Across the area

Wheeler Road lanes to close

Motorists should be prepared for daytime temporary lane closures on the westbound side of Wheeler Road from Marks Church Road to Perimeter Parkway today and Friday.

The closures will last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Crews will be working to construct new lanes in that area.

Man, 33, is charged with touching girl, 13

Police on Wednesday arrested an Augusta man who is accused of inappropriately touching a teenage girl and offering beer to that teen and another.

John King, 33, of the 1900 block of Heckle Street, was charged with felony child molestation and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Glen Rahn.

Mr. King is accused of taking the girls, ages 13 and 16, to his home March 15 and drinking beer with them "during the night," Investigator Rahn said. Mr. King also "inappropriately touched" the younger girl, police said.

Man held in robbery of plant's credit union

Police arrested a man Wednesday suspected in a December armed robbery of an Augusta credit union.

Jeremiah Jerome Garrett, 20, of Hephzibah, faces federal charges of two counts of kidnapping, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, carjacking and armed robbery, according to Richmond County Investigator William Leisey.

Responding to a tip, sheriff's deputies and FBI agents went to a home on James Drive and took Mr. Garrett into custody, Investigator Leisey said.

Police say Mr. Garrett was wanted in the robbery of the Richmond Community Federal Credit Union inside the E-Z-Go plant at 1451 Marvin Griffin Road.

Still being sought is Drew Jamal Pollard, 25.

Man is arrested in girlfriend's shooting

An Augusta man accused of shooting his girlfriend in the buttocks Monday has been arrested.

Royce Smith, 20, of the 1400 block of Sycamore Drive, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, three counts of third-degree criminal damage to property and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, according to a Richmond County jail committal.

Fort Gordon group offers scholarships

A scholarship essay contest is being held by the Fort Gordon Sergeants Major Association between April 1 and May 31.

The scholarships are named for two sergeants major killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon and one killed in Iraq. They will provide $500 to three area high school graduates, according to a Fort Gordon news release.

High school seniors can obtain an application from Army Community Services, Room 224 in Darling Hall on Chamberlain Avenue or online at www.sergeantsmajor.com.

Seniors do not have to be affiliated with the military but must be scheduled to graduate in the spring or summer of 2008, the release stated. For more information, contact Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur Washington at (706) 791-2519.

School buses will be outfitted with GPS

All Richmond County school buses will be outfitted with a global positioning system by May 1, part of a technology upgrade recommended in a recent audit.

The department will be able to monitor actual routes taken by drivers and compare that with the scheduled routes. Routes can then be made more efficient and transportation officials will know where buses are.

The GPS devices will also feature two-way radios. They will also have 911 capability.

The department has been testing a GPS program since the fall.