From staff reports

From the Annals of 1958

Navy Chief Parachute Rigger Joseph H. Kelly, of Experiment, returned to Mayport, Fla. aboard the attach aircraft carrier US Saratoga after an 8-month cruise in the Mediterranean area. While in the Mediterranean, the Saratoga operated as a unit of the U.S. Sixth Fleet, participating in fleet and NATO exercises and as a support unit during the Lebanon crisis in the Middle East.

Lt. R. S. Brisendine, formerly of Griffin, was a pilot in a Naval Air Reserve attack squadron from Naval Air Station, Atlanta, which completed its two weeks annual training duty at the Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla.

Linda Lu Wynne, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dozier Wynne of Griffin, was crowned “Rat Cap Queen” at the annual Emory University Freshman Rat Dance.

Miss Marla Maddox, freshman at Emory at Oxford, was elected to the Angel Flight, the ROTC Auxiliary at the school, and was the only freshman officer. She served as publicity chairman for the school year.

From the Annals of 1987

Griffin’s Jennifer Cornell was featured in a Christmas piano recital at the Studio of Maurine Ozment in Molena. Jennifer was a student at Gordon College, where Ms. Ozment is an adjunct piano instructor.

In a called conference, members of Calvary Baptist Church voted to change the name of the church to Covenant Baptist Church. A church official said the name change was an effort to create a new identity and image of the church in the community. The church had been part of the community for 44 years.

Teacher Appreciation Week was observed at Griffin High School. The activities of the week, including a breakfast, were sponsored by the Student Council. Three of the teachers attending the breakfast were Myra Daniels, Tammy Weaver and Wayne Hutchings. The Teacher Appreciation Week coincided with American Education Week.

The First United Methodist Church congregation sent quotations from the Bible into the sky in balloons between Sunday School and morning worship. Bill Powers gave the release signal.

From the Annals of 1998

Family Medical Center and the Griffin-Spalding County United Way teamed up to encourage local residents to get flu shots and support the United Way at the same time. During October, Family Medical Center provided flu shots, but instead of the customary $5 charge for the shot, the center asked that a $5 be donated to the United Way. The center collected the donations in lieu of the flu-shot charges.

The Griffin Division of Standard Products Co. received an award for going two years without a lost-time accident. Ron Roudebush, chief executive officer and vice chairman of Standard Products, presented the award to the plant Safety Committee.

Julie Tardy graduated during the summer from the Georgia Institute of Technology, earning a bachelor of science degree in management. She was the daughter of Gene and Joanne Jones and Gary and Angie Tardy.

Her-Kel Investments Inc., an Atlanta-based Aaron’s Rental Purchase franchise with a store in Griffin, was named one of the fastest-growing companies in the country by Inc. magazine as part of its comprehensive guide to America’s fastest-growing private companies.

From the Annals of 2003

Spalding County Special Olympians were out in full force celebrating the Griffin Police Department’s annual Law Enforcement Torch Run. For many participants it was a rare opportunity to ride in police, fire and other emergency personnel equipment.

The Atlanta Knights won the state tournament of Independent Christian Schools of Georgia played at Griffin High School. Knights players Wyn Bush, Michael Betsill, David Kill and Matt Morris were named to the all-state team.

More than 125 fans, players and coaches honored the 2003 Spalding High soccer teams with a banquet at the high school. The banquet concluded a season that saw both teams make school history - the boys by going to the second round before losing 4-0 to eventual state runner-up Cartersville and the No. 4 ranked girls by going to the Final Four before losing 7-0 to eventual state runner-up Lovett.

Knights of Columbus volunteer Jerry Kirkland, Five Loaves and Two Fish Food Pantry director Eddie Whitlock, Gil Lovell and Al Evaristo, both of the Knights of Columbus, organized donated food during the 11th annual National Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. All food collected was donated to the Five Loaves and Two Fish Food Pantry.

From the Annals of 2007

Five teachers from the Griffin-Spalding County School System were awarded Master Teacher status for 2007. Victoria Perdue Boseman, Futral Road Elementary; Kathleen Rowe Edwards, Taylor Street Middle School; Michael Duane McNutt, Cowan Road Middle; Jane Patten Mitchell, Taylor Street Middle and Jacqueline Y. Phillips, Taylor Street Middle; won the honor for the county.

Hundreds of athletes turned out for the Griffin-Spalding County Special Olympics held at Spalding High School. Each school made a lap around the track to show off their Olympic banner.

Students in Kathy Rhodes’ economics classes at Griffin High School participated in the Stock Market Game during the second semester. The Stock Market Game, sponsored by the Georgia Council for Economic Education, simulates stock investing in the three major stock exchanges.

St. George’s Elementary School kindergarten student Leighton Clements was the third-place winner for the kindergarten level for the 13th Annual Reading Rainbow Contest.