Georgia, Richmond County, GA | featured news

Aiken County public schools will be closed for the remainder of the week after South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley declared a state of emergency Tuesday due to Hurricane Matthew.
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Traffic lights are dark along Furys Ferry Road and power outages have been reported by businesses and homeowners after a transformer was blown behind a shopping center.
Witnesses say a tractor trailer hit some overhead power lines and dragged down a power pole and a transformer, that even lit one car on fire behind The Centre at Furys Ferry.
Sheriff’s Deputies and Georgia power crews are on the scene. No injuries have been reported.

The Aiken County Public School District has announced Jan. 3 as the make-up day for students for Tropical Storm Hermine.
Schools were closed Sept. 2 as a precaution for the storm. In a news release, the school district said Jan. 3 was selected after gathering feedback from principals and the teacher forum via an electronic survey.
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Burke County sheriff’s investigators are seeking a third suspect in the shooting and attempted robbery of a man last week.
Police identified the suspect as Randall Lee Dixon, 21. Two other suspects — Treyon Dwayne Bonner, 19, of Sardis, and Artavius Markees Ewing, 23, of Sylvania — have already been charged in the case.
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BRUNSWICK, Ga. — A Georgia man charged with killing his toddler son wept in court Tuesday as his attorney told a jury the child’s death two years ago inside a hot SUV is certainly the father’s fault, but he committed no crime.
 
Justin Ross Harris was charged with malice murder and other crimes after his 22-year-old son, Cooper, perished in June 2014. Authorities say the boy was left for seven hours in his father’s vehicle parked outside the Home Depot office where Harris worked in the Atlanta suburbs.
 

The Salvation Army of Augusta is taking applications for the Angel Tree Christmas program, which provides clothing and gifts to local children, this week.
Families in need of assistance can apply at the Center of Hope, 1384 Greene St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day through Friday. Assistance will be given on a first come, first served basis. Families are asked to not bring children when applying.
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A Greenbrier High School student is facing charges of terroristic acts and threats after making a bomb threat last week.
Columbia County sheriff’s deputies were called to the school just before 10 a.m. Friday after officials discovered “suspicious writing on the wall,” according to the incident report. Multiple officers conducted a security check but no threats were found.
Madelyn Blanche McAdams, 17, was booked into the Columbia County jail today with a bond of $2,600.
 

 
 
Fire investigators are expected to examine the scene today of an overnight fire at Pollard Lumber in Appling. Columbia County fire officials said the blaze broke out after 9 p.m. and appears to be contained to a portion of the facility. Smoke was still rising at the site Tuesday morning.

 
Starting Wednesday, Rich­mond County inmates will be able to begin their 12 steps toward an alcohol- and drug-free life.
The Richmond County Sher­iff’s Office has partnered with local volunteers to offer Nar­­co­tics Anonymous and Alco­­ho­lics Anonymous programs at the Charles B. Web­ster Detention Center. Officials said the programs will run the same as they would outside the jail, taking inmates from step 1 to step 12.

 
Augusta Commission member Mar­ion Williams continues to push to get paid to serve as an ex-officio member of the city planning commission.
Williams, whose agenda item returns before the Augusta Commission today, has said he doesn’t attend the meetings because he doesn’t get the monthly stipend that regular members receive.
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