the dog days of summer have arrived, one breed will reign as the top canine Saturday at Winfield.

Time Capsule
As reported 29 years ago in the pages of The Columbia News and The Martinez-Evans Times, Wednesday, July 25, 1979:

Current Events
After a series of meetings, the Columbia County Commission sets tax rates for the coming year.

Georgia Lightning take state championship
The Georgia Lightning 13-and-under are the USSSA state champions. Team members are Ryan Shead (front, from left), Zack Metcalf, Austin Sulik, Tyler Williams, Devin Hagen, Ryan Beasley and Josh Roye; coach Billy Kelly (back, from left), Stephen Hutto, Jon Jon Evans, Hunter McBride, coach Jack Davis, Austin Robinson, Zach Hornsby and coach Glenn Vannay. Not shown is Andrew Smith.

Man drives vehicle into woods
Emergency crews work to remove Melvin Carpenter, 41, of Evans, from his vehicle, which was located in the woods off Furys Ferry Road on Saturday.

Vacation Gallery
Special Photos Gordon and Angela Prettelt and son Destin Olson pose with Diane Sawyer (far right) and Robin Roberts (left), of Good Morning America, during their trip to New York City.[CAPTION] Vacation photos Taking a trip out of town or heading to a local park? Send us a family photo, and we'll publish it in The News-Times . Bring or mail a photo to our office at 4272 Washington Road, Suite 3B, Evans, GA 30809, or e-mail photos to cnt@newstimesonline. com. Be sure to write a few words to tell readers about your trip. [CAPTION] James and Bobby Dickey, of Evans, rode the Mobile Bay ferry in June during a family vacation to Alabama's Gulf Coast.[CAPTION] Hayden, 11, and Madison, 9, Stencel vacationed with their parents, Mark and Stacey Stencel, of Evans, and their grandparents Bennie and Sandra Harbin, of Martinez, at North Myrtle Beach, S.C., where they visited the new Hard Rock Park.

Camp Calendar
Columbia County Recreation Department volunteer coach Jim Siple is holding his fifth annual summer workout for students ages 10 and older preparing for fall sports.

Girl Scouts pursue projects
Members of Daisy Girl Scout Troop 138 who were earning their Respecting Authority petal viewed a demonstration by Columbia County sheriff's Sgt. Donna Sherrill (right), and visited Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue's Sugar Creek fire station for a demonstration by firefighters and EMTs

Victory celebration
U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (center) speaks with Evans residents Sue and Don Davis at a celebration for friends, family and supporters in honor of his victory in the state's 10th Congressional District Republican primary July 15. The celebration was held Friday at Savannah Rapids Pavilion.

Police Blotter
Alicia Renee Driggers, 41, of Tarrytown, was pronounced dead at Medical College of Georgia Hospital at 2 a.m., Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins said.

Pet of the week
This 8-year-old, female Bassett hound is available for adoption from Columbia County Animal Care and Control. For more information, call (706) 541-4077 or visit http://www.columbiacountyga.gov and follow the links to Animal Care and Control. Adult animals, such as today's Pet of the Week, cost $25 to adopt and the adoption fee for puppies and kittens cost $20. All animals must be spayed or neutered. Visitors must wear closed-in shoes to visit the kennel area, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Overdosing on 'Florida Euphoria'
The green I-4 signage reads "Walt Disney World 47 mi." A land unto itself, it is rivaled only by the Vatican City.

Editorial cartoon
Editorial cartoon for Wednesday, July 23, 2008.

Vote on Aug. 5 - if you're still eligible
Primary election season isn't over in Columbia County yet - unless you voted last week as a Republican. For everyone else, there's one more election Aug. 5. It'll be an expensive one.

Stalled action helps and hurts
When the going gets tough, the politicians look for the exits. They're not trying to run for the door. They're looking for an exit strategy from status quo.

Winkler takes a trip to the White House
Jeff Snover didn't miss a beat in listing off his friend Scott Winkler's summer schedule leading up to the Paralympic Games, except when it came to what Winkler would do at the White House.

Sports Calendar
Team members are being sought for a reunion of the Tubman Junior High School 1963 football team to be held Sept. 5. For information, call Charlie Beale at (706) 863-9818, or Pat Ford at (706) 650-0405.

Evans big man has potential to turn heads
Last basketball season, while covering an Evans/Greenbrier matchup, I caught a glimpse of a kid who really intrigued me.

Adam King Greenbrier High School
Skip Fite likes to recruit proven winners, as any college coach would.