Aiken County alters smoking ordinance

The Aiken County Council agreed Tuesday night to amend the county's smoking ban ordinance.

Looking to bring the ordinance more in line with smoking bans in Aiken and North Augusta, the council amended the law to prohibit smoking in bars and restaurants with three or more employees.

When the ordinance was passed in June 2007, it allowed people to light up in bars and restaurants as long as there was a separate ventilation system. But bans recently passed in the county's two major municipalities do not allow smoking indoors.

A 14-year-old remained in critical condition Tuesday after being shot in the chest at close range during an argument outside a Hephzibah home Sunday afternoon.

Four teenagers were at the McLean Place home when they were approached by two teens carrying guns, according to Richmond County sheriff's Lt. Scott Peebles. An argument ensued and the victim was shot by a 15-year-old who fled the scene, police said.

The incident was sparked by an earlier dispute between the two teens, both of whom are in gangs, Lt. Peebles said. The teen is being treated at Medical College of Georgia Hospital.

An Aiken man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on federal drug charges, U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins said Tuesday.

Samuel Rodney Holmes, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret B. Seymour. His sentence will be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release.

Mr. Holmes was convicted by a jury last year after a three-day trial. Evidence showed he was a major supplier of crack and cocaine in the Augusta area.

One man died and another could face charges after a Tuesday morning car wreck on Mike Padgett Highway.

Spencer Jordan Talbert, 18, of the 1500 block of Brown Road, was riding in his pickup while a friend was driving. As they tried to pass a car in the center median of Mike Padgett Highway near Old Savannah Road, the vehicles collided, according to Richmond County Deputy Coroner Johnny McDonald. The pickup rolled multiple times and Mr. Talbert was ejected, Mr. McDonald said.

The driver of the pickup, Matthew Norman Newsome, 19, of Lumpkin Road, was taken to Medical College of Georgia Hospital, where he was in good condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Authorities are examining the possibility of charging Mr. Newsome with second-degree vehicular homicide, Mr. McDonald said.

Ricardo McPherson Jr., a former Academy of Richmond County basketball player who went on to play at Albany State University, was shot to death Monday night at his Albany apartment.

Officers responding to a burglary call found Mr. McPherson, 25, dead on the floor about 10:20 p.m., Albany police spokeswoman Phyllis Banks-Whitley said.

A 911 call -- believed to have come from a friend of Mr. McPherson -- summoned police to the duplex, Ms. Banks-Whitley said. The caller said someone was breaking into the home. When police arrived, they found only Mr. McPherson. The spokeswoman said she couldn't elaborate on the 911 call.

Investigators have no suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to call (229) 436-TIPS or (229) 431-2100.

-- From staff reports