Ogeechee Technical College will hold its spring commencement at 7 p.m. Thursday at Georgia Southern University’s Hanner Fieldhouse.
    About 400 students will be eligible to graduate, although the final count for those who will participate in the ceremony is undetermined, Ogeechee Tech Registrar Michelle Stubbs said.
    State Sen. Jack Hill, R-Reidsville, will be the keynote speaker for the event. Hill supported Ogeechee Tech and worked tirelessly, along with other members of the local legislative delegation, to secure funding for a new natural resources building, college President Dr. Dawn Cartee said. The building was approved when Gov. Nathan Deal recently signed the fiscal 2013 budget.
    Tickets are not required for family members and friends to attend the commencement exercises, but anyone planning to attend is encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat. A highlight of each Ogeechee Tech commencement is the participation of the Georgia State Patrol Honor Guard, who will march in to present the colors to the music of a bagpipe player.