Events to attend on Monday, June 6, 2016:

- The eighth annual PAR Fore Parkinson's Golf Tournament will be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 6, at The Reserve Golf Club at Woodside Plantation, 1000 Woodside Plantation Drive. There is a division for men and a division for women. The cost is $100 per person, and includes golf, a golf cart, range balls, free coffee and breakfast items, free golf giveaways and lunch provided by Fatz Cafe. The deadline for registration is Sunday, May 15. For more information or to register, visit www.parforeparkinsons.org.

- The Aiken Community Playhouse Youth Wing, sponsored by the Aiken Community Playhouse, will perform at 7 p.m. Monday, June 6, at Hopelands Gardens, 135 Dupree Place, as part of the Hopelands Summer Concert Series. Those attending should bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. In case of inclement weather, call 803-643-4661.

- A Tonight Show-lympics program will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, June 6, at the Nancy Carson Library, 135 Edgefield Road, North Augusta. The event will feature "Tonight Show" games including the Box of Lies and charades. This program is designed for teens in sixth through 12th grade. For more information, visit www.abbe-lib.org.

- The third annual Wreaths Across America Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 6, at the Houndslake Country Club, 901 Houndslake Drive. The four-person captain's choice tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The cost is $75 per person and includes golf, cart, range balls and a fried chicken and barbecue lunch. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place, and closest to the pin. There also will be raffle prizes and a silent auction. All proceeds will go toward placing wreaths on the graves of veterans buried in Aiken County. The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 31. For more information or to register, call Tony Venetz at 803-648-5885 or email tonyv033@atlanticbb.net.

- The reunion of the alumni, faculty and staff of the Old Monetta School will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Ridge Spring-Monetta High School, 10 J.P. Kneece Drive, Monetta. The reunion is open to anyone who attended or worked there from 1927 to 1957. For more information, call Annie Hallman Cromer at 803-682-7350 or Lunette Spradley Yonce at 803-649-4088. The registration deadline is Monday, June 6.

- An unveiling of an inspirational oil painting on a billboard will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 6, at the corner of Revco Road and Aiken-Augusta Highway. For more information, call 803-443-8594.

Thunderstorms are expected throughout the day in Aiken County.

The high on Monday is expected to be 80 degrees, with a low of 68 degrees.

The rest of the week is as follows:

Tuesday: High 91, low 64, partly cloudy, 20 percent chance of rain.

Wednesday: High 86, low 62, sunny, zero percent chance of rain.

Thursday: High 86, low 62, sunny, zero percent chance of rain.

Friday: High 92, low 68, sunny, zero percent chance of rain.

Saturday: High 95, low 72, sunny, zero percent chance of rain.

Sunday: High 96, low 73, mostly sunny, zero percent chance of rain.

Aiken police ask for public's help in search of armed robbery suspect

The Aiken Department of Public Safety is asking for the public's help in identifying a man wanted for armed robbery.

Aiken police responded to the 400 block of Greenville Street Thursday afternoon after a 75-year-old Aiken man was robbed while completing home repairs, according to a news release.

The victim is the owner of the house and was cleaning it for the next tenant, a Public Safety incident report said.

To read more, click bit.ly/1TVjLrc.

Project cost increases could cost South Carolina electricity customers more money

SCANA, the holding company of utility subsidiary South Carolina Energy & Gas, or SCE&G, filed a petition May 26 with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina for updates to the construction costs and schedule of its Virgil C. Summer nuclear power plant near Jenkinsville.

SCE&G's project at the site, located northwest of Columbia, is building two new Westinghouse nuclear power generators, known as Units 2 and 3. The SCANA company serves more than 700,000 South Carolina electricity consumers, including in Aiken.

To read more, click bit.ly/1Ur2ArJ.

North Augusta's Karly Heath is softball player of the year

NORTH AUGUSTA - North Augusta High School head softball coach Gerald Brown knew Karly Heath would be a special player as soon as she stepped on the field for the Yellow Jackets.

"When she came out her seventh-grade year, it was evident right then and there that she would make an impact," said Brown, who was an assistant coach for North Augusta before becoming the head coach this season. "As soon as we had her out there her seventh- grade year, I knew it would be good. Any time you can come up as a seventh-grader, it shows a lot."

To read more, click bit.ly/1RUFCHN.

Project Jackson stadium not likely to open by April, mayor says

NORTH AUGUSTA - Project Jackson isn't under construction - at least not yet.

Concerns regarding work being done at the site of Project Jackson ahead of a Master Development Agreement being finalized began to rise Thursday, after some residents noticed the arrival of large amounts of sewer work pipes.

The proposed development - a planned $200 million project including a baseball stadium, hotel, retail and residential properties, is slated to open in 2017 - but so far, City Council has yet to hold second and third readings of the agreement.

To read more, click bit.ly/1Y9xavK.

USC Aiken prepared to be emergency hub and shelter

Last week's landfall of Tropical Storm Bonnie serves as a reminder that what may seem like a minor threat can easily morph into a dangerous or deadly disaster.

Officially known as hurricane season, the days between June 1 and Nov. 30 are prime for tropical storm and hurricane development in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Each year, the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center issues its storm outlook for the season. It said this year would most likely be a near normal year. The predication center expects 10 to 16 named storms, including early year storms Alex and Bonnie. Of those, it says up to eight could become hurricanes and up to half of those eight could become major category three or higher storms.

To read more, click bit.ly/1r8w99P.

27 arrested in Spartanburg County prostitution sting

SPARTANBURG - Authorities say 27 people are facing charges as part of an undercover operation to curtail prostitution in Spartanburg County.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that the arrests were made recently over a two-week period.

The suspects range in age from 18 years old to 69 years old.

The charges include prostitution, loitering for prostitution, public disorderly conduct, possession of cocaine base and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Lt. Kevin Bobo says multiple investigations are still underway for possible future charges of human trafficking.

1 dead, 1 wounded in shooting outside Walterboro McDonald's

WALTERSBORO - One man is dead and another wounded after a shooting in the parking lot of a Colleton County McDonald's restaurant.

Colleton County Fire and Rescue Director Barry McRoy says the shooting was reported early Saturday in Walterboro

An unidentified man was found to have been shot multiple times. He later died at a hospital.

McRoy says another man was found wounded at a nearby hotel. He was taken to a hospital. His condition was not released.

Sanford, Horne meeting in congressional debate

CHARLESTON - U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford is facing off against state Rep. Jenny Horne in a debate in their race for the GOP nomination in the Lowcountry's 1st Congressional District.

Local media outlets report that the two meet Monday evening in a debate that is being televised on South Carolina Educational Television Network. It's their first joint appearance of the campaign in advance of next week's GOP primary in the district that runs from the Charleston area southwest along the coast to the Georgia state line.

The primary is June 14.

Horne gained national attention for her impassioned speech last year calling for removing the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds.

The Summerville lawmaker is not seeking re-election to the House.

Sanford was governor from 2003 to 2011.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Tropical Storm Colin was gaining speed and strength Monday on its way to strike Florida, threatening rains forecasters said could cause some serious flooding along much of the state's Gulf coast.

A large portion of Florida's western and Panhandle coast was already under a tropical storm warning when the National Hurricane Center announced that a quickly moving depression had become a named storm. The center said it is the earliest that a third named storm has ever formed in the Atlantic basin.

Colin's maximum sustained winds Monday morning had increased to near 50 mph (85 kph) with some slow strengthening possible during the next two days. The storm was centered about 360 miles (580 kilometers) west-southwest of Tampa and moving north-northeast near 14 mph (22 kph).

Tropical storms carry wind speeds of between 39 mph (63 kph) and 73 mph (117 kph).

"It's going to impact most of the state in some way," Gov. Rick Scott said in a phone interview. "Hopefully we won't have any significant issues here, but we can have some storm surge, some rain, tornados and some flooding."

The latest forecast for Colin called for the storm to make landfall near the Big Bend area of Florida, move across the Florida peninsula into Georgia and then move along or just off the South Carolina coast before heading out to sea.

Colin is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches and forecasters said up to 8 inches possible across western Florida, eastern Georgia, and coastal areas of the Carolinas through Tuesday.

A tropical storm watch was issued for the lower South Carolina coast. The watch was in effect from near McClellanville southwest along the coast to near Brunswick, Georgia.

A watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area in the next 36 to 48 hours.

Scott postponed a political meeting with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump scheduled Monday in New York so he can remain in the state capital to monitor the weather.

It is the latest in a series of severe whether events across the country, from record-breaking heat in the West, flooding in Texas and storms that are expected to cause problems in the nation's capital and mid-Atlantic region.

Scott warned residents not to simply look at the center of the storm, saying the heaviest rain will be to the east and west of it.

The National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, issued a flood warning for the Shoal River near Crestview and warned of possible widespread flooding in streams, creeks, and canals. Wind gusts threatened to bring down trees and branches and cause power outages.

The Georgia coast and the north Florida Atlantic coast were placed under a tropical storm watch Sunday evening.

Sand bags were being distributed to residents in St. Petersburg, Tampa and nearby cities.

NORTH CHARLESTON - U.S. Department of Justice officials are in North Charleston this week in efforts to reform the city's police department, a year after a white officer shot unarmed black motorist Walter Scott.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is holding a listening session at 6 p.m. Monday at the Alfred Williams Community Center.

Officials hope this will elicit feedback on how the department can improve trust and build relationships.

Last month, the Justice Department announced a two-year agency review. City officials requested the review after the April 2015 shooting of the 50-year-old Scott.

Michael Slager, the former officer captured on cellphone video firing eight times as Scott ran from a traffic stop, faces a murder charge in state court. He has pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges.

TOWNVILLE - Anderson County sheriff's deputies are investigating a drowning at Lake Hartwell.

Capt. Garland Major said in a news release that deputies were called around 4:15 p.m. Sunday to a location near Townville.

Major says a 47-year-old man was swimming with a friend when he went under the water.

The victim's name has not been released while relatives are located.

CINCINNATI - A prosecutor said Monday that he isn't seeking charges against the mother of a 3-year-old boy who got into the Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla exhibit, resulting in the shooting of an endangered gorilla to protect him.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said the child's mother had three other children with her, and she was attending to them when the 3-year-old "just scampered off" on May 28. He said children's services made a visit to the boy and mother, and social workers were impressed by the child's environment.

Deters said the mother's actions were "not even close" to meriting reckless endangerment charges.

Legal experts had said that prosecution on child endangerment or similar charges seems unlikely. The family has declined to comment.

The zoo plans to reopen its Gorilla World on Tuesday with a higher, reinforced barrier. The boy apparently climbed over the outer barrier before falling some 15 feet into a shallow moat. A special response team shot and killed the 17-year-old western lowland gorilla named Harambe to protect the boy.

The zoo's role will be reviewed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which enforces the Animal Welfare Act. An animal protection watchdog group has urged that the zoo face federal fines.

The shooting caused a wide outpouring of criticism, blaming the boy's parents or the zoo for the gorilla death. A Cincinnati police spokesman said last week police planned to "reach out" to the boy's mother to advise her of threatening language in some posts.

The zoo said that there had been no earlier breaches in Gorilla World's 38-year history and that the previous barrier had passed multiple inspections by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits zoos. Zoo spokeswoman Michelle Curley said the outer barrier will now be 42 inches high - a half foot taller than before - with solid wood beams on top and at the bottom, plus knotted rope netting at the bottom.

A Cincinnati police report identified the boy's mother as Michelle Gregg, 32, who works at a preschool near Cincinnati. The child's father isn't named in the report, and it's not clear whether he was at the zoo that day.

The boy's family has said he is doing well at home. Police said he had scrapes on his head and knee, but was alert and talking when rescued.

University of Dayton law professor Lori Shaw said earlier that child endangering cases are complicated and fact-specific. She said Ohio law requires that the defendant be found "reckless" and to have exposed a child to "substantial risk," or a strong possibility of harm.

Police released 911 tapes of calls after the boy fell.

"He's dragging my son! I can't watch this!" a woman says in the 911 call, pleading for help. She shouts at her son repeatedly: "Be calm!"

A record of police calls shows nine minutes passed between the first emergency call about the boy falling into the enclosure and when the child was safe.

The police report states that witnesses said the gorilla initially appeared to be protecting the child, but after onlookers started screaming, it became "agitated and scared" and began dragging the child.

The boy's family has expressed gratitude to the zoo for protecting his life.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France - Proud veterans in their 90s and families of fallen soldiers are commemorating the epochal D-Day invasion of Normandy 72 years ago that helped the Allies vanquish Hitler.

They held small ceremonies and moments of remembrance Monday along the wide beaches and cliffs where thousands of U.S., British, Canadian and French troops landed as dawn was breaking June 6, 1944. It was a pivotal moment in World War II, weakening the Nazis' hold on Western Europe after they suffered a punishing defeat in Stalingrad in the east.

Henry Breton of Augusta, Maine, was among the shrinking number of D-Day survivors to make it to Normandy for Monday's anniversary.

Speaking at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, Breton recalled landing in the second wave of boats, 35 minutes after the first, with the 106th Infantry Division. "We were off target," he said, describing the German counterattack, and ensuing violence and valor he experienced at the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium.

"It brings back so many memories," he said, standing amid rows and rows of white crosses at the cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach.

Visiting the D-Day beaches is a homecoming of sorts: Breton's ancestors came to North America from Brittany in the 18th century, and during the war he met a Belgian woman who was his wife for 62 years until her death in 2009.

Some veterans expressed disappointment that Monday's ceremonies were low-key, especially compared with a sweeping ceremony for the 70th anniversary two years ago involving several world leaders.

Breton, who describes himself as "91 and a half," is hoping this visit isn't his last. "I would like to be here on the 75th."

People of many nationalities came Monday to pay respects. A group of Germans wrote the name of a regiment on the sand as a group of Spanish history enthusiasts dressed as D-Day participants walked nearby.

Peggy Harris of Vernon, Texas, was unable to come this year to visit the grave of her husband, 1st Lt. Billie D. Harris. But a good friend, Janie Simon, brought flowers and a sign asking visitors to email photos of the gravesite to his widow.

"She feels blessed that even though she lost Billie in this quest for freedom, people come here. That gives her great comfort," Simon said from the gravesite.

Harris landed in Normandy on D-Day, was shot to death days later and buried by French villagers, but his wife didn't find out what happened for more than 60 years.

"She never remarried," said Simon, who had an uncle who landed on Utah Beach and whose own husband fought in Vietnam. "It's a real love story."

U.S. Army Air Corps veteran Hartley Baird from Pittsburgh sailed into Normandy in August 1944 and fought to liberate France from the Nazis.

"I wouldn't have survived if the men hadn't cleared the way on D-Day," he said at the American Cemetery, where he came to pay homage to "the true heroes, those that are buried here."

Associated Press

CHARLESTON - A memorial service at the arena where President Barack Obama last year led the congregation in "Amazing Grace" is among more than two dozen events scheduled during 12 days to mark the first anniversary of a mass slaying at a historically black church in Charleston.

The Emanuel AME Church announced on Monday that the memorial service will be held on Friday, June 17, which will mark a year since nine black parishioners were gunned down during Bible study.

About 6,000 mourners turned out a year ago as the president delivered the eulogy for the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, the church's pastor and a South Carolina state senator who was one of the victims, at The College of Charleston's TD Arena. He then led the congregation in singing the hymn.

College officials said 5,000 mourners were turned away.

The service next week is among a number of observances scheduled from June 15 through June 26, starting with an ecumenical Bible study at the church to be led by the Rev. Dr. Betty Deas Clark.

On Saturday, June 18, a unity walk will start in a nearby park and pass in front of the church before ending at the city's new performing arts center. Doves will be released at the center and a tree will be dedicated in memory of the slain.

Among the other events are worship services at the church, a gospel concert, a bell concert and a prayer breakfast.

A white man, Dylann Roof, faces state murder charges as well as federal charges including hate crimes in connection to the shootings, which took place during a Bible study. The state announced last year that it will seek the death penalty for Dylann in a trial set for January.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said last month that the federal government also will seek the death penalty.

Roof appeared in photos waving Confederate flags and burning or desecrating U.S. flags, and purportedly wrote of starting a race war. He was arrested a day after the shootings when a motorist spotted his Confederate license plate.

Roof's attorneys are scheduled to meet Tuesday with a federal judge to discuss the status of his trial. No trial date has been set. The state prosecutor has said South Carolina would like to try Roof first.

Aiken County Public Schools welcomed its newest high school graduates Thursday at three commencement ceremonies.

More than 400 students from Wagener-Salley, Silver Bluff and Midland Valley high schools moved their tassels from left to right and received their diplomas in front of family and friends who packed the stands at the USC Aiken Convocation Center.

Wagener-Salley High School

Dr. Sean Alford, who became the school district's chief administrator last summer, welcomed Wagener-Salley High's 53 graduating seniors for the first time as superintendent.

"I will always remember the class of 2016 as my first as superintendent here in Aiken County," he said. "Thank you for a great school year. You have taught me many things since July. Most of all, I've learned to say each night a very simple, but genuine prayer: 'Dear Lord, please keep our children safe.'"

"Congratulations once again," he continued. "Job well done, and we wish you all the very best."

Most of Wagener-Salley's seniors have been together for 13 years through kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school, and they have become a family, said Avery Snipes of Wagener, the class salutatorian who had the second highest overall average.

"I'm going to miss this group of kids right there you're looking at," he said before the graduation ceremony. "We're not like other schools that have a ton of kids. We're just a real tight-knit community. As far as bonding and coming together as a family as a whole, I wouldn't have missed it. I wouldn't have wanted to do anything else."

Snipes, who shared speaking duties with class valedictorian, Tialeishia Corley, also offered his classmates some advice to take with them as they enter the workforce, prepare for college in the fall or join the military:

- Follow your dreams

- Fulfill your life ambitions and never fall short of your goals

- Always surround yourself with good people.

"Finally, if you ever need a hand, remember your classmates. They're always here for you," said Snipes, who plans to attend Aiken Technical College in the fall and then transfer to USC Columbia to major in electrical engineering.

"There is a whole new world out there, classmates. There will certainly be challenges, but I know if there is any group that can make the best of it, it's the class or 2016 of Wagener-Salley High School."

Silver Bluff High School

While waiting for the start of Silver Bluff High's commencement ceremony, Jonathan Henderson was thinking about the future. He plans to attend The Citadel and is looking forward to a military career.

"I enjoy order in my life, and they are going to give me the order that I need to help me succeed," said Henderson, who was a Silver Bluff NJROTC executive officer. "I will be going into the Army, and I know I want to jump out of airplanes. There is something about jumping out of airplanes that intrigues me."

Another member of Silver Bluff's Class of 2016, Abby Williams, recently was honored as the Student of the Year by the Aiken County Career and Technology Center. She wants to be a nurse practitioner.

"While I was in the Career Center's health science program, I shadowed doctors and nurses, and I just loved it," said Williams, who will be furthering her education at USC Aiken. "I love helping people, and I want to help them holistically. As a nurse practitioner, I will be able to spend more personal time with people than I would if I was just a nurse working for a doctor."

There were 130 seniors in Silver Bluff's graduating class. MarCaysia Kitchings was the valedictorian, and Lydia Hicks was the salutatorian.

Kitchings urged her classmates to follow their dreams.

"Do what you think will make you happy," she said. "Make your own journey without any regrets."

Hicks talked about what it would be like after graduation.

"Starting on June 3, 2016, the world is a brand new place to us," she said. "We will now have to do our own laundry and cook our own ramen noodles when we inevitably go broke in college. We will make grown-up mistakes and not have our parents or teachers to fall back on. But at those times, I encourage you to look to God and to look to each other. In the words of our favorite childhood movie ("High School Musical"), we are all in this together."

Midland Valley High School

Myra Moseley, who teaches American government and social studies, has spent her entire career as an educator at Midland Valley High School.

But after 35 years of graduations and an estimated more than 10,000 students - many of them children of parents she taught earlier - in her classes, Mosely will hang up her graduation robe after Thursday and retire.

Moseley said she's both excited and sad watching her last class of students receive their diplomas.

"I'm excited because it's a new chapter in my life," she said. "I'm sad because a lot of these kids have touched my life. I hope I, too, have touched their lives and futures and made an impact on our global society. It's been very rewarding."

For her years of service, S.C. Rep. Chris Corley, R-Graniteville, presented Moseley a resolution from the S.C. House of Representatives.

"This is an expression of the House's gratitude for your 35 years of service to the students of Aiken County," said Corley, who had Mosely for history in the ninth grade. "Just know that as long as South Carolina shall maintain her sovereignty, a record of his resolution will kept in our archives for all to see."

Although she's graduated, Hannah McKenzie Redd, of Graniteville, won't be putting down her tuba from the Midland Valley Mustang band any time soon. She plans to attend USC Aiken to major in music education and minor in performance this fall.

"I will miss marching band the most," said Redd, who has been in the band since eighth grade. "Tuba players are dominated by males, but there are some girls out there, and they are pretty tough. A tuba weighs about 50 pounds."

Gavin Earl McElmurray, of Beech Island, said he will miss Redd and his other friends in marching band, too.

"I will miss seeing them every day and not being able to hang out with them," said Redd, who was in the band's color guard.

McElmurray will join the U.S. Air Force and leave for San Antonio, Texas, in late June for training. He will work in logistics and material management supply, working with vehicles and aircraft.

McElmurray said he plans to relax at home, get packed up and start getting more fit and ready for the Texas heat in the next month.

"I'm feeling nervous and a little sad because I'm leaving, but I'm a little bit happy and excited to get to the real world, too," he said.

Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard. She graduated from Concord High School in Concord, North Carolina, in 1974. The school's athletic teams are known as the "Spiders." Larry Wood covers education for the Aiken Standard and graduated from Aiken High in 1973. His class motto was, "Success is the key in '73."

Aiken County deputies arrested an Aiken teenager on Friday after deputies say a gun was stolen from a man's truck.

Michael Defillips, 18, of Nokesville Circle, is charged with possession of a stolen pistol, breaking into motor vehicles and minor in possession of alcohol, according to jail records.

He remained in the Aiken County detention center Monday afternoon.

A judge issued a bond of $470 for the charge of minor in possession of alcohol. Bond information for the other charges was not immediately available.

Deputies responded to a disturbance call at a Nokesville Circle home on Thursday, where the suspect told the deputy he was assaulted by a 37-year-old Aiken man, according to an Aiken County Sheriff's Office incident report.

The deputy observed the suspect had a minor scrape on his right elbow and that he appeared intoxicated, because his eyes were glassy and bloodshot and his moves were not fluid and speech sometimes incoherent, the report said.

The victim told the deputy when he arrived the home, one of the suspect's family members was arguing with the suspect, and upon his arrival, exited the home, the report said.

The victim said the suspect appeared intoxicated, and a short time later, another family member of the suspect entered the home and said the suspect had a gun, according to the report.

The victim went to his truck and found his pistol had been taken, and at that point feared for his and the family's safety because the suspect was intoxicated and his past history of violent threats directed at him and the suspect's family, the report said.

The victim said he "took" the suspect to the ground and pulled a firearm from the waistline of the suspect's pants, the report said.

One family member told the deputy he saw the suspect take three Xanax pills and consume alcohol, the report said.

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

An Orangeburg man died Saturday after a two-car collision near Wagener in Aiken County.

Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton has identified the deceased as Darriel J. Hughee Jr., 22.

Hughee was pronounced dead at 11:50 a.m. Sunday at Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia after being airlifted to the hospital on Saturday, Carlton said.

Hughee was driving his 2005 Buick north on Highway S.C. 39 when Cassidy Thomas, of Salley, disregarded a stop sign and Thomas' 2012 Chevy truck collided with Hughee's car at the intersection of Highway S.C. 39 and Bethcar Church Road at 2:58 a.m. Saturday, a news release said.

Hughee was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. Thomas was not wearing a seatbelt, Carlton said.

A toxicology is pending.

The crash is being investigated by the S.C. Highway Patrol and the Aiken County Coroner's Office.

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

NEW YORK - A collection of nonfiction works by "The Prince of Tides" novelist Pat Conroy is coming out this fall.

Meanwhile, his publisher is trying to salvage a novel he was working on at the time of his death in March.

Nan A. Talese/Doubleday announced Monday that "A Low Country Heart" will be published Oct. 25, the day before what would have been his 71st birthday. It will feature letters, speeches, articles and other material. Conroy's widow, author Cassandra King, will provide an introduction.

The publisher also announced that Conroy had submitted fewer than 200 pages of a planned novel, "The Storms of Aquarius," about four male friends who came of age during the Vietnam War. Doubleday says it's still searching his journals in the hope of putting together a publishable book.

COLUMBIA - Solar energy may soon become easier to use in South Carolina.

On Monday, the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina announced the creation of the largest network of community solar installations in the state.

Community, or shared, solar means multiple people get electricity from a midsize solar array. The co-op says this makes it easier for cooperative consumers to get access to solar energy.

The initiative will add solar installations in sizes up to 250,000 watts each. That totals as much as 5 million watts statewide.

The group says each of the state's electric co-ops will determine whether community solar is right for its members and how to build and market it. Currently, an estimated 1.3 million South Carolinians use power provided by electric cooperatives.

A flash flood watch has been issued for Aiken and Barnwell counties through late Monday night.

The National Weather Service in Columbia said heavy rain is expected tonight as moisture associated with Tropical Storm Colin continues to surge into the area.

Rainfall amounts are expected to average 1 to 3 inches across the western Midlands and 2 to 4 inches possible across the eastern Midlands and CSRA.

The S.C. Department of Transportation is sending crews tonight to work along the state's coast and other areas of the state due to potentially adverse road conditions caused by Tropical Storm Colin.

A news release states crews will monitor conditions on interstate highways and major primary routes along the coast and in affected areas. Additional crews in other areas of the state are on standby, and will be used, if necessary.

SCDOT crews working tonight include units in Aiken, Barnwell, Jasper, Beaufort, Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley, Georgetown, Williamsburg, Horry, Marion, Florence, Darlington, Clarendon, Hampton, Calhoun, Bamberg, Orangeburg, Dillon, Marlboro and Allendale counties.

Crews will check for flooding conditions, closing roads if necessary, using signs and barricades, notifying the public of road closure information and engaging in debris removal operations as needed, the release said.

SCDOT's Traffic Management Centers will be working extended hours.

SCDOT is reminding motorists to use caution during adverse weather and to avoid driving in hazardous conditions. Flooded conditions should be reported to local law enforcement or the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Road condition information is available at SCDOT's 511 Traveler Information page at www.511sc.org/.

Parenting coordinator and aide Jennifer "Brooke" Garrett, of Greendale Elementary School, recently was named the Aiken County Public School District's Giving Even More, or GEM, award recipient.

The inaugural GEM banquet was held at Newberry Hall to celebrate noninstructional staff for their work and dedication and for the impact they make on students, schools and the community. Collaborators for the event were Public Education Partners, or PEP, and community supporters, including presenting sponsors Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, or SRNS, and Bob Richards Automotive.

During his keynote speech at the event, District Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford noted the value of the work the schools' staffs do.

"I want to be very clear when I say that no single person in this organization will carry more value than another. We all have a role to play and a personal responsibility to perform each day at our absolute best," he said. "Our students deserve nothing less. To that end, while we will hold every person in our organization to the same standard of excellence, we also will distribute equal credit and praise for our success among all employees.

"Although I am sure there may be days when you question the importance of your contribution or feel as though your hard work is not appreciated, I am here to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. I have visited your schools and personally witnessed the difference you make each day. I have seen your smiles. I have watched as you have encouraged others. I have seen you go above and beyond in the service of our school administrative staffs. More importantly, your colleagues also have seen these things and felt the warmth of your generosity."

During her remarks, School Board Chairwoman Rosemary English expressed her gratitude for the event and the employees.

"Imagine a school without custodians, secretaries and someone to prepare the students' meals," she said.

As the GEM recipient, Garrett received a trophy, a ring from Rhodes Graduation Services/Jostens, a $100 check from Aiken County Public Schools and a $500 check from the event's sponsors.

Additional event sponsors were Platinum Sponsors, H.G. Reynolds Company Inc. and Rhodes Graduation Services; Gold Sponsors, Bridgestone and Security Federal Bank; Silver Sponsors, Aiken County Public Schools' Materials Center, Aiken Electric Cooperative Inc., Floyd & Green, North Augusta Forward, Savannah River Remediation and USC Aiken; Supporting Sponsor, Aiken Technical College; and School-Star Sponsors, Aiken County Public Schools' PTO/PTA groups.

Each of Aiken County's public schools nominated their GEM candidate. The Honor Court included the top five scoring GEMs from the first round of the selection process, a blind review by the selection committee of applications.

In addition to Garrett, Honor Court members were Aiken Middle School custodian Joanne Blake, Center for Innovative Learning at Pinecrest special education aide Wendy Mealing, District Office Human Resources specialist Debbie Gregory and Kennedy Middle School special education aide Joy Camp.

The week before the banquet, the District's leadership team surprised the Honor Court at their schools.

Blake was speechless when Alford and Associate Superintendent for Instruction King Laurence arrived with balloons at Aiken Middle.

"I'm just doing my job," she said.

Honor Court members received a plaque and a $50 gift card from PEP.

At the banquet, each GEM was joined by his or her principal and an additional guest. All were recognized individually.

The school GEM winners were Jenny Good, Aiken Elementary administrative assistant; Cathey Ferrell, Belvedere Elementary secretary; Shenaz Hanif, Byrd Elementary teacher's aide; Lorene Chevrier, Chukker Creek Elementary special education aide; Wendy Lord, Clearwater Elementary 4K aide; Lisa Francis, East Aiken School of the Arts bookkeeper/secretary; Tina Gregory, Gloverville Elementary aide/parent liaison; Christine Collins, Hammond Hill Elementary secretary/aide; Jennifer "Brooke" Garrett, Greendale Elementary aide/parent involvement coordinator; Karla Aldrete, J.D. Lever Elementary bookkeeper; Rebecca Moore, Jefferson Elementary special education aide; Vicki Lee, Millbrook Elementary custodian,; Lesa Lamback, Mossy Creek Elementary kindergarten aide; Kevin Madison, North Aiken Elementary paraeducator; Olivia Anderson, North Augusta Elementary school custodian; Debra Lindburg, Oakwood-Windsor Elementary 5K paraprofessional; Sylvia Campbell Redcliffe Elementary bookkeeper; Gloria Johnson, Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary custodian; Lisa Busbee, Warrenville Elementary special education aide; Joanne Blake, Aiken Middle custodian; Stephanie Adams, Busbee/Corbett Elementary/Middle School secretary; Steve Bates, Jackson Middle custodian; Joy Camp, Kennedy Middle special education aide; Kim Anderson, Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle attendance clerk; Lucretia Williamson, Leavelle McCampbell Middle bus driver/head custodian; Leroy Stephens, New Ellenton Middle Head custodian; Stephanie Abney, North Augusta Middle secretary; Collin Moss, Paul Knox Middle head custodian; Angela Mitchum, Schofield Middle bookkeeper; Charles Widener, Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle/High safety monitor; Natalie Fox, Aiken County Career and Technology Center work-based coordinator; Charles Simpkins Aiken High buildings supervisor; Paul Rutland, Midland Valley High custodian; Wendy Mealing, Center for Innovative Learning at Pinecrest special education aide; Midland Valley High custodian; Kathy McCann, North Augusta High bookkeeper; Rhonda Hawes, Silver Bluff High Learning Lab proctor; Gloria Brown, South Aiken High paraeducator; Silvia Grant, Wagener-Salley High custodian; and Debbie Gregory, District Office Human Resources specialist.

Bids are due this week for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, construction subcontract at the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication facility at Savannah River Site.

MOX Services issued the request for proposals at the beginning of last month. A request for proposals, or RFP, calls for potential contractors to submit bids to fill work or project needs.

RFPs include detailed information about work to be performed, and companies submit bids for the contract. The project managers measure the bids against and award the contract to one of the bidding companies.

The MOX plutonium disposition project has been a hot-button item for politicians and nuclear watchdogs, and is the crux of a lawsuit filed by South Carolina against the U.S. Department of Energy.

The project is part of a nuclear non-proliferation agreement with Russia, meant to mix weapons-grade plutonium with other fissile material, such as natural uranium, to produce fuel for commercial, nuclear reactors.

The current contract is held by Superior Air Handling and was awarded in 2009, according to prior reports in the Aiken Standard.

While the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration, or NNSA, is in charge of the MOX program, the commercial production also means the Nuclear Regulatory Committee, or NRC, plays a leadership role.

The NRC conducts ongoing inspections of the project's construction and ensures the contractors are constructing the facility according to required codes. In its last inspection, several violations were found in the gaskets and connectors between sections of the duct work installed by Superior Air Handling.

Chad Huffman, senior resident NRC inspector at MOX, said, "The violations were all non-citation violations. Those violations don't require a response because the contractor has a pre-approved corrective action plan in place with MOX Services."

The NRC saiid the violations were minor and has not reported any serious violations or safety problems connected to the site's progress.

MOX has been called years past deadline and billions over budget. Federal funding for the project has been volleyed back and forth between the NNSA, which has a plan to mothball the project, and members of Congress, such as U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who called the NNSA's plan "lousy."

The contract to be awarded could cover a three-year period, if the contractor and MOX agree to exercise two yearlong extension options. The base award is for a single year.

It is unclear at this time if the duration of the contract was influenced by the funding difficulties MOX has faced in Congress. Inquiries regarding the RFP were sent to the Energy Department and MOX Services. The Department of Energy deferred to MOX Services as being responsible for the contract.

Inquiries of MOX Services via telephone and email were not returned by press time.

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

Aiken County Council will vote on the second of three readings on the proposed fiscal year 2016-17 budget today and some policy decisions could be ahead for Council members, County Administrator Clay Killian said during a public work session last week.

Residents are invited to comment on the proposed budget at a public hearing, which will be held at the regularly scheduled Council meeting at 7 p.m. today in the Aiken County Government Center, 1930 University Parkway.

The full budget is available for review in the County Administrator's Office or the Council Clerk's Office, Council documents state.

Aiken County's budget is around $159 million. The proposed general fund budget is $61 million.

Killian has pointed out at previous work sessions, the proposed budget uses one-time funds, including $530,000 from the sale of the Teledyne building in Verenes Industrial Park, $600,000 from the Other Post-Employment Benefits Program (OPEB) and $1.7 million for the 2014 ice storm to balance the budget.

State lawmakers representing Aiken pushed for the remaining 75 percent of the non-federal covered portion of ice storm costs to be budgeted in the state budget, which they estimated could have equaled around $4.5 million for Aiken County.

After learning reimbursements for the ice storm were not included in the state budget conference report last week, Killian told Council it could be tasked with finding other revenue or making cuts.

The state's conference report on its budget includes a $10.6 million increase for the local government fund, lawmakers said.

Killian has said the increase would mean an additional $305,000 in local government fund money for the County. The total is around $6.3 million. If the state funded the fund the way the formula requires, the County would get around $8.9 million, he said.

With local government fund monies, counties help to house and fund state-mandated services. This includes services such as court functions and office space for the health department, said Tim Winslow, assistant general counsel for the South Carolina Association of Counties.

Since the 2008-09 recession, the state has not fully funded the local government fund, leaving counties with few choices, Winslow said.

"If these dollars don't come to the county government, there's only one other way for the government to pay for these services - it's to raise property taxes," he said.

Members of Aiken County Council have said they are committed to not raising taxes.

While Winslow said he wouldn't complain about an increase in the local government fund, it is still millions short from what the statutory formula requires. County Council member Andrew Siders criticized the legislature's decision in an interview with the Aiken Standard on Friday.

"It was a paltry increase," Siders said. "It was not enough and no one is happy about that."

Council has proposed looking at what state-mandated services could be trimmed to compensate the local government fund not being fully funded. Killian is expected to provide the information to Council at its meeting.

Christina Cleveland is the county government reporter at the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @ChristinaN Cleve.

CAMDEN - Fred Sheheen, former commissioner of the state Commission on Higher Education and part of a long-standing South Carolina political family, has been killed in a car accident.

Family spokesman Antjuan Seawright confirmed the death Monday. Seawright said Sheheen's grandson was hurt in the crash but was expected to recover.

Sheheen, 79, worked as a reporter for The Charlotte Observer before serving as an aide to Gov. Donald Russell in the 1960s.

He was South Carolina's commissioner of higher education in the 1980s and 1990s. His brother, Bob, served as the speaker of the South Carolina House. His son, Vincent, is a South Carolina state senator who twice has been the Democratic Party's gubernatorial nominee.