Februaries past, 50 years ago.

From The LaGrange Daily News, 1966.

Front Page News

$5.2 Million Proposed for West Point Dam Project for Coming Fiscal Year — The federal budget is proposing an appropriation of $5.2 million for the coming fiscal year for the West Point Dam project.

This was announced today by Congressman John J. Flynt Jr. from his Washington office.

Holiday Construction Company of Greenville has been awarded a contract in the amount of $1,031,274 for work on a portion of earth embankment and access road on the west side of the Chattahoochee River which eventually will cost about $70 million by the time it is completed in 1971.

The first estimate of the cost about two years ago was about $5.4 million. The figure has grown some $16 million since that time.

Council Votes to Ask Federal Funds for Comprehensive Study — The city of LaGrange will apply for federal funds for a comprehensive survey of the city to aid in planning.

City Manager H.B. Lovvorn cited the impact the completion of the West Point Dam will have on LaGrange and said the city is plagued already with zoning problems.

Mayor Gardner Newman said a comprehensive survey would entail a complete inventory of the assets and liabilities of the city concerning land use, utilities, public facilities, police and fire protection and traffic patterns.

Council voted to apply for federal funds for the survey. This report would be a projection of some economic studies of the Troup County Planning Commission.

Girl Scouts Entertain City Officials at Breakfast — Fourteen local Girl Scouts entertained LaGrange city officials and other guests at a breakfast Saturday morning as a culmination of a “Challenge of Citizenship” study of government by the girls.

The two months study of all levels of government is just one of the steps toward gaining the achievement of being a first class Girl Scout, the equivalent of Eagle in the Boy Scouts.

Edna Cary, Kathy Combs, Beth Boatwright, Ophelia Day, Patsy Hart, Ellen Holle, Merrill Grace, Susan Jones, Marilyn Mahaffey, Nancy Relihan, Gary Reid, Cecilia Hendricks, Dale Shackelford and Carol Warren, all members of Troop 242, participated in the event Feb. 11, at the First Presbyterian Church.

Over 30 girls — seventh, eighth and ninth graders — are enrolled in the troop. Participants in this program were ninth graders only.

STAR Students, Teachers Named — Sarajane Love has been named STAR student at LaGrange High School. She plans to continue her studies at Emory University. She selected Miss Betty Benefield as her STAR teacher.

Tony Ray Edmundson, who will graduate in May from Troup High School, was named Troup STAR student. He has been accepted for the school of veterinary medicine at the University of Georgia this fall. He selected Mrs. Edward Strain Jr. as his STAR teacher.

Three Local Men Listed in Publication — Arthur B. Edge III, Dr. S. Cliff Rainey and Alan Thomas have been selected for inclusion in the 1966 Outstanding Young Men of America.

The LaGrange Jaycees announced the selection this morning and said the three were nominated earlier this year by the local Jaycee chapter.

Selections were made by a 130-man National Board of Editors for the publication.

Outstanding Young Men of America is an annual biographical compilation of approximately 10,000 young men of outstanding rank throughout the country.

Magazine Picks Local Student — A long distance call for anyone can be exciting, but one a few days ago was especially exciting for 13-year-old Fred Newman.

The West Side Junior High School eighth grader received a call from Newsweek magazine choosing him as a typical Southern 13 year old for a forthcoming article.

At first Fred thought it might be a prank, but when Miss Lynn Wisdom appeared with a photographer he knew it wasn’t a joke.

Lt. Harris Awarded Bronze Star Medal — By direction of the president of the United States, under the provisions by the Department of the Army, 1st Lt. Everitt C. Harriss has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal with “V” Device for heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force.

Harriss distinguished himself by heroic action on Oct. 8, 1965, while serving as advisor to the 4th Battalion, 50th Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

Lt. Harriss has been serving in Vietnam for nine months.