Across the area

Man is accused of child assault

A 17-year-old from Gloverville was arrested Thursday and charged with sexually assaulting two girls, ages 4 and 11.

Daniel L. Lard, of the 100 block of Beckham Road, was charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the second degree and three counts of lewd act on a minor.

According to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, Mr. Lard assaulted the two girls at his home between November and December 2004.

Mr. Lard was denied bond today in Aiken County Bond Court.

Elderly Aiken man dies in kitchen fire

A 79-year-old Aiken man was killed Thursday after his kitchen caught on fire, authorities said.

John W. Williams, of the 600 block of Morgan Street, likely died from carbon monoxide poisoning, Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton said.

Mr. Williams was cooking in his mobile home Thursday afternoon, Mr. Carlton said, when the grease ignited.

He was partially disabled, he said.

"That may have contributed to his not being able to get out of the house," Mr. Carlton said.

Mr. Carlton said that an official cause of death will be determined once toxicology tests are completed in about two weeks.

Traffic backs up after tractor-trailer wreck

An overturned tractor-trailer caused traffic to back up for hours in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 20 on Friday morning.

The wreck occurred in the construction zone between Bobby Jones Expressway and Washington Road exits, approximately 1,000 feet east of Warren Bridge Road, Richmond County sheriff's Deputy Quinn Bennett said.

At about 5:40 a.m., Pedro Rodriguez, who was hauling groceries in a tractor-trailer, looked down to check his directions on a mobile computer, Deputy Bennett said.

When he looked back up, he could not react in time to avoid a construction zone barrier and hit it before overturning, Deputy Bennett said.

Mr. Rodriguez, 25, of Gainesville, Fla., was cited for driving too fast for conditions, Deputy Bennett said.

No one was injured.

Deputies routed traffic into the westbound lanes to alleviate congestion, and the eastbound lane of traffic was cleared by 10:30 a.m., Deputy Bennett said.

Gas line break prompts partial road closure

Richmond County sheriff's deputies closed part of Davis Road after a natural gas line broke late Friday.

Richmond County dispatchers said a 4-inch Atlanta Gas Light line broke in the 100 block of Davis Road near Toucan Road just after 5 p.m.

In an e-mail, Columbia County's Emergency Services Director Pam Tucker said the gas leak occurred at Davis Road and Oak Street.

Atlanta Gas Light spokeswoman Robin Keegan said a contractor laying sewer pipes hit the line.

Intersections were blocked to traffic at Davis Road and Pleasant Home Road and Washington Road, Ms. Tucker said. She said nearby homes and businesses were evacuated as a precaution.

Authorities say 'bear' was more likely a dog

Authorities investigating a report of a bear in south Richmond County said Friday that it was probably only a black chow dog.

Richmond County sheriff's Sgt. Tracy Carter said sheriff's deputies and animal control officers were dispatched at about 1 p.m. Thursday to an area south of Tobacco Road near Boykin Road.

Within 30 seconds, authorities were in the area, he said.

The only animal in the immediate area was the chow, Sgt. Carter said.

"No one saw a bear," he said. "It was probably just a big hairy dog."

Augusta Animal Services referred comment on the matter to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

Employee says men held up liquor store

An employee of a south Augusta package store told police his store was robbed Thursday night.

The worker at the Super Star Wine & Spirits store in the 3200 block of Deans Bridge Road said that two men entered the store at about 9:30 p.m., a Richmond County sheriff's report states.

One of the men, brandishing a gun, demanded that everyone get on the floor. Both of the men went behind the counter, and the armed man demanded money. After opening the registers, the men took money and a bottle of liquor and fled.

Man is accused of molesting 4-year-old

Richmond County sheriff's deputies are investigating a report of child molestation involving a 4-year-old girl, a police report states.

The girl's mother told deputies Thursday that she discovered that her ex-boyfriend, a registered sex offender, touched her daughter inappropriately between April 22 and May 9.

Woman says she was bilked out of ring, cash

An elderly North Augusta woman told police she was conned into letting a woman into her home, and the woman then took jewelry from her, a North Augusta Department of Public Safety report states.

The 84-year-old woman told officers that at 3 p.m. Thursday, while she was in the parking lot of the Publix in the 300 block of East Martintown Road, she was approached by a woman in a pantsuit as she was walking toward the store.

The woman told the victim that she saw a wallet fall from her vehicle, and showed the wallet, containing several hundred dollars. The victim said it wasn't hers, but the woman said she "worked for an attorney" and would call them to see what to do with the money.

After saying she was told they could keep the money but couldn't spend it for 90 days, the victim said she needed to use the bathroom and she drove herself and the woman to her home.

After using the bathroom, the victim returned to find the woman looking through her dresser drawers. She then asked questions about valuables in the residence. The woman pulled off a diamond ring the victim was wearing and pretended to put it in a dresser drawer.

The victim then took the woman to SRP Federal Credit Union to withdraw $800 for "attorney's fees." After withdrawing the cash, the victim picked up the woman, who said she was going to meet with her "attorney" on the other side of the parking lot. The woman took the victim's money and left. When the victim went home, she discovered the diamond ring was missing.

Deadline approaches for New Orleans voters

Eligible New Orleans voters displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita living in the Augusta region have until Monday to mail completed absentee election ballots in the city's municipal general election, the U.S. Postal Service says.

The election is May 20. Absentee ballots must be received by the Orleans Parish registrar's office or the Louisiana Secretary of State's office by May 19.

For more information, call the Louisiana Secretary of State Elections Division at (800) 883-2805 or e-mail elections@sos. louisiana.gov.

Construction leads to traffic interruptions

The Georgia Department of Transportation announced Friday the following upcoming construction-related traffic interruptions near Interstate 20:

- Monday through June 30, 24 hours a day: Skinner Mill Road will be closed at Cranes Creek. Motorists will be directed to use Boy Scout Road, Wheeler Road and Walton Way Extension.

- Monday and Tuesday, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.: Pleasant Home Road will be closed just before its intersection with Walton Way Extension. Traffic will be detoured through Professional Park.

- From 9 a.m. Tuesday through 5 a.m. Friday: the outside lane of westbound I-20 will be closed starting east of the Warren Road overpass to the Walton Way Extension overpass.

- Wednesday night: flagmen will be directing traffic in the intersection of Walton Way Extension and Scott Nixon Memorial Parkway/Pleasant Home Road.

Part of 10th Street will close for crane

Part of 10th Street in downtown Augusta will be closed Monday to park a crane in the street, according to the Augusta Engineering Department.

A news release states that 10th Street will be closed between Greene and Telfair streets from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in order to allow the crane to be parked. The crane is being used to replace air conditioners on the roof of the Augusta-Richmond County Library.

Drivers should use James Brown Boulevard or 11th Street as detours.

Five schools will hold rezoning meetings

Five Richmond County schools are being rezoned with the opening of new schools and the expectation of growth in west Augusta.

School officials will hold five meetings, one at each affected school, to address questions and concerns and receive input before proposals are presented to the school board.

The schedule is as follows:

- 5:30 p.m. Monday at Jamestown Elementary

- 7:30 p.m. Monday at Windsor Spring Elementary

- 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Willis Foreman Elementary

- 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Tobacco Road Elementary

- 7 p.m. May 22 at Warren Road Elementary

Pupils at Sue Reynolds Elementary are being rezoned to Warren Road Elementary to relieve crowding. The other four schools are being rezoned because of the opening of Deer Chase and Diamond Lakes elementary schools.

For more information, call the public information office at (706) 826-1118.

Pit Stop fundraiser will be held today

The Pit Stop fundraiser will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Augusta Harley-Davidson, 4200 Frontage Road.

Attractions include a silent auction, arts and crafts, and vendors and food. Blood donors will get a T-shirt and a chance to win a prize. Proceeds benefit various local charities, including Berry Children's Center. For more information, call (706) 651-0444.