Richmond County, GA | featured news

The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office is one step closer to getting body cameras for its deputies.
The sheriff’s office learned this week the state was awarding it about $142,000 to fund the equipment. Sheriff’s Capt. Eric Abdullah said the county will match the funds to assist in initial start-up costs.
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A 35-year-old Augusta man was charged with trafficking methamphetamine Wednesday after a tip led police to his vehicle in a Deans Bridge Road parking lot.
According to an incident report, investigators received the tip that the suspect, Devon Whitney Knight, would be in or around the Wal-Mart parking lot Wednesday afternoon. Police locatd Knight, who admitted he had a large quantity of methamphetamine under his seat. The report recorded the amount as 58.2 grams.

A Warrenville drug bust led to the arrest of six men on drug charges Wednesday.
Aiken County sheriff’s Sgt. Stephen Shunn said the sheriff’s investigators and members of the ATF task force executed a search warrant at a home at 178 Keith Drive Wednesday evening, leading to recovery and seizure of crack cocaine, marijuana, firearms, two vehicles and other items related to illegal drug sales. The investigation had been on-going for several months. Ten people were detained during the investigation, but only six were charged with drug-related offenses.

Nighttime paving will soon be added to the existing paving project on River Watch Parkway.
Day crews will continue to work milling the old roadway including eight bridges, paving and general cleanup, while the night crew will work to place the final asphalt leveling and surface course.
Scheduled day hours run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Sunday starting next week. That schedule is expected to continue through Sept. 1.
Night paving hours are scheduled for 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Aug. 21 through Sept. 1.

An area investigator has been named Investigator of the Year for 2016 by the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia.
Shea Bunch, an investigator for the Toombs Judical Circuit, received the honor at the summer conference on July 17 in Jekyll Island.
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Fort Gordon hunters and fisherman can learn about new regulations at a public meeting on Sept. 1.
Information presented at the meeting will concern natural resource management, deer season regulations, fish and game harvest data, iSportsman call-in system and more.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in Darling Hall at the corner of Chamberlain Avenue and Rice Road in Room 188.
For more information, contact Mike Juhan at (706) 791-2397 or Steve Camp at (706) 726-0098.

The Salvation Army is seeking canned food items for its annual food drive on Monday.
The Food 2 Fight Hunger drive will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kroger, 2801 Washington Road.
The Salvation Army said the drive is especially important as the food pantry is nearly empty. Summer months historically show a drop in donations and a increase in need.
The food collected will be used in The Salvation Army’s soup kitchen and food pantry.

MARIETTA, Ga. — A Georgia man has been sentenced to four years in prison for setting his family’s dog house on fire in suburban Atlanta while the dog was inside.

WSB-TV reports a Cobb County jury convicted 23-year-old Caleb Lanier of felony animal cruelty and another charge for intentionally burning the female pit dog. He was sentenced Thursday.
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NORCROSS, Ga. — Gwinnett County police say a suspect has been arrested in the deaths of a mother and son found inside their Norcross apartment.

Police spokesman Cpl. Deon Washington tells news outlets that 28-year-old Rickey Taylor was taken into custody Thursday and charged with malice murder, armed robbery and false imprisonment in the deaths of Nicola Sramek and James Sramek.

Officers went to the Chelsea Park Lane apartment on Sunday, after a family was unable to contact the Srameks.

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Hospital officials, dignitaries and patients are scheduled to gather in Charleston to break ground on a new $390 million hospital at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The university announced that groundbreaking ceremonies are set for Friday for the Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion.

The children’s hospital is named in honor of Shawn Jenkins, a founder and CEO of the Benefitfocus company. He earlier pledged $25 million to the project.