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Rants & Raves

Comments from readers: ALL THREE LOCAL TV weathermen deserve a big rant. As of Saturday and some even Sunday, they said the temperature was going to be in the 50s, around 60. All said there would be absolutely no chance of any ice or frozen precipitation in the immediate Augusta area, and this was on their forecast on Saturday and Sunday morning. As you can see, all three need a lot of work.

Fires Result From Ice Storm

Police and fire radio transmissions crackled with dozens of reports of fires Tuesday in Aiken County, many sparked by downed power lines in the second day of an ice storm that left thousands without power. There were no reports of serious injuries, although at least three homes were destroyed after ice-related mishaps with live power lines, authorities said.

Residents Begin to Clean Up

The area's ice storm will be memorable, to say the least, for residents - slick roads, no electricity, falling tree limbs and closed schools. The storm will be especially memorable for two employees who spent a cold night Monday in a powerless IGA grocery store in Grovetown.

Ice Storms, Power Outages Freeze Gasoline Supply

The regional ice storm might be creating its own gasoline shortage. A power outage at a major pipeline terminal in North Augusta has virtually choked off supplies of gasoline and diesel. With only one of five supply terminals up and running, gasoline trucks are lining the road outside and waiting three to four hours to fill up, said Chris Ivy, the operations manager for Eagle Transport Corp.

Investigation of Blaze Continues

Law enforcement officials say a man they wanted to talk to about an early morning fire at a Greenville motel that killed six people, including a North Augusta teenager, appears to have been only a witness to the blaze. Greenville County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Shea Smith said the man, whom he would not identify, did provide some helpful information to investigators.

Residents Get Answers On County Fire Master Plan

Harlem, Grovetown and Columbia County fire department officials did not get a formal explanation of the county's recently released Fire Master Plan at Tuesday's Community and Emergency Services Committee meeting. But they did get some answers.

Across the Area

Woman reports being assaulted An Augusta woman told police that a man she visited at a downtown Augusta motel became aggressive and tried to unfasten her pants when she said she wanted to leave, a police report says.

6-Month-Old Dies at Day Care Center

The owner of an unlicensed day care has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after a 6-month-old girl died in her care. Consaundra Ward, 44, also faces charges of operating a day care without a license and eight counts of reckless conduct. Her husband, James Ward, also has been charged with one count of operating an unlicensed day care.

Poll Finds Computer Voting Preferred Over Other Methods

Georgians overwhelmingly prefer the state's new electronic voting machines over other methods of casting ballots, according to a poll released Tuesday. Researchers at the University of Georgia found 70 percent of respondents are most comfortable voting on the computer touch screens, which made their debut during the gubernatorial election in November 2002.

Son Says Father Loved Fixing Things

As a young man, William Bernard Tullis had always wanted to serve in the military, but there was only one thing standing in his way - his age, his son Randy Tullis said. "When my father was 17 years old, he had his father lie about his age," Mr. Tullis said. "He said my father was 18 years old when he signed for him to join the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

Across South Carolina

Coast Guard cutter brings in sailboat

Across Georgia

House OKs paid leave for parent volunteers

Deaths Elsewhere

GLENDALE, Calif. - Milt Bernhart, a big band trombonist known for his solo on Frank Sinatra's I've Got You Under My Skin, has died, his son David said. He was 77.

March Harvest of Crabs Banned

Come March, traditional she crab soup might be hard to find in Georgia. Lonice Barrett, the commissioner of the state Department of Natural Resources, finalized a regulation Saturday that bans the catch of female crabs during March this year.

Bad Weather Promotes Togetherness

While deciding whether the Medical College of Georgia should close because of icy weather, Mitch Jones was busy playing Uno with his children. "It's been extremely stressful," he said Tuesday.

Senator Pushes for Casino Gambling

Charleston Sen. Robert Ford might be one of the only believers at the table, but that hasn't stopped him from playing a hand that would legalize casino gambling in South Carolina. If he had it his way, there'd be casinos along the banks of the Savannah River in North Augusta.

Shoppers Snatch Up Necessities

The last-minute rush to find supplies to survive the ice storm left many grocery store customers without. Firewood seemed to be the first thing to disappear from store shelves.

Richmond County Police Get Gang Coordinator New Position Aids in Tracking Activity, Patterns

In the fight against gangs in Augusta, information is a key weapon. Making that weapon more powerful is a central location that police can go to, in order to identify gangs, analyze them and hopefully control them.