Across the area

• Photos

Man sought in attack on girlfriend's brother

Richmond County sheriff's deputies are looking for a man who is accused of stabbing his girlfriend's brother after an argument early Friday.

Roger Dale Byrd, 41, is wanted on charges of aggravated assault and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, Lt. James Young said.

Lt. Young said Emmett Chaffin, 30, of the 2100 block of Hephzibah-McBean Road, told his sister and her boyfriend, Mr. Byrd, to take their children and leave because they were not helping with the bills.

Mr. Chaffin told police the sister cussed him and left and that Mr. Byrd told him "I've got something for you." The victim said Mr. Byrd stabbed him with a hunting knife.

The Georgia State Patrol is investigating a fatal accident from Thursday in Emanuel County, officials said.

Bryan Johnson, 35, of Vidalia, was killed after a pickup struck the side of a van in which he was a passenger, Emanuel County Deputy Coroner Tommy Wilkerson said.

Mr. Johnson was pronounced dead at Emanuel Medical Center at 9:10 p.m., Mr. Wilkerson said.

An autopsy will be performed in Augusta today, he said.

The accident took place at the intersection of Highway 221 and Lawson Road, Mr. Wilkerson said. Mr. Johnson was not restrained and was thrown partially through the passenger-side window, he said.

A fire burned the downstairs bedroom of a home in south Augusta on Friday.

At 3:23 p.m., firefighters responded to the 2800 block of Conniston Drive, where flames were coming out of the windows of a house, Richmond County Fire Capt. Brian Dozier said.

No one was inside the residence during the fire, and the blaze was extinguished before any other homes in the neighborhood were threatened, Capt. Dozier said.

A federal lawsuit between a metro Atlanta computer software company and a local Mexican restaurateur over copyright infringement has been settled, court records show.

Astrum Information Technologies Inc., based in Kennesaw, Ga., sued Felipe Mata, the owner of the Teresa's Mexican Restaurant chain, over the use of unauthorized copies of the company's software.

The software is used by waitstaff to enter food and drink orders and to create guest checks. Mr. Mata denied the allegations.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

A Georgia Army National Guard soldier was sentenced in a court-martial this week at Fort Gordon for fraudulently separating from the Army, desertion and drug violations, officials said.

Sgt. 1st Class Debra D. Durden, 46, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to a reduction in rank to private, 60 days in military confinement and a bad conduct discharge, said Marla Jones, a civilian post spokeswoman.

Sgt. 1st Class Durden deployed to Iraq in 2003 with the 878th Engineer Battalion and was placed in medical hold for treatment for an undisclosed condition upon return to the United States.

She was transferred to the medical hold company at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Ms. Jones said.

The soldier was accused of making false representations that she had been cleared to leave and outprocessed, and of using marijuana and cocaine on post. She also was accused of deserting from Oct. 31, 2005, to March 22 this year.

The soldier was scheduled to be released from active duty and returned to the Georgia National Guard at the time the violations occurred, Ms. Jones said.

Augusta Technical College will celebrate Constitution Day at 1:45 p.m. Monday.

A ceremony will take place in the atrium of Building 1000, the college's Information Technology Center in Augusta. The event will open with the reading of the preamble and include other related activities.

The event is free and open to the public.

"Super Saturday" will be held at Augusta Technical College to allow people another opportunity to enroll at the school.

The event will be from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 23 in Building 1300 of the college's Augusta campus. Services offered will include advisement, registration, an "early bird" drop/add and fee payment.

Students can avoid the long lines during the weekdays leading up to the new quarter by attending the event. The new quarter begins Sept. 27.

For more information, call (706) 771-4028 or visit www.augustatech.edu.

Parents United, an organization of Richmond County parents, will hold a special meeting at 10 a.m. Sept. 23.

Helen Blocker-Adams, a candidate for Georgia General Assembly District 120, will be the guest speaker.

The group usually meets on the first Saturday of each month at the Diamond Lakes Library.

For more information, call Greg Collier at (706) 771-0878 or e-mail him at ParentsUnitedtta@comcast.net.

A Florida man was sentenced in federal court Friday for his role in a theft ring that stole motor vehicles and construction equipment.

Claude Leroy Gardner Jr., 27, of Haines City, was sentenced to four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, including four months of home confinement.

He was also ordered to repay $15,875 in restitution.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Columbia, Mr. Gardner admitted to helping steal construction equipment, trailers and tools in Georgia cities, including Augusta, Port Wentworth and Sylvania, and even a flatbed trailer loaded with lumber from West Virginia.

The theft ring operated from January 1999 to August 2004, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The Aiken Republican Club will meet Monday at Newberry Hall, 117 Newberry St., Aiken.

Social time is at 11:30 a.m., and lunch will be served at noon.

The speaker will be Republican state treasurer candidate Thomas Ravenel.

The cost is $15 for members and $20 for others. Call (803) 649-5059.

- From staff reports