speaks May 2 during the Aiken Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Means Business event at Newberry Hall Dede Biles is a reporter for the Aiken Standard To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers » A company that manufactures electric vehicles “is thrilled to be in Aiken” and has “some pretty significant ramp-up plans,” its president said May 2 during the Aiken Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Means Business event September is the target for production to begin at Columbia Vehicle Group Inc.’s facility at 2063 University Parkway Columbia Vehicle acquired the 150,000-plus-square-foot building and the 25-acre property on which it stands last year so it could move its operations from Wisconsin and Florida eight months just kind of figuring out all the things we needed to figure out repairing those things that needed to be repaired and so forth,” Breckley said “That phase is behind us and we’re now moving forward with initiating the upgrades that we’re doing for the factory.” and the installation of equipment will begin “in the not too distant future,” Breckley added He also discussed the hiring schedule for the remainder of 2025 “We currently have about 48 folks,” Breckley said “We hope by June to be just short of 80 and by September around 140 or so Breckley has been impressed by the local response to Columbia Vehicle’s arrival “We certainly have been welcomed to the Aiken area far more than any other place we have ever stepped into” he said glad to have you and turn around and walk away,” he said glad to have you and what we can do for you By that I mean you all are just happy [people].” Columbia and Tomblerin vehicles will be manufactured in Aiken task-oriented vehicles that find themselves being used for work primarily — towing Breckley described Tomberlin vehicles as “high-end consumer” products but we certainly are adjacent to that business,” Breckley said “We build low speed vehicles primarily for use on improved surfaces that go up to 25 miles an hour They are registered and titled in most states.” Columbia Vehicle also makes electric bicycles the company has been building relationships with restaurants which Breckley believes are important in Columbia Vehicle’s strategy for doing business “These are the places where we entertain the people who come to visit us,” Breckley said The eateries on Columbia Vehicle’s dining out list appeal to a variety of dining tastes and include Park Avenue Oyster Bar & Grill “we’ve spent over $125,000” at restaurants Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Senior Gavin Rodriguez defends the ball from Midland Valley in North Augusta's final game of the season Senior Will Hughes moves the ball forward against Midland Valley on May 2 Midland Valley players celebrate scoring the first goal against North Augusta on May 2 North Augusta sophomore Landon Sweat defends the ball against Midland Valley freshman Roger Gutierrez on May 2 North Augusta senior goalkeeper Connor Brown kicks the ball back into play against Midland Valley Junior Blake Fuss celebrates a goal for North Augusta in its last game against Midland Valley on May 2 North Augusta boys' soccer is playing its best soccer at the end of the regular season After a rocky start to the year due to injuries the Jackets bounced back to finish second in Region 4-AAAA Head coach Brent DeGennaro said they actually were able to develop more depth through their early season growing pains “We've been inconsistent early in the season but I think that a lot of it was about injuries We weren't able to stay healthy early in the season and so we had to kind of move guys around and I think ultimately it ended up helping us because we were able to get some guys in and figure out where we could move guys around and build some depth but the inconsistency kind of stopped about three weeks ago.” they’ve gone on to win eight games straight to end their season North Augusta capped off its season with a dominant 6-1 win over the Mustangs at home on May 2 The victory came in part because of an effort by seniors on the team who helped to add five goals to the score line before halftime DeGennaro said their contribution throughout the season has been vital to the teams comeback “We're playing our best soccer right now,” he said “And that's what I think is really important I told them all along that we need to be playing our best soccer at the end of the season And a lot of that is attributed to a bunch of the seniors that we have that are leaders We've got a bunch of seniors and their leadership has been just absolutely critical to us doing what we're doing right now.” it was a slow start for the Jackets as they struggled to sneak the ball past Midland Valley’s goalkeeper It wasn’t until midway through the first half when they got their first goal to tie the Mustangs North Augusta backed it up with four more goals in a matter of minutes to take a 5-1 lead at halftime The second half was all defense for the Jackets they did add one more goal to make it 6-1 before the clock ran out DeGennaro said it’ll be important for them to keep creating opportunities to score as they prepare for the playoffs Even if they’re unable to capitalize every time he wants them to keep it simple to give each other the best chances put points on the board “We just have to play smart soccer,” he said We got a bunch of talented players and if we're selfless and move the ball around we play soccer the way that we know how to play we create a whole bunch of chances and we didn't even finish all of them but it's all a matter of us just doing the simple things We do a bunch of simple things really quickly and it looks complicated but it’s about doing the little things.” It will be the last playoff run for nine seniors who started their high school career with a trip to the state championship in 2022 DeGennaro said their experience in big moments like that championship has carried the team to where they are now They’ll all get one more shot at a state championship before graduating “They all contribute in so many ways,” he said And I love them to death and I'm so happy that I can be their coach.” They'll start the playoffs on their home turf after taking second place in the region behind region champs Gray Collegiate Academy The Savannah River Site is a 310-square-mile nuclear complex located south of Aiken and near New Ellenton Savannah River Nuclear Solutions CEO Dennis Carr speaks at the Aiken Chamber of Commerce First Friday event April 4 AIKEN — The company managing and operating the Savannah River Site will be looking for a new leader for the second time in less than two years Savannah River Nuclear Solutions President and CEO Dennis Carr plans to retire after the first week of June he announced in a May 1 email to the company's employees Carr said leading SRNS has been one of the most satisfying and rewarding experiences of his 44-year career "I am very proud to have been a part of this tremendous workforce...," Carr said ""I am equally proud of the execution of each of our challenging NNSA and EM missions and the exceptional technical and business services we provide in support of our customers and this nation." The National Nuclear Security Administration maintains and produces materials for the nation's nuclear stockpile The Office of Environmental Management is tasked with cleaning up and disposing of nuclear waste generated during the Cold War This includes the waste generated during plutonium and tritium production at the Savannah River Site Carr specifically mentioned the effort to prepare the site to produce 50 plutonium pits per year by the mid-2030s Plutonium pits — so named because they resemble a peach pit — are the core of a nuclear weapon An explosion compresses the pit which causes the beginning of an uncontrolled nuclear reaction the incredible progress we have made over the past few years standing up Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility Project and Pit Production Operations Program," Carr said SRNS is a great team with "phenomenal partners," Carr continued "I have spent my entire career in the DOE complex and at no other site have I experienced such supportive partnerships across the board," Carr said "SRS is a unique and special site with a vibrant future and I look forward to watching you all continue to excel." Carr became the head of SRNS in August 2023. He succeeded Stuart MacVean, who retired that July Carr served as an executive vice president at SRNS before becoming CEO Carr also previously served as site project director and president of Fluor-BWXT at the $5 billion Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant D&D Project He also served as project director of the $1.3 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Project Portfolio at the Savannah River Site from 2008–2010 and was responsible for day-to-day operations at the Fernald Closure Project from 2000-2006 Carr and MacVean aren't the only site leaders to move on in recent years Mike Budney took the Trump administration's deferred resignation offer earlier this year And Savannah River National Laboratory Director Vahid Majidi resigned earlier this year Carr said his successor would be named "shortly." Around 15 people carrying signs critical of President Donald Trump and his administration walk through Aiken's Amp The Alley concert May 1 AIKEN — Aiken's Amp The Alley wasn't limited to music from Lost Dog and food from Tako Sushi Electric Eats and others May 1: It was also the scene of a protest of President Donald Trump and his administration Mistie Cantey and around 10 others walked through The Alley around 6:15 p.m carrying signs criticizing the 45th and 47th president and his administration Four of the signs read "Congressional approval needed for tariffs and dept not kings," "Democracy not autocracy," and "Save our democracy from oligarchy." Edlund said she was concerned Trump had taken Russia's side in that country's ongoing special military operation in Ukraine Trump has repeatedly called for the conflict to end — he said he could stop it in 24 hours — and blamed his predecessor continues to negotiate with both sides toward a ceasefire agreement But, in February, the U.S. voted against a U.N. resolution blaming Russia for the conflict's start and affirming the territorial integrity of Ukraine "How can Trump be talking peace talks when he's allied with Russia," Edlund said before the group walked back through The Alley Edlund added she was glad to see European nations like France and the United Kingdom standing behind Ukraine Kronberg said she was concerned about changes Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr has shut down any research or reporting on infectious disease," Kronberg said Employees at the National Institute of Health's Integrated Research Facility — a Maryland lab that studies infectious diseases — were ordered to stop all research by 5 p.m., April 29, Wired reported bird flu is not mutated to the point that it spread the way other viruses are [which is] through the air," Kronberg continued "It requires direct contact with contaminated material But if it evolves so that it becomes airborne it's going to make COVID look like nothing."  Kronberg said she was also concerned about a Trump administration plan to open national parks and other federal lands for oil and gas exploration and leasing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced in February and March that 13 million acres of land in Alaska's oil-rich Arctic region would be reopened for oil and gas leases "We're going to be paying for that for generations," Kronberg continued "If you care about the future of the planet you can't support the Trump administration." Aubin said she was concerned about an executive order Trump signed April 28 The executive order "strengthens and unleashes" law enforcement "to firmly police dangerous criminal behavior and protect innocent citizens" by directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to provide a mechanism to get resources to law enforcement officers who are sued The order also requests Bondi and other officials to further cooperation between federal and state and local law enforcement officials any anyone can arrest anyone for any for no reason "That includes Americans that speak out against President Trump's policies Croft said she was concerned about Trump's impact on voting rights Trump signed an executive order March 25 "preserving and protecting the integrity of American elections." The executive order directs the Election Assistance Commission to specify on its mailed voter registration form that documentary proof of citizenship is required to register to vote Croft said she was also concerned about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act that would require voters to provide proof of citizenship to vote The bill has passed the House but has not been heard in the Senate "It's very important to me that the women are able to vote without having to obtain a birth certificate and our marriage license and our passport," Croft said "That is going to prohibit a lot a lot of females from voting because they don't have access." Cantey described herself as a "recovering Republican" and also as someone may be able to support other Republicans but not Trump "I do support conservatism and the cutting the budget "I voted Democrat in the 2024 election because I was concerned about the dictator for the day… calling people vermin." Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInGLOVERVILLE (WRDW/WAGT) - An Aiken County SWAT standoff lasted more than two hours Friday morning in the 400 block of Sarah Street Aiken County deputies and members of the SWAT team responded to the scene of a barricaded suspect Friday morning authorities were packing up and leaving by 9:45 after using tear gas to get him out The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said suspect Matthew Hardy was arrested without incident and charged with disorderly conduct Deputies told a News 12 crew on the scene that it all started around 7 a.m after an “incident happened,” but they wouldn’t specify what that incident was Deputies said they negotiated with Hardy for about two hours law enforcement was seen throwing some sort of gas into the trailer Hardy barricaded inside The gas was seen coming out of the top of the trailer SWAT members were seen running toward the home The standoff ended when the SWAT team took Hardy into custody after he barricaded himself in an abandoned residence after Hardy was seen vandalizing property at the office of the mobile home park by breaking out the windows At least half a dozen emergency vehicles responded to the scene This is the fourth SWAT standoff within the CSRA in less than two weeks On Tuesday, 58-year-old James Jackson was arrested after he barricaded himself into a home on the 2000 block of Clark Street in Richmond County He was wanted for federal probation violations related to multiple narcotics and weapons possession charges An Aiken man was arrested on Monday after chasing down a woman and attacking her in the car on Bellreive Drive Also in Richmond County, 26-year-old Terrell Crawford was arrested after he barricaded himself near the 1400 block of Hunter Street on April 24 Crawford had active warrants and a history of violent encounters with law enforcement, including a previous incident in which he barricaded himself after allegedly shooting at a family member Just two days earlier, the team dealt with a similar situation on Wylie Drive at Mike Padgett Highway The suspect ultimately surrendered and was arrested will graduate from Aiken Technical College on May 6 with an Associate in Science degree Pictured from the left are Megyn Bolen and her mother Megyn Bolen will walk across the stage at Aiken Technical College’s commencement ceremony to receive an Associate in Science degree homeschooled since age 6 by a mother with degrees in physics and human resources attributes her rapid educational progress to a love of learning an entrepreneurial motivation and a desire to work in medicine developing health and safety training programs is an environmental health and safety manager for Huntington Ingalls Industries running the maintenance department at Los Alamos National Laboratory “We’re both lifelong learners,” Amber Bolen said of herself and her husband The family splits its time between Aiken and Los Alamos but that didn’t disrupt Megyn’s online classes at Aiken Tech including Anatomy & Physiology 1 and 2 Since embarking on their homeschool journey Amber Bolen has always been the primary instructor for Megyn and her sister Rachel Comfortable with teaching science and math Bolen said initially she deliberately chose a history- and literature-based curriculum for home schooling so her daughters wouldn’t only learn STEM She taught them at a hybrid school three days a week and at home two days a week “It was kind of what we thought was going to be the best of both worlds The Bolens discussed how to make the most of the opportunity of being home with their daughters After progressing through three grades she began designing their curriculum herself “I felt a lot more comfortable with what I was doing and being able to piecemeal things everything was what I designed and picked out.” Megyn was 9 when she began learning high-school-level material She was 10 when she was accepted for dual enrollment at Aiken Tech She then enrolled in Math 101 “an entry level “She would have to pass that before she could take something that was going to count towards her degree saying “I’m trying to understand why you’re in this remedial math class.” With approval from the chair of the math department Megyn enrolled in an 18-week college algebra class six weeks after the course started but took the final exam six weeks before the class ended and aced it “The system is not built for things that are out of the ordinary being homeschooled and lacking a senior class ranking complicates qualifying for college scholarships provided by the state of South Carolina she couldn’t legally have an online presence with the U.S so the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form used to apply for federal grants work study and loans for degree and certificate forms had to be filled out last year by hand on paper I called and I begged anybody to tell me what to do I finally got it back in November of this year and they said I had clearly made an error on her birthday They didn't even try to process it,” Bolen said Megyn is involved in activities aside from her studies “I’ve done a little bit of everything,” she said including being recommended for a black belt in Taekwondo She’s played golf and tennis “pretty much since I could walk She walks to a location halfway between their houses in Woodside to meet her friend Meredith a 14-year-old friend from church who attends Mead Hall Episcopal School we'll walk up there and chat and walk back.” She played trombone in Barb Rollins’s AAA Homeschool Band and appeared last year in Aiken Community Theatre’s production of “Puffs.” She attends First Baptist Church in Los Alamos and Millbrook Baptist Church in Aiken In the fall she’ll begin taking online classes at Lander University majoring in public health with a minor in entrepreneurship Though intending to be either a dentist or a physician’s assistant in family medicine or obstetrics She then talked her 7-year-old sister into sharing the cost of a 3-D printer to make charms to accessorize the bracelets This will be her first summer off since she was 6 years old She said she plans to babysit and play tennis and practice guitar And take an online class from Oregon State University she's taking an extra physics class this summer just for fun,” her mother said it's for dental school,” Megyn corrected her “Finding lab sciences that are worth their salt that you can take online is not always the easiest thing to do she’s going to knock those out through Oregon State whether it's for engineering school or dental school or whatever,” Amber Bolen said so getting some kind of engineering degree in the middle while she’s waiting to go to medical school or dental school or whatever can’t hurt anything,” she said “There’s a master’s degree program I’m looking into at Clemson,” Megyn said It’s environmental engineering with a radiation protection component “That's the limitation if she wants to go on to anything that has a clinical aspect to it they can't finish dental school until they're old enough to legally put their hands in somebody's mouth,” Bolen said “There's only so much you can do until you're an adult.” Amber Bolen said providing individualized homeschooling for her daughters and guiding Megyn through her college courses has been a lot of work and about “meeting the child where they are.” “If you keep challenging them and keep feeding them let them know that just because your child is not a prodigy doesn't mean that they can't do something special,” she said What she does after that will be something special Civil engineer Eugene Smith examines Chase Gantt's model of a Japanese temple at the Aiken ACT-SO competition on April 5 Chase Gantt answers judges' questions at the Aiken ACT-SO competition on April 5 Nicole Hagwood answers judges' questions at the Aiken ACT-SO competition on April 5 Nicole Hagwood answers judges' questions at the Aiken ACT-SO competition on April 5 Civil engineer Eugene White of SRNS speaks with Chase Gantt at the Aiken ACT-SO competition on April 5 Pictured from the left are the students selected to go to the national ACT-SO competition in Charlotte July 9-13 Bradley Peterson for both poetry and music Chase Gantt will be mentored before the national competition by Morgan Blair an interior designer with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture's studio in Augusta AIKEN — Four high school students from the Aiken NAACP Youth Council will travel to Charlotte in July to participate in the annual Afro-Academic Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) a national competition held in conjunction with the NAACP National Convention The four local students will present their projects in visual arts competing against students from all over the U.S “This is the Olympics for arts and STEM for the smart kids. We want to support them and recognize them for the work that they do,” said Monica Grant, local director of ACT-SO The students selected to go to nationals are Bradley Peterson for both poetry and music Jayden Broughton for photography and Chase Gantt for architecture Each student made a presentation to local judges at Smith-Hazel Recreation Center on April 5 describing their work and their intention in creating it It’s incredible,” said local artist Eugenia Smirnova a civil engineer Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and a member of the panel judging architecture said there had not been a local ACT-SO competition in decades “Over the years we’ve sort of moved this forward and tried to get people to coordinate and get students to participate and so it’s a great day and we’re finally seeing the realization and materialization of this program coming back after being dormant for so many years,” White said Between now and July students will work with local mentors to prepare for the national competition Chase Gantt presented drawings and a 3D printed model of a Japanese temple he designed after being inspired to learn about Edo-period architecture following a visit to the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington The festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the mayor of Tokyo Gantt taught himself how to use free online design programs Tinker CAD and Blender, then connected with the Palmetto Innovation Center in Barnwell Printing all the parts of the model took nine hours “We were so impressed with Chase,” said architecture judge Barbara Price of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture Chase had not met an architect until the competition an interior designer at McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture “She is going to work with Chase to help him get all of his documents polished and to scale and published so they are ready for nationals,” Smith said “It has been so fulfilling to me to see so many young students come together in this space for such a beautiful cause,” said Soveren Scott He told the competitors that he was inspired by “the fact that you all have this passion you all have this concentration and this focus to go for it and to do something positive You could be anywhere else but you are here doing something positive and expressing yourself “The next step is we need the funding to go to nationals,” Grant said, sharing a Paypal link for contributions “We want to remind these young folks that have shared their talent with us that we are behind you one-hundred-plus percent May God continue to bless you as you move to higher heights,” said Westley Guyton president of the Aiken County chapter of the NAACP Artwork from a previous Aiken Artist Guild Annual Member Show is pictured The dates are set for one of Aiken’s preeminent art events of the year The Aiken Artist Guild Show at the Aiken Center for the Arts opens with the gala reception on Thursday The reception is one of Aiken’s more anticipated and favorite events The show will continue through the June 12 Aiken is not only home to a thriving equestrian community but a talented artist colony as well The members of the guild produce wonderfully diverse works that offer something to please every aesthetic Their work is widely known and members have successfully shown and sold works throughout the country This yearly event at the Aiken Center for the Arts serves as a chance for the Guild to share their newest creations with the Aiken community The guild is fortunate to have Renowned South Carolina artist Gerard Erley as the judge for this year's show Erley has exhibited in over 300 juried shows across the country His work has hung in museums and galleries from New York to California corporate and private collections both in the United States and abroad The Aiken Center for the Arts located at 122 Laurens St. For more information on the Aiken Artist Guild visit aikenartistguild.org FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit aikenartistguild.org Sylvia Bernard sketches out a horse during an open air art event held by Aiken Land Conservancy at Winthrop Field Salasha Singelton paints around a flower during an open air art event at Winthrop Field Aiken artists Barbara Hazelton andSue Bursey during an open air art event Aiken at Winthrop Field Rachel Raia paints a landscape as part of Aiken Land Conservancy Open Air Art Festival May 3 in Aiken Serenity Brame paints the sky and an open field during an Aiken Land Conservancy open air art event at Winthrop Field Ginger Hawkins paints some trees during an open air art festival at Winthrop Field in Aiken Romelia Jones begins to sketch tree branches as part of open air event held at Winthrop Field Jade Brinkman began to do a sketch at Winthrop Field during a open air art event in Aiken Brianna Hancock paints a horse during an open air art event held by Aiken Land Conservancy at Winthrop Field Aiken Land Conservancy held an open air art event in which artist sit and watch horses go by or take in the nature Post and Courier North Augusta/The Star reporter AIKEN — Fresh air, quiet pastures and the occasional horse meandering by set the scene for a group of artists who spent their Saturday at Winthrop Field in Aiken The Aiken Land Conservancy hosted an interactive open-air art event and creatives of all kinds to work freely in nature surrounded by scenic views and the occasional passing horse a member of the Aiken Land Conservancy board of trustees said the event was the first of its kind at Winthrop Field – a property the conservancy has long worked to protect “We do this to just expose our properties and try to reach out to the community a little bit more,” she said Artist Sue Bursey painted a tree that caught her eye and said the location made the process all the more enjoyable “It’s very really nice to just be able to be outside and do this,” she said said the event brought all the right elements together: light Romelia Jones had just come from a birthday party when she arrived at the event She also extended the invitation to another artist They are very focused on the environment and all this beauty,” Jones said She wasn’t quite sure what her own final piece would become but she eventually found herself sketching trees Rachel Raia was working on a landscape painting She said the combination of horses and nature helped elevate the experience and it’s just a natural fit being outside making art,” Raia said “I just think that this is so magical and so special about Aiken and we are in this incredible setting with horses everywhere.” she said open-air art is one of her favorite ways to work “There is nothing better than being outside,” Hawkins said and you see everything you do better than you do in your studio.” who holds a degree in biomedical illustration was focused on drawing a horse and said she’s always loved the anatomy of the animal “The whole thing I love about it is the culmination of science and art She added that the event offered a meaningful way for artists to connect and inspire one another “We are all kind of communicating with each other and are inspiring each other We are here with all like minds,” she said “I think passion reverberates like an echo chamber.” a dog that felt more secure in a crate then his shelter kennel was adopted and now roams free in his new house but still sees the crate as his “den” and safe place Crating can be a tool for helping with separation anxiety While a crate might seem too confining for your dog it can actually be a great source of comfort for him A dog crate is a plastic or collapsible metal enclosed pen that is large enough for a dog to stand up and turn around in It is a place for the dog to be when no one is around to supervise him If introduced correctly it can become your dog’s sanctuary — a place where he feels safe and secure It can be a tool for helping with separation anxiety Dogs are extremely social and enjoy being included in family activities Using a crate allows your dog to be inside even when you’re not home or are sleeping Crating along with scheduled opportunities to go outside can aid in house-training because dogs don’t like to soil their sleeping areas this confinement keeps him safe when you cannot monitor him Crating keeps your pup away from dangers like electrical cords and choking hazards Some dogs at the animal shelter get panicky in their kennels with all the noise and activity around them But they become calmer and much happier when we put them in a crate in the front lobby likely trained before coming to the shelter feel safer in a crate containing a comfy dog bed and their durable toys put his paws on the kennel door and bark in fear which helped him to relax and get some much-needed rest Crating an adult dog for more than 10 hours in a day can be considered inhumane even if he is given bathroom breaks If your schedule requires you to be away from your dog for long days consider alternatives such as doggy daycare Training experts also stress that a crate should never be used as punishment tool in training your dog “You want your dog to associate his crate with positive behavior,” said Karen DeCamp “It is OK to use a crate to separate your dog from a household activity for short time-outs or naps A safe chew toy or perhaps a Kong stuffed with peanut butter will provide your dog mental activity while crated.” if you do crate your dog when you’re not home it is important that you offset his time in the crate with needed exercise so be sure to take him for a long walk or play fetch with him when you get home the Aiken County Animal Shelter has taken in more than 200 puppies Crime & Courts, News John Daniel Rosso is shown in his arrest photo and from the victim's video The Augusta-Aiken community is reacting after a Black hospice caregiver was assaulted Monday outside an Aiken home in what she and a witness believe was a racially motivated attack The encounter prompted Aiken police to seek a warrant for a local man identified in video footage which was posted on TikTok was charged Monday with assault and battery in the third degree posted a video of the attack on Bellreive Drive with a caption that says “Imagine being [on the way] to work and being followed to your job because of the color of your skin then assaulted.” She included hashtags with the phrases with Johnnie Simmons saying Rosso should have been charged with a hate crime and a felony charge Simmons said a $1,100 bond was much too low “Should have also kept him for a mental evaluation …now she needs to get a protection order against him asap especially since she is a home care nurse.” Both the victim and white witnesses believe the assault was a racially motivated attack according to the Aiken Department of Public Safety Kincaid responded to a report of a disturbance on the 1100 block of Bellreive Drive Officers found Thomas with visible swelling on her face who provides hospice care for a resident of the home told officers she was attacked by an unidentified white male while arriving for work Thomas said she had seen the man earlier parked on the side of the road speaking with a woman walking a dog he allegedly sped up behind her and followed her to the residence pounded on her window with such force she thought it would break and then struck her in the face after she rolled it down Thomas said she fled from the car through the passenger side “You don’t belong here” and calling her a slur before hitting her again ran outside after hearing screams and physically intervened placing himself between Thomas and the attacker Herring told officers he believed the incident was racially motivated and that Thomas had worked for his family for some time Both Thomas and Herring provided video evidence of the incident — from a Ring doorbell and a cellphone recording — which reportedly confirmed the account Officers later identified the suspect as Rosso of a nearby house based on video footage and vehicle registration linked to a black Volkswagen Thomas expressed fear for her safety and her children’s safety stating she believed Rosso intended to kill her Officers were unable to reach Rosso at his residence but found him later and took him into custody Local resident Jan Clark weighed in on the story after it was shared online “I am glad to see that even a senior citizen has been arrested and needs to answer for his actions “That old man is still responsible for his nasty behavior “Put him in a cell with multiple people and let them know why he’s there Letters to the Editor | Opinion News Briefs General News | News | Politics & Government Crime & Courts | News News | Politics & Government The Augusta Press encourages and welcomes reader comments; however we request this be done in a respectful manner and we retain the discretion to determine which comments violate our comment policy remove and/or not allow your comments to be posted The types of comments not allowed on our site include: Forgot your password? website@theaugustapress.com Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions A company that makes one-fourth of America's toilet paper has announced a $200 million expansion of its Aiken County facility expected to bring 150 more local jobs The project is part of Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s $2 billion domestic expansion – its biggest in more than 30 years Kimberly-Clark's largest production plant is in Beech Island built in 1968 and now employing between 1,500 and 2,000 workers The company makes toilet paper under brands including Scott and Cottonelle Kleenex facial tissue and Kotex feminine products "Kimberly-Clark has been a cornerstone in Aiken County’s economy for decades and this investment represents a continued vote of confidence in our community and what it offers the manufacturing sector," said Aiken County Council Chairman Gary Bunker Kimberly-Clark recently announced a $200 million high-tech expansion to the Beech Island facility: an automated 1.1-million-square-foot regional distribution center constructed next door The idea is to simplify product delivery from Beech Island The expansion is expected to "significantly increase the site's ability to direct-ship and streamline its distribution footprint," the company said Thursday in a news release "The facility will leverage advanced robotics and high-density automated storage to dramatically improve operational efficiencies and fast-track speed to market." The expansion is expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2026 Licensing and Regulation’s South Carolina Fire Academy graduated 19 recruits from its eight-week firefighter candidate school in Columbia City of York Fire Department: Jared Putnam City of York Fire Department; Jessica Couch Aiken Deptartment of Public Safety; and Adrian La Pan Aiken Deptartment of Public Safety; second row City of Florence Fire Department; and Johnny Holtzclaw Newberry Fire Department; Tyler Estrella Jasper County Fire-Rescue; Tonya Mulalley Jasper County Fire-Rescue; Christopher Benya Jasper County Fire-Rescue; Andrew Langstaff Jasper County Fire-Rescue; and Jackson Berg Andrews Public Service District; Destri Stemme Jasper County Fire-Rescue; Quinten Cornelison Awendaw-McClellanville Fire District; and Hunter Hyder These firefighters underwent a 320-hour training program of classroom and hands-on firefighting skills development The keynote speaker was Chief Charles Lamoreaux we celebrate graduation and welcome these new members to the South Carolina fire service,” State Fire Academy Superintendent Jason Pope said “The past eight weeks have been a challenging program requiring commitment These recruits have worked together as a team performed extensive hands-on training with live fires and passed intensive practical skills evaluations and written tests to meet the National Fire Protection Association standards.” includes emergency responder first aid training and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firefighter I and Firefighter II levels these new firefighters will be dedicating their lives to serving their communities and the state,” Pope said “All of us at State Fire are proud of their accomplishments I also want to commend the dedicated Fire Academy instructors who brought the recruits through these weeks of instruction leading to graduation.” The following recruits graduated: Forrest Attebury Greenwood City Fire Department; Christopher Benya Newberry Fire Department; Quinten Cornelison Awendaw-McClellanville Fire District; Jessica Couch Aiken Deptartment of Public Safety; Remington Cox Jasper County Fire-Rescue; Johnny Holtzclaw Greenwood City Fire Department; Hunter Hyder Andrews Public Service District; Tonya Mulalley City of York Fire Department; Jasmine Myers City of Florence Fire Department; Jared Putnam City of York Fire Department; Destri Stemme Jasper County Fire-Rescue; Matthew Williams Joseph Mullady with the City of York Fire Department received the Order of the Maltese The class recruits choose this award recipient who most exemplifies the eight perfect points of the Maltese Cross in the Firefighter II candidate program The Maltese Cross is a firefighter’s badge of honor signifying that he or she works in courage The Eight “perfect points” of the Maltese Cross include: Live in Truth Destri Stemme with the Jasper County Fire Rescue received the Chief Robert Frick award The Chief Robert Frick Award is presented to the recruit who achieves and maintains the highest academic grade point average in the Firefighter II candidate program Joseph Mullady with the City of York Fire Department was awarded the Pride of the Battalion The instructor staff who work with the recruits during the eight-week program choose this award recipient The Pride of the Battalion award is presented to the recruit who exemplifies teamwork and camaraderie in the Firefighter II candidate program The Fire Academy provides emergency services training to the municipal fire service — both paid and volunteer These include airport fire and rescue departments and military from around the state and the world The Fire Academy is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress and the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board) for multiple NFPA firefighter levels State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Emergency Response Task Force make up the Division of Fire and Life Safety People wait in line at a previous Foodees Food and Culture Festival in downtown Aiken Bill Bengtson is a reporter for the Aiken Standard He has focused most recently on eastern Aiken County He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Whitman College and also studied at Oregon State University and the University of Guadalajara Weekend traffic through downtown Aiken may require a bit of extra caution this weekend with plans in place for dozens of food trucks and thousands of potential diners to descend on Newberry Street's festival area A Foodees Food and Cultural Festival event is set to run May 2-4 Traffic will be redirected to allow for a relatively safe gathering space and the options listed under "main course" include such possibilities as El Centro Beverage vendors are to include Giant Baby Bottle Tea and Bread; and the "snacks" category includes such options as Nothing Bundt Cakes Also making the trip to Aiken will be a variety of artisans Helping comprise that list are 2 Beads of Hope "We're the biggest traveling festival in the country," said Lexington-based Peter Hanti, who plans to attend with his wife and offer creations from their Mama's Taste of the World truck "We're the only truck in South Carolina that offers conch fritters and we're especially known for our lobster rolls and lobster grilled cheese." A sampling of this year's calendar for the Foodees entourage includes such destinations as Spartanburg (May 16-18) The Aiken Chamber hosted its annual Women in Business Luncheon at Newberry Hall on Feb She is a motivational speaker who has written a book entitled "Accountability Code." Jim Tunison is the executive director of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce South Aiken's Coda Hughes steps into a forehand return during his No 2 singles match in the T-Breds' second-round playoff win over Aiken High It wasn't going to be nearly as easy Thursday for the South Aiken boys' tennis team as it had been a couple of days before had their way Tuesday with an inexperienced Darlington team that looked happy to be there at the Weeks Tennis Center as a No 15 seed in the first round of the state playoffs The visiting Falcons joked around with the T-Breds asking for pointers and setting them up for trick shots the kind of things that could potentially blur the focus of a young team with state championship aspirations That all came back into full focus Thursday with a second-round assignment against rival Aiken Nothing more needs to be said when these two get together and South Aiken aced the test with a 6-0 sweep to set up a third-round home match Monday against May River Definitely a tougher match than Tuesday's was," said South Aiken coach Dee Dee Redd "Aiken's definitely much more of a competitive team which speaks to their focus in getting the job done 2 doubles match was forfeited by a shorthanded Aiken squad and South Aiken added to that disadvantage by piling on the singles wins 3; Landen Reagan beat Brinkley Johnson 6-0 That sets up another home match Monday against May River 11 seed from the Lower State that has pulled consecutive upsets against Hartsville and Wilson home-court advantage is good for every sport," Redd said Just being on a bus for an hour or two can cause just a little bit of distraction or a little bit of tiredness it's the end to a season of uncertainty and adversity that still ended with the Hornets as a third-place finisher in the region and the No The Hornets had to forfeit at least the No yet despite the uphill climb they still produced a successful season that included a first-round playoff win over North Augusta Losing two key members at the beginning of the year that's going to cause anybody to feel down," said Aiken head coach Steve Smith 'Oh no' to 'We can play.' When we were able to have some reinforcements and have a full team I'm looking forward to all five of them coming back next year and hopefully add some more to it I think that will do nothing but make us stronger." The T-Breds showed they could quickly switch from a leisurely pace to a more serious one which is something they've done all season long They can play the finesse game just as easily as they can play the power game which is a credit to the way they play against one another in practice I think we're going to see a lot more hard-hitting competitors," Redd said "I know that our guys are fully prepared for that and actually in that situation they play even better so they're able to bring their game at a higher level whenever they play those harder competitors." Most of Thursday's matches were over quickly though not nearly at the same pace as in Tuesday's first round and it was one that was indicative of how both teams' seasons have gone For South Aiken it showed the versatility of Leigh who on any given day has to be ready to play either doubles or one of the singles lines it was emblematic of the numbers crunch the Hornets have faced - Thurmond served as a fill-in during the regular season and played just enough to be eligible for the playoffs we saw one of our players that had only played a few games five matches this year because he was playing another sport but he got out there and he fought hard and ground it out," Smith said I hope he'll be able to play more with us next year." Next week for South Aiken is the next step toward a state championship The T-Breds are now down to the final eight in Class AAAA and a win over May River would send them to the state semifinals Next week for Aiken is the start of a recruiting process Smith said he felt bad for his players at the start of the season once the roster shrunk then refocused to fight for them however he could to get them help whether that's finding potential players on campus or even younger ones in the area who might one day join the program "That's what you have to do when you have to get numbers built back up," he said that I've got some people in the area that are helping me and hopefully there's going to be some clinics and stuff going on over on the side of town next to Aiken High for younger kids that will feed into the program I had a community member that came and said because I know it's hard for you because there's not programs over here for the younger kids with tennis.'"  Bishop England's Luke Walmet celebrates after making his par putt to give his team the title by a shot at the 48th Southern Cross Kevin Kisner follows his shot on the 16th hole at Palmetto Golf Club during the 2002 Southern Cross South Aiken’s Jake Carter watches his approach from left of the 18th fairway at Palmetto Golf Club Carter birdied the hole to close out a final-round 64 that gave him a championship-winning total of 139 in 2016 his second consecutive Southern Cross title stands with junior high division champion Mike Wiland North Augusta's Kyle Bradley watches his tee shot on the eighth hole during the 1998 Southern Cross golf tournament State championship season is rapidly approaching for boys' golf teams in the South Carolina High School League and soon the kings of each classification will be crowned That carries with it plenty of bragging rights as by the end of May a team will be able to claim it's the best in Class AAAAA The Southern Cross returns to Palmetto Golf Club for its 50th edition pitting the best of the best teams against one another on a premium with the first round Friday and the final round Saturday The standard in year 50 is the same as it was in 1975 when a former southern amateur championship (held from 1895-1948) returned as a high school - and junior high - showcase intended to highlight the very best in the area It hasn't strayed far from that vision Arthur Hendley was the chair of Palmetto's junior golf activities back in 1975 when he announced that the Southern Cross was being revitalized crediting then-Aiken Standard golf columnist Harold Fletcher for the idea that got the ball rolling and along with co-tournament directors Billy Howard and Joe Wyatt laid the groundwork for what quickly became and still remains one of the country's most prestigious high school golf tournaments the Masters of high school golf because it's such a great field really take care of you," said South Aiken head coach Tommy DeGennaro having a course that was redesigned by Alister MacKenzie it's almost like you are playing the Masters of high school golf You get a chance to see coaches from other teams that you've become friendly with over the years gaining and maintaining a reputation as having the best field in South Carolina high school golf especially those who are in the hunt year after year before finally breaking through "It's hard to believe," Bishop England coach Jeff Burton said after his team's 2023 title John Greavu and I started coaching this team about 12 finally put our team name up against some of the greats The Battling Bishops are among the state's all-time elite programs with eight state championships to their credit yet the one they wanted most always seemed to elude them at Palmetto before Luke Walmet's par clincher "We won't see this kind of competition (at the state championship tournament) so this has got to be a big boost," head coach Kristen Rooke said following the win "I think you can safely say we beat the best teams in the state here this one's unbelievable," head coach David Cattrell said perhaps still experiencing the shakes he was feeling as the tournament came down to the final hole and to finally win it with Greenville and these guys who have been playing in it for three years South Aiken has been the tournament's dominant force with a record six titles between 1990-2013 The T-Breds also won six state championships during that stretch and they often faced tougher competition at Southern Cross than at state "I think it's tougher because we've got AAAA The state is just the best of AAA," said Seawell a future University of South Carolina Hall of Famer It's a big stretch of the high school golf season typically with region championships preceding the Southern Cross and then state qualifiers and state championships right after This one carries a slightly different weight to it than the others something that isn't lost on the visiting schools or the hosts We're blessed to be a local team and get to participate in it every year they do a great job with putting that tournament on," said Aiken High head coach Luke McClure "I would argue that it's probably the best tournament It's something a lot of schools from a lot of states try to get into They just do everything above and beyond there and every year it seems like there's new excitement "You just can't ask for a better high school golf environment and a better atmosphere Their members and staff there do a great job of putting on that tournament It's definitely an honor and a pleasure to get to enjoy that and experience that two-day stretch there to end the year." Around 30 members of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce stand together for a photograph on the steps of the South Carolina Statehouse April 29 The group was at the Statehouse for the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce's annual Small Business Day event COLUMBIA — Around 30 people gathered at the Aiken Chamber of Commerce on April 29 to make the hour-long trip to Columbia for the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce's annual Small Business Day at the Statehouse event The Aiken chamber usually has the largest contingent at the event and 2025 would be no different, Chamber President Jim Tunison said later in the day "It shows how engaged our membership is," Tunison said as the group's charter bus rolled east on Interstate 20 "Eighty-five percent of our members are small businesses with 10 or less employees and it just shows you what type of voice they have."  Tunison sat in one of the bus's middle seats owner of the HoneyBaked Ham franchise in Aiken "I came last night from Florida," Desai said Diagonally across from Desai was Hetal Acharekar, owner of PerformanceAbove and Tee It Up Ladies "Small businesses make up 55% to 60% of the United States's businesses and the impact of our voice is important to be heard," Acharekar said The Aiken chamber always has a great presence at this event "It provides a resource for our small business owners and chamber members to go and actually hear first hand from our legislators what's going on and know what's important that we need to be focusing on," she said The bus arrived in Columbia shortly before 9 a.m and the group attended a panel discussion in the S.C The discussion was moderated by the chamber's government affairs officer The panelists discussed their desire for tort reform and income tax changes several times the Aiken group and other people in town for the event made their way across Gervais Street for a 10 a.m Evette founded Quality Business Solutions with her husband I know how important it is to have leaders who understand the challenges our small business owners face on a daily basis," Evette said "This is exactly why I am committed to cutting taxes and doing all I can to help businesses flourish in South Carolina."  She also read a proclamation signed by Gov Henry McMaster declaring April 29 Small Business Day in the Palmetto State "Small businesses are the backbone of our state," Smith posted on X "Happy to celebrate Small Business Day at the Statehouse this morning Let’s continue to work together to ensure South Carolina remains the best state to live the Aiken group heard presentations by Joey Von Nesson an economist at the Darla Moore School of Business Frierson led a panel discussion with Callie Goodwin who owns a South Carolina greeting card business a Clemson grad who co-founded Kanga Coolers Both said they get a lot of business from TikTok — Goodwin said her business gets 98% of its orders from the app — and provided tips on how small businesses can monetize the app Tips included authenticity and consistent posting Von Nesson gave the state's economy a B+ but added tariffs could increase inflation and hurt consumers Richards' presentation showed that small businesses are finding themselves "at the mercy of" their employees thanks to a declining labor market participation rate USC Aiken's Josh Sharp (22) lifts a fly ball into the outfield against Mars Hill USC Aiken's Jack Hobson (42) squares up a pitch against Indiana (Pennsylvania) USC Aiken baseball standouts Jack Hobson and Josh Sharp have been named first-team all-Peach Belt Conference is coming off a banner week and is among the top 10 in the PBC in numerous categories His 16 home runs are tied for the third most in USCA's Division II history and are the second most in the PBC this season Hobson was named the PBC Player of the Week on April 28 after going 10-for-17 with four home runs and 13 RBI in the sweep of USC Beaufort has been one of the most productive student-athletes in the PBC Sharp established a single-season program best with 11 triples while also etching his name into the record book for career triples He has also established single-season highs for runs Sharp leads Division II with 11 triples and triples per game (.22) He is tied for the NCAA lead (all divisions) with his 11 triples Operations began at Kimberly-Clark Corporation's Beech Island plant One of Aiken County’s largest employers is gearing up for a major expansion of its operations that began here more than a half a century ago Kimberly-Clark Corporation will be adding 1.1 million square feet to its manufacturing facility at 246 Old Jackson Highway in Beech Island The company’s investment of more than $200 million will create 150 new jobs according to a May 1 news release from the S.C “The expansion will streamline Kimberly-Clark’s distribution footprint significantly increasing its ability to ship from its mega-manufacturing facility located on the same site,” the release stated artificial intelligence-powered logistics systems and high-density automated storage will “dramatically improve operational efficiencies,” according to the release “This investment represents the strong progress we are making on our end-to-end supply chain transformation,” said Kimberly-Clark Chief Supply Chain Officer Tamera Fenske in a prepared statement “By bringing together manufacturing and distribution under one automated roof responsive and resilient operating model that will enhance service levels for our retail partners “Beech Island is the largest facility in our manufacturing network so this new investment will drive impact at scale,” she added Operations in the new space are expected to be online in the second quarter of 2027 The products produced at the Beech Island plant which currently has more than 2,000 employees Kleenex facial tissues and Cottonelle toilet paper Manufacturing at the facility began in 1968 “Kimberly-Clark has been a cornerstone in Aiken County’s economy for decades and this investment represents a continued vote of confidence in our community and what it offers the manufacturing sector,” said Aiken County Council Chairman Gary Bunker “Maintaining a business-friendly environment is not only good for business the taxpayers and the talented workforce on Kimberly-Clark’s team Said Western SC Economic Development Partnership Board Chairman Gary Stooksbury: “We are proud to support Kimberly-Clark’s continued investment in Aiken County This expansion not only reinforces their long-term commitment to the region but also brings new opportunities for economic growth and job creation.” Aiken County Council unanimously approved the third and final reading of an ordinance that provided Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Kimberly-Clark Palmetto Inc with an incentive known as a fee in lieu of property taxes Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Kimberly-Clark Palmetto Inc and other project sponsors” wanted to “establish and/or expand a manufacturing and distribution facility” in the county During a public hearing prior to County Council’s vote who is the plant manager for Kimberly-Clark’s Beech Island facility told the panel that nothing had been finalized The “potential new investment is still being evaluated by our [company’s] CEO and board of directors,” he said “I’m not able to divulge full details as far as what the future plans may be I will be sure to touch base back with the county “The requested [property tax] abatement will help boost our financial case with our board of directors as we go through the approval process,” he added “It will help increase the chances for that approval.” County Council unanimously approved the third and final reading of another ordinance that changed the zoning designation for 16 tax parcels in the Beech Island area from Rural Development to Industrial Development there were approximately 965 acres involved Kimberly-Clark is headquartered in Texas and has more than 40,000 employees worldwide Its personal care products are sold in more than 170 countries For more information, visit kimberly-clark.com. Lupus survivors stand at the starting line before a lupus walk held by Crowing Lupus at the H Irma Jackson and Loretta Davis are pictured at the H Odell Weeks Activities Center walking track during the 12th annual Crowing Lupus walk on May 3 Madlyn Griffin hugs Crowing Lupus founder Jade Harkness during a walk that supports survivors care takers and those who currently have lupus Walkers during a Crowing Lupus walk at Virginia Acres Park and H Julia Skinner wears a shirt with to honor Crystal Stewart who passed away from lupus during a Crowing Lupus walk at Virginia Acres Park and H Madlyn Griffin talks about how she lost her daughter to lupus a few years ago during a Crowing Lupus walk at Virginia Acres Park and H Loretta Harris during a Crowing Lupus walk at Virginia Acres Park and H Walkers during a walk that supports survivors and those currently batting with lupus in Aiken May 3 Lupus survivor Betty Mosley speaks during a lupus walk held by Crowning Lupus in Aiken Jimmie Nealious cooks some hot dogs during a Crowing Lupus walk at Virginia Acres Park and H Crowing Lupus held its 12th annual lupus walk to support survivors of lupus and those currently battling the disease AIKEN — Walking in solidarity and wearing purple is how some members the community came together support survivors and those currently battling lupus in Aiken The walk featured some comments from lupus survivors A mother who watched her daughter battle the disease before she passed away in 2023 also spoke "This is why we do this walk … to pay homage to their struggle to their fight and to the warriors that lost their fight," said Jade Harkness Harkness started Crowning Lupus in 2013 to educate the community about the disease and held walks which serve as a fundraiser Harkness said she was amazed to see all the people at the walk and that lupus is finally being put in the forefront She said it was great for her to see some many who might not even be connected to lupus to come out to the walk "Today we pause to honor our lupus and celebrate survivor's persistence which inspires others of their journey," she said Natalie Suber said she came to the lupus walk because Harkness is an amazing person and because of how she champions for herself and others She said she also knows family members who have lupus “We just wanted to come out and make sure we are supporting,” she said “Let the community know about this and let the lupus warriors know that we are not alone She said the walk is one way people can learn about the disease and what they can do to support people battling it “It’s important that all of us stand together and fight this disease and bring awareness to it,” she said said she comes to the Crowning Lupus event every year and walks in memory of her daughter Crystal Stewart who passed away in 2015 Mathis and several other people at the walk wore shirts with Stewart's name on them Mathis said she also donated to Crowning Lupus in memory of her daughter “It gives me peace knowing that I am doing something for her for a worthy cause,” she said Betty Mosley was diagnosed with lupus in 1995 and said it's struggle but said that God has helped her make it through even during the tough days don't give up because we are winners," she said Harkness said the walk wasn't just for those who have experienced lupus but for everyone who wants to learn more about the disease “This walk is not just for survivors and their families Through this fundraiser we are able to give back to the community in a major way and we enjoy that,” Harkless said A group of around 30 Aiken residents bow their heads in prayer during a National Day of Prayer event downtown May 1 Paul Bush delivers a prayer at a National Day of Prayer event in downtown Aiken May 1 delivers a prayer during a May 1 National Day of Prayer event in downtown Aiken Bernice DeLoach bows her head in prayer during a May 1 National Day of Prayer event in downtown Aiken AIKEN — Words of prayer rang through downtown Aiken on May 1 as a National Day of Prayer event was held near the Laurens Street–Hayne Avenue intersection Around 30 people attended the event which began around noon Longtime event organizer Roger Rollins began with a prayer then turned the microphone over to the Rev Bush is taking over as the leader of the Aiken National Day of Prayer Committee which serves as the event's organizer "We're all gathering together not only in Aiken County or the state of South Carolina but across the country," Bush said before event started "We're… praying openly that God will look down on us and have mercy on the humanity that he's made so that we'll start treating each other with humanity once again," Bush continued the senior pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church offered a prayer before opening the microphone for those in attendance to offer their own prayers Bill Aden offered a prayer for officials with the city of Aiken and Aiken County We pray that they will look to you for the tough challenges that they face Bernice DeLoach offered a prayer for the elderly DeLoach performs with the Aiken Choral Society and Aiken Singers who also led the attendees in song Carolyn Luckey arrived around 30 minutes before the event started It's just important to pray for our nation and our president and all of the people that are in charge and our local leaders."  "We gather together as a church and we pray and so we gather together today to pray for our country She added she brought Vereen to the event to get her started with prayer at a young age She said she came to pray for the country because "we need it."  The committee also planned to hold an event at 6:45 p.m USC Aiken's Lakyn Phillips (19) reacts after throwing a game-ending strikeout against Anderson USC Aiken's Kate Newberry (15) throws to first base to try to complete a double play against Anderson USC Aiken's Autumn Fisher (7) makes a throw from shortstop against Anderson USC Aiken's Peri Rouillard (4) connects with a pitch against Erskine USC Aiken softball standouts Autumn Fisher Lakyn Phillips and Peri Rouillard have been named to the Peach Belt Conference all-conference team Newberry and Phillips picked up first-team honors while Fisher and Rouillard earned second-team accolades She leads the squad with 101 total bases and a .673 slugging percentage Newberry has a team-best 18 walks to her credit and accounts for a 1.116 OPS Newberry has 14 multi-hit games this season leads the team with a 2.57 ERA and 16 victories She's tossed 154 strikeouts and has limited opponents to a .239 batting average The hurler has tossed 138⅔ innings and has the school record for career saves She's in the top five for virtually every pitching category in school history including wins Phillips was named PBC Pitcher of the Week on March 10 and again on April 21 She's hitting .352 and has pounded out 50 hits She leads the squad with 15 stolen bases and has crossed home 31 times Fisher has driven in 22 runs and has 82 total bases Fisher was tabbed PBC Freshman of the Week on Feb leads the Pacers with a .405 batting average She leads the team with six triples and 33 runs scored The standout has 11 steals and sports a .586 slugging percentage She tied the single-game school record with two triples in the win over Erskine Rouillard was named PBC Player of the Week on Feb vice president of land development for Bill Beazley Homes Inc. gestures while speaking to the Aiken County Planning Commission on April 17 at the Aiken County Government Center A subdivision north of Aiken that eventually will have more than 700 homes is moving closer to becoming a reality the Aiken County Planning Commission on April 17 approved the preliminary plat (layout) for Section 1 of Bedford Landing Six members of the panel were present at the meeting which was held at the Aiken County Government Center Chairman Jason Palmer didn’t vote because action on his part wasn’t needed to break a tie The applicant was Georgia-based Beazley Development Company Inc. which purchased the roughly 214-acre tract for Bedford Landing for $2,998,598 in December 2023 which will be providing water and sewer services to the subdivision told the Planning Commission that his company would be required to put in a traffic signal at the corner of Beaverdam Road and Columbia Highway North where the Bedford Landing acreage is located But that doesn’t have to and won’t happen during the construction of the homes in Section 1 The other plans for Bedford Landing include an “amenities center” with a swimming pool and tennis and pickleball courts The contingencies that were included in the Planning Commission’s approval were based on questions from the Aiken County Planning and Development Department’s staff that hadn’t been addressed yet Beazley Development has six months to answer those questions A public hearing on the request for preliminary plat approval was held during the Planning Commission’s February meeting Some nearby residents expressed their opposition to Bedford Landing They said there would be increases in traffic and County Attorney Brad Farrar told him to leave the meeting The attorney also asked the County Code Enforcement officer on duty to escort the man out of the Government Center the Planning Commission unanimously approved the preliminary plat for Phase I of The Estates at Woodhaven The subdivision is another Beazley Development project north of Aiken Beazley Development purchased the approximately 240-acre property for $1,927,440 in June 2023 Gulino said there eventually would be 169 homes in The Estates at Woodhaven Beazley Development has six months to answer any Planning and Development Department staff questions the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend to County Council a zoning change for a nearly 11-acre tract at 494 Fox Pond Road east of Aiken The zoning designation for the property is Residential-Horse Business (RH5B) want it changed to Agricultural Preservation (AP) talks to diners at the Midland Valley Golf Club's Horse Creek Tavern Diners enjoy lunch recently at the Midland Valley Golf Club's Horse Creek Tavern The Horse Creek Tavern is located at the Midland Valley Golf Club A Horse Creek Tavern sign is on display near the entrance to the Midland Valley Golf Club's pro shop Lunch is ready to eat at the Horse Creek Tavern at the Midland Valley Golf Club GRANITEVILLE — Rob Pruiett likes to say his career path in recent years has taken him “from The Alley to the Valley.” As the food and beverage manager at the Midland Valley Golf Club which made its debut in April and is open to the public “I found out retirement was both expensive and boring and there was a hole in my heart,” said Pruiett who took a break after his family’s popular Aiken Brewing Company closed in March 2023 in downtown Aiken Known also as the “Brew Pub,” the Aiken Brewing Company was based at the Laurens Street entrance to The Alley Dan Beavers and Mark Findley founded the restaurant according to a story published in the Aiken Standard when it opened in 1997 The Pruietts became the Aiken Brewing Company’s proprietors in 2003 The Horse Creek Tavern has “a little Brew Pub flair,” Rob Pruiett said The furnishings include tables and bar stools from the Aiken Brewing Company There also are some Brew Pub offerings on the menu such as The Mother Plucker wrap Rasta Pasta and The Big Tony double bacon cheeseburger wrap “We’re doing our wings just the same because everybody missed my wings,” Pruiett said “I had the best wings in town [at the Aiken Brewing Company] and I do them the same over here.” Some of the Horse Creek Tavern’s employees are former members of the Brew Pub team Pruiett is especially enjoying the opportunity at the Midland Valley Golf Club to smoke meat they wouldn’t let me have a smoker,” he said The Horse Creek Tavern serves lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday “I’m trying to keep it simple and affordable,” Pruiett said chicken salad or pimento cheese sandwich with a side of French fries Among the choices on the dinner menu are grilled or blackened mahi-mahi Jeff Petersen and John Lovin purchased the Midland Valley Golf Club in January 2024 “There weren’t any kind of sit-down meals happening at the time and they hadn’t been doing that for a while,” Steven Petersen said “They were serving cold cut sandwiches and that kind of stuff for the golfers only But there was a demand for a better dining option “A lot of our members were clamoring for it and there was a lot of interest from our neighbors [in subdivisions],” Steven said “we’re trying to increase revenues so we can get the golf course fixed up and elevate its quality,” he continued “This is just one more step in the process.” And Steven believes Midland Valley Golf Club has the right person in charge to make the Horse Creek Tavern successful “Once we started talking about reopening the restaurant and getting it back going again I would be interested.’ We talked to Rob for eight or nine months about doing something together Pruiett is an asset because “he has a big following,” Petersen told the Aiken Standard “A lot of people that were previously patrons of the Brew Pub have been visiting us and they love it because it’s the same food they had there The semi-private Midland Valley Golf Club is at 151 Midland Drive For more information, visit playmidlandvalley.com or call 803-663-7332 Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAIKEN (WRDW/WAGT) - A murder suspect wanted in Georgia was apprehended in Aiken County after a standoff with deputies on Friday morning The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded to I-20 eastbound near mile marker 32 at 3:55 a.m to assist the Georgia State Patrol in locating an armed and dangerous suspect wanted for murder out of the Newton County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction Aiken County deputies says after a standoff South Carolina state troopers and Aiken County EMS provided medical aid to the suspect for a self-inflicted gunshot wound The suspect was transported to a local area hospital Newton County deputies were called to the Walmart Supercenter on Salem Road around 1:30 a.m and only employees were inside the building The suspect then ran into another employee outside the Walmart and shot them That person was taken to the hospital in critical condition deputies say the suspect forced entry into a home on Emerson Trail but family members said the woman killed at the home was 19-year-old Akeela Clarke Deputies say the suspect specifically targeted individuals they knew Walmart said it is “heartbroken” by what happened Orangeburg County deputies says the search continues for a Sumter male who fired into a crowd “There’s no place for violence in our stores,” the statement continued “We’re focused on taking care of our associates and supporting law enforcement with their investigation.” The Newton County Sheriff’s Office says the suspect is currently in custody The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here The Red Door opened in 2024 in downtown Aiken on Laurens Street The Red Door in downtown Aiken is “closed permanently,” according to information posted online When the Aiken Standard called the phone number on the Asian restaurant’s Facebook page April 14 The eatery was among the restaurants operated by The Aiken Dining Group which Norman Dunagan and Alexandrea Kneece cofounded Dunagan didn’t respond to a voicemail message left by the Aiken Standard prior to the publication deadline for this story The Red Door opened in 2024 at 126 Laurens St That location most recently had been the home of an Irish pub steamed pork dumplings and chicken yakitori Among the other options on the menu were miso soup “I have been interested in Japanese cooking since I was in my 20s,” said The Aiken Dining Group’s co-owner and executive chef “This is my first opportunity to really explore it in a restaurant I’ve dabbled with a lot of Asian food at Whiskey Alley but I wanted to open up something downtown that was a nice Asian addition.” GRANITEVILLE — An Aiken County man has been accused of sexually assaulting a girl who was around six years of age Aiken County Sheriff's deputies arrested Hector Fredi Reyes-Villanueva April 29 according to an Aiken County detention center booking report A girl said Reyes-Villanueva sexually assaulted her three times The girl reported the alleged assaults Nov She said Reyes-Villanueva threatened to kill others and her if she told anyone Reyes-Villanueva faces three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct Third-degree criminal sexual conduct is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison Aiken County Magistrate Lauren Maurice set a $15,000 surety bond on each charge April 29 Reyes-Villanueva remains in the Aiken County detention center Aiken County Magistrate Lauren Maurice set a $15,000 surety bond April 28 A person suspecting that a child is being abused should contact 911 if it's a life-threatening emergency. A person can make a non-emergency report at 888-CARE4US or via the South Carolina Department of Social Services website South Aiken's Landen Reagan hits a forehand return against Darlington South Aiken's Coda Hughes hits a forehand return against Darlington South Aiken's David Baker tracks down the ball for a backhand return against Darlington South Aiken's Kiyu Hughes lines up a forehand return against Darlington South Aiken's Xander Leigh hits a backhand return during a win at No South Aiken's Nathan Mandel hits a return during his doubles match against Darlington South Aiken's Coda Hughes reaches out for a backhand return against Darlington South Aiken's Kiyu Hughes chases down the ball to hit a return against Darlington South Aiken's David Baker hits a forehand return against Darlington South Aiken's Landen Reagan stares down a forehand return against Darlington AIKEN — The race to a state championship started Tuesday with a race of a different kind for the South Aiken boys' tennis team It was a race to see who could end their match first 2 seed in the Class AAAA Lower State bracket easily cruised past 15th-seeded Darlington sweeping every set and every match to blank the visiting Falcons and move on to Thursday's second-round match against rival Aiken High It was a more leisurely attitude Tuesday at the Weeks Tennis Center where even with a lineup loaded with underclassmen the T-Breds had years of experience in their favor against a Falcons team composed primarily of players who hadn't picked up a racket First-round matchups in big brackets can often produce mismatches like this one but even with a clear advantage it was key for the T-Breds to stay sharp "Definitely keeping your focus," said head coach Dee Dee Redd Sometimes it's easy to lose your focus with that 1 singles stopped between points to ask Baker how he's so good at hitting low shots with cut spin - so Baker showed him where on the strings and how to hit the ball 3 had their opponents offer to hit long returns so they could chase them down and hit tweener shots between their legs - not to showboat but because the Falcons' inexperienced players just wanted to see it Landen Reagan toned down his powerful attack and opted for a few softer more approachable shots so that he and his opponent at No It was Reagan who won the race to finish first closing out his victory in right around 27 minutes and then a steady stream of winning scores were turned in within the next few minutes The only reason the full match lasted anywhere close to an hour was because Darlington needed to send one of its players out to face Xander Leigh and Nathan Mandel at No 2 doubles after finishing his singles match and then we're back against Aiken on Thursday." The difficulty level will increase in the second round as the T-Breds and Hornets meet for round three of their rivalry this season Aiken was a 4-2 winner over North Augusta on Monday thanks to singles wins from Henry Vaughters South Aiken swept the shorthanded Hornets during the regular season "We had won against Aiken in the two rounds of our region Thanks for visiting Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application known affectionately as Shannon Roberts-Aiken Shannon was a beacon of love and generosity throughout her life surrounded by the warmth of her family and the comfort of the home she so lovingly created Shannon's early years in California were filled with the joy and challenges of a close-knit family She was the cherished daughter of Bruce Alan Roberts and Barbara Kay Bogart Roberts Shannon also shared a deep bond with her brother Her family was the cornerstone of her life and she extended that familial love to all she encountered Shannon dedicated many years to retail sales where she was a valued employee at Kohl's and Tractor Supply Her colleagues knew her as someone who brought not just dedication but also a personal touch to her work ensuring that everyone felt welcome and appreciated She found great joy in decoration and creating a comfortable and inviting space for her loved ones were the recipients of her boundless love and care Shannon's home was a hub of warmth and hospitality a place where friends and family gathered to celebrate life's moments Shannon had a knack for entertaining at home Her gatherings were the epitome of her generous spirit Shannon's love extended beyond her human family to include animals in need of a loving home She opened her heart and her home to numerous pets throughout her life Shannon's caring nature was also evident in her commitment to the Special Olympics She was deeply invested in the organization helping to uplift and support athletes with her time Her involvement was a testament to her belief in the potential of every individual and her desire to contribute to a world where everyone is valued and celebrated Those who knew Shannon would describe her as loving and her absence will be deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing her Shannon Ruthann Roberts-Aiken's legacy is one of love Her life was a beautiful tapestry woven with the threads of kindness we hold tight to the memories and the love she shared Her spirit will forever be a guiding light in the lives of those she touched A Celebration of Life honoring Shannon is being planned This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Master of ceremonies Byron Bush introduces Jan Herbert and Todd Barker as the fourth annual Beach Music Festival's top shag dancers Newberry Street's festival area has hundreds of visitors and a corps of seasoned musicians — The Swingin' Medallions on stage — May 17 for the fourth annual Beach Music Festival with their 2025 schedule now including an Aiken performance set for May 9 John Smith Buchan and Ronnie Goldman; and Paul Perkins Mackenzie Walden and John Smith Buchan perform in a Swingin' Medallions show April 10 in Greenwood The band is on track for a May 9 performance in Aiken and Richard Loper supply the brass for an April 10 show at Lander University  The famous "party band" is on track for a May 9 performance in Aiken One of Greenwood County's most popular exports is to be in the spotlight in downtown Aiken on May 9, with the Aiken Standard Beach Blast set to be held in Newberry Street's festival area The fun is to run from 6-10 p.m., and the evening's featured act is to be The Swingin' Medallions a musical group that started in Greenwood in the early 1960s and now is in its second generation Comprising the current corps are Shawn McElrath (oldest son of the band's founder, John McElrath) Shane McElrath (youngest son of the founder) John Smith Buchan (a nephew of the founder) The high-energy band's biggest hit, a cover version of "Double Shot (of My Baby's Love)," rose to prominence in 1966 a Greenwood resident who serves as a singer and trumpeter confirmed that the band's current lineup logs plenty of mileage throughout the year usually in territory between Virginia and Mississippi Prices for admission to the May 9 event range from $15 ("early bird special") to $500 (a VIP table of eight seats) WHERE: Newberry Street Festival Center in downtown Aiken GA -- Behind 22 points from Most Valuable Player Jalen McCoy the University of South Carolina Aiken Pacers won the 2025 Peach Belt Conference men's basketball tournament title 92-76 over USC Beaufort on Sunday in Columbus who secured the PBC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament yesterday win their first tournament title since 2014 and fifth in program history USCA will await their draw in the NCAA Tournament tonight as the field will be announced starting at 11:00 pm with a live stream at NCAA.com The final score is not truly indicative of how competitive the game was for its majority USC Beaufort cut the lead to three at 64-61 with 7:57 to play on a layup from Sfanos Tasso A McCoy layup built that lead back to five but the Sand Sharks cut it to two on their next possession with a three-pointer from Hudson Norton The Pacers responded with a Davion Cunningham layup to start a 5-0 run that ended when USCB got a layup from Kenney Gaines to leave the score 71-66 with 5:25 to go USCB would not score again for nearly two full minutes as the Pacers scored 10 straight to put the game out of reach eight rebounds and block while Cunningham added 20 with seven rebounds to earn All-Tournament laurels Rafaell Rubel added 15 while Simeon German III led the Pacers with nine rebounds to go with seven points and three blocks USCA shot 47% from the field in the game and held a 47-39 rebounding edge USC Beaufort struggled with their long-range shooting Dominic Eason led the Sand Sharks with 22 points while Kenney Gaines had 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds Both players were named to the All-Tournament team Kevaughn Price scored 12 for the Sand Sharks address dozens of their organization's donors and other volunteers John's Methodist Church plays host April 29 to Area Churches Together Serving's annual dinner in appreciation of donors and other volunteers Matt Steelman address dozens of their organization's top boosters during an April 29 appreciation dinner for ACTS' donors and other volunteers president of the Area Churches Together Serving board of directors pauses for a picture April 29 with Meybohm Real Estate representative Ginger Hudock AAR was among several organizations honored in an annual ACTS gathering for outstanding financial support AIKEN — A challenging year and an impending change in leadership were topics of discussion April 29 at St. John's Methodist Church, amid Area Churches Together Serving's annual dinner in appreciation of volunteers and donors is now in the final few months of her seven years as the organization's leader Jackson, who announced her retirement plans in March "It's very bittersweet for me … Every one of you has given individually The reality of volunteers who have supported ACTS' efforts over the course of decades is "just astounding," she said I couldn't ask for a better board … We ask a lot of this board but you are part of why we are where we are She acknowledged a variety of extraordinary contributions to help the community in the immediate aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene which left tens of thousands of Aiken-area households facing days or weeks of such challenges as roof damage blocked roads and lack of electrical power "We did not miss a beat," Jackson said, "and what was kind of fun was that most of the support came from Aiken, but not all of it. We had an Episcopal church — St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Charleston — was the first to come and deliver all sorts of items The pastor who led this personally came to deliver and said and we know what it means to be in the immediate aftermath of a disaster like this,' and they brought not just non-perishable food but batteries … wipes and dog and cat food." she said key areas to be addressed include such topics as food insecurity Steelman also acknowledged concerns involving ACTS' main facility — "beautifully stewarded and tight quarters," in downtown Aiken He asked his listeners "to pray with us … as we research," in the ongoing effort to find more space "We would love to have some solutions in the future and we'd be excited to update you on that."  Highlights of the April 29 gathering included the announcement of software designer Bill Collins as ACTS' top volunteer of the year as he was away on vacation with his family She described him as "not a quiet presence," but instead "the kind of force that makes the world a better place." "Bill Collins is the architect behind our ACTS tracker — our custom file-maker program that now powers nearly everything that we do from collecting client data to tracking donations It is the backbone of our operations and exists because Bill built it," she said includes such aspects as "most notably serving as board president program services committee chair and being one of the primary preparers of our organization's bylaws." Williams triggered a wave of laughter in confirming his absence and noting that "when he comes back Among ACTS' top financial boosters of the past year were such organizations as Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Savannah River Mission Completion and Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina ACTS' mission, as described on its website is to reach out "in Christ’s name to those among us who need a helping hand." Rosalyn Cowart Greene and Todd Etheredge were elected to the Jackson Town Council according to unofficial results of the April 29 election Former Jackson Mayor Todd Etheredge speaks in 2023 from his desk at the Jackson Town Hall Etheredge won reelection to the town council April 29 JACKSON — A familiar face will rejoin the Jackson Town Council in July Todd Etheredge won a seat on the town council according to unofficial results of the town's April 29 election being a council member," Etheredge said after thanking his supporters Etheredge retired in 2023 after serving as the town's mayor for more than 20 years He served for a couple of years on the town council before winning his first mayoral election in 2002 "A council member has a lot of say with the budget," he added "I'll be attending the meetings and getting brought [back] up to speed Etheredge received 98 votes (26.02% of those cast) to win one of three seats determined April 29 according to unofficial results 30.77%) and Rosalyn Cowart Greene (99 votes After they're sworn in to office in July, Willingham, Greene and Etheredge will be assigned to oversee an area of the town's operations by Mayor Guerney Wiggins Jr Jackson — population roughly 1,600 — was likely named after President Andrew Jackson John Methodist Church of Graniteville is at 18 Gregg St AIKEN — One of Aiken County's oldest churches will soon be involved in a property dispute with a statewide religious organization The South Carolina Conference of United Methodist Churches filed a lis pendens April 23 regarding St John Methodist Church's property in Graniteville A lis pendens is filed to indicate a property is or will be involved in a legal dispute, according Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute St. John Methodist is at 18 Gregg St. in Graniteville. It is unrelated to St. John's Methodist Church in downtown Aiken. That church also separated from the UMC but is not subject to the legal action The legal dispute derives from a years-long doctrinal split of the United Methodist Church over the church's approach to sexuality and LGBTQ clergy The UMC has traditionally banned both same-sex unions and LGBTQ clergy the UMC's Council of Bishops voted in 2018 to recommend each regional conference to determine whether to perform same-sex marriages and whether to ordain LGBTQ clergy This recommendation was rejected by a 2019 General Conference — the general conference is the highest level of leadership in the UMC — vote Fifty-three percent voted in favor of the church's traditional stance and 47% voted in favor of the recommendation Several sub-conferences announced plans to defy the traditional views after the vote and the UMC offered its member churches a limited opportunity to leave and to retain their properties Around 7,000 former UMC churches in the U.S but the South Carolina Conference offered its members additional time Approximately 215 South Carolina churches elected to leave according to a lawsuit filed at the South Carolina Supreme Court John voted in favor of separation in February 2024 which may have been too late to take the offer "Instead of accepting that it was at a theological impasse with numerous congregations and honoring its promise to permit these congregations to disaffiliate from the UMC and retain their property the South Carolina Conference turned to the courts and litigation," Attorneys Miles Coleman James Bannister and David Gibbs III wrote in the Supreme Court lawsuit Bannister and Gibbs represent a Spartanburg church that left the South Carolina Conference The South Carolina Conference said it planned to file up to 42 suits statewide to determine ownership of property of the churches that left James Becker and other attorneys for the South Carolina Conference have argued the churches that left failed to follow the procedure required to leave therefore those churches' properties should belong to the Conference The Spartanburg church and others say they lawfully left the Conference and should retain ownership Property disputes between former UMC churches and their former conferences isn't unique to Aiken or South Carolina "Disaffiliation litigation has unfolded in at least 15 states "It has also made its way to appellate courts in at least eight states." (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken County fire crews battled multiple fires on Wednesday afternoon A total of four fires threatened homes and triggered evacuations for some in the area Residents living on Glassrope Lane in Aiken were asked to evacuate on Wednesday afternoon in response to a brush fire on New Holland Road The fire stretched between 70 acres of land and was 100% contained around 4:45 p.m. according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission 4 Georgia soldiers who went missing while training in Lithuania have died Multiple roads were also closed as a result of the fire Residents were asked to avoid the following areas: New Holland Road and Cooks Bridge Road were reopened Crews turned away dozens upon dozens of cars during the closures are headed to Pickens County to assist with fighting the Table Rock fires Officials say the road closures are to allow fire crews and State Forestry to work We are told several crews were also battling a 60-acre brush fire in Graniteville near Vaucluse Road and Good Springs Road Residents in the Vaucluse Road were not asked to evacuate “Thanks to the South Carolina State Forestry Commission they sent three tractors and their supervisor (Edisto 5) Sage Mill and Aiken Department of Public Safety for the assistance in getting this fire contained,” the Graniteville-Vaucluse-Warrenville Volunteer Fire Department said According to the South Carolina Forestry Commission two additional fires were reported Wednesday afternoon at these homes: The fire on Augusta Road destroyed a vacant home “The walls done fell in and the roof done fell in The only thing that was standing where the chimneys,” said Midland Valley Fire Chief Sean Johnon The Old Sudlow Lake Road fire also caused road closures for multiple hours North Augusta Public Safety says it assisted the Belvedere Fire Department with the fire South Carolina Forestry also responded with a bulldozer The most important thing is that there were no injuries reported from any of the fires today it drives the top of the the grass and the leaves and everything out pretty quick It will spread and take off like wildfire,” said Johnson The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is on the scene of a shooting in Augusta on Wednesday evening The South Carolina Forestry Commission announced a burn ban on Friday. such as extremely low humidity and breezy winds that are expected throughout the state over the next few days Aiken broke ground March 28 on Phase I of the Powderhouse Connector Pictured are Ryan Sheridan of Cranston Engineering Jim Watson and Assistant City Manager Mary Tilton Assistant City Manager Mary Tilton speaks March 28 at the groundbreaking for the Powderhouse Connector speaks at the March 28 groundbreaking ceremony for the Powderhouse Connector Aiken Mayor Pro Tempore Ed Girardeau speaks at the March 28 groundbreaking ceremony for the Powderhouse Connector Aiken residents frustrated by traffic on Whiskey Road may soon see an improvement county and city officials broke ground March 28 on Phase I of the Powderhouse Connector The connector will connect with Whiskey Road at the East Gate Drive/Oak Grove Road intersection and with an improved Powderhouse Road near that road's intersection with Old Powderhouse Road Construction is split into two phases: connecting Whiskey Road and Centennial Drive (the extension of Centennial Drive will be called the South Centennial Connector) and connecting Phase I to Powderhouse Road you know that traffic on Whiskey Road has been the most talked about subject on Facebook," Aiken City Councilwoman Gail Diggs said A 2022 traffic study indicated Whiskey Road was 17% over its capacity immediately north of the East Gate Drive intersection Whiskey Road immediately north of East Gate Drive/Oak Grove Road is the second-busiest road in Aiken County A little less than 45,000 cars a day pass through the intersection but they're not usually going 80 mph and not looking to stop The section of Whiskey Road has a lot of traffic for three main reasons many popular stores and restaurants are there (Publix "There are thousands of local residents from Aiken County and the adjoining counties of Barnwell Orangeburg who come here and they use the shops and the restaurants along this corridor," Young said the road is a primary route Aiken residents take to get to and from the area's largest employer many south Aiken residents work at plants north of the city near Interstate 20's exits 22 and 11 or in downtown Aiken "This is also a corridor that's highly traveled for people going to and from work," Young added East Gate Drive provides access to Aiken Towne Park (formerly Aiken Mall) "And if you've been in the traffic on Friday afternoon on Whiskey Road you know what I'm talking about," Young continued "It is quite a mess and it has been for a long time."  The connector will "fundamentally change Whiskey Road for the better," Assistant City Manger Mary Tilton said "It will reduce traffic on the busiest part of our road by up to 18% even when all of this behind me is is built out," she continued "When I started talking about this more than 25 years as a planning commissioner "This is what happens when you do this kind of work."  The process began in 2004 when the Watson family made an agreement with the city to build a retention pond on his land The agreement also allocated some of the land for the connector current Aiken County Council Chairman Gary Bunker chaired a committee tasked with finding a way to alleviate the traffic on Whiskey Road The committee developed a plan to build the connector the bottom fell out of the economy and "everything ground to a halt," Girardeau said Former Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon pulled the study and the connector plan off the shelf — Former Mayor Fred Cavanaugh kept all of his paperwork — shortly after his 2015 election Girardeau said he began championing the project after being elected in 2017 He represents District 4 on the city council which is adjacent to Whiskey Road but the district contains most of Woodside and many residents shop along the corridor McLean and Watson families agreed to provide the land "As our my fellow elected officials understand we had to try to get the road ranked by the South Carolina Department of Transportation," Young said You can't just call up Columbia and ask them to rank a road You have to provide a lot of information."  After that the Augusta Regional Transportation Study had to rank the road COVID-19 and the related government-mandated shutdowns brought another delay meant multiple funding sources were going be needed The city received $8 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $21.3 million from the State Infrastructure Bank, $7.6 million from Aiken County's fourth Capital Project Sales Tax and $621,000 from the Aiken County Transportation Committee The city will also use $500,000 of its own money The city also had to find contractors to design and build the connector Selected contractors are Benesch Engineering (road design) Goodwin Mills Cawood (testing and inspection) Satterfield Construction (building the road) and Cranston Engineering (waterline design and engineering) Building Phase I will take around 16 months Phase II is expected to begin shortly before Phase I ends There are no statistics available for this player Thanks for visiting (WRDW/WAGT) - An Aiken information technology services company spoke out after an early morning fire destroyed its office building Aiken Department of Public Safety dispatchers said crews responded to a fire in the 100 block of Summerwood Way at Trail Ridge Road around 5:30 a.m The building was a total loss and affected multiple businesses with office space in the building One of those businesses was Jowers Technology Solutions “We are deeply saddened to share that our office experienced a fire last night resulting in what appears to be a total loss,” the company said on Facebook The business helps bring affordable IT solutions computer services and government contracting to CSRA residents Investigations are underway to determine the cause and the full extent of the damage and crews were still on the scene at midday Law enforcement officials say they have responded to a North Augusta home after reports of a suspicious device The nearby Hitchcock Animal Hospital posted on Facebook regarding the fire