Evans treasurer charged in missing $250,000
The former treasurer of an Evans neighborhood association has been charged with stealing more than a quarter-million dollars from the organization.
Laurie Wainwright Vanover, 45, of the 1400 block of Andover Court, was charged with multiple counts of financial transaction card fraud, computer theft, theft by taking and theft by conversion after turning herself in Tuesday morning at the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, said Capt. Steve Morris.
Vanover was released after posting a $40,400 bond, Morris said.
Employee accessed personal data, SRS says
AIKEN - Officials at the Savannah River Site say an employee improperly accessed the personal information of thousands of workers.
The Aiken Standard reports that manager David Moody said in an e-mail to employees this week that the information was not ever “improperly distributed” or accessed by a hacker outside SRS.
Riverwalk mugging prompts public forum
The Downtown Augusta Alliance will be hosting a public forum at Riverwalk in the wake the brutal attack on a couple during a robbery Friday night.
The couple were robbed and beaten with metal bats or pipes while sitting on a bench on Riverwalk around 11 p.m. Friday.
The forum will be held at 8 a.m. Wednesday at the Karen Gordon Stage, located behind the levee breach past the Riverwalk fountain.
Public officials, business owners, residential occupants and anyone else interested in downtown are urged to attend.
Chambliss hole-in-one in Obama golf match
WASHINGTON -- Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss didn’t seem fazed by a rare congressional invitation to golf with President Barack Obama Monday, sinking a hole-in-one on the par-three 11th hole. The ace shot helped lead Chambliss and GOP teammate Sen. Bob Corker or Tennessee to victory over the Democratic duo of Obama and Colorado Sen. Mark Udall on an outing meant to strengthen ties between the president and Congress.
Riverwalk vistors wary after couple's mugging
Marcell Murphy likes the quiet seclusion offered by Riverwalk Augusta on warm spring nights.
“It’s just very peaceful out here at night. It’s a good place to sit and think,” said Murphy, who was sharing a swing and a view of the Savannah River with his friend Lauren Bush at dusk Monday.
Riverwalk crime, old mill on agenda
Safety at Riverwalk Augusta was on Augusta Commission member Bill Fennoy’s mind before a couple was mugged and beaten late Friday behind Port Royal.
Already on today’s meeting agenda was Fennoy’s request for the commission to consider installing security cameras and warning signs along the riverwalk, an effort he said might deter crime and make visitors feel safer.
Motocross biker emerges from coma
Kenny Steinke, the professional motocross biker who suffered a severe head injury while performing a stunt at James Brown Arena, has awoken from his coma, given doctors a thumbs-up and is “squeezing his hands into a ball” when commanded, according to Internet updates on his condition.
The news about Steinke was posted Monday afternoon on the Facebook site “Kenny’s Krew.”
The local BMX community and family of the 27-year-old Florida freestyler were praying feverishly that Steinke would recover from the fall he took April 27.
Hephzibah mother asks for investigation into son's drowning
Suspicious circumstances surrounding the drowning of an 8-year-old Hephzibah boy has the mother asking the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the death as a homicide.
Jeanette Stevens met with a county investigator for more than an hour Monday at her Hunters Mill home to raise questions that, in the three weeks since the death of her son Jon Stevens, have remained unanswered and, in her opinion, ignored.
Mother charged with fatal toddler stabbing
Columbia County authorities charged an Augusta woman today with stabbing her toddler daughter to death before crashing her sport utility vehicle into a tree in Appling on Thursday.
Marina Mae Middlebrooks, 29, of Norton Boulevard in Augusta, was charged with murder and cruelty to children in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Sky Allen, according to Columbia County sheriff’s Capt. Steve Morris.
She’s being held in the Columbia County Detention Center without bond.
Police probe Augusta brawl video
Police said Monday they are seeking witnesses and information into a downtown Augusta brawl after someone posted a flim clip on the YouTube social media Web site.
Richmond County sheriff’s Lt. Calvin Chew said the video, which shows multiple altercations near the front of the New Moon Cafe in the 900 block of Broad Street, was just brought to the attention of investigators after someone found it on the video-sharing Web site.
Gov. Deal signs ethics legislation
ATLANTA – Gov. Nathan Deal credited the news media with ethics legislation as he signed it into law Monday.
“The issue of ethics is something that you in the media led the charge on,” he told reporters gathered in the Capitol for the brief ceremony.
Media reports included calls from groups like Common Cause and various Tea Party organizations that pushed for restrictions on lobbyists. Both political parties happened to put straw-poll questions about lobbyists’ gifts on last summer’s primary ballots.
Sunday home invasion under investigation
Police are investigating a Woodward Avenue home invasion that occurred early Sunday.
According to a police report, a 52-year-old woman was sleeping on a couch of the residence in the 2200 block of Woodward Avenue around 4:30 a.m. when she heard someone say “Richmond County” and then kick in the front door.
Four black men dressed in all black with masks and gloves told the woman to go to the back of the house with another female resident and six children between the ages of 2 and 11.
The victims told police the men were armed with handguns.
Man faces charges after vehicle assault
A 43-year-old man is facing five counts of aggravated assault after ramming a vehicle during an argument Saturday evening.
According to Richmond County sheriff’s Lt. Calvin Chew, Rodney Eugene Riley had been involved in an argument earlier Saturday with several people involving family issues. Riley later drove up beside the other party on Tobacco Road at Mike Padgett Highway, where the dispute continued around 8:20 p.m.
VA doctor indicted in theft
A doctor at Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center has been suspended after he got free drugs that the state says he wasn’t entitled to, according to an indictment and comments the physician apparently posted on a state licensing Web site.
Dr. Raymond Kostromin, 49, has pleaded not guilty in Richmond County Superior Court to theft. He is scheduled to stand trial next week, but with defense motions still pending, the trial is likely to be postponed.
Keysville home fire kills couple
A Sunday night house fire killed a Burke County couple, the state fire marshal said today.
The fire, which occurred around 8:30 p.m., killed Eddie James Waltower, 62, and his wife Sarah Waltower, 60.
The house, at 167 Phillips St., Keysville, Ga., was heavily damaged, according to a statement from fire investigators with the state Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s Office.
Blasting expected in Columbia County
Blasting will be held through Tuesday in Columbia County while crews work on a sewer project.
The blasting near Brighton Court, off of Hardy McManus Road in Evans, will begin this afternoon and could continue through Tuesday.
History park golf cart stolen
North Augusta authorities are searching for a golf cart stolen from the Living History Park on Saturday evening.
According to a Living History Park representative, the black golf cart with a cream top was removed between 10 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday when someone cut two locks off gates to get the cart.
The golf cart says Living History Park and has a willow tree symbol on the front. It was donated to the non-profit organization by E-Z-GO.
