Across the area

Mother held in boy's death is denied bond

An Augusta mother accused of murder in the death of her newborn was denied bond Monday.

Nicole H. Frances, 23, and Matthew Reynolds, 20, were arrested last month. Their son, Damion L. Reynolds, died Jan. 5.

Assistant District Attorney Brooks Hudson told the judge that the assistant coroner and investigators suspected abuse when they saw the baby's body. A pathologist confirmed the baby was smothered, Mr. Hudson said.

The boy also had bruises on his chest, head and face, he said.

Judge J. Carlisle Overstreet denied the bond request in Richmond County Superior Court. Mr. Reynolds is also in jail without bond.

2-month drug operation ends with 30 arrests

Police arrested 30 people in North Augusta as the result of a two-month undercover drug investigation, according to a news release from Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office, working with other local and state agencies, served a search warrant early Friday at a home in the 100 block of Kip Road, the release said. Police then used the home to make reverse sales, resulting in the majority of arrests.

The most serious charges include distribution of crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The Aiken Department of Public Safety, the Hampton County Sheriff's Department, the Lexington County Sheriff's Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division also participated in the investigation.

Sex offender can stay in home, judge rules

A Columbia County judge ruled Monday that Wendy Whitaker can stay in her home while her federal challenge to Georgia's crackdown on sex offenders works its way through the legal system.

The Harlem woman is the lead plaintiff in a challenge that claims the law is unconstitutional. She filed a lawsuit last week urging a judge to block the eviction.

The 29-year-old woman is on the sex-offender registry for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old classmate when she was 17. She was told in July by a sheriff's deputy that she had to leave her home because it was within 1,000 feet of a day-care center.

Man accused of bomb threat granted bond

A 47-year-old man charged with passing a bomb threat to an airport worker was granted a $50,000 bond Monday.

However, attorney Barry Middleton of the public defender's office said it will be impossible for Richard Keller to post bond. Mr. Keller is homeless and unable to work because of mental health issues.

Assistant District Attorney Brooks Hudson said that on Nov. 6, Mr. Keller passed a note to an employee at Augusta Regional Airport that said he had planted a bomb.

Couple pleads guilty to firearms charges

A Beech Island couple have pleaded guilty to being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition, according to the office of South Carolina's U.S. attorney.

In July, federal agents and Aiken County sheriff's deputies searched the home of Jamie Black, 35, and Heidi Brown, 33. finding firearms and more than 400 rounds of ammunition, according to a news release from the attorney's office.

Each faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Man is arrested after girl, 13, impregnated

An Augusta man was arrested Monday on child molestation charges involving a 13-year-old girl he impregnated, according to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

The girl's mother told police in April 2007 that Antonio Haynes, 27, had sex with her daughter while he was at their home to fix a broken water line, the report said.

Sheriff's Sgt. Calvin Chew said authorities had been awaiting the results of a DNA test before they made an arrest.

Man robs store after purchasing cigarettes

Police are searching for a man who robbed an Evans convenience store Sunday.

After buying cigarettes at TPS at 5142 Washington Road, the man handed the cashier a note demanding cash. The clerk asked him whether he was joking, but he said he wasn't, according to an incident report.

The clerk told Columbia County sheriff's deputies that the man told her "he could not get a break in life and that he was a felon."

The robber is described as a black man in his mid-30s, between 5 feet and 5 feet 5 inches tall and between 200 and 250 pounds. Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the sheriff's office at (706) 541-2800.

Suspects in homicide arrested in Florida

Three suspects in the killing of a woman found dead in Burke County this month are in custody, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Monday.

The three were arrested Thursday in Florida by the FBI, the Florida Division of Law Enforcement and the Suwannee County Sheriff's Department in the death of Canche Reina.

Lino Andres Miguel, 24, and Emdrino Andres Miguel, 33, are charged with murder. Ricardo Andres Miguel, 32, is charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive.

The three were being held Monday in the Burke County Jail.

Advanced voting numbers might top last week's activity

If voting returns Monday are any indication, the next two days of advanced voting are set to outpace last week's early voting by large numbers.

On the first day of advanced voting, 1,918 voters cast ballots in Richmond County, according to statistics provided by Lynn Bailey, the executive director of the Board of Elections. That's just shy of the 2,262 ballots cast during the entire five-day early voting period last week.

Advanced voting lasts through Wednesday. Residents can vote from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Board of Elections office; Henry Brigham Recreation Center, 2463 Golden Camp Road; and Warren Road Recreation Center, 300 Warren Road.

All 52 polling sites will be open Dec. 2. Voters are required to show photo IDs. For more information on voting in the runoff, visit www.augustaga.gov.

North Augusta teenager wins pageant; sister finishes 2nd

Mary Helen Caver, 18, was crowned Miss South Carolina Teen USA on Saturday night in North Charleston.

Ms. Caver will travel to Miss Teen USA later this year, which will be broadcast on NBC. She received more than $150,000 in cash and prizes, including a $40,000 scholarship to Newberry College.

Ms. Caver's sister, Amy, was the first runner-up in the Miss South Carolina USA pageant Saturday.

The sisters are the daughters of David and Debbie Caver, of North Augusta. Mr. Caver is the deputy superintendent for Aiken County schools.

County development group selects executive director

After months of searching, the Columbia County Development Authority named its top candidate Monday to fill the position of executive director.

A list of four finalists was narrowed to Troy Post, of Bessemer, Ala., during a board meeting.

Mr. Post is the executive director of the Bessemer Development Board, authority Chairman Stan Shepherd said.

2008 deer-vehicle accidents surpass record 2003 number

Deer-vehicle accidents in Columbia County set a record during the weekend, according to Emergency Services Director Pam Tucker.

"As of this morning, there have been 485 deer/vehicle collisions in Columbia County," she said Monday. "This is the highest number since 2003, when 472 collisions were recorded."

2 more students suspended in grade-changing scandal

Two more Glenn Hills High School students have been suspended after an investigation into a stolen computer password used to change grades.

Friday's suspensions bring the total number to 14. As many as 30 students enrolled in the credit recovery class could be involved, Director of Public Information Louis Svehla said.

The students' suspensions are for five days but could be longer pending the outcome of an investigation.