Across the area

Man dies on Highway 1 in single-car wreck

A 35-year-old man died in a single-vehicle crash Sunday on U.S. Highway 1 in North Augusta, according to Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton.

Gregory A. Maree was traveling south toward Augusta on Highway 1 about 9:45 a.m. when he left the road in a curve, the coroner said. The 1995 Honda struck two abandoned, above-ground gas tanks, which were empty, and caught fire.

Mr. Maree was pronounced dead at the scene, of multiple body trauma. He was not wearing a seat belt, Mr. Carlton said.

The accident is being investigated by the North Augusta Department of Public Safety and the Aiken County Coroner's Office. Toxicology is pending.

The fatal crash was the 20th in Aiken County this year.

Temperatures don't hit 100 in Augusta Sunday

Augusta's temperatures didn't hit the century mark Sunday, as forecast.

The high was 97, said Leonard Vaughan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in West Columbia, S.C.

Mr. Vaughan said temperatures were likely to remain in the 90s throughout the week.

Weak demand drives down cost of gasoline

High oil inventories and weak demand are driving gasoline prices down, AAA Auto Club South said in its weekly fuel report Sunday.

In the Augusta area, motorists were paying $2.44 a gallon on Sunday, down from an average of $2.48 the week before.

The Georgia average was down to $2.51 from $2.56. In South Carolina it was $2.45 on Sunday, down from $2.51.

2 sought in attempted robbery of business

Police are looking for two men who attempted to rob a Gordon Highway business.

According to a Richmond County sheriff's report, the two men entered A's Convenience Store at 1857 Gordon Highway about 10:15 p.m. Saturday. An employee pulled an alarm when she saw the men enter the store, and one fired a shot toward the counter, the report said. The men fled without taking anything.

Both are described as black, between the ages of 25 and 30, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds. They were wearing dark clothing.

Woman scares off flasher with flashlight

An Augusta woman told police that a man exposed himself to her while she was watering her grass Saturday night.

According to a Richmond County sheriff's report, the incident occurred about 11:40 p.m. in the 4400 block of Elk Grove Trail. The woman told officers the man ran off after she shined a flashlight at him.

The man is described as black, about 5 feet 50 inches tall and weighing about 175 pounds.

Traffic update

Richmond County

- Crews will close lanes on both sides of Bobby Jones Expressway between Scott Nixon Memorial Drive and Wheeler Road from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. today until Thursday.

- A lane will be closed on both sides of Interstate 20 between Davis and Wheeler roads from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. today to Thursday.

- A lane will be closed on both sides of Wheeler Road between Augusta West Parkway and Agerton Lane from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today until Thursday.

- The westbound side of Marks Church Road at Jamaica Road will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today until Thursday. Detours will be in place.

Aiken County

- There will be lane closures on Richland Avenue from York Street to Old Wagener Road this week as work crews resurface and replace a portion of the roadway.