Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Tax bills go out without grant
Property tax bills were sent out Friday to Columbia County residents, despite the uncertainty generated by Gov. Sonny Perdue's plan to withhold $428 million from the Homestead Tax Relief Grant.

Officials plan Reed Creek park expansion
Columbia County officials want to get the public closer to nature -- literally.

Residents invited to drop off recyclables
Two Columbia County events are offering residents an opportunity to clean out their closets and file cabinets.

A new year, a new locker
The first day of school got off to a smooth start in Columbia County.

Xtreme Weekend kicks off
Wesley United Methodist Church will open its doors to teens Friday to kick off its annual "Xtreme Weekend."

Planners give 2 projects OK
The approval of two preliminary plats Thursday by the Columbia County planners helped along projects for a new Wal-Mart shopping center near Grovetown and another long-awaited shopping center in Martinez.

Employee honored
Columbia County's Employee of the Month for August is Renee Peloquin, administrative specialist for the Construction and Maintenance Division.

Pet of the week
These two male kittens -- a gray and white long-haired tabby and a short-haired orange tabby -- are 10 to 12 weeks old. They are 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. Adult animals, such as today's Pet of the Week, cost $25 to adopt and the adoption fee for puppies and kittens is $20. All adopted 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 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Volunteer of Year honored
James Champion (left), Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue assistant chief and Board of Directors president, presents volunteer firefighter Jamie Atkins the 2007-08 Volunteer of the Year Award on Aug. 4 during the department's annual meeting, held at the headquarters station in Martinez. Atkins also was elected to serve as a member of the board of directors.

Dog Days at Earth Fare
Brindl, held by Maple Duncan, is a foster dog with the Humane Society. The boxer and Labrador mix watches as Mignon Kesselhut of Evans donates money to help fund his future heartworm operation.

Police Blotter
A 14-year-old Martinez boy accidentally shot himself in the head Saturday night while playing with a handgun, Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins said.

Class Reunions
- Members of the Harlem High School class of 1976 are being sought for a reunion. Send contact information to pamtankersley@afbtbank.com.

Current Events
The Evans Towne Center Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Evans Government Center Building A conference room. For information, call Janice Matthews at (706) 312-7475, or go to www.evanstownecenteriaap.homestead.com/

Car fire spreads to tree, grass
A car fire at 161 Petersburg Circle ignited a nearby tree and set off a small grass blaze. Columbia County firefighters hose down a 1994 Cadillac that caught fire in the driveway at the Petersburg Place Apartments in Martinez on Friday. The car was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived about 11:15 a.m., said Columbia-Martinez Fire Rescue spokeswoman Honey Shore. The fire, whose cause was not determined but was not deemed suspicious, was quickly extinguished and no one was injured, she said.

Answers? We already know
"Everything's temporary in this world; ain't it a shame when you lose someone. Here tomorrow; gone today." - Ian Hunter

Emotion triumphs in sidewalk appeal
A roomful of citizens got the response they wanted when they showed up at last week's Columbia County Commission meeting to beseech county officials to build a sidewalk on Mullikin Road in Evans.

Cartoon
Editorial Cartoon for Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Athlete Spotlight: Robbie Horton
Robbie Horton was talking from his desk at Continental Construction, his employer and a company his father owns.

Bulldogs make good showing
The Columbia County Bulldogs show off their trophies following the World Series warmup in Lexington, S.C. July 12-13.

Dixie girls to play Series at home
Columbia County's teams at the various levels of the Dixie World Series fell short of a title this month, but county recreation officials picked up a win for the area with a successful hosting bid for 2010.

Mixing things up is a must in the gym
Editor's note: This is the final installment of a three-part series on nutrition and fitness with trainer Mike Montarvo of The Omni Club in Evans.

Ponytails come home state champions
The Columbia County Ponytails traveled to Pineville, La., for the World Series Championship. They clinched their state championship by scoring 45 runs and allowing only one run in the playoffs. The team members are Haley Mays (front, from left), Alexis Schlein, Mallory Covington, Natilie Johnson and Courtney King; Robert Williams (back, from left), Hannah Shed, Kirsten Titus, Lindsey Stokes, Halli Mitchell, Lexi Dodgen, Jamese Gibson and Greg Stokes. Haleigh Vernon is not pictured.

Sports Calendar
The Marshall Family Y in Evans is searching for referees for its upcoming U-7 and U-9 seasons. Experience preferred. For information, call Justin Goolsby at (706) 922-9658.

Astros are machine-pitch champs
The Astros are the 2008 Martinez-Evans Little League Machine Pitch League Champions. Team members are Alec Bryant (front, from left), Garrison Bates, Ian Gallo, Greyson Jones and Rydley Symon; Matthew Chester (center); Dylan Walker-Heflin (back, from left), Jay Bates, Cole Williams and Parker Wingard. Alex Elkin is not pictured.

Dad shows support for Olympian
Few people miss the signs Steve Hoffa and his wife, Vicki, have decorated their yard with.

Race Results
Chris Usry, a local driver in the Crate Late Model division, won the Fast Qualifier award at Gordon Park's inaugural "Showdown At The Park" on Saturday.