Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInGRANITEVILLE (WRDW/WAGT) - Barden C&D Landfill employees battled a fire early Friday morning Aiken County dispatch told us the landfill employees handled the situation around 5:45 a.m Officials also said that you could see the fire from the interstate This is the third fire at the landfill within a year Warrenville fire crews are on the scene of a large brush fire in the area of Golf Course Road Last March, a bulldozer caught on fire at the landfill. Thankfully, according to authorities, no one was injured. Then just a few months later, crews responded to another fire at the landfill. (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken County deputies are investigating an early morning shooting in Graniteville as self-inflicted on Tuesday Steve Shunn told us they are investigating the shooting as self-inflicted Aiken County dispatch told us they were on the scene of a shooting incident in the 1100 block of Kalmia Apartments Lane at 4:44 a.m Dispatch did not have any more information for us at the time Also in Aiken County, a teenager suffered injuries when she was shot in the leg just yesterday. She suffered a wound to the calf in a shooting that was accidental there’s been a wave of homicides and other sweeping the CSRA the crime wave is affecting places large and small Also yesterday, a 25-year-old was shot dead at an Aiken County motel. at the American Hearth Inn in the 3900 block of Richland Avenue West The victim was identified as Nyasia Dowling according to Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables The homicide is at least the seventh so far in 2025 in the CSRA The latest shooting comes amid a more than two-year outbreak of violent crime that’s claimed around 200 lives across the CSRA Communities large and small have been affected on both sides of the Savannah River (WRDW/WAGT) - We’ve learned more about a home fire that killed two people in Graniteville last week Graniteville-Vaucluse-Warrenville crews say they got the call at 11:49 p.m in the 100 block of Taylor Pond Road last Sunday Crews said when they arrived on the scene the structure had already burned and collapsed on the majority part of the house The vehicle in front of the residence was also on fire along with the privacy fence beside the home crews started cooling the area down so they could keep searching the home While searching the front of the house the two victims were found in the area of the front door The fire marshal’s office and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office were notified for an investigator to respond EMS and the sheriff’s deputy notified the coroner’s office to respond “CSRA Strong: Path to Recovery” featured a roundtable of experts on resources and they answered your questions about help after Helene Once the fire was extinguished and the area was cooled off the coroner removed the victims Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables says two people were pronounced dead on the scene at 1:08 a.m Autopsies have been scheduled to determine the cause and manner of death and their names won’t be released until identification has been made and next-of-kin has been notified The same day, a home fire on Etterle Road killed Carole and Henry Logan, both 80, in a tragic accident that left one survivor. Augusta Fire Department officials said they received an alarm for a reported structure fire with entrapment in the 4400 block of Etterle Road on at 12:38 a.m The survivor stated they heated the home by burning wood in the fireplace and by using propane tanks to power “buddy heaters,” according to officials A firefighter suffered minor burns in the blaze and was transported to Wellstar ER for treatment We have reached out for an update on the firefighter causing it to bounce off the window of a Job Corps bus traveling south on U.S So many that it’s consistently earned Augusta a top spot in the country for the most home fires The American Red Cross says home heating is one of the leading causes of home fires and injury in the country According to FEMA one of every seven house fires will involve some sort of heating equipment According to the National Fire Protection Association it’s the second leading cause of residential fires in the country,” said Daniel Smith Some of our local fire departments say the number of house fires they respond to increases between December and February people just start firing up the heaters and start to find issues or problems,” said Danny Kuhlmann rescue and operation chief at Columbia County Fire many people try to warm up by using alternative sources “The popular resort is space heaters,” said Smith “There’s a safe way to use the space heater and that’s by leaving it on a level surface plugging it directly into a grounded outlet not using extension cords and keeping it at least three feet away from any kind of combustible.” A minivan and a pickup were involved in a crash that banged up the vehicles Tuesday morning at Riverwatch Parkway and the eastbound Interstate 20 it’s not just space heaters that can be dangerous make sure that you have it inspected,” said Smith nothing obstructing it because you’re going to be sending embers up into the chimney officials are also asking you to stay safe during the holidays Make sure there’s no phrase in the wires,” said Smith “Make sure if you have a live Christmas tree it stays watered if there’s an electrical short in those lights Officials say the risk of falling victim to a fire is highest when you’re asleep “We’ve had several fire deaths in the CSRA in the past weeks or so,” said Kuhlmann “Smoke detectors are the cheapest insurance policy you can buy.” The firefighters we spoke with recommend getting your chimney inspected once a year to make sure there isn’t a debris build-up in there because that can catch fire If you are in need of smoke detectors the American Red Cross will install them for you at no cost A fire should never be left burning unattended chimneys and stoves should be inspected yearly especially in older homes that could have more wear and tear make sure to check or replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors Here are some safe ways to make sure your house stays warm: Just because ovens are warm doesn’t mean they should be used to heat your home Leaving a gas oven on for a long time can cause a carbon monoxide buildup Even electric ovens can overheat or malfunction To learn more about home heating safety, click here or here Pictured from the left are USC Aiken history professor Heather Peterson and Brenda Holland Lloyd at Peterson's "Aiken in the Alley" lecture on April 17 USC Aiken history professor Heather Peterson lectures about the Black Graniteville Project on April 17 The history of Graniteville’s Black community is being documented and preserved through a collaboration between a third-generation Granitevillean and a USC Aiken history professor and her students associate professor of history at USC Aiken lectured about The Black Graniteville Project on April 17 as part of the university’s “Aiken in the Alley” free lecture series She attributed the project’s origin to Daniel Lloyd Jr. who was unable to attend due to a hospitalization “I was just so thankful that a friend gave my husband the idea ‘well you need to write a book about your life in Graniteville’ because he was born and raised there was a personnel manager throughout the mills He just had the full experience of the Black community and the mill community,” Lloyd said Lloyd attended Freedman Elementary School through fourth grade then was bused to schools in Aiken for grades 5 through 12 He graduated from Schofield High School in 1967 then in 1971 from Benedict College with a degree in history and political science After additional management training at the University of South Carolina I just need to do the whole thing to include not just my history but the history of all the people that I saw and that I grew up with and who contributed to the community,'” Brenda Lloyd said Peterson was sponsor of the university’s History Club “It’s an important aspect of Graniteville’s history that I feel has been neglected If you look at Graniteville history you don’t really see any references to Black Graniteville or its history Lloyd is trying to do and what this project is trying to do,” Peterson said “a community project to bring Black Graniteville’s history into the public domain and also incorporate it into a larger history of Graniteville.” because you can’t write a book if none of your sources are cataloged for citation,” Peterson said USC Aiken students have been involved by transcribing interviews conducted by Lloyd and have created informational posters on different aspects of the project such as education in Graniteville and Aiken how construction related to the four-lane Jefferson Davis Highway between Aiken and Augusta impacted the community the roles of Black mill workers in Graniteville local Buffalo Soldiers during the Spanish-American war and alcohol during the Jim Crow era “The purpose is so future historians can learn about this as well and so other students can participate in it,” she said there’s census data that needs to be transcribed There are land plats that need to be collected There’s a ton of work that needs to be done and a ton of opportunity for students to get hands-on experience with doing archival work and with doing historical work,” Peterson said whose Graniteville Mill began operations in 1849 emancipated African-Americans “couldn’t work in the mills but they gravitated to the area,” Peterson said “What we see in the early formation of Black Graniteville is that a lot of people who came here worked as laundresses or housekeepers This was happening all over the country,” she said “Men picked up work as farmhands or doing general labor in these early days of Black Graniteville,” Peterson said the community had grown to such an extent that they petitioned to start a mutual aid society.” Called “The Grand United Order of the People’s Charitable Aid,” it was housed in a Masons Hall still standing in Graniteville People paid dues which would be disbursed in times of sickness or need “It had a really big impact in Graniteville It allowed Black Granitevilleans to take out loans and buy property and become home owners and build equity and build a life,” Peterson said Lloyd’s grandmother took out a loan from the society to pay for her house The Lloyds have donated the society’s ledger from 1914 to 1917 to the project’s archives “That’s a great resource for trying to find out who lived in the community,” she said Also vital were its three main churches: the African-Methodist-Episcopal Church Bethlehem Baptist Church and Valley Fair Baptist Church “These churches of course were essential parts of this community and still are today,” Peterson said “School and education were really important for this community,” she said Freedman’s school “allowed this community to have most of the population didn’t really have access to that.” Minnie Palmore started a school in her home where “she’d teach them how to read and write and just get them ready for their primary education at the Freedman School,” Peterson said all of the Black Graniteville students attended Freedman for the first few years and then went to Schofield and some would live with relatives in Aiken during the school year,” she said By the 1940s Black people were working in the textile mills “The ability to work in the mill provided a stable income for a lot of people A lot of people in our oral histories either worked in the mill or had parents or family members who worked in the mill and were able to benefit from that “In the 1940 the mill started baseball teams and George Dunbar played for both teams,” she said Peterson said Dunbar was able to play in exhibition games with Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays when Major League Baseball conducted tours through the South “to get White audiences used to seeing Black players.” Dunbar taught baseball in local schools for 23 years played for the Texas Rangers and worked as a minor league coach and manager in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization the Jefferson Davis Highway between Aiken and Augusta was completed bisecting Graniteville’s Black community and bypassing Clearwater The age of the automobile “really transformed Graniteville and the rest of the country,” Peterson said because a lot of the land around this spur road was owned by African-Americans it opened up a lot of space for new developments and we see a lot of entrepreneurship.” who had been drafted into the Spanish-American War he received a $10 per month pension and invested in land in Graniteville but saved a parcel to create a baseball diamond “This created a Black business district that was accessible by the highway,” Peterson said “At one point in time in the ’50s and ’60s right there at that corner you could go see a baseball game another club called The Calypso Club … which was an upscale fine dining establishment that also provided lunch for a lot of the executives at the Gregg-Graniteville Mill,” she said hand-colored map of the district by Benjamin Prince showing the the four-lane Jefferson Davis Highway bisecting the community crossing Greenville Road between Graniteville and Stiefeltown “You can still see some of the foundations of these buildings," Peterson said "There was a lot of opportunity when the highway was built but there was never adequate infrastructure built around the highway to make this a very feasible location for businesses A lot of these businesses were built on this sloping land.” One important business was Mountain Laurel Lodge which was listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book a national guide for Black motorists during the years of legal segregation “Motorists from the rest of the country could come and stay at the lodge and have very easy access to the rest of these establishments,” Peterson said “In the ’50s and ’60s this was a real happening place.” The Aiken County Recreation Center at 917 Jefferson Davis Highway was originally built by the Gregg-Graniteville Company in 1962 for Black residents of Graniteville as The Gregg Park Civic Center and Hickman Hall were not yet integrated “It was a really important boon to the community,” she said Other Black communities in South Carolina didn’t have that kind of access to a pool.” Peterson said one resident remembers being taught how to dance by visiting actress Butterfly McQueen who played the role of Prissy in “Gone with the Wind.” “The Center was really important in the ’60s and ’70s for this community,” she said “I heard so many beautiful stories of the camaraderie and the support that they gave each other during those times of strict segregation,” Mrs In the early 1970s Aiken County Schools were integrated Louisiana Sanders was one of the first Black students at Leavelle McCampbell High School “All of them said it was kind of bittersweet because they were forced to repeat the grade they’d just finished And Louisiana Sanders didn’t want to go by herself to Leavelle McCampbell that first year of integration she wanted to go to Schofield because it had a great reputation and it was a very good school,” she said an Aikenite who met her future husband when they were in high school at Schofield was one of the first Black teachers at Leavelle McCampbell She later earned a master’s degree and became a guidance counselor staying at the school until her retirement in 2002 Peterson and all the work she’s doing,” Lloyd said I think it’s a much-needed project because you had a whole group of people who contributed to that community that’s not recognized in the history books anywhere I think it’s a very worthwhile and important project.” “It was a very loving and supporting community Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: (WRDW/WAGT) - Charges have been upgraded against a man accused of firing a gun as deputies tried to handcuff him after a domestic disturbance this week in Aiken County but no one was injured in the incident early Wednesday at the Palisades at Langley Pond apartments on Hanoverian Run in Graniteville had previously been charged with aggravated breach of peace but the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said Friday it had charged him with felony possession of a firearm Jail records on Friday show he’s also now charged with assault and battery third-degree and malicious injury to a tree or house along with trespassing The drama in Graniteville started around 1 a.m when deputies were called to the apartment complex A woman had called authorities to report that her ex-boyfriend She said she called again after she heard five gunshots outside Deputies said they later determined he’d fired the shots in the breezeway of the apartment building “Deputies arrived on scene and observed Darius to be in front of the listed address,” deputies wrote in an incident report “Darius was mumbling things to himself and deputies decided to detain Darius.” He failed to comply and deputies tried to put him in handcuffs “Darius then fired a gun in an attempt to harm deputies,” according to the incident report Porter was caught near Jefferson Davis Highway From there he was taken to the Aiken County Detention Center and booked SLED investigated the shooting at the request of the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office which is standard in officer-involved shootings in the state (WRDW/WAGT) - The Aiken County Coroner’s Office is investigating after a truck driver was found dead behind a convenience store on Tuesday morning The Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables told us he was called to the scene around 6 a.m to 7015 Midnight Pass after a truck driver was found dead The driver was located behind the QuikTrip but no foul play is suspected at this time Ables says a briefing will be held after further investigation (WRDW/WAGT) - One person was injured and transported to the hospital after an early morning shooting in Graniteville on New Year’s Day Aiken County Captain Eric Abdullah told us the call came in around 4 a.m for the incident that occurred on Dogwood Avenue off Ergle Street the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said there are new developments in last week's shooting death of a police dog Abdullah says the victim was taken to the hospital and is stable Preliminary findings revealed this may be an accidental shooting however the investigation is still ongoing (WRDW/WAGT) - Crews started the New Year battling flames early Wednesday morning The most recent fire broke out in the 8000 block of Cozy Knoll at 2:34 a.m and no surrounding structures were affected the fire was put out and the scene had been cleared The first fire broke out in the 4000 block of Stone Pass Drive as crews in Aiken County battled a series of brush fires Crews were checking the house for inhabitants around 12:30 a.m and soon reported having the fire under control Utility crews were called in to get the power shut off and the Red Cross was alerted to help the displaced residents Most brush fires didn’t endanger buildings although they broke out amid windy and dry conditions The wind was strong enough to blow down some trees weakened by Hurricane Helene Aiken County dispatch said it was unknown if either fire was caused by fireworks as of 4:45 a.m We have reached out to learn more about both fires (WRDW/WAGT) - Two separate car crashes caused traffic trouble on I-20 westbound in Graniteville early Tuesday morning Aiken County dispatch says crews responded to the first crash at mile marker 8 between Ridge Road and Rainbow Falls Road at 5:52 a.m Graniteville-Vaucluse-Warrenville Fire Department and Sage Mill Fire Departments all responded to the crash and were on the scene at 6:30 a.m. No students were on a school bus that crashed into a tree in Edgefield County early Monday morning According to the South Carolina Department of Transportation the crash caused westbound traffic trouble just after Ridge Road and past Rainbow Falls around 6:44 a.m on I-20 westbound just past Rainbow Falls Road according to South Carolina Department of Transportation SCDOT also reported three miles of traffic congestion on I-20 westbound between exit 11 S.C Aiken County dispatch says South Carolina Highway Patrol is handing both accidents both crashes had been clear and traffic resumed (WRDW/WAGT) - A suspect has been arrested after being accused of assaulting two people in Graniteville Aiken County deputies responded to Green Street about an assault on Monday at 5:51 p.m When deputies say they arrived on the scene they found the victim covered in blood on his hands A 19-year-old suspect has been arrested on suspicion of robbing a victim riding a scooter in the 200 block of Mansell Park in a newer subdivision Deputies say the victim had multiple cuts on his face His eye was swollen and he had a large bump on his head The victim told deputies he was sitting on the back porch when Joshua Curtis The victim’s wife stated she looked outside the window of the house and observed Curtis using his bare hands with a closed fist Curtis then left and began walking down Green Street The victim told authorities he did wish to pursue criminal charges against Curtis A man has been arrested in connection to Augusta’s second homicide of 2025 – just a day after the city saw its first of the year Deputies say they found a huge pool of blood on the porch Authorities said the victim completed a victim sheet but was unable to complete a voluntary statement because he needed medical attention Curtis’ mother told deputies she was assaulted by her son She said she confronted Curtis about being back on drugs when he began arguing with her and poking her in the face Two suspects are wanted for murder after a man was fatally shot in the region’s first homicide of 2025 Curtis poked her in the face so hard it caused pain so she threw a fork at him to get him to get away and deputies said she was afraid for her safety She told authorities she wanted to pursue assault charges Curtis was arrested on Tuesday and charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and assault and battery in the third degree becoming NNW and decreasing to less than 5 mph. becoming NNW and decreasing to less than 5 mph Scene in Graniteville shortly after two Norfolk Southern trains crashed on Jan spilling chlorine gas and killing nine people and forcing hundreds to evacuate Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt talks to law enforcement officers gathered at the command center Blaming the negative impact of the 2005 train disaster officials of Avondale Mills announced in 2006 that they were shutting down operations in Graniteville and elsewhere putting approximately 2,000 Aiken County residents out of work Graniteville is a more diversified place economically A contract worker for Norfolk Southern looks over a damaged tanker during cleanup The memorial to the nine people who died in a January 2005 train derailment and chlorine leak is seen on Thursday Firefighters who responded to the crash raised the money for the memorial and take care of it Signs of chemical corrosion in a building near the Graniteville crash site where toxic chlorine spewed from a punctured train car July 18 Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt talks with a gathering of law officials at the command post in Aiken for the Graniteville train wreck a chemist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute surveys chemical corrosion in a building near the Graniteville crash site where toxic chlorine spewed from a punctured train car Aerial photo of wreckage from two trains involved in a crash Jan A Norfolk Southern freight train carrying chlorine gas struck a parked train two Norfolk Southern trains collided in a small Aiken County town derailing more than a dozen cars and unleashing a deadly cloud of poisonous gas GRANITEVILLE — On Jan. 6, 2005, a Norfolk Southern freight train barreled along the tracks in this small town just west of Aiken. It was the middle of the night. As it neared the Avondale Mills textile plant, it veered off the main track and plowed into a parked train More than a dozen freight cars and gas tankers derailed a toxic cloud of chlorine gas blanketed Graniteville and surrounding areas The tragedy traumatized the community It was also a sudden and serious disruption that led to the closing of Avondale Mills On the 20th anniversary of the derailment, its impacts still reverberate in the community of 2,500 people as well as in surrounding areas where development and industrial investment may indicate better days to come “The Graniteville train derailment was one of the biggest tragedies that we’ve had in the history of this county,” Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt said on Jan four days before the end of his 22-year tenure “Our hearts and prayers go out to those that were injured and those that lost their lives in that tragedy.”  Another leader of first responders to the derailment declined to speak about the disaster and its impact on the community “I don’t want to open up that heartache within myself,” he said A Norfolk Southern crew for local train P22 parked for the night before 7 p.m. on a siding track next to the Avondale Mills plant They hustled off at the end of their 12-hour federally regulated shift In their haste, no one noticed that the brakeman had failed to realign a hand-operated switch diverting rail traffic from the main line, the National Transportation Safety Board later noted in a report and the switch banner at the junction was not visible from where they parked — some 342 feet from the main line Northfolk Southern Train 192 later chugged out of Augusta as it headed east with 42 freight cars in tow never exceeding the maximum authorized speed limit of 49 mph as it headed for Graniteville Train 192 traveled through Graniteville at 47 mph until it reached the improperly lined switch No light or flashing strobe was there to warn the crew as it was diverted from the main line onto the industry track The only warning would have been the switch banner Investigators later determined it could only be seen 566 feet before the switch which likely would have been too late to avoid disaster given the train's speed and the distance available Train 192 slammed into the parked locomotive including three tank cars filled with liquid chlorine Investigators determined that a coupler on the 11th car sliced open the gas-filled tanker allowing most of its 60 tons of chlorine to escape as a poisonous gas The greenish cloud wafted into the mill and over the surrounding areas Witnesses said the bleachy smell of chlorine swept through the textile plant and homes More than 550 people flooded area hospitals complaining of  difficulty breathing and eye irritation Decontamination centers were set up at USC Aiken and Midland Valley High School At least 250 people were treated for chlorine exposure and 5,400 residents living within a mile of the crash site were evacuated The deadly gas claimed the lives of nine people — one crewmember of the train one truck driver and six employees of Avondale Mills All but the crewman from the train died at the scene the 38-year-old had become a father 10 days before the train wreck A relative described him as “a man who gave of himself in ways that were pure of heart,” with a gift for making perfect strangers feel like family was a Vietnam veteran who served in the Marines and was retired from Graniteville Co He was known to some as “the Shrimp Man” because of his role selling seafood on Main Street as recalled in the late Nina Nidiffer’s book on the Graniteville calamity He was a third-shift supervisor remember as being “always a quiet and soft-spoken person,” as a coworker described him in the company’s written tributes lived in North Augusta and also worked for the mill The heavy-equipment operator died “trying to help his fellow Avondale Mills employees escape from the… chlorine cloud," the Aiken Standard reported He was remembered in an Avondale tribute as someone who “knew his job really well and was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed one.” He moved to the South to work for Norfolk Southern Seeling had reportedly pursued a career in the railroad industry since age 7 was a National Guardsman who worked as a third-shift supervisor at the mill he directed his energies toward helping others committing a selfless act assisting others out of the mill building to safety and by shutting off the machinery," the Aiken Standard previously reported apparently having tried “to help each other out of the plant when they succumbed to the fumes,” according to the newspaper’s account was a Canadian trucker known on CB radio as “Rolling Stone.” A native of Sherbrooke he had arrived in Graniteville near the end of a shift on the afternoon before the wreck He opted to sleep in his cab so he could unload his cargo in the morning He normally traveled about 3,100 miles a week hauling goods back and forth between Canada and the eastern United States working most recently as a chemical controller His career highlights included being Avondale’s nominee in 2000 as the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance’s “Manufacturing Citizen of the Year.” In the aftermath of the crash and gas leak numerous agencies worked together in the initial response federal partners came together with the railroad and were able to get everything under control and get the citizens back to their houses,” he said Norfolk Southern estimated that the cost of “business and property damage and other economic losses personal injury and individual property damage claims as well as third-party response cost” totaled about $37 million Damage to the equipment in Avondale Mills’ Gregg Plant led to layoffs “It was very traumatic to that area because of the long history that mill had there and the community around it supporting it," said Will Williams alleging negligence as the cause of the crash The parties reached a confidential out-of-court settlement Norfolk Southern paid a penalty of nearly $4 million relating to contamination caused by the spill Williams said he believes Graniteville’s best days are ahead has continued to grow and flourish,” he said we’ve seen continued growth not only from a residential development area outside of what I refer to as ‘Graniteville proper’ but also the industrial growth at Sage Mill East Industrial Park,” Williams said mentioning Rolls-Royce's MTU manufacturing facility Bridgestone tire manufacturing plant and global technology giant Meta plans to open its first data center in South Carolina “There’s a lot of activity going on about what can go into that area We’ve had multiple conversations with developers We’ve had people looking at the old school with the growth that’s occurring in Aiken County and there’s going to be a developer out there that will bring that area back up,” he said I believe it will be some type of mixed-use development.” Joya Jimenez DiStefano said she also envisions mixed-use development Her vision for Graniteville includes “affordable housing for young creatives” and places for them to socialize DiStefano is founder and president of Better World Studios multipurpose arts facility offering private artist studio rentals The organization is located in Hickman Hall a Classical Revival-style building constructed in the early 1900s for the Graniteville Manufacturing Co The building once housed the company’s employment office and a community center that included a swimming pool DiStefano said that when she first saw the building in late November 2022 “what I saw was the potential for an arts district.” She said Graniteville’s recovery over the past two decades has “been really inspiring.” “They didn’t lose their sense of community.” Carl Dawson covers education for the Aiken Standard “The Graniteville train derailment was one of the biggest tragedies that we’ve had in the history of this county Our hearts and prayers go out to those that were injured and those that lost their lives in that tragedy.” News tips/online questions: newstips@postandcourier.com Delivery/subscription questions: subserve@postandcourier.com The Aiken County Coroner's Office recently confirmed two people died Sunday night in a Graniteville house fire the coroner's office was called to a house fire on the 100 block of Taylor Pond Road in Graniteville Two people were pronounced dead at the scene at 1:08 a.m The victims' names will be released after positive identification and notification of next-of-kin South Carolina to determine the cause and manner of death The coroner's office and Aiken County Sheriff's Office are continuing with the investigation Augusta shooting: 1 arrested, 1 wanted in connection to shooting death of 20-year-old Augusta man Less than 24 hours prior to the Graniteville fire an elderly couple died in an Augusta house fire of the 4400 block of Etterlee Road in Blythe were found inside the home by firefighters battling the blaze Both were pronounced dead at the scene at 2 a.m Augusta Fire Department officials noted one occupant was able to escape and one firefighter suffered minor burns The firefighter was taken to the WellStar emergency room for treatment The Richmond County Coroner's Office and Augusta Fire did not immediately provide the cause of the fire Crime & Courts, News Darius Porter shot at deputies at the Palisades Apartment complex in Graniteville on Wednesday A state investigation has been requested into an officer-involved shooting in Aiken County that occurred early Wednesday at The Palisades Apartments in Graniteville after a homeless man fired shots Aiken County deputies returned fire when the suspect shot at them was arrested and charged with aggravated breach of peace and possession of firearm or ammunition by person convicted of a previous drug offense a resident identified Porter as her ex-boyfriend and stated that he came to her apartment early in the morning The report notes that Porter was loudly knocking on a door at 1:22 a.m Wednesday and firing approximately five shots in the apartment complex breezeway they found Porter mumbling to himself and attempted to detain him “Darius then fired a gun in an attempt to harm deputies,” a report says “Shots were returned by deputies and Darius then fled.” Porter was later captured on Jefferson Davis Highway but deputies were unable to locate the weapon The ex-girlfriend told authorities that Porter had previously caused damage to her door The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been requested to investigate the officer-involved shooting 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 The Aiken County Coroner's Office recently identified a man killed in a fatal ATV crash in Graniteville on Halloween morning The victim was identified as 46-year-old Jeremy Willetts At 7:40 a.m. Thursday, the coroner's office was called to a wreck involving an ATV on Ascauga Lake Road near Breezy Hill Road, according to previous reporting The ATV attempted to cross Ascauga Lake Road and pulled into the path of a van causing the van to entrap the ATV and Willetts beneath it Willetts was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:15 a.m. The coroner's office and South Carolina Highway Patrol are investigating Previous report: 1 dead after Aiken County ATV crash Halloween morning Aiken County authorities have charged a Graniteville woman with homicide by child abuse after autopsy results showed her unborn baby died from exposure to meth was arrested Thursday and held on the murder charge which carries a possible sentence of 20 years to life imprisonment Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables said his office was called to Aiken Regional Medical Centers on Nov 24 for the death of a 39-week intrauterine fetal demise a medical term that means the baby has passed away in the womb before birth It typically occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy was autopsied in Newberry and the final manner of death was determined to be homicide due to exposure to methamphetamine and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are continuing with the investigation 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 a tournament billed as "the most prestigious event in junior golf." The four-day tournament began with Wednesday's first round and will conclude Saturday The boys field features 36 golfers while the girls field has 24 golfers More than 19 nationalities are represented in this year's global competition More: How did Charlie Woods, Kai Trump fare in first round of Junior Invitational at Sage Valley? Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.