Guys needed for kidney benefit's stage show

The Aiken Kidney Benefit needs more guys for its November production of Guys and Dolls.

Auditions will be held at 7 p.m. today at the Aurora Pavilion, 655 Medical Park Drive in Aiken. The pavilion is behind the Aiken Regional Medical Centers.

The show will be performed Nov. 7-9 at the University of South Carolina Aiken's Etherredge Center. For more information, call David Culp at (803) 648-5253.

Man kills himself as police come to home

Richmond County investigators are looking into the possibility that an Augusta man shot himself as they served a warrant at his home Monday.

Investigator James Kelly said Todd Santos, 39, of 1119 Emmett St., barricaded himself inside his home when deputies arrived about noon. They then heard gunshots from inside.

When deputies entered, they found Mr. Santos dead from a gunshot wound to the head, Investigator Kelly said.

The home was also on fire and suffered extensive damage to the first floor. An autopsy is scheduled for today at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's crime lab in Augusta.

Testimony begins in Augusta murder trial

A murder trial continues today for an Augusta man accused of killing the brother of the alleged target of his anger.

Maurice L. Roscoe, 29, has pleaded not guilty in Richmond County Superior Court. Testimony began Monday.

Mr. Roscoe is accused of killing 21-year-old Pierce McClattie Jr. on Feb. 20, 2007.

According to earlier reports in The Augusta Chronicle, Mr. Roscoe argued with the victim's brother and chased after the brothers' vehicle, firing a gun at them.

A bullet hit the victim in the head as he drove on Olive Road, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Aiken County to start $35 no-transport fees

Aiken County Department of Emergency Services has initiated a $35 no-transport fee for people who call for an ambulance and then refuse to be taken to the hospital.

According to a news release, high fuel costs led to the fee.

The new fee will apply to patients refusing to be transported to an area hospital after being checked out by EMS. However, those who are involved in an automobile accident will not be charged the fee, the release says.

Court denies computer firm owner's appeal

ATLANTA --- A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of a former computer firm owner sentenced to eight years in prison for helping former state Superintendent Linda Schrenko steal more than $600,000 in public education funds.

A federal jury in Atlanta found Stephan Botes guilty in 2006 of conspiracy, theft of federal funds and wire fraud. He was acquitted of money laundering charges.

Among 15 issues Mr. Botes raised on appeal were: insufficient evidence to show that he engaged in a scheme to defraud Georgia via wires, and that U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper improperly instructed the jury on aiding and abetting.

A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the conviction Monday.

WHEN TO WATER

You can water today if your home address is an even number in Columbia and Richmond counties, which are under Level Two restrictions. Watering is allowed from midnight to 10 a.m. on an even-odd system based on street address. No watering is allowed on Mondays.

Odd-numbered addresses: water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Even-numbered addresses: water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

There are no water restrictions in South Carolina's Aiken, Edgefield, Barnwell and McCormick counties.

Ways to Save Water

- Bermuda grasses are dormant (brown) in the winter and will need water only every three to four weeks - less frequently if it rains.

Source: wateruseitwisely.com