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A Columbia County man's murder conviction for the slaying of a county employee has been affirmed.
In an opinion released Monday, the Georgia Supreme Court issued an opinion finding Thomas Bradford was fairly tried and convicted in Columbia County Superior Court in February 2012. He was sentenced to life in prison plus five years.
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Funding becomes available today for low-income, elderly and disabled residents of Georgia who need help paying heating bills.
Residents age 65 and older or those who are home-bound can apply for assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. All other eligible families may apply for assistance beginning Dec. 1.
To qualify, a family's annual income threshold is $21,881 for one person, and $48,812 for a family of five. All applicants will be required to sign a consent form to release information that allows the state to retrieve energy usage data.

A small, single engine plane crashed into the top of a tree Monday morning in Oglethorpe County.
"It's in the top of a tree. I don't know how he got out of it," Oglethorpe County Sheriff Mike Smith said.
The pilot, whose name was unavailable, was unharmed in the crash, Smith said.
The crash occurred off Watson Mill Road in an area several miles west of Watson Mill State Park.
The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and an investigator is expected at the site, Smith said.
Smith said he did know yet why the plane went into the tree.

A Columbia County student was arrested Monday after making a bomb threat, police said
About 10:50 a.m., deputies responded to Evans Middle School where a bomb threat had been written in the boy’s bathroom. According to Columbia County Capt. Andy Shedd, several students were interviewed, and during the interview process, a 13-year-old male student confessed.

The student – who was not identified – was arrested and taken to the Columbia County Jail. He has been charged with felony terroristic threats and acts.

A historic city rivalry is back for another year when Josey visits nearby Laney on Friday night.
The two sides will meet for the 51st time when the Eagles face the Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. at Lucy C. Laney Memorial Stadium in The Augusta Chronicle's Game of the Week.
Laney has a tight grip on the series recently, winning 13 of the past 14, including five consecutive shutouts. The last time Josey scored on Laney was in 2010, and the last Josey victory occurred in 2007.

An Aiken man died in a single-vehicle crash early today on Interstate 20 in Aiken County.
Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton said Phillip Weese, 50, died when he lost control of his 2005 Ford Ranger pickup on eastbound Interstate 20 near mile marker 34 about 5:30 a.m. Officials said the vehicle ran off the side of the road and overturned. Weese, who was the sole occupant in the vehicle, was wearing his seat belt.
Carlton said it appeared Weese might have been traveling to Lexington for work at the time of the crash.

LEEDEY, Okla.  — A massive, weeklong manhunt for a suspect in a string of violent crimes, including the killing of two relatives, the shooting of three law enforcement officers and multiple carjackings, has ended in a police chase and shootout that left the man dead in western Oklahoma.
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Witnesses told police two men threatened to shoot each other over a difference in opinion about presidential candidates.
According to a Columbia County sheriff's incident report, deputies were called to Circle K on Old Evans Road about 2 p.m. Sunday after a man's Donald Trump bumper sticker started an argument.
The Trump supporter told police he was in his vehicle, which has a Trump support sticker, when a man began cursing at him about Trump out of his car window and then said, "Go Hillary."

COLUMBUS, Ga. — Harlem's Josie Armstrong slammed a two-run double in the seventh inning to score two runs and give the Lady Dogs the 2016 Class AA girls state softball championship over Vidalia on Saturday evening at the South Commons softball complex.
It was the second seventh-inning rally of the day as the Lady Dogs found themselves behind in their first game against Dodge County in the winner's bracket finals but scored two runs for a 3-2 win to send them to the championship round.

A 27-year-old Augusta man wanted for fatally shooting a man has been captured in Virginia.
Shortly after midnight Saturday, Antwon Strader was taken into custody in Martinsville, Va., by U.S. Marshals and the Henry County Sheriff's Office, according to a release from the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.
Strader was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Henry County Sheriff's Office detention facility to begin the extradition process.