Across the area

Woman drove robber away, authorities say

The Aiken County Sheriff's Of fice is looking for an Augusta woman accused of driving the getaway car in a Sept. 9 bank robbery.

Bonita G. Mack, 46, of the 700 block of Albany Avenue, is accused of driving a man away in a white Honda Odyssey van after the robbery at Regions Bank at 4385 Jefferson Davis Highway, Clearwater, according to a news release issued Friday.

Police say that at 12:33 p.m., the man asked a teller for a deposit slip and wrote a note on the back of the slip demanding money.

The man never showed a gun, the release states.

He was seen walking to the van driven by Ms. Mack, according to the release.

Ms. Mack is described as 5 feet 7 inches, black and weighing 200 pounds. Anyone with information can call (800) 922-9709 or (888) CRIME-SC.

Thief steals $1,171 worth of station's gas

More than 240 gallons of premium gasoline was stolen from a pump at the Four Season's Gas Station in North Augusta on Thursday.

The thief meddled with a pump and, at $4.88 a gallon, stole about $1,171 of gasoline, according to a North Augusta Department of Public Safety report.

The pump damage was estimated at $200, the report stated.

3 arrested in rental business burglaries

Two men and an unnamed juvenile were arrested Thursday, accused of break-ins at three rental businesses.

Darius Anthony Major, 18; brother Rodriquez Marquette Major, 19; and the juvenile are each charged with three counts of burglary, according to Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Shawn Newsome.

The men are accused of throwing bricks through the windows of the businesses and taking TVs and other appliances, Investigator Newsome said.

The stores were Rent-A-Center on Peach Orchard Road and Gordon Highway, and Aaron's Sales and Lease Ownership on Georgetown Drive.

Gordon's funk show at Imperial called off

Westobou Festival Funk featuring Wycliffe Gordon and Friends, scheduled for Wednesday night, has been canceled.

In a phone interview Monday, Mr. Gordon said he will still be performing at Augusta State University on Sunday night at the AJP Big Band Reunion Concert with the ASU Jazz All-Stars.

"It needed more time to produce, to promote the show," Mr. Gordon said of the funk show, which he plans on rescheduling for December.

Mr. Gordon, who lives in New York, said he needed more time to be hands-on in Augusta and wanted to produce a high quality show.

"There is a bar to be set," he said.

For ticket refunds, call the Imperial Theatre box office at (706) 722-8341.

Sam's Club employee charged in card fraud

A Sam's Club employee was arrested Thursday on charges that he stole more than $3,000 from customers by using their credit cards to make purchases.

Zachary Dagget, 19, of the 2000 block of Broad Street, was charged with one count of financial transaction card fraud.

He is expected to face as many as 25 more counts, according to Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Michelle Walden.

Mr. Dagget is accused of using his position at the member counter to acquire customers' old charge cards. Instead of deactivating them, he would use them to make purchases and get cash, Investigator Walden said.

The charges ranged from 69 cents to $843, she said.

Check theft suspect found at recycling yard

Authorities say a man accused of stealing checks from mailboxes was arrested while trying to sell stolen air-conditioning parts at a recycling center Thursday.

Troy McCray, 43, of the 3600 block of Brussels Street, is charged with three counts of forgery in the first degree, according to Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Michelle Walden.

He is accused of taking three checks from mailboxes and making them out to himself. He also altered the amount to hundreds of dollars more, Investigator Walden said.

Charges are pending for the theft of the air-conditioner parts, Investigator Kendall Brown said.

Open house coming for Title I school parents

The Richmond County school system's Title I Department will hold an open house for parents from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Parents with children at a Title I school are encouraged to attend the event at the school board office, 864 Broad St. There will be door prices and refreshments.

To RSVP, call (706) 826-1134.

NAACP to hold annual conference in Augusta

Augusta will be home to the 66th annual NAACP Georgia State Convention and Civil Rights Conference next month.

More than 500 volunteers are expected to participate in the conference, which will be held Oct. 8-12 at the Augusta Marriott Hotel and Suites, 2 Tenth St., according to an NAACP news release.

The convention will unite NAACP members from across the state for a leadership training and development conference that will include workshops on criminal justice, education, health and veterans affairs. For more information, contact Daryl Graham at (404) 781-3992.

Traffic Report

- Traffic will be shifted to the inside lanes on both sides of Interstate 20 between Davis Road and River Watch Parkway beginning at 9 p.m. Sunday, according to a Georgia Department of Transportation news release.

Safety concerns alter football schedules

The Richmond County school system on Friday announced changes to its football schedule to ensure enough school board police officers are available to work the events.

Superintendent Dana Bedden said he will consider changing all games to the daytime if necessary to ensure pupils' safety.

-- From staff reports