Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office:
//
Manager calls police on man with toy gun
Police responded to the Evans Wal-Mart early Monday after a store manager said a man came into the store with a gun that was later determined to be a toy.
An assistant manager of the 4471 Washington Road store told police that just after midnight Monday morning, a man was seen walking around the store with a gun tucked in the waistband of his pants. The assistant manager said that the man was asked to leave, and that when he was outside he pulled the gun out and waved it around, saying it was fake.
A sheriff's deputy ap-proached the man, who was standing by a car in the parking lot at about 12:15 a.m., and saw the handgun in the man's front pants pocket. The toy gun was taken as evidence. The man smelled of alcohol and admitted to carrying the toy weapon inside the store and to pulling it out.
A magistrate judge refused to issue a warrant for simple assault, and the man was asked not to return to the store.
Evans man reports name on defamatory Web site
An Evans man called police Sunday to report that someone had used a popular Web site to make him look like a sexual predator.
The 46-year-old man told police that one of the coaches from his swim team created a Web site on www.myspace.com in his name. That Web site, the man said, made him out to be a sexual predator.
The man said he and the coach, who live on the same street, had a difference of opinion over the summer about the coach's wages.
Two restaurants accept bad travelers checks
Two Martinez restaurants reported to police last week that they accepted fraudulent travelers checks.
On Thursday, the manager of Golden Corral, at 227 Bobby Jones Expressway, told police that between 8:30 and 9 p.m., a man entered the restaurant, ordered $13 worth of takeout meals and paid the cashier with a $100 Visa travelers check.
The manager said the cashier gave the man $87 in cash before realizing the check was forged.
The owner of Firehouse Subs, at 3836 Washington Road, also told police about a similar incident Thursday and Friday. The customer, the owner said, bought food each time with a $100 Visa travelers check. The owner said he further inspected the travelers checks and discovered they had no security or watermarks.
Streets signs stolen in West Lake subdivision
Police were called to West Lake subdivision last week to investigate missing street signs.
The West Lake site manager told police that someone stole six streets signs from throughout the neighborhood between 2 p.m. Oct. 24 and 4 a.m. Oct. 25.
The signs were worth $400 and belonged to the West Lake Association.
Grovetown man reports someone burned plants
A Grovetown man called police Oct. 24 to report that someone had set fire to plants in his yard.
The Belglade Road resident told police that someone set fire to 26 8-foot-tall pampas grass plants in front of his yard. The responding deputy noticed that the plant stalks were charred at the top. The cost of the damage is estimated to be $50.
Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue Activity Report for the week of Oct. 22-28:
Structure fires, five; woods fire, one; grass fire, one; vehicle fires, four; controlled burns, two; fire alarms, 12; natural gas leak, one; medical calls, 21; rescue calls, 13; investigations, three; public safety assistance, two, and other, one.