Across the area

Garbage pickup back to normal

Regular residential garbage service in Augusta resumes today, according to Mark Johnson, the director of Richmond County Solid Waste.

Regular twice-weekly service, which was cut to once a week last week because of a gasoline shortage, along with recycling and bulky-waste pickup will be back on schedule beginning today because haulers are able to buy diesel fuel, Mr. Johnson said.

West Lake residents to use different entrance

The Furys Ferry Road entrance to West Lake subdivision will be closed from 6 p.m. today to 6 a.m. Thursday as part of the Furys Ferry widening project.

While Inverness Way at Furys Ferry is closed, residents of Westlake will have to enter the subdivision at the Stevens Creek Road entrance, according to a Columbia County government news release. Workers will be laying a storm drainage pipe.

Police arrest man with weapon at school lot

Police said they arrested a Hephzibah man Tuesday afternoon after finding him in the Glenn Hills High School parking lot with a set of brass knuckles.

Antonio Marquis Collins, 20, of the 3500 block of Pebble Creek Drive, was stopped by the Richmond County Board of Education police after officers noticed that his blue Oldsmobile Cutlass did not have a license tag, Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Mario Young said.

"He said he came to the school to meet a friend and the brass knuckles didn't belong to him," Investigator Young said.

Mr. Collins faces felony charges of carrying a weapon on school property, Investigator Young said.

Work will close lanes on Reynolds, Ninth

Two lanes of traffic on Reynolds and Ninth streets will be closed from 8 a.m. until noon today so that underground cables can be repaired there, according to Augusta-Richmond County's Engineering Department.

The affected lanes will be the eastbound right lane of the 900 block of Reynolds and the southbound lane of Ninth in front of the Java Hut.

Contractor working at school is electrocuted

A contractor working on the air-conditioning system at Busbee Elementary School in Wagener was electrocuted Monday.

Charlie Paul Owens, 31, of Gaston, S.C., was found by a custodian at about 8:30 a.m. and pronounced dead at Aiken Regional Medical Centers, according to Deputy Coroner Jeff Smith.

An autopsy Tuesday found that Mr. Owens died of cardiac arrest caused by electrocution.

His death was ruled accidental, Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Owens was working for Columbia-based Harris Sales & Services, a subcontractor.

Mr. Smith said the contractor was working in an electrical box that feeds electricity to the air-conditioning system.

The electrical disconnect was not turned off, Mr. Smith said, and "somehow or another he got his hands crossed up in there and it shocked him and electrocuted him."

Man gets four-year sentence in shooting

An Augusta man who took responsibility Tuesday for shooting a man with an assault rifle received a prison sentence.

Anthony Hill, 19, pleaded guilty in Richmond County Superior Court to aggravated assault in the March 3 shooting of Curtis Jackson.

Attorney Hugh Hadden, of the public defender's office, told the judge that Mr. Hill disputed being the shooter but admitted he handled the rifle that night when two groups came together for a street fight.

Chief Judge William M. Fleming Jr. sentenced Mr. Hill to four years in prison followed by three years' probation.

Man says unpaid loan led to hammer attack

Fed up with an acquaintance's refusal to repay a loan, Billy F. Johns hit him on the head with a hammer, Mr. Johns' attorney told a judge Tuesday.

Mr. Johns, 38, entered a guilty but mentally retarded plea in Richmond County Superior Court. He admitted he committed aggravated assault Nov. 11 when he hit Billy Ray Hendrix with a hammer.

Attorney Clayton Jolly presented evidence of Mr. Johns' diminished mental state. Mr. Johns had criminal convictions and a drug addiction, but he also suffers from mental retardation and mental illness, Mr. Jolly said.

Chief Judge William M. Fleming Jr. sentenced Mr. Johns to five years in prison.

Woman is charged in stabbing of husband

Police said they arrested a 26-year-old Augusta woman Tuesday after she reportedly stabbed her husband with a steak knife.

Krystal Bussey Davis, of the 3400 block of McAlpine Drive, was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime.

According to a Richmond County sheriff's incident report, Ms. Davis stabbed her husband of five years, Kaylon Davis, when he came home late Monday morning. Mr. Davis reportedly suffered two wounds to his back.

Man linked to robbery at apartment complex

Officers arrested a 20-year-old Augusta man in an armed robbery of a 21-year-old woman outside of her River Ridge Road apartment in July.

Charles Edward Warney, of the 3500 block of Highview Court, was charged with armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, according to a Richmond County sheriff's report.

The report says a man grabbed the victim from behind as she walked up stairs at Madison on the Green Apartments on the night of July 25. The man then pulled the woman on the ground, took her keys and later fired a shot at neighbors who came out to help the woman.

Church will celebrate nativity of St. Mary

St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church, named for the mother of Jesus, will commemorate her nativity with a procession at 7 tonight from the adoration chapel at St. Mary on the Hill School, 1220 Monte Sano Ave., to the church, 1420 Monte Sano Ave., where the Rev. Martino Nguyen will hold a service.

The Rev. Charles Hughes will celebrate Mass at 7 p.m. Thursday, followed by a reception. The Rev. Gerald Ragan will celebrate Mass at 9:15 a.m. Friday, followed by a procession from the church to the adoration chapel.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates Mary's nativity annually Sept. 8.

Inmate turns violent with deputies at jail

A 25-year-old inmate at the Richmond County jail tried to attack one deputy with a mop and throw another deputy over a balcony early Tuesday, according to Richmond County sheriff's Lt. Jimmy Young.

Augustan Dave Owens Cassagnol, who was in jail on charges of disorderly conduct, became violent while the guards were serving breakfast just before 6 a.m.

It took four deputies to subdue the inmate. No one was injured during the incident.

Mr. Cassagnol is being charged with one felony count of obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

Woman says she was assaulted by passenger

A 42-year-old Augusta woman told police that a man to whom she gave a ride from the Greyhound bus station sexually assaulted her late Monday.

According to a Richmond County sheriff's report, the woman said she didn't know the man but offered to give him a ride to the Huddle House on Ellis Street so that he could sober up after he was told to leave the bus station.

Once in her car, the man reportedly asked to go to the marina, where he took the woman's keys, fondled her and stole $3 worth of quarters from her backpack. She was able to drop him off at a residence near East Boundary Street at about 1:30 a.m.

No arrests had been made as of Tuesday.