Columbia digest

Bumpass pleads

The woman accused of shooting a Columbia County deputy pled not guilty last month to a host of charges in Columbia County Superior Court.

Tamika Bumpass, 23, walked out of the holding room May 30, signed a piece of paper and walked back without saying a word. Her court-appointed attorney Bill Davison told Superior Court Judge William Fleming of the plea.

Soon after, she changed attorneys - switching to the lawyer hired by her family.

Lee Davis of the Chattanooga, Tenn.,-law firm of Davis and Wallace said he called Mr. Davison Thursday and informed him of the change in representation. Mr. Davis is not licensed to practice law in Georgia, so he hired Christine Sell of the law offices of Shumacker and Thompson of Chattanooga, who is.

Ms. Bumpass is facing 10 charges resulting from the shooting and several charges stemming from her original arrest on April 16 that include nine counts of forgery and 17 counts of identity fraud.

Sketch released

The Columbia County Sheriff's department has released an artist's rendering of the man wanted in connection with the robbery of the Appling Regions bank on Friday.

Capt. Steve Morris said witness accounts were used in the sketch, which was done by a Georgia Bureau of Investigation artist.

On Friday, authorities said a man walked into the bank, handed an employee a note and left the area with an undisclosed amount of money. Three employees were in the bank at the time of the robbery.

Authorities are looking for a 5-8 to 5-10, 160-pound, Hispanic male with dark brown eyes, shoulder-length hair and driving a pewter gray or champagne Toyota pick-up. Capt. Morris said anyone with information regarding the robbery should call the Sheriff's Department at 541-2800.