He's responsible for more than 700 employees and a budget of nearly $50 million. We've seen him so many times over the years in his official capacity...but what's Sheriff Ronnie Strength really like?

An Augusta woman riding her bike was killed in a fatal accident early Saturday morning. 18-year-old Darrius Ware is in stable condition at MCG following that accident, and once released he'll be taken straight to jail.

With each day we are finding out more about what happened to Ruby Thompson Monday night...and her family says it's a nightmare that continued in the courtroom Friday with an outburst from her suspected killer.

He controls a budget of $49 million and more than 700 employees, including a small army of 500 deputies. But how much do you really know about Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength?

An Aiken County judge made a decision on some things and not on others in a court hearing about the petitions filed against James Brown's estate. Tomi Rae Brown left the proceedings smiling...

A problem intersection means problems for students in Columbia County. A number of drivers are running red lights at North Belair Road and Fury's Ferry, near two schools.

The search is on for Richmond County's next school superintendent, a position previously held by Dr. Charles Larke. The deputy superintendent has been filling in, but now they're taking steps to advertise the job nationwide.

Woman found brutally murdered in Orangeburg; Augusta woman dies after being caught in high speed chase; woman killed after ejected from vehicle; apartment fire leaves three homeless; Commission to discuss bus overcrowding.

While Aiken Judge Jack Early didn't decide on the issue of the trustees of James Brown's estate, he did rule Tomi Rae Hynie Brown could go back into Brown's Beech Island home for the first time in two months to collect her belongings.

A homeless man is accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of food from an Augusta homeless ministry. Deputies say 24-year-old Jeffery Tedesco lowered himself through a skylight at L.O.T.S. Ministries on Broad Street on several occasions.

About four years ago, family practitioner Dr. William Rivell and other family practice physicians noticed an alarming trend: more and more patients without health insurance. They decided to do something to help.

If you don't know how to protect yourself as a consumer, now is a good time to learn. This is National Consumer Protection Week. It's all about being an educated consumer, asking questions and reading the fine print.

A Johnston man is in jail, accused of kidnapping a teenage girl from the Aiken Mall parking lot and then raping her. It happened Tuesday night, and officers say they were able to catch the man because of help from a store clerk.

An 18-wheeler is overturned at the intersection of Wendover Way and Columbia Road in Columbia County. The call came in to dispatch at around 5:15 this afternoon.

Paul Dicks was critically injured after being shot in the parking lot of Club Dreams late Wednesday night. The people we talked to say Club Dreams isn't usually a dangerous place to be.

Identity theft may not be something you think about too often, but with 23,000 people becoming victims every day...maybe you should. 12 is On Your Side with how you can keep from becoming a victim.

Security guard shot at Augusta nightclub; Barnwell soldier dies in Iraq; Congressman Charlie Norwood comes home.

A soldier from Barnwell has died in a helicopter crash in Iraq. Chief Warrant Officer Jason Defrenn was supposed to come home next Friday to see the birth of his son. Now he's home for good, but it's not how his family had hoped.

A high school student is recovering after getting shot in the foot on the way home from a friend's house. A federal grant is helping the sheriff's office fight this kind of violence.

Some Augusta bus routes were cut last month because of budget worries. Now some passengers complain that's led to overcrowding. They say the buses are so packed sometimes that some people are sitting on the floor

36-year-old Al Gunter died yesterday afternoon when his truck went off the road. He is the latest person to be killed on Aiken County's roads. These first couple of months have proven to be dangerous for some behind the wheel.

Seeing a game show over and over, you learn a lot about it. But it's not often you get to go behind the scenes. That's just what News 12 did when Wheel of Fortune came to South Carolina.

Congressman Charlie Norwood is back home in Augusta. News 12 was there when the congressman's plane landed. We also talked to one of Norwood's longtime friends about his decision to decline further treatment for lung cancer.

Smoking could soon be outlawed in Aiken County. A ban on smoking in public is one step closer to passing. The Aiken County Council voted by a majority to approve the motion.

Woman escapes rollover crash with minor injuries; former Aiken EMT trainer dies in crash; Glenn Hills High student charged with rape; answers expected in inmate's death; Hyde Park residents want proof of contamination.