WAYNESBORO, Ga. - A Georgia sheriff says an inmate accused of killing a 71-year-old Florida priest tried to hang himself with a bed sheet in jail.

Burke County Sheriff Greg Coursey says 28-year-old Steven James Murray survived the Tuesday evening suicide attempt, was taken to a medical center and then was returned to the jail.

Coursey tells The Augusta Chronicle (bit.ly/20SUooR) Murray had been upset that smoking isn't allowed in the jail.

In April, a weeklong search for the Rev. Rene Wayne Robert of St. Augustine, Florida, ended in east Georgia, when the priest's body was found in a wooded area.

Murray was arrested in Aiken County after a manhunt. Authorities say Murray drove back and forth between Florida and South Carolina in the priest's car. Investigators believe Robert was killed April 10.

A Barnwell man has died after his car collided with a power pole and trees Tuesday night.

Barnwell County Coroner Lloyd B. Ward identified the deceased as Jodi K. Kearse, 35, of Friendship Road.

Kearse died from head trauma, Ward said.

Kearse was driving on Friendship Road around 10:30 p.m. when he lost control of his 2008 Ford pickup and collided with a power pole and trees, according to Lace Cpl. Judd Jones with the S.C. Highway Patrol.

Kearse was not wearing a seatbelt, Jones said.

A toxicology is pending.

A male passenger was taken to an Augusta hospital, Jones said. It's unknown at this time what his injuries are.

The case remains under the investigation of Highway Patrol and the Barnwell County Coroner's Office.

Maayan Schechter is the digital news editor with the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @MaayanSchechter.

The Aiken County Sheriff's Office responded early Wednesday to a home invasion on Kellogg Drive in Aiken that led to one person being shot.

Deputies responded to the 119 Kellogg Drive address around 4:30 a.m. and found a 32-year-old Aiken man inside of the home on a couch, suffering from a gunshot wound to the side of his body, according to an Aiken County Sheriff's Office incident report.

Kellogg Drive is located off of Banks Mill Road.

The victim told deputies two black men, armed and with masks on, forced their way into the rear of the home and pistol whipped him, the report said.

The victim said an altercation occurred between the two suspects after one suspect fired a shot, striking the victim on the right side near his hip, according to the report.

Both suspects fled on foot in an unknown direction, a news release said.

The victim was taken to an area hospital in stable condition and treated for a non-life-threatening injury, deputies said.

The investigation is still ongoing.

The Aiken Department of Public Safety assisted in the response, the incident report said.

Individuals with information about the home invasion are encouraged to call the Aiken County Sheriff's Office at 803-648-6811, or Crimestoppers of the Midlands at 888-CRIME-SC (888-274-6372).

Callers can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000.

Maayan Schechter contributed to this report.

Tripp Girardeau is the crime and courts reporter with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

Peyton Manning, Marshall Faulk and Steve Spurrier will be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot this year for the first time.

The National Football Foundation released Wednesday the names of 75 former players and six retired coaches who competed in FBS that will be up for election. The latest Hall of Fame class will be announced on Jan. 6 in Tampa, Florida, the site of the College Football Playoff national championship game.

Manning, the former record-setting quarterback from Tennessee, and Faulk, who led the NCAA in rushing twice during his three seasons at San Diego State, are among 15 players making their first appearance on the ballot.

Spurrier retired during last season, finishing a 26-year career as the winningest coach at both South Carolina and Florida.

COLUMBIA - South Carolina prisons have reached an agreement with an advocacy group over how to reform the care of mentally ill inmates.

The Department of Corrections announced Wednesday it had reached a final agreement with Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities on a plan to establish benchmarks for settling a decade-old case. The settlement requires court approval.

Talks started in 2014, when a judge sided with inmates who sued in 2005. They said violations included a lack of effective counseling and too much use of isolation and force to subdue mentally ill prisoners.

The groups reached a preliminary agreement in January 2015. The agency has been making changes since the court ruling, but says the final agreement lays out timelines and goals that will be supervised by independent experts.

The road beckons for Ernesto Barquet-Arrambide, and it stretches from coast to coast, with more than 3,500 miles of ups, downs and charity support to be faced from the seat of a bicycle.

Barquet-Arrambide, a graduate of South Aiken Baptist Christian School, recently completed his freshman year at Wofford College and is now gearing up for a coast-to-coast ride. Formally known as the Journey of Hope, the event is a fundraiser for The Ability Experience, an organization associated with his fraternity, Phi Kappa Phi, and focusing on serving people with disabilities.

He's looking to reel in $7,500. Wheels are to start turning June 17 in Long Beach, California (just south of Los Angeles), and proceed through Aug. 13 (Barquet-Arrambide's birthday), in Washington, D.C., following a route through the country's southern half.

"It's about an average of 70 to 80 miles a day," he said, noting that the longest day is likely to be a 135-miler in New Mexico, and the shortest will be a 20-mile day in the Charlotte area. Mileage will mostly be in the morning, with afternoons dedicated to "friendship visits with local groups that support people with disabilities."

His training, which started in January, has largely been by way of a stationary bike, supplemented by road and trail rides around the Spartanburg area. Hills have been part of the package, out of particular respect for some hot, hilly conditions he expects to face in Nevada.

In crossing the United States, he's planning to be part of a team of bicyclists supported by two vans - one a few miles in front of the group, to confirm a safe, relatively clear pathway; and the other a few miles behind the group, to ensure that everybody is still moving in the right direction.

Overnight stays are to be mostly in such places as churches, school gyms, college dormitories, YMCAs and - if all else fails - motels.

While Barquet-Arrambide may be facing several weeks of sore muscles and the occasional case of road rash, he is no stranger to hospitalization. He sustained an injury at age 14, while playing football for the junior varsity team at Aiken High. The details are reportedly not clear, but a sprained foot was the result, possibly from someone stepping on his foot and him falling backward.

Barquet-Arrambide was diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, described in a Mayo Clinic summary as "an uncommon form of chronic pain that usually affects an arm or a leg."

The syndrome, it adds, "typically develops after an injury, surgery, stroke or heart attack, but the pain is out of proportion to the severity of the initial injury." In Barquet-Arrambide's case, it affected his left leg, caused intense pain around the clock and prompted doctors to say he should prepare for life in a wheelchair.

Barquet-Arrambide, an Eagle Scout whose parents are Aiken residents Ernesto Barquet and Idalia Arrambide, is now symptom-free. En route to healing, he underwent two years of rigorous, innovative medical treatment from coast to coast, and was the subject of intense prayer.

"I want to share my story across the country, because I was healed completely by a miracle," he said. "Every time I go to a routine physical, I have to put in my previous medical conditions. I put in 'RSD,' and they say, 'What do you do for it?' It's gone, and they can't understand."

The syndrome, he said, is more common among women, especially those in their 30s and 40s, so Ernesto, who is planning to major in biology before heading to medical school, is an exception to the rule.

Now, he's looking to help others in similar situations. "I'm cycling across the country, and it's always possible to keep moving forward. There's nothing you can't do. You won't be able to do anything if you don't try," he said.

"I thank God every day for helping me over such a horrible hurdle," he wrote, in a fundraising letter. "I would like to make others aware of my story and help our society in the understanding and awareness in support of people with disabilities."

For more information, visit www.abilityexperience.org. To donate to Barquet-Arrambide's ride, visit, his page at http://bit.ly/1TImtLg.

Staff Reports

editorial@aikenstandard.com

Aiken County deputies are investigating a shooting incident that occurred in North Augusta Wednesday.

A 22-year-old North Augusta man reported as he was walking back from a friend's house, two black males stopped him and asked if he was another man, according to an Aiken County Sheriff's Office incident report.

The victim told deputies he later went home to pick up his brother and go warn his ex-girlfriend, the report said.

As the two men approached the area of Clearmont Drive, a suspect fired one shot toward the victim while he was driving, the report said.

The suspect then turned around and parked their vehicle behind a house while the victim was inside, during which the someone fired at least five more shots, hitting the house, the report said.

The victim told deputies he recognized one of the suspects, but not the other.

Classic rock band, Boston, is celebrating 40 years and its 40th anniversary tour will come by Augusta later this year.

Tickets of $99.50, $79.50, $59.50 and $49.50 will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.

The concert will be held at 8 a.m. Aug. 7 at The Bell Auditorium, 712 Telfair St., in Augusta.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

"Fans can expect to hear all the classic songs they have grown to love and will be treated to wild Hammond organ work, soaring harmony guitars and exceptional vocal arrangements, as well as Boston's unique visual stage presentation and plenty of extra-terrestrial sounds heard nowhere else on earth," as stated in a press release.

The band's hits include "More Than a Feeling," "Peace of Mind" and "Smokin'."

For more information, visit www.augustaentertainmentcomplex.com or call 877-428-4849.

Stephanie Turner graduated from Valdosta State University in 2012. She then signed on with the Aiken Standard, where she is now the features reporter. She primarily covers health topics, arts and entertainment, authors and restaurants.

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - A Muslim high school student from Florida who hopes to become a Navy officer is going to attend Norwich University after the Vermont military school said it would allow her to wear her headscarf beneath her uniform.

Sana Hamze had initially hoped to attend The Citadel in South Carolina, but the school would not change its uniform policy to accommodate her headscarf.

"I didn't think it was fair to choose between practicing my faith and attending the Citadel," she told CNN. She noted that the U.S. military makes accommodations for Sikhs wearing turbans and Muslim women wearing hijabs.

The 17-year-old said she chose Norwich, which touts itself as the nation's oldest private military college and the birthplace of ROTC, after the school agreed to her request.

Norwich, located in the town of Northfield, has a total on-campus student body of about 2,250. About two-thirds of students are in the Corps of Cadets, its military program, while the rest are civilians who don't participate in military training. The students sit side-by-side in classrooms, though they have separate residences.

Norwich officials said privacy rules prevented them from confirming that Sana had agreed to attend. But last week, Norwich President Richard Schneider sent a message to the college community saying the school had agreed to accommodate a request from an accepted female student to wear a hijab beneath her uniform.

The student was told the "religious headgear" must be in "authorized colors and fabrics that can be covered" by the uniform.

"As educators of future leaders, it is our duty to matriculate a diverse student body that reflects our society," Schneider wrote. "Norwich prepares traditional students and the young men and women of our Corps of Cadets to welcome and respect diversity and to be inclusive of all people."

Norwich spokeswoman Daphne Larkin said Wednesday the reaction from Norwich alumni and others was "mixed, but generally positive."

Norwich was founded in 1819 by a former West Point instructor. It's considered the birthplace of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, which prepares students to become officers in the armed forces. In April, top military leaders visited the school to help celebrate the centennial of college ROTC.

COLUMBIA - Lawmakers trying to find a compromise to a bill allowing independent investigation of ethics violations by legislators are trying to determine when the allegations should become public.

House members want allegations to become public when the independent commission sends a violation to the Ethics Committee in the House or Senate for discussion and possible punishment.

But senators say some of them think the allegations should become public when the legislative committee rules there is probable cause a violation took place.

Democratic Sen. Gerald Malloy of Hartsville says he will talk to other skeptical senators and see if they accept the House version. The conference committee may meet again later Wednesday.

The bill sets up an independent Ethics Commission to investigate ethics violations for all public officials. Currently, lawmakers investigate themselves.

COLUMBIA - Legislators are working toward a compromise on legislation designed to jumpstart improvements to South Carolina's deteriorating roadways.

With just one day left in the legislative session, the dispute between the House and Senate is over how the Department of Transportation's commissioners would be chosen.

Both chambers' proposals allow for $2 billion in borrowing over 10 years for infrastructure, funded with $200 million annually in existing fees and vehicle sales taxes. The chambers agreed to the borrowing plan after senators blocked proposals increasing gas taxes.

Opponents of hiking that tax insisted on first restructuring the DOT before sending the agency more money.

Neither chamber wants to eliminate the commission as Gov. Nikki Haley wanted. While both proposals give her more input into selecting commissioners, she'd no longer choose the DOT secretary.

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles police chief says the shooting of two men at UCLA was a murder-suicide.

Chief Charlie Beck said Wednesday there was no continuing threat and the campus is safe.

The shooting occurred in a small office in an engineering building. The chief says a gun was found along with what might be a suicide note.

No identifications have been released.

COLUMBIA - The Legislature has given final approval to a $7.5 billion spending plan that increases spending on K-12 schools by more than $300 million and provides technical colleges more than $100 million for building improvements and equipment.

The House's vote Wednesday sends legislators' compromise to Gov. Nikki Haley, who has a week to issue her vetoes.

Legislators will return June 15 to deal with those vetoes before the fiscal year starts July 1.

The budget includes a 3.25 percent cost-of-living increase for state employees and a 2 percent raise for public school teachers. They will also see a step increase for experience, through 23 years in the classroom.

Other education increases include $9 million to help recruit teachers to poor, rural districts and $23 million for school buses.

A Ridge Spring man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges connected to an incident involving a 16-year-old girl with special needs.

Thomas Lewis Dunbar, 45, pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree assault and battery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to court records.

Second Judicial Circuit Judge Doyet A. Early III sentenced Dunbar to 90 days for the charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and 30 days for the charge of third-degree assault and battery. His sentence will run concurrently and he will serve his time in the Aiken County detention center.

The state prosecution said in court Tuesday that between July 3 and 4, 2015, the victim was staying with a friend at a Palm Drive home in Aiken, belonging to Deborah Ergle, 44, according to an Aiken Department of Public Safety incident report.

The prosecution said Dunbar was staying at the house during the time of incident, as he was friends with Ergle.

Prosecutors said on July 4, 2015, Dunbar attempted to touch the victim inappropriately, while the victim's friend was in the bathroom.

The victim was able to stop Dunbar from touching her, prosecutors said.

"He (Dunbar) took advantage of my 16-year-old special needs daughter," the victim's father said in court. "She does not trust people like she should anymore. My daughter still has to sleep with the light on because of what he did to her. He took her innocence. This has destroyed my family."

Dunbar's mother objected to the father's claim, saying, "(Thomas) is a good egg. He never hurt nobody."

Both Dunbar and Ergle were arrested and charged on July 20, 2015, according to an incident report.

Ergle was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to jail records. Ergle and Dunbar were later released from jail on a $3,000 bond on July 21, 2015, court records state.

Tripp Girardeau is the crime and courts reporter with the Aiken Standard.

Golfers will be able to enjoy the sport that they love while supporting a well-known local charity during the Gerri Johnson Memorial Tournament at Woodside Plantation Country Club on Monday.

The entry fee is $50 per person and includes dinner. For dinner only, the cost is $25.

The tournament will have a captain's choice format, and there will be a shotgun start at noon.

All proceeds will benefit Christ Central Aiken/Graniteville, which provides a variety of services to people in need.

Johnson was a secretary at the country club for more than 30 years. In 2014, she was shot to death in her home during a family quarrel, according to investigators with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

Charlie Hartz, a former country club general manager, told the Aiken Standard that Johnson was "the heart and soul" of the Woodside Plantation facility.

For more information about the tournament, call 803-649-4735.

All checks should be made payable to Christ Central.

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

According to reports provided by the Aiken Department of Public Safety:

A 34-year-old Aiken man reported Tuesday someone broke into his vehicle while it was parked outside his Majestic Oak Way home and stole more than $200 worth of personal items.

A 46-year-old Georgia man was arrested Tuesday after officers found marijuana on him during a search. The man was searched because police said he had been causing a disturbance in front of a Whiskey Road retail store.

A 36-year-old Graniteville man was arrested Tuesday after police found a bag with meth inside shoved into his pant leg. The man told police he was parked on the side of Whiskey Road and said someone hit his car while it was parked.

A 35-year-old Aiken woman called police Tuesday claiming someone stole her handgun while she was asleep at her Laurens Street home.

A 56-year-old Aiken woman reported Tuesday a group of juveniles threw something at her car while it was parked on Aldrich Street, cracking her windshield.

A 27-year-old Aiken man reported Tuesday someone broke into his vehicle while it was parked outside his Majestic Oak Way home. Officers reported the car window had been busted out.

A 24-year-old Aiken woman called police Monday claiming a 30-year-old man assaulted her at her Sumter Street home.

According to reports provided by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office:

A Ridge Spring man reported Wednesday someone broke into his unlocked car while it was parked on Archie Ware Road.

A North Augusta man reported Wednesday someone took his cellphone after he left it at a gas station Jefferson Davis Highway.

A Warrenville juvenile reported Tuesday someone has been sending her threatening text messages.

A Beech Island man reported Tuesday someone almost ran him over with his or her car at the intersection of Cherry and Lamar streets.

A Windsor woman reported Monday she found broken wedding glassware on her Wendy Lane property.

An Aiken man reported Monday someone threw a small concrete block through his vehicle window while it was parked on Missy Lane.

A man was arrested Tuesday after police said he pushed his way into an Aiken Road apartment and attempted to assault a Graniteville woman.

A North Augusta woman reported Wednesday an unknown woman punctured one of her car tires and scratched her car while it was parked at a Kerry Court property.

An Aiken woman reported Wednesday four people broke into her Gooseneck Road home, dragged her outside and assaulted her with a chair.

These are the bookings recorded for the Doris C. Gravat Detention Center for May 31, 2016. 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.aiken standard.com and clicking on the "Crime" tab.

Gregory Denzel Bartley, 22 - burglary second degree, shoplifting $1,000 or less

Amanda Sue Worster, 38 - domestic violence second degree

Milo Brown, 70 - driving under the influence second offense, unsafe tires

Russell Alan Brantley, 50 - possession of less than 1 gram of methamphetamine or cocaine base first offense, open container in motor vehicle, failure to pay child support, trespassing after notice

Matthew Alex Goss, 19 - simple possession of marijuana

Sheldon Leonard Foster Jr., 59 - trespassing after notice bench warrant

Willie Frank Wilkey, 38 - breach of trust with fraudulent intent less than $1,000 two counts

Jonathan Wade Taylor, 40 - disorderly conduct/gross intoxication (B)

Desi Arnaz Gleaton, 25 - hold for South Carolina Department of Corrections detainer hold

Michael Paul Antonelli, 19 - minor in possession of alcohol commitment

Timothy Horton Twitty, 35 - possession of less than 1 gram of methamphetamine or cocaine base first offense general sessions court sentence

Nicholas Charles Beasley, 22 - shoplifting $1,000 to $5,000

Kathy Lee Shiver, 54 - assault and battery third degree

Brandon Lee Musgrove, 31 - hold for Augusta Probation Office, kidnapping, domestic violence first degree

Melvin Rashad Stevens, 21 - simple assault and battery

Christopher Deshawn Elmore, 28 - violation of probation, violation of a restraining order, entering premises after warning or refusing to leave upon request

Devin Demarquis Lowman, 19 - robbery while armed with a deadly weapon, unlawful carrying of a pistol

Norman Lee Curry, 37 - hold for general sessions court sentencing

Garrick Terrion Campbell, 25 - hold for general sessions court

Thomas Lewis Dunbar, 45 - contributing to the delinquency of a minor commitment, assault and battery third degree commitment

Jerimy Davon Baggett, 21 - hold for Fort Gordon

Christopher Lee Adams, 30 - driving under suspension, driving reckless, leaving the scene of an accident

Leann Elizabeth Barziloski, 34 - hold for North Augusta Department of Public Safety warrants

Joshua Staley, 35 - hold for South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services warrant

Angela Marie Kirkland, 50 - shoplifting $1,000 or less

The Aiken Department of Public Safety is investigating a Tuesday night robbery at a Brandt Court apartment after two men robbed a woman at gunpoint.

A 46-year-old Aiken woman called police around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday after she said she was robbed at gunpoint by two men, a Department of Public Safety report said.

Before she was robbed, the victim said she let two women inside of her apartment after they knocked on her door and asked for chips, the report said. A minute later, the victim said she heard another knock at the door and both suspects entered her apartment, the report said.

The victim said the suspects pointed their guns at her, demanded money and took her cellphone, diabetic medicine, a red wallet containing $250 in cash, food and drinks, the report said.

One suspect was wearing a camouflage hoodie, and the other a camouflage jump suit, the victim told police. The victim also said one suspect had a black mask covering his mouth and nose, and the other had short twists in his hair, with the side of his head shaved, the report said.

The victim's daughter told police she heard her mom scream, and when she went to check on her mother, the suspects were holding up guns, according to the report.

The child said one suspect followed her back to her room and said he wouldn't bother her "because she was a kid," the report said.

The child said she also heard the suspects say they would come back and "shoot the apartment up" if anyone called the police, the report said.

The suspects fled the scene on foot toward Camellia Street, the report said.

A witness near the scene told police he let two black males, who matched the victim's description of the men, use his cellphone to call for a ride, the report said.

The Aiken Blood Hound Tracking Team was called to the scene to locate both suspects, but was unsuccessful, according to the report.

Tripp Girardeau is the crime and court reporter with the Aiken Standard.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, or SRNS, released an official request for information, or RFI, Tuesday, seeking information packages from companies capable of handling its materials management and distribution operations.

SRNS manages and operates large sections of the Savannah River Site, or SRS, under a prime contract from the U.S. Department of Energy, including tenant organizations such as Savannah River National Laboratory.

According to an SRNS officials, "The materials management and distribution scope referred to in the request for information involves the warehousing functions of receiving and distributing supplies and equipment for general site use."

Prospective contract companies can submit informational proposals for the work based on one of two options. In option one, the potential subcontractor would be collocated on site with other SRNS operations, including site security. However, if a prospective company took option two, they would use their own facilities off-site, but would be required to meet SRS security requirements.

The scope of work includes an estimated volume of work and states an approximate 130,000 items would be shipped, received and tracked under the potential contract. Of which, 5,000 are expected to be chemical, approximately 500 would be radioactive materials, and the subcontractor also would handle some precious metals.

"Precious metals would include eight types of precious metals (i.e. palladium, silver, platinum, gold, etc.) Types of radiological material would include commercially available equipment with radiation generation sources that support laboratory, calibration and other type services. This could range from x-ray equipment to fire detectors," officials said.

In storage for the materials, the potential contractor would be required to use a tracking system for the materials that is approved through SRNS. There also is a host of other storage and environmental regulations that would apply from government entities who monitor environmental impact, personnel safety, accountability and maintenance.

The current contract between SRNS and the Energy Department is scheduled to end in September. Officials said that the RFI and any potential subcontracts would be transferable to another primary contractor should the Energy Department name a different awardee later in the year.

Thomas Gardiner is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard.

NORTH AUGUSTA - For North Augusta High School senior Janna Auriel Lee, perfect attendance is a family legacy. Her older brother Jimmie Zuriel had received recognition for never missing a single day of school - from elementary to high school - when he graduated in 2008. Following in his footsteps, Janna also was recognized last week for her perfect record of attendance.

"I wanted to get perfect attendance just like him and to kind of make it like a family thing," Janna said.

Their mother Janice couldn't be more proud.

"It's a blessing, really," she said.

Janna plans to attend Winthrop University in the fall.

Fellow senior Cameron Morris also was honored for having perfect attendance through his entire schooling career.

The students' accomplishments were announced last week by State Superintendent of Education Molly M. Spearman, along with the names of other students across the state who are scheduled to graduate with perfect public school attendance records.

"This is a very unique accomplishment," said Spearman. "To graduate from high school without missing a single day of school beginning in the first grade demonstrates remarkable dedication. I am proud that we are recognizing these students statewide.

"They took good care of their health and showed incredible passion for their teachers, classmates and personal education. They are wonderful role models to emulate, and I congratulate them for achieving 12 years of perfect attendance," concluded Spearman.

Amy Hunter is the news editor for The North Augusta Star.