Across the area

Tarver assumes office, ceremony to follow

In a Savannah courtroom, Ed Tarver was quietly sworn in last week as the new U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. A formal ceremony marking his ascent to the office will be scheduled later and likely take place in Augusta, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Newman.

On Nov. 12, three days after Mr. Tarver resigned from the state Senate, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William T. Moore Jr. administered the oath in a federal courtroom with only a few people present, Mr. Newman said.

Mr. Tarver, formerly a partner in the Augusta law firm of Hull, Towill, Norman, Barrett & Salley, was nominated for the position on Sept. 17 by President Obama. The Senate confirmed him on Nov. 5. He is the first black to hold the post.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has yet to set a date for a special election to fill Mr. Tarver's Senate seat. So far, state Rep. Hardie Davis, Solicitor Harold Jones and local Libertarian party spokesman Taylor Bryant have all announced their intentions to run.

Officer investigated for domestic violence

The Aiken County Sheriff's Office arrested North Augusta Public Safety Officer Brandon Cameron on Wednesday on charges of criminal domestic violence. Officer Cameron, 27, who has been with the public safety department for three years, has been suspended while the sheriff's office investigates the matter, according to a news release.

Attempted break-in results in two arrests

North Augusta Public Safety officers arrested 17-year-old Jevon Rahein Mitchell and a 15-year-old juvenile they say attempted to break into an apartment in The Groves, off of Edgefield Road, Wednesday morning.

At about 9:30 a.m., officers were called to an apartment in The Groves complex. They found the apartment's 21-year-old resident safe inside with the rear sliding glass doors smashed and two individuals running from the scene, according to a news release.

Mr. Mitchell was found hiding in a laundromat in nearby Triangle Plaza, and the juvenile was caught in the woods between the shopping center and the complex. Both are charged with burglary.

Deputy being treated after Sunday shooting

A McCormick County sheriff's deputy injured in a Sunday shooting was still recovering at Medical College of Georgia Hospital and Clinics.

Deputy Robert Rushton was in stable condition at the hospital, and lost one of his fingers and will need surgery to repair nerve damage, said Chief C.E. Gable.

On Sunday, the sheriff's office charged Joe Ross Worley, 51, of Vanderbilt Drive, Aiken, with assault and battery with intent to kill, two counts of assault with intent to kill and three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Deputy Rushton and two other officers were investigating shots fired near a home on Presidents Drive around 4:30 a.m. Sunday. The officers saw Mr. Worley appear on a balcony with a rifle, Chief Gable said. The deputies asked the suspect to put down his weapon, but he refused and shot at Deputy Rushton, Chief Gable said.

Investigators think Mr. Worley's shots hit Deputy Rushton's weapon, causing the weapon to explode in his right hand.

Aiken County schools receive accreditation

The Aiken County School District received the OK for a five-year accreditation as a quality school system from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on Wednesday.

The team of educators that toured county schools this week to assess standards and practices of the district commended it on its literacy initiatives and collaboration with business, industry and higher education. This is the first time Aiken County has sought a district-wide accreditation. The distinction means the district asked for an independent evaluation of its system. AdvancED and SACS accredits more than 2,700 private and public schools in 30 states.

The team's report also confirmed school board members' persistence in pursuing a capital building plan, by citing a need to look at facility needs. Other recommendations include implementing a technology plan and a framework for core curriculum in all grades.

The district will receive a final report in 30 days. Aiken County administrators will then submit an accreditation progress report to show how they've used the team's recommendations. All reports will be public by June .