65 years ago, Jan. 20, 1955
“‘Grandad Steps Out,’ a farce-comedy in three acts, by Felicia Metcalfe, will be presented Tuesday and Thursday nights … by the junior class of Improve High School. The Tuesday night cast includes Floyd Holmes, Nelda Robbins, Hollis English, Lizzie Williams, Sylvia Williams, Gerald Rawls, Ann Moore, Ruth Lowery, Carolyn Kendrick, Gary Lynn Morris, Talmadge Breakfield, Dutharene Rayborn, Francile Morris, Clyde Robbins, Kenneth Goar, James Broom, Bennie Stringer and Willie Walters.”
“Capt. D.B. Conerly Jr., son of Mrs. and Mrs. Dawson B. Conerly of Kokomo, is one of two surgeons on the staff of the U.S. Army Hospital at Fort Benning, Ga., who have been elected diplomats of the American Board of Surgery. … Capt. Conerly completed his undergraduate work at the University of Mississippi and Emory University, Atlanta, Ga. He is a 1948 graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed five years of surgical training at Vanderbilt University Hospital at Nashville, Tenn. … Capt. Conerly and his wife, the former Jane Lampton of Columbia, reside at Columbus, Ga. They have two children, Peggy Ann, 4, and Stephen, 1.”
60 years ago, Jan. 21, 1960
“Marion County Colonels of Governor Ross Barnett faced a cold wind on Capital Street in Jackson Tuesday when they participated in the inaugural parade. Members of the Colonels Staff from here are E.E. Baylis Jr., H.O. Ireland, T.L. Burdette, J.C. Burrow, Sebe Dale Jr., J.V. Dawsey, Allan L. Forbes, Thomas B. Forbes, Ernest R. Ford, Frank Matulich, Fred H. McDaniel Jr., W.C. (Bill) McElroy, Ralph C. Morris, Henry Mounger, Edd L. Pierce, Shelby P. Regan Sr., G.E. Sanders, E.E. (Was) Sims, H.J. Sims and T.H. Watts.”
50 years ago, Jan. 15, 1970
“Chief of Police Tom Rainey reminded Columbia area motorists Monday that new meters have replaced the older parking meters in the downtown area. The older meters did not give the full time for money deposited in many cases. The new meters, the chief stated, are of a new design and require turning a handle. They don’t depend on a spring mechanism.”
“Enrollment figures for county, city and private schools show most students registered at one of the schools, but quite a number of white and Negro students apparently have not registered since the Christmas holidays. … Registration for the newly formed private schools in Marion County were released this week by Clifton Broom, secretary of Improve Academy. At Improve Academy, enrollment reached 130 students and classes are under way. Grades 1-3 meet at Mt. Gilead church while pupils in grades 4-8 meet at Improve church. Mr. Broom said that 400 students have now registered at the West Marion Academy, which comprises grades 1-12. At the Goss Academy 61 students are registered while Carley Academy, with classes starting Monday, tallied 63 pupils. … Columbia Academy increased its enrollment in the first eight grades from 50 to 151 since the fall term opened, according to Tommy Blakeney, headmaster. The increased enrollment was from city and county schools and a few from Washington Parish, La. This school is operating this year in the old Hopewell School building, after two years in a converted dwelling on Park Avenue.”
40 years ago, Jan. 17, 1980
“Columbia Bank president J. Dexter Barr Jr. has announced a new assistant vice president with Columbia Bank. He is Newton B. Blount, a native of Hattiesburg. Mr. Blount has seven years of banking experience, coming to Columbia Bank from Jackson.”
30 years ago, Jan. 13, 1990
“Six local businesses were totally destroyed early Tuesday morning when fire swept through most of the multi-unit building that housed them on South High School Avenue. The nearly 3,800-square-foot structure, known as the Kalil Building, was divided into several units and was occupied by seven businesses, including L&W Glass, NAPA Auto Parts and Machine Shop, Jim Seymour’s Vacuum and Electric Shop, Air Cool Co., Dunaway Plumbing & Heating, Little River Cycles and Ken Morgan’s Welding Shop. Only the welding shop was spared from the intense fire that blazed out of control for several hours. The shop did, however, sustain considerable water damage. … The property is owned by Julia Katherine Pittman of Columbia and her brother, Joe Matulich of San Francisco, Calif. The building was named for the owners’ grandfather, who had it constructed in the late 1930s or early 1940s.”
20 years ago, Jan. 15, 2000
“Construction has started on a project at the Columbia Post Office to enlarge the building and to add a handicapped ramp and entrance.”
