Twitter @DonnieFetter

A Friday storm which knocked over numerous trees, produced hail and created power outages throughout Columbia County, doesn't appear to have caused long-term effects.

"I'm not aware of prolonged outages," said Columbia County Emergency and Operations Director Pam Tucker Saturday morning. "I don't think we got hit as hard as Richmond County and Aiken County did."

For much of Friday, the county was under a tornado watch. The watch was expected to be in effect until 4 p.m., but ended an hour early.

Twitter @ColumbiaCounty

The U.S. Postal Service will move mail processing and distribution out of Augusta, according to an announcement made Thursday morning.

“As a result of studies begun five months ago, the Postal Service has made the decision to move all mail processing operations from the Augusta Processing and Distribution Facility to the Columbia, S.C. and Macon Processing and Distribution Centers,” said a press release from the Postal Service. “Once the transfer is completed, the mail processing operation in Augusta will cease.”

Twitter @ValerieRowell

Accused murderer Thomas Bradford took the stand in his own defense Thursday afternoon, telling jurors the nuances of his job hauling sludge en route to explaining why he and a Columbia County Water Utility worker got into a fatal argument over it.

Bradford is charged with the April 1, 2011, fatal shooting of Raymond Lee.

Twitter @DonnieFetter

Columbia County commissioners accepted a nearly $7 million bid Tuesday to purchase a new radio system for the sheriff’s office.

The 800 megahertz trunked radio system from Motorola greatly improves the reception range for deputies, Sheriff Clay Whittle said during the commission meeting.

Often, Whittle said, deputies must strike a “Statue of Liberty” pose – holding their radios over the heads while talking into lapel microphones – to get reception.