Columbia County's newly-elected superintendent may be making his move to office sooner than expected.

Mike Millikin wasn't supposed to move into office until mid-November, but after Superintendent Sam Markham turned in his resignation and retired Friday, Millikin may be appointed to finish his term, scheduled to end Nov. 17. "I was a little surprised, obviously it has been several weeks since the election and I guessed he was going to remain in office. I didn't know of any reason to think otherwise," Millikin said.

But some Columbia County school officials said they think Markham's resignation was best for the district, because of the difficult financial times ahead. They also said Millikin has more than seven years of experience as an assitant superintendent.

Millikin hopes to turn his application into Governor Charlie Crist by the end of next week. He also has to pass a background check before he can be considered for the appointment.