Spring has officially sprung in the Augusta area, and now that temperatures are likely out of the 40s, it’s time to begin the transition of houseplants to the outdoors.

According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, nighttime temperatures should be in the 50s on a consistent basis before moving houseplants outdoors. If houseplants are put out too early, a late frost might mean they will have to be brought back indoors.

Baseball players expelled for alcohol on bus

Four Lakeside High School baseball players were expelled this past week for drinking alcohol on a school bus.

The players met with the Columbia County school system hearing officer Tuesday and were given long-term suspension from Lakeside High with the option to attend the alternative school in Grovetown for the remainder of this school year and the first semester of next school year, Superintendent Charles Nagle said Wednesday in an email.

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Columbia County commissioners agreed Tuesday to engage Augusta-based PayLink Partners to process online and in-person credit- and debit-card transactions for county services.

County Administrator Scott Johnson said the service first will be used at the Water Utility department in a 60-day trial run.

Should that prove successful, the payment offerings might be used at Development Services. If again successful, Johnson said, PayLink will be used by all county departments.

As a new barbecue restaurant opens in Grovetown, an Italian eatery in Evans is preparing to move.

Bob Ploetzke brought Bob’s BBQ to the downtown area of Grovetown by moving into a 1,400-square-foot building at East Robinson Avenue and James Street this past week.

“We’re going to basically be set up as a ‘to-go’ restaurant,” said Ploetzke, of Clarks Hill, S.C. “Everything will go into containers, but if you want to sit down and eat, you can.”