Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office:
Robert Pedde (left), the president of Westinghouse Savannah River Co., waits with Columbia County sheriff's deputies and investigators while his wife and two deputies wait to be decontaminated.
Photo by Valerie Rowell
Suspicious letters deemed not dangerous
Tests of a powdery substance found with a threatening letter Tuesday at the Columbia County home of Westinghouse Savannah River Co. President Bob Pedde found that it posed no danger.
A second suspicious letter, found Tuesday afternoon at the Cambridge Way home of Lawrence J. Simmons, the president of Bechtel Savannah River Inc., contained no powder, said Ed Reinhold, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Augusta office. Bechtel is a subcontractor at SRS.
Although nothing was deemed dangerous in either letter, the FBI issued a call to the public Wednesday for help in finding whomever might have been involved in the incidents, which occurred the day after Pedde announced the layoffs of 400 people at Savannah River Site.
Citing the ongoing investigation, Reinhold said he couldn't elaborate on what the letters said or whether there are any leads. However, he did say the letters seem to be connected. Reinhold said both cases are classified as terroristic threats and that the perpetrator could face federal charges.
Four beer kegs are reported stolen
Four beer kegs were reported stolen from a cargo trailer at an Evans beverage company Tuesday night.
A warehouse and operations manager for A B Beverage at 665 Industrial Park Drive told police someone entered an area of the company inside a chain-link fence, used an unknown device and broke the security lock off of a draft tractor, taking the kegs.
The damage was estimated at $625. The incident reportedly occurred between 7 p.m. July 15 and 9 a.m. Monday.
Woman is arrested on shoplifting charge
An Augusta woman was arrested Tuesday after being accused of trying to steal $16 worth of clothing from the Wal-Mart in Evans.
LaShannon Marie Cunningham, of the 1000 block of Essie McIntyre Boulevard, was arrested on a shoplifting charge, accused of trying to steal a tube top and thong underwear, which she tried on in a dressing room.
Authorities said Cunningham tried to leave the store after she tore the price tags off of the clothing and placed them in a trash can in the store's restroom.
Cunningham was transported to the Columbia County Detention Center, where she was being held Wednesday on a $1,100 bond.
Theft of funeral home vehicle is attempted
An Evans funeral home assistant told police on Tuesday that someone had unsuccessfully tried to steal a funeral home vehicle that was in the business's parking lot overnight.
The assistant, who works for Platts Funeral Home at 337 N. Belair Road, said someone attempted to steal a 1996 Cadillac Brougham after prying the driver's door lock, shattering the left rear window and breaking the left side of the steering column with an unknown object, the report states.
The incident occurred between 5:30 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m. Tuesday.