Across the area

Cars exchange gunfire on road

Authorities responded to a report of gunfire exchanged between two vehicles on the Aiken-Augusta Highway on Tuesday night, Aiken County sheriff's Lt. Michael Frank said.

Shortly after the call about the gunfire, a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol stopped a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo with two occupants and a white Ford F150 pickup with three occupants, both traveling east on the highway, Lt. Frank said.

Two handguns were found in the Monte Carlo, Lt. Frank said.

The five men were being held in investigative detention last night but none had been charged, Lt. Frank said.

Man faces robbery, possession charges

Richmond County sheriff's deputies arrested a Waynesboro man Tuesday on robbery and weapons charges.

Authorities charged Travis Washington, 20, of the 800 block of Water Street, with two felony counts of armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, according to Richmond County jail records.

Police said Mr. Washington and another man attacked Rodney M. Rainey, 49, on Sept. 27 at his home in the 3400 block of Dexter Court, according to a sheriff's office incident report.

Mr. Rainey was struck several times on his head with a handgun and $1,100 was stolen out of his pocket, the report said.

Convent reports cars, cash, rosaries stolen

An Augusta woman told Richmond County sheriff's deputies someone stole two cars and 50 sets of rosary beads from the Convent of St. Helena sometime between 9 p.m. Monday and 9:40 a.m. Tuesday.

According to an incident report, Debora Magdelene told deputies someone entered the convent in the 3000 block of Eagle Drive and took $1,000 worth of rosary beads, a metal cash box with donations and a 1995 and a 2002 Toyota Corolla.

One vehicle was recovered in the 3000 block of Brighton Street, the report said.

Businessman reports being robbed at shop

Richmond County sheriff's deputies investigated an armed robbery of a Gordon Highway businessman Tuesday morning, officials said.

Sgt. Calvin Chew of the criminal investigation division said that at 8:20 a.m., a male robbed Robert Williams, the owner of Tire Town in the 1800 block of Gordon Highway, of his briefcase.

Sgt. Chew said employees tried to chase the robber and another man with him, but the robber fired a shot into the air.

Burglar takes jewelry from Augusta woman

An Augusta woman told Richmond County sheriff's deputies that someone stole several thousands of dollars' in jewelry from her home this weekend.

The 75-year-old woman said that at 5 p.m. Sunday, she saw someone run inside her house in the 2200 block of Overton Road.

She said when she went to her bedroom, she found that a jewelry box had been taken.

Man is accused of hitting son with belt

Richmond County sheriff's deputies have arrested a man on child abuse charges, accusing him of hitting his 3-year-old son in the head with a belt buckle while disciplining the child, officials said Tuesday.

Robert Lavon Williams Jr., 22, of the 3200 block of Deans Bridge Road, was charged with cruelty to children in the first degree early Tuesday morning, jail records state.

Maj. Ken Autry said that Monday night, Mr. Williams returned home to hear that his son, Robert Lavon Williams III, had received a bad progress report from day care.

Mr. Williams struck his son in the head with a belt buckle, causing a cut a University Hospital doctor described as "cruel and excessive," Maj. Autry said.

Investigators call fire at business accident

A September fire at an Augusta woodworking business was accidentally started, officials said Tuesday.

Lt. G.B. Hannan, an investigator for the Augusta-Richmond County Fire Department, said he found no evidence that the fire at Christian Millworks, off Gordon Highway on Molly Pond Road, was started intentionally.

Lt. Hannan said the fire apparently started outside, near a blower that takes in sawdust and blows it into a trailer. The fire spread to the sawdust and a load of timber outside.

Section of Walton Way will close for repairs

The westbound lanes on the 1600 block of Walton Way will be closed today and Thursday so workers can repair a cave-in, according to the Augusta-Richmond County Engineering Department.

The lanes will close at 8:30 this morning and reopen at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Drivers can avoid the area by using Druid Park Avenue, Eve Street, Crawford Avenue, Calhoun Expressway or Broad Street.

Juveniles charged in attack on 11-year-old

Two juveniles have been charged with simple assault after being accused of attacking an 11-year-old girl at Second Baptist Christian Preparatory School in Aiken, according to an Aiken Department of Public Safety report.

The two juveniles, whose names and ages weren't released, threatened to kill the girl, a police report states. One of the juveniles stabbed the girl in the hand with a pencil and the other one slapped her in the face, the report states.

Man is charged with committing lewd act

A 47-year-old Johnston man was arrested Sept. 28 and charged with a lewd act on a child younger than 16, according to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

Brooks Williamson was arrested in North Augusta after the Aug. 10 incident with an 11-year-old girl from Aiken, according to a police report.

He was an apostle at Remnant Ministries in North Augusta, Lt. Michael Frank said.

Augusta school team draws up fuel plan

Richmond County school officials are showing "real concern" for the need to conserve fuel, spokeswoman Mechelle Jordan said.

The school system's Quality Leadership Team met Tuesday and developed plans to address rising fuel costs, she said.

The specifics of the plans won't be released to the public until school board members have a chance to view them.

The board is expected to vote on the proposals at its next meeting, set for 6 p.m. Oct. 13.