Across the area: Harlem ex-student faces knife charge

Web posted September 11, 1999

From Staff and Wire Reports

A Harlem man who authorities said made threats against a Harlem High School student was arrested Friday and charged with possession of a weapon on school property.

Jonathan Lee Smith, 18, of the 600 block of Perry Leigh Road, was charged after a knife was found under the seat of his vehicle, Columbia County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said. Mr. Smith is a former student at Harlem High, Capt. Morris said.

At about 2:45 p.m., a deputy patrolling the Harlem High campus was flagged down by the school's safety officer, Buddy Hendry, said Capt. Morris.

``Apparently, he (Mr. Hendry) had earlier received information that this Mr. Smith had intentions of causing bodily harm to a current female student,'' Capt. Morris said. ``He spotted this Mr. Smith in the parking lot and searched his vehicle to find a knife under the seat of his truck.''

Possession of a weapon on school property is a felony.

Residents receive tax bills

Columbia County Tax Commissioner Kay Allen spent much of her time on the phone Friday.

``We've gotten as many as we can answer because as soon as we hang up, the phone rings again,'' she said.

Most Columbia County residents got their tax bills Friday, and dozens called with questions and concerns, Ms. Allen said. The residents' concerns ranged from some Martinez addresses listed as Augusta under the 30907 ZIP code to why some bills increased, although the tax rate dropped one-half mill.

The county mailed 35,017 of the bills -- representing $46.3 million for the school board, county, Harlem and Grovetown.

``We've already had people walk in and pay us today,'' she said. ``They got it in the mail and opened it up and came right on in here and opened up their pocketbook and checkbook and shared it with us.''

Meanwhile, the county will have to revise about 600 tax bills that included boats, Ms. Allen said. The boat owners, who were listed on the current bills as appealing their boat taxes, should receive a new bill next week.

``It was just something that did not go out on the assessment notices properly, so we are having to handle them specially,'' she said.

Alcohol cited in fatal car crash

AIKEN -- Toxicology results show that alcohol played a role in the death of an Aiken man in a single-car accident three weeks ago. Ernest Corbitt had a blood-alcohol level of 0.37, nearly four times the legal limit, Coroner Sue Townsend said Thursday.

Mr. Corbitt, 30, had attended a barbecue and a wedding reception before driving his vehicle along North Silverton Road just after midnight Aug. 22, the coroner said.

Mr. Corbitt crossed to the opposite shoulder of the road and flipped his 1989 Pontiac Sunbird over an embankment. He was not wearing his seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle.

Mrs. Townsend said the amount of alcohol in his system would have been enough to kill some people in itself.

``I am terribly sad for the family of Ernest Corbitt. But I'm very thankful that he didn't kill innocent people in the process,'' she said. ``He was on a road leading straight to SRS where thousands of people are working 24 hours a day.''

Mr. Corbitt was a subcontractor at the Savannah River Site. He was the county's 28th traffic fatality of the year.

Bus defacing under investigation

The vandalism of six Columbia County school buses and two school buildings was still under investigation Friday.

Five buses parked at Martinez Elementary School and one parked at Evans Middle School were spray-painted with vulgarities, swastikas, anti-Jewish remarks and racial slurs. An entrance door at Evans Middle was painted with a red swastika. The back of Bel Air Elementary and one portable classroom at the school were painted.

Columbia County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said investigators are following leads from evidence gathered at the scenes and are conducting interviews. Sheriff's deputies also have increased patrols around schools.

On Thursday morning, bus drivers and school officials discovered the vandalized buses and buildings as they arrived at the three schools. No other incidents have been reported, Columbia County school Superintendent Tommy Price said.

Mr. Price said the school system is taking steps to prevent future vandalism, such as parking buses in well-lighted areas.

SportsJam scheduled for today

SportsJam '99 will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at Riverview Park.

With an In the Air theme, the event has the Skyriders Trampoline Stunt Show, parachute planes, a balloon walk-about, hot-air balloon tethered rides, demonstrations and interactive booths for the whole family.

For more information, call the Greater Augusta Sports Council at 722-8326.

School to hold open house

There will be an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Ursula E. Collins Elementary School, 1321 Steed St.

The event is open to the public, and State Court Judge David Watkins will be the guest speaker.

E. coli sickens three children

ATLANTA -- Three children were sickened this week by E. coli bacteria, but state health authorities said Friday none has been hospitalized.

Two of the children were from Fulton County, and the third was from Forsyth County, said state Department of Human Resources spokesman Peter Lee.

Investigators found that all three attended a summer camp at a north Fulton County YMCA but had not determined that the camp was where the children were sickened.

The E. coli strain is 0157:h7, the same that sickened dozens of children and killed one girl at a Cobb County water park.

Mobile home fire kills two

GILBERT -- Lexington County authorities are investigating a fire that killed a man and a woman in a mobile home.

A passer-by noticed the smoldering remains of the mobile home about 7:30 a.m. Friday, Coroner Harry Harman said. The Hollow Creek Fire Department responded to the scene, and a county fire investigator found two victims in the mobile home.

One person was found in the bedroom area, and another victim was found in the living room area, Mr. Harman said.

Identification of the victims through dental records has not been completed, he said.