Georgia | featured news

Police said an argument over the NBA finals led to a fight and stabbing at an East Taylor Street residence Tuesday.
According to an incident report, the victim, Terrance Nipper, 24, of Aiken Street, was at an East Taylor Street address watching the game with several others when he got into an argument with a man known as “Junior.” During the argument, Junior punched the victim in the face and then stabbed him in the shoulder with an unknown object.

 
 
 
 
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. Authorities in Orlando, Florida, are still searching for a 2-year-old boy who was dragged into the water by an alligator near Disney’s upscale Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and are hoping for the best.
 
Orange County Sheriff’s spokesman Jeff Williamson said at a Wednesday morning news conference that it’s still being considered a search and rescue operation and additional deputies will be joining the search.
 

The McDuffie County man who was found last week after a massive three-day search died Tuesday, a relative confirmed.
Seventy-nine-year-old Reese Langham died at Augusta University Medical Center just before 4 p.m. from various health problems that were complicated by his time in the elements for the time he was missing.
A family member said that his kidneys began shutting down the end of last week and that doctors were considering amputating one of his legs.

 
Augusta commissioners narrowed in on what became of millions in bank deposits overlooked for years after a minority loan program ended but took no action regarding the funds Tuesday.
The funds, initially invested with SunTrust and State Bank and Trust were sales tax dollars placed in certificates of deposit as motivation for the banks to lend money to disadvantaged businesses doing business with the city, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Coordinator Yvonne Gentry told a city committee.

Richmond County sheriff’s investigators arrested an Augusta teenager Tuesday, charging him in last month’s fatal shooting of a man on Cooney Circle. A second teen suspect remains at large, and authorities are asking the public’s help in finding him.
Sheriff’s Lt. Allan Rollins said Bilal Givens, 17, of the 1600 block of Goshen Road, was taken into custody at 4 p.m. and charged in the slaying of Marion Terry. The victim’s body was found about 9 a.m. May 15 behind apartments in the 1900 block of Cooney Circle off Olive Road.

 
 
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — It’s not unheard of for an arrested person to try breaking out of a police department, but in one Georgia community officers at police headquarters charged a man with breaking in.
 
The Gainesville Times reports that police arrested 32-year-old Samuel Espejel-Sanchez on charges including interfering with government property.
 

The Interfaith Fellowship of Augusta will hold a service of healing at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta, 3501 Walton Way.
Members of diverse faiths will offer prayers and readings for loss of life and hope of healing in the wake of the Orlando shootings Sunday morning. The event falls on the first anniversary of the shootings at Mother Emmanuel Church in Charleston in which nine parishioners were killed by a white supremacist.
The IFFA issued this response to the shootings:

Strong thunderstorms are expected to move over the Augusta area this afternoon, according to a National Weather Service special weather bulletin.
The bulletin, which was issued at 1:38 p.m. stated that a strong thunderstorm was over North Augusta and moving east at 5 mph. Further thunderstorm development is expected as it continues to move.
The storm system could possibly bring wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph and “torrential rainfall” that could produce flooding.

A Walton Way gas station owner reported someone broke into the business early Monday stealing cash.
Police were called to Sunoco, 2013 Walton Way, just before 8 a.m. Monday when the owner discovered someone had kicked in the office door. According to an incident report, boards from the building had been pried loose to get inside the store. The owner told police it was the same spot burglars damaged two years ago. The bandits pried open a cabinet to get the store’s cash. Some money was left on the ground outside.

 
Fort Gordon celebrated the 241st Birthday of the U.S. Army on Tuesday with a traditional cake-cutting ceremony. The youngest officer and youngest enlisted soldier on the installation took part.
Col. Todd Turner, Fort Gordon garrison commander was assisted by 2nd Lt. Casey Jennings, 442nd Signal Battalion Command; Pvt. Nicholas Bowie, 551st Signal Battalion, assisted Sgt. Maj. Marcus Campbell, Garrison Command sergeant major, in the ceremony.