Jennifer Pixley and her four children - Arthur, Adriyanna, Aliza and Josiah - are looking forward to a very merry Christmas this year.

If everything goes as planned at the construction site in Warrenville, they will be moving into a brand new home right before the holiday.

The house in the Warren Ridge Subdivision will be the first owned by Pixley and the 100th built by Aiken County Habitat for Humanity.

"It's going to be a great Christmas; the kids are going to love it," Jennifer said. "They are going to be getting presents, but I think that they'll enjoy the house more. We'll probably do something special with my mom, but I haven't decided what that will be yet."

Jennifer is a cook at HarborChase of Aiken Assisted Living and Memory Care. Her children range in age from 19 months to 12 years.

The family, which has lived in rented residences in the past, is staying with Jennifer's mother in her mobile home.

"We've been there for a little over a year, and it's cramped," Jennifer said. "Arthur sleeps in the den, and the two girls and the baby (Josiah) are with me."

For a long time, Jennifer didn't think she would ever realize her dream to become a homeowner.

"I was having a hard time with credit and with everybody wanting you to be able to put so much money down," she said. "I tried to go through several different programs, but they charged you to help you get your credit clean."

Then a co-worker offered a suggestion that changed Jennifer's luck in her quest for a house.

"She told me, 'You should try Habitat for Humanity,'" Jennifer said. "She got her house from Habitat, and she said it took a while, but it was worth the wait."

Jennifer began the process to become a Habitat homeowner about a year ago and received free financial counseling.

"I was kind of shaky at first, but after it all got started, it seemed like stuff was going through," she said. "I was like, 'OK, it's actually going to work out. With the help of Arie Murphy (Habitat's operations manager) and the lady at Security Federal Bank, it's been pretty smooth."

Jennifer has been working at Habitat's ReStore and assisting the construction crew at Habitat's 99th house to complete the nonprofit's "sweat equity" labor requirements.

"At the ReStore, I put up things and move furniture," she said. "At house No. 99, I've helped build the frame, paint and put up siding. It's been interesting and fun."

Meanwhile, Jennifer has become a big fan of Habitat's program.

"I would highly recommend it," she said. "It's been a great learning experience, and I've met a lot of different people."

The groundbreaking ceremony for the 100th house is scheduled to take place next month.

For more information about Habitat's 100th Home Campaign to raise money to build Jennifer's house, call 803-642-9295 or visit www.habitataiken.org.

Habitat's office and ReStore are at 1026 Park Ave. S.E.

Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since January 2013. A native of Concord, N.C., she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure" is ringing true at the Savannah River Site where unneeded equipment and excess materials are becoming financially beneficial to the CSRA.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the management and operations contractor for the site, is working with the Energy Department and the SRS Community Reuse Organization to turn no longer needed equipment and material into money. They will benefit Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell in South Carolina and Richmond and Columbia counties in Georgia.

Andy Albenesius, the site services program manager for the project, said the "trash" includes small items like office equipment, valves and glassware for laboratory experiments. Then there are larger items of potentially much greater value like electrical turbines, diesel powered pumps, fire engines and tons of metal.

"There are items for nearly all types of applications within an industrial setting," Albenesius said. "Much of these are quite old and many use antiquated technology."

He added that by taking items in excess of site needs, the reuse group can then sell them and use the proceeds for the economic good of businesses in the SRS regions.

About $400,000 annually has been generated for the reuse group's programs in recent years through the sale of surplus items. Money is invested back into the five-county region for clearly-defined economic development and workforce related purposes.

Last year alone, the SRSCRO was able to disburse $1 million for designated infrastructure improvement projects in the region.

Examples include assisting with site preparation work for the construction of a 100,000 square foot speculation building on a 22-acre parcel within the Sage Mill Industrial Park, near Graniteville.

In addition, funds were used to help purchase land to add to the Pointe Salkehatchie Industrial Park in Allendale County and to assist with the construction of a spec building in the South Carolina Advanced Technology Park in Barnwell County. The spec buildings will be used to lure new industry to the area, creating employment opportunities and an economic boost for the affected community.

"The time and manpower needed to safely and efficiently remove utilities, uninstall support infrastructure, demolish and transport a trailer to a landfill is costly," said Albenesius. "Just with this latest initiative, the program has achieved nearly $300,000 in cost avoidance for SRS."

Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.

When Plan A didn't work out, Chris Lydle came up with a Plan B.

Instead of selling his business, Chris' Camera Center, and retiring, Lydle decided to makes some changes and continue to work.

"I had been trying to find a buyer, but none of the possible buyers came through," Lydle said. "So I kind of looked around and thought about how I could simplify things for myself and not have to put in a long work week anymore."

Chris' Camera will move from 150B Laurens Street S.W. to a building at 200 Park Avenue S.W. that formerly was the home of Park Avenue Paints and, more recently, The Curiosity Shop, which closed earlier this summer.

"We extended the lease on our current premises, which was coming up for renewal, through September, and starting in September, I will have a lease on the new place on Park Avenue," Lydle said. "We hope to move in mid-September. It's probably going to be a little bit hectic. There might be a day or two when you'll have to wander back and forth to find us, and we won't be able to do everything that we normally do."

Both the rent and the utilities bills will be lower on Park Avenue.

"We're going to be leaner and meaner," Lydle said. "We're also going to be more customer-friendly."

Chris' Camera will focus less on selling cameras and more on being a photo design studio at the Park Avenue location.

"We are going to emphasize our digital creative services," Lydle said. "We want to help people turn their pictures into something interesting and special."

Chris' Camera already makes items such as custom-printed coffee mugs, greeting cards and custom photo canvas prints now, and more options will be added after the move.

"We want people to walk in and say, 'Wow, we didn't know you could do this,'" Lydle said. "We'll also be changing our displays a lot. Even though we'll have a narrower selection of cameras, we'll certainly still have all the accessories that we've ever had."

Chris' Camera will be open fewer days per week on Park Avenue. The current Monday through Saturday schedule will change to Monday through Friday.

"Because the store won't be open on Saturdays, we'll be able to schedule special events," Lydle said. "We'll also be able to do the kind of classes on Saturdays that we couldn't do too well when the store was open then. We'll have longer classes that are immersive. I'll get more time off, and I'll be able to eliminate the scheduling conflicts that my staff had on Saturdays."

Lydle is looking forward to staying in business with the transition process that will occur.

"Whenever there are changes, it is exciting," he said. "I'm still a little too active to be completely retired, and people were saying to me, 'What are we going to do? Please don't go.'"

Chris' Camera is holding a sale that begins today.

"It will probably go on for several weeks," Lydle said. "We have so many things tucked away. I would much rather sell them than move them."

Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard.

Rick Santorum returning to SC for energy forum, GOP meeting

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum is scheduled to talk about energy issues during his latest trip to South Carolina.

His campaign says the former Pennsylvania senator is traveling to Columbia on Tuesday to participate in the Inside Sources and American Sources Energy Policy Summit.

The event is sponsored by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity.

Later that morning, Santorum is scheduled to take part in the Aiken Republican Club Luncheon. Before leaving South Carolina, Santorum will hold a town hall meeting in Clinton.

Drowning deaths of 2 toddlers ruled an accident

BENNETTSVILLE, S.C. (AP) — The drowning deaths of two small children in a swimming pool at a home in Marlboro County have been ruled an accident.

Marlboro County Coroner Tim Brown tells local media that 2-year-old Kenlee E. Higgins and her 1-year-old sister, Devyn S. Higgins, drowned in a swimming pool Friday morning at a home near Bennettsville.

Both children were pronounced dead at Chesterfield General Hospital.

The State Law Enforcement Division is working with Marlboro County Sheriff's Office in the ongoing investigation into the incident.

Lexington deputies kill man attacking family member

IRMO, S.C. (AP) — Lexington County officials say two of their officers have shot and killed a man who was attacking a family member in Irmo.

Sheriff's spokesman Adam Myrick said in a statement that officers were called to a home shortly before 5 p.m. Monday.

Myrick says officers saw the man attacking a family member with a knife and both deputies fired.

The man's name has not been released.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting. Both deputies have been placed on administrative leave during the investigation.

It's the third shooting death by police officers in the state in the past week. Horry County police shot and killed a suspect who refused to drop his gun Friday. A Seneca police officer shot and killed a man driving toward him Sunday night.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott is releasing his body camera legislation today - a bill that would serve as a grant program for local police departments seeking funding to arm their officers with the video and audio technology.

The legislation, known as the Safer Officers and Safer Citizens Act, would stream $100 million each year for the next five years into a fund for agencies who need help purchasing cameras that range between $800 and $1,000 per camera. The South Carolina Republican said however much money an agency receives will have to be matched by at least 25 percent locally.

Scott became highly vocal in his support of body cameras after the string of deaths involving unarmed black men and white police officers, including the death of Walter Scott, a 50-year-old North Charleston black man who lived in Sen. Scott's district.

Walter Scott was killed on April 4 in a police shooting by North Charleston officer Michael Slager. An eyewitness caught the incident on video with his cellphone.

Scott's bill will join two other similar pieces of legislation in Congress, but the bill offers more funding resources than the other two combined.

Scott said funding for the cameras would come by adjusting regulations regarding paid administrative leave across the federal government. Specifically, the body cam legislation would limit paid administration leave for an employee to no more than 20 days a year, unless personally approved by the agency head.

"About 97 percent of the time, folks who take administrative leave use fewer than 20 days," Scott said. "That savings (in paid administrative leave) is in excess of $100 million per year."

The bill would go through the Senate Judiciary Committee, one who's subcommittee is chaired by fellow South Carolina Republican, Lindsey Graham. Sen. Scott spoke to the committee in May and is hoping for a vote on his legislation by the end of the year.

Scott said multiple federal and national agencies seem to be on board, including the Department of Justice and the NAACP. Other groups he has spoken with include the national mayors group, the Sheriff's Association and family members of those killed by law enforcement officers.

Scott said there have been inquiries from potential cosponsors in Congress but that the objective to this point has been drafting a simple piece of legislation that keeps power in the hands of local law enforcement agencies.

"Our goal is not to find a way to nationalize local law enforcement, but to do the exact opposite," Scott said during a media call Monday. "We're not trying to tell folks how to do their jobs."

That is why the legislation is crafted in a way that offers voluntary help to pay for cameras, rather than a mandate for agencies to arm their officers with cameras. However, agencies that have a plan in place for body camera usage will have preference for grant funding.

Scott said he hopes the nation will take the Palmetto State's lead on the issue. Last month, Gov. Nikki Haley signed a Senate bill that requires police agencies to have their officers wear body cameras and create a policy for which officers will wear them, when they should and should not be recording and how videos are stored.

Scott added, "Five years from now looking back, I think we'll be of the opinion that body cameras are just standard issue with law enforcement uniforms. So I hope this is a step in the right direction."

Derrek Asberry is a beat reporter with the Aiken Standard. He joined the paper in June. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.

Nearly a month after the shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church that left nine people dead in Charleston, the FBI presented in Aiken the first of its series of active shooting briefings that will be given across South Carolina.

Local church leaders gathered at Millbrook Baptist Church Monday night to listen to ways to prepare for the event of an active shooter in a church.

The speaker, Special Agent John Chadwick with the FBI, began by talking about the evolution of active shooters in the United States.

With each active shooter event - from one of the first major mass shooting events at University of Texas at Austin in 1966 to Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 - the way the FBI and other law enforcement agencies respond, and the ways the public can be taught to respond to these events, have changed.

"In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy, the White House convened a panel to determine what, if anything, the federal government could do to assist state and local government agencies in responding to these tragic events," he said. "One of the directives stemming from this panel was to have the FBI engage in a vigorous training initiative, designed to share 'lessons learned' from our review of these tragedies. The Bureau is currently engaged, on a national level, in a three-phased training initiative."

The first phase involves conducting hundreds of multi-day conferences for law enforcement executives around the country, Chadwick said.

The second phase of the initiative involves providing tactical training to street-level officers to sharpen skills and to better equip people to respond to an active shooter - to give them the confidence in their ability to quickly resolve such a deadly and chaotic event, Chadwick said.

"The third phase of this initiative involves conducting 'awareness' briefings for the general public. Again, the purpose here is to provide the public with lessons learned about how to survive an active shooter event. We have conducted dozens of these briefings throughout South Carolina during the past couple of years," Chadwick said.

One question Chadwick said he is asked a lot is if there is a way to recognize a potential mass shooter suspect.

"Behavioral analysis units have not been able to develop a profile," Chadwick said.

However, most shooters have been "overwhelmingly male," he said.

"Many offenders who engage in targeted violence may display certain behaviors during the pre-attack planning," said Chadwick. "These predatory behaviors may be observable to persons familiar with the offender."

Chadwick described some behaviors include a development of a personal grievance such as being fired from a job, or the ending of a relationship; inappropriate and recent acquisition of multiple weapons; and a recent escalation in target practice and weapon training.

"Many active shooters are described as 'social isolates' harboring feelings of hate or anger, and some reported contact with mental health professionals," said Chadwick. "Few had previous arrests for violent crimes."

After talking about the evolution of the mass shooter, Chadwick went into detail about how to handle a mass shooting situation.

During an active shooting, Chadwick said there are three options: avoid, deny and defend.

Avoiding the shooter should be the first attempt at staying alive, he said.

"We have never had a shooter pursue someone outside of a building," he said. "If you can get out of the building, do it."

Denying the shooter access to where you are hiding is the next option if you cannot escape from the location.

"Block the doorways ... lock the doors ... turn the lights off ... don't let the shooter get to where you are," Chadwick said.

If the situation arises where you find yourself against the shooter, it is time to defend yourself by any means necessary.

"You have the right to defend yourself from being killed," Chadwick said. "It is either you or them."

Aiken County also has seen two workplace shootings, Chadwick added.

In 1996, three Department of Social Services caseworkers were fatally shot in their North Augusta office. A year later, three more people were killed in a shooting at Aiken's R.E. Phelon Co.

"It can happen anywhere," Chadwick said.

Will Whaley is the crime and court reporter for the Aiken Standard. He is a native of Fayette, Alabama and graduated from the University of North Alabama.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- A North Charleston woman is recovering after her husband's pit bull attacked her, causing her to lose part of her arm.

Local media outlets report that 48-year-old Katherine Rizk was attacked late Sunday at her home and is in the intensive care unit of the Medical University of South Carolina Hospital in Charleston.

Mahmoud Rizk tells The Post and Courier of Charleston (http://bit.ly/1IoKNeF) that his wife had to have her left arm amputated from the elbow down.

He says that he had had the dog for three years and that it had never attacked anyone. He says that the dog had been cut earlier Sunday and that he thinks the dog attacked after his wife pressed on the wound while petting the animal.

The dog was euthanized Monday.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America on Monday ended its blanket ban on gay adult leaders while allowing church-sponsored Scout units to maintain the exclusion for religious reasons.

The new policy, aimed at easing a controversy that has embroiled the Boy Scouts for years, takes effect immediately. It was approved by the BSA's National Executive Board on a 45-12 vote during a closed-to-the-media teleconference.

"For far too long this issue has divided and distracted us," said the BSA's president, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. "Now it's time to unite behind our shared belief in the extraordinary power of Scouting to be a force for good."

Initial reactions to the decision from groups on both sides suggested the issue would remain divisive.

The Mormon church, which sponsors more Scout units that any other organization, said it was "deeply troubled" by the decision. Church officials suggested they would look into the possibility of forming their own organization to replace Boy Scouts.

"The admission of openly gay leaders is inconsistent with the doctrines of the Church and what have traditionally been the values of the Boy Scouts of America," said a statement from Mormon headquarters in Salt Lake City.

In contrast, the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBT-rights organization, said the Boy Scouts should not allow church-sponsored units to continue excluding gays.

"Discrimination should have no place in the Boy Scouts, period," said the HRC's president, Chad Griffin. "BSA officials should now demonstrate true leadership and begin the process of considering a full national policy of inclusion."

Gates foreshadowed Monday's action on May 21, when he told the Scouts' national meeting that the long-standing ban on participation by openly gay adults was no longer sustainable. He said the ban was likely to be the target of lawsuits that the Scouts likely would lose.

Two weeks ago, the new policy was approved unanimously by the BSA's 17-member National Executive Committee. It would allow local Scout units to select adult leaders without regard to sexual orientation -- a stance that several Scout councils have already adopted in defiance of the official national policy.

In 2013, after heated internal debate, the BSA decided to allow openly gay youth as scouts, but not gay adults as leaders. Several denominations that collectively sponsor close to half of all Scout units -- including the Roman Catholic church, the Mormon church and the Southern Baptist Convention -- have been apprehensive about ending the ban on gay adults.

The BSA's top leaders pledged to defend the right of any church-sponsored units to continue excluding gays as adult volunteers. But that assurance has not satisfied some conservative church leaders.

"In recent years I have seen a definite cooling on the part of Baptist churches toward the Scouts," said the Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "This will probably bring that cooling to a freeze."

A more nuanced response came from the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, which expressed interest in maintaining its ties with the BSA, but also voiced concerns. Notably, it conveyed a reluctance to accept participation by anyone who engaged in sexual conduct outside of a heterosexual marriage.

Under the BSA's new policy, gay leaders who were previously removed from Scouting because of the ban would have the opportunity to reapply for volunteer positions. If otherwise qualified, a gay adult would be eligible to serve as a Scoutmaster or unit leader.

Gates, who became the BSA's president in May 2014, said at the time that he personally would have favored ending the ban on gay adults, but he opposed any further debate after the Scouts' policymaking body upheld the ban. In May, he said that recent events "have confronted us with urgent challenges I did not foresee and which we cannot ignore."

He cited an announcement by the BSA's New York City chapter in early April that it had hired Pascal Tessier, the nation's first openly gay Eagle Scout, as a summer camp leader. Gates also cited broader gay-rights developments and warned that rigidly maintaining the ban "will be the end of us as a national movement."

The BSA's right to exclude gays was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000. But since then, the policy has prompted numerous major corporations to suspend charitable donations to the Scouts and strained relations with some municipalities.

More recently, the BSA faced a civil rights investigation in New York and lawsuits in other states over the ban.

Kenneth Upton, a lawyer for the LGBT-rights group Lambda Legal, questioned whether the BSA's new policy to let church-sponsored units continue to exclude gay adults would be sustainable.

"There will be a period of time where they'll have some legal protection," Upton said. "But that doesn't mean the lawsuits won't keep coming. ... They will become increasingly marginalized from the direction society is going."

Like several other major youth organizations, the Boy Scouts have experienced a membership decline in recent decades. Current membership, according to the BSA, is about 2.4 million boys and about 1 million adults.

After the 2013 decision to admit gay youth, some conservatives split from the BSA to form a new group, Trail Life USA, which has created its own ranks, badges and uniforms. The group claims a membership of more than 25,000 youths and adults.

Traveling theater troupe Paladin Productions is ready to perform the first show of its second season.

Due to the positive response from its Norm Foster shows, the company will present Foster's "The Love List" as a dinner theater at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Houndslake Country Club, 901 Houndslake Drive.

"Two men (Leon and Bill) concoct a list (from a dating service) of the attributes of the ideal woman - the 'top 10' best qualities in a mate," according to the play's description.

Leon, played by John Fowler, is a novelist going through a divorce, and his good friend Bill, played by Garrett Maroney, is a statistician who uses the list "to capture something from his youth (that) he doesn't want to let it go," Maroney said.

To their surprise, the list works, bringing the mysterious Justine, played by Lori Comshaw, into their lives.

The play is directed by Dan See.

Admission is $50 per person, $90 per couple or $350 for a table of eight, with proceeds going to the Savannah River Cancer Foundation. A buffet dinner will be served.

For more information, call 803-649-5433 or visit www.paladinproductions.org.

Stephanie Turner has been the Aiken Standard's arts and entertainment reporter since 2012.

A North Augusta man is facing up to 10 years in prison on charges of sexual exploitation of minors.

The S.C. State Law Enforcement Division arrested Jeffery William Malcom, 40, on Monday and charged him with sexual exploitation of a minor second degree.

The office of South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a press release Malcom was involved in sending child pornography via file sharing, and seized computer-related items from his home on Monday.

The release said Malcom could face up to 10 years in prison for the felony offense.

Aiken County Sheriff's Office deputies and the Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce assisted with the arrest.

Malcom was transported to the Aiken County detention center where he was released Monday on a $10,000 bond, according to detention center deputies.

Aiken Department of Public Safety is searching for a man who is wanted in a June 21 shooting.

William Alexander Simmons Jr., 16, is wanted for six counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm during a violent crime and discharging a firearm into a dwelling.

Simmons along with Cassius Williams, 17, who was arrested July 21 and was denied bond, were both accused of shooting at six people that were sitting on the front porch of an apartment on Brown Lane on June 21, according to the Aiken Department of Public Safety.

The victim told officers Simmons handed a gun to Williams and then fired it three times towards the porch, according to reports.

The victim said the men ran a short distance, and fired again before leaving the scene, police said.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Simmons should call CRIMESTOPPERS at 888-274-6372. Callers will remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina legislators are asking why state officials allowed two opposing hate groups to hold overlapping rallies at the Statehouse.

A legislative panel that oversees Statehouse grounds will question a Department of Administration official Tuesday about the July 18 rallies. The agency permitted the Ku Klux Klan and a group affiliated with the New Black Panther Party to rally on opposite sides of the Statehouse.

The Southern Poverty Law Center considers both the KKK and New Black Panther Party racist extremist groups.

Fights broke out, and five people were arrested. Law enforcement ended the white supremacists' rally an hour early for safety reasons.

Agency spokesman Brian Gaines says requests to hold an event on Statehouse grounds are approved on a first-come, first-served basis.

Signed forms show both groups sought permission July 18 to rally on the Statehouse's front steps, near the Confederate Soldiers Monument. At the time of the requests, the Confederate battle flag still flew on a 30-foot pole beside the monument.

The North Carolina-based Loyal White Knights of the KKK applied June 23, the day after Gov. Nikki Haley called for the Confederate flag's removal. In a July 1 email, the Department of Administration instead gave permission to rally on the opposite side of the Statehouse.

The Florida-based Black Educators for Justice applied July 6, as legislators began debating whether to send the flag to a museum. It received written approval the next day.

The Department of Administration did not alter either group's requested time, allowing a one-hour overlap.

The rallies occurred a week after the flag's removal.

Haley's call and the Legislature's vote to take it down followed the massacre of nine people at a historic black church in Charleston. The victims included its pastor, Sen. Clementa Pinckney. The 21-year-old white man charged with killing them posed in photos with a Confederate flag.

The woman who was found dead in the Savannah River Tuesday morning has been identified as North Augusta resident Suzanne E. Dyke, 61.

Dyke's body was discovered at approximately 8 a.m. near a boat dock at Boeckh Park in Hammond's Ferry Subdivision in North Augusta, according to Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton.

Carlton said, at this time, there is no suspicion of any foul play or any other suspicious circumstances, and the cause and manner of death is still pending upon further investigation. An autopsy is scheduled for today in Newberry.

Lt. Tim Thornton with the North Augusta Department of Public Safety said deputies found a suicide note.

The Aiken County Coroner's Office is handling the death investigation.

These are the bookings recorded for the Doris C. Gravat Detention Center for July 27, 2015. Some of the people listed may not have actually spent time in jail if they posted bond and were released. Although those listed have been arrested and charged, that does not mean they have been found guilty. All bookings may be viewed online by visiting www.aikenstandard.com and clicking on the "Crime" tab.

Michael Anthony Marshall Jr., 26 — hold for Berkeley County, South Carolina

Chelsea Patricia Ryan, 30 — driving under the influence second offense

Ann Halstead, 45 — driving under the influence first offense

Dominique Jacque Gomillion, 18 — attempted armed or allegedly armed robbery

Arthur Paul Edwards Jr., 40 — hold for Barnwell County per National Crime Information Center, fraudulent check bench warrant four counts

Philip Tyrone Williams, 31 — simple possession of marijuana bench warrant

Anthony Gary Cooper, 24 — disregarding a traffic signal bench warrant, driving under suspension first offense must appear bench warrant, failure to pay child support

Jeffrey William Malcom, 40 — sexual exploitation of a minor second degree

Jennifer Nichole McDonald, 21 — violation of probation, violation of probation affidavit of surrender, shoplifting enhancement affidavit of surrender

Jarvis Ray Wilson, 35 — possession of 28 grams or less of marijuana first offense, possession of other controlled substance in schedule I to V first offense three counts

Blanche Marie Reddish, 34 — allowing unauthorized person to drive bench warrant, driving under suspension first offense

Marion Lonnelle Pope, 31 — malicious injury to personal property bench warrant, driving under suspension, resisting arrest

John Paul Kneece Sr., 43 — assault and battery third degree

Stephen DeLain Cato, 47 — failure to pay family court

James Thomas Ard, 32 — family court bench warrant failure to pay

Tammy Elsie McAllister, 50 — public drunk

Troy Maxwell Stewart, 47 — driving under the influence first offense, driving under suspension first offense, open container

A Monday night shooting incident is under investigation after multiple versions of the incident was given.

Aiken County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a gas station on Edgefield Highway at 8:34 p.m. where they met with the gas station worker who said two men shot at each other at pump seven, according to police.

Deputies viewed the security footage and saw a man driving a Dodge Challenger stop near pump seven where two other men were standing by a Nissan Armada, police said.

Deputies observed no firearms in the video, but did see one of the males by the Nissan run into the middle of the parking lot and the Dodge Challenger speed away, according to reports.

Deputies spoke with witnesses who said the driver of the Dodge Challenger pointed a gun at the other two men and shot at them, police said.

One of the men at the incident told deputies the fight moved up to the Deluxe Inn up the street where more gunfire was allegedly exchanged, said police.

The man also told deputies the man he was with had left in an unknown vehicle, but was acting like he was injured, police said.

Deputies made contact with the Inn manager who stated they didn't hear any shooting, but said one of the subjects matched the description of one of the Inn's guest.

Deputies made contact with the driver of the Dodge Challenger who denied ever pointing a firearm at the two men, but said that one of the men fired at him, according to reports.

Investigation is still under way, according to police.

Aiken shooting incident under investigation

North Augusta Department of Public Safety is searching for a woman in a shoplifting case.

The woman ran away from North Augusta Wal-Mart's loss prevention officer to Merovan Drive, and got into a grey Chevrolet Cruz driven by an unknown man, according to North Augusta public safety.

Police reported the car headed toward Edgefield County.

Anyone with information in this case can call 803-279-2121.

According to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office:

A Beech Island woman reported Tuesday a man she was arguing with stabbed the tires on her vehicle on Gladys Drive.

A Warrenville man reported Monday his home on Wind Song Way had been broken into and items were missing.

A Beech Island man reported Monday his motorcycle on Pine Log Road had been stolen.

A Gloverville woman reported Monday her trash can had been stolen from her home on Lawana Drive.

A Beech Island man reported Monday his vehicle had been broken into and items were missing on Jefferson Davis Highway.

A North Augusta man reported Monday his vehicle had been stolen from his property on Belvedere-Clearwater Road.

According to the Aiken Department of Public Safety:

A man was arrested Monday for DUI after a traffic stop on Richland Avenue.

A woman reported Monday 30 to 40 juveniles were in the roadway and one of them damaged her vehicle on Freiday Lane.

A manager reported Monday subjects stole a large amount of medicine from the store he works at on Pine Log Road.

A man was caught Monday trying to steal Mountain Dew and two bags of beef jerky from a store on York Street.

Security Federal Corp., the holding company for Security Federal Bank, has the results for the quarter and six-month periods that ended June 30, 2015.

The company reported net income available to common shareholders of $1.4 million or $0.48 per common share (basic) for the quarter ended June 30, 2015, an increase of $46,000 compared to the quarter that ended June 30, 2014.

For the six months ended June 30, 2015, net income available to common shareholders increased $249,000 or 9.7 percent to $2.8 million or $0.95 per common share (basic), compared to net income available to common shareholders of $2.6 million or $0.87 per common share (basic) for the same period in 2014. The increase in earnings is primarily a result of an increase in non-interest income combined with an increase in net interest income after the provision for loan losses.

The company's net interest spread increased 14 basis points to 3.07 percent for the six months that ended June 30, 2015, compared to the same period in 2014.

The improvement in net interest spread was achieved through lower cost of funds as total interest expense decreased 26.7 percent for the six months that ended June 30, 2015, compared to the same period in the prior year.

The provision for loan losses decreased to $100,000 for the six months that ended June 30, 2015, compared to $200,000 for the same period in 2014. Net charge-offs for the six months that ended June 30, 2015, were $662,000, a decline of $668,000 from $1.3 million for the comparable period in 2014. Non-interest income increased $1.2 million to $4.0 million for the six months that ended June 30, 2015, from $2.9 million for the same period in 2014.

Security Federal Bank has 13 full service branch locations in South Carolina and Evans, Georgia. A new branch in Ballentine, South Carolina, is scheduled to open later this year.

When the children and teenagers from Helping Hands residential shelter start school next month, they'll have new bookbags and supplies to take with them.

For the past nine years, the Jack Rogers Tire store in Aiken has successfully sought donations of bookbags and school supplies for the facility.

Residents are asked to bring the supplies to the store on Richland Avenue through Aug. 11.

Jenny Rogers Johnson coordinates the project each years and delivers the items to the shelter.

"I can't believe we can fill up a pickup truck," she said.

Her mother, the late Dr. Mary Ann Rogers, a USC Aiken professor, got the project started.

She served on a family review board of the Aiken County Department of Social Services. Rogers soon realized that the kids at Helping Hands, a residence for children and teens who have been removed from their homes, primarily because abuse or neglect, would benefit from a school supply drive.

Her children - Johnson, the late Master Cpl. Sandy Rogers and Jimmy Rogers - joined her in the initiative.

Over the past six years, however, that effort has become bittersweet for Johnson. Her mother died in 2009. Then Sandy, an Aiken Public Safety officer, was killed in the line of duty - a tragedy that devastated the entire community. Johnson didn't hesitate to continue the initiative as a tribute to her mother and sister.

Eighteen months ago, Johnson's father, Jack, also passed away, and that was almost too much.

"I put the (bookbag project) on the back burner," Johnson said. "But customers and friends gave me a nudge to keep on with it."

The donations through the Rogers family over the years have made a big difference for the kids, said Carmen Landy, the Helping Hands director.

"This means so much to us that people in the community know and understand what we do," she said. "It says a lot about the family that Jenny is willing to continue with it."

Other groups and individuals also have programs to provide basic supplies for children in Aiken County, which helps reduce the burden on the school system, Landy said.

"Our children can walk into school with the supplies they need, including their first new bookbags," she said.

Each year, people bring a wide range of supplies - bookbags, pens and pencils, notebooks, glue and much more, said Jimmy Rogers.

"We enjoy doing this," he said. "Jenny's passion makes sure that our mom and Sandy are not forgotten."

Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter.

Aiken County Parks, Recreation and Tourism and the Serenity Charity Club are trying to help Aiken County parents with the cost of school supplies.

On Aug. 15, they will sponsor the second School Supply Giveaway at the Aiken Recreation Center, 917 Jefferson Davis Highway, Graniteville.

The giveaway will begin at 2 p.m., but the center will allow free swimming from noon to 4 p.m., according to a press release.

Last year, the event helped about 200 children, and "each child left with a bookbag filled with paper, pencils and crayons," said Tandra Cooks, recreation supervisor.

Supplies will be given away as long as they last, according to a press release.

During the giveaway, there will be light refreshments provided and free snow cones, Cooks said.

"You know, as a community, we want everybody to go to school prepared; we don't want them worrying about what they don't have," Cooks said.

For questions on donating supplies or about the event, call Cooks at 803-663-6142.

Charnita Mack is an intern with the Aiken Standard.