Bus drivers say they'll file suit

School bus drivers are threatening to push forward with a federal discrimination lawsuit against the Richmond County Board of Education.

The Transport Workers Union Local 239 warned school officials about the possibility of a lawsuit in September and has heard no response, said Local 239 President Sallie Thomas.

She alleges that union members have been discriminated against by not being allowed to address the school board, treated unfairly and passed over for opportunities to work field trips, which are opportunities to earn additional money.

School board attorney Pete Fletcher said he responded to the "courtesy copy" of the potential lawsuit in September but never received a response.

In March, he said, he successfully defended against 22 complaints filed by bus drivers with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

School bus drivers notified Columbia County school officials of a lawsuit earlier this week, alleging hostile workers conditions.

NAACP will hold two forums for community

The Augusta branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will hold a community town hall forum at 7 tonight at the Sand Hills Community Center of Fleming Avenue.

Candidates for the positions of mayor, commissioners for districts 7 and 9, and the Board of Education trustee for district 9 will be in attendance.

A second forum will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Henry Brigham Community Center.

For more information, call the NAACP at 724-0390.

Men flee after theft at Grovetown store

Police are investigating an armed robbery that happened at a Grovetown discount store, officials said.

Capt. Gary Owens, of the Grovetown Department of Public Safety, said that at about 8 p.m., two armed males entered the Dollar General store in the 5100 block of Wrightsboro Road.

They demanded cash from two employees, took money and then ran out of the store. They were last seen running behind the business toward a wooded area, Capt. Owens said.

The K9 unit of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation.

3 more arrested in Aiken home invasion

Three more men have been arrested in a Sunday home invasion in Aiken, according to the Aiken Department of Public Safety.

Timothy Stroman, 26, of the 100 block of Elbert Street in Graniteville, was arrested Tuesday night.

Orlando Pixley, 20, of Hewitt Street in Graniteville, turned himself in to Aiken police Wednesday morning.

Also charged was Pierre McKie, 19, of Storm Branch Road, who is accused of accessory after the fact in helping hide the stolen goods.

Sgt. David Turno of the department said Mr. McKie turned himself in about 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Previously charged in the invasion of a home on Hill Avenue N.W. is Travis Williams, of the 700 block of Leitner Street, and Thomas Johann, of the 900 block of Storm Branch Road. Both are 21.

Woman is charged in disturbance at school

An Augusta woman was detained by Richmond County sheriff's authorities after they said she became combative at Langford Middle School.

Phyllis Meshel Swinson, 39, of Lake Santee Drive, was arguing with school administrators Tuesday morning in the guidance office when police arrived, a sheriff's report states.

After she threatened an office worker and didn't calm down, police said they used pepper spray and handcuffs to detain her, the report states.

Ms. Swinson was charged with felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer and disruption of a public school, jail records show.

School board spokeswoman Mechelle Jordan said Ms. Swinson is accused of striking a male board of education public safety officer in the eye.

Man pleads guilty to machine-gun charges

A North Augusta man pleaded guilty this week in federal court to committing mail fraud involving the transfer of illegal machine guns and lying to federal agents.

Ernest Wrenn, 56, pleaded guilty Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of South Carolina to one count of mail fraud and one count of knowingly making a materially false statement to an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Sentencing will be later.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Columbia, Mr. Wrenn lied to an ATF agent in 2002 about how many machine gun kits he had, and in January 2004, investigators discovered he was scamming customers by selling illegal machine guns he said were ATF-approved.

Comedy show put off; no new date is set

It's Just Comedy Tour Explosion 2005 featuring Talent, Bill Bellamy, Kevin Hart and John Witherspoon and scheduled for Nov. 26 at Bell Auditorium has been postponed but has not been rescheduled, according to the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.

Refunds are available from point of purchase.

Police will get review in Columbia County

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies will examine the Columbia County Sheriff's Office in December as part of a voluntary process of re-accreditation.

The assessors will evaluate the office's policies, procedures, operations, management and support services.

Employees and the public can offer comments at an information session at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 in Judge's Conference Room 1090 at Evans Justice Center.

People also can call 541-4060 from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 6 or send written comments about the sheriff's office's ability to meet the accreditation standards to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., 10306 Eaton Place, Suite 320, Fairfax, VA 22030-2201.