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Three people are in custody as a result of arrests stemming from the attempted sale of large quantities of methamphetamine to undercover CNT agents early last evening.

On Thursday evening, CNT agents purchased over two ounces of methamphetamine from a 31 year old Albany man at one of the motels in the I-95/Highway 204 area. Two individuals from west Chatham County were also participants in this incident.

In addition to the methamphetamine, over $3,600 in cash was seized from the participants in this incident.

Arrested were: Travis Montreal Billings, 31, Albany, GA; Steven Frank Rodriquez, 21, Savannah; Morgan Folds, 21, Savannah. 

All are being held without bond at the Chatham County Detention Center.

Step Up Savannah, Inc. and Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council are set to launch an outreach campaign to enroll children and families in Right from the Start Medicaid and PeachCare, on August 16 at the Civic Center.

The launch is scheduled as part of the IMA back-to-school rally, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday; the official announcement will occur at 9 a.m.

“Mayor Edna Jackson is committed to cutting the number of uninsured children and teenagers in our city,” said Suzanne Donovan, Step Up’s director.

“We have an ambitious goal: to see a 50 percent decrease in uninsured children and families in Savannah and Chatham County, reducing the number of uninsured children from approximately 4,449 to 2,279 by December 2015.”

Savannah was selected in late May by the National League of Cities as one of eight cities to receive grant funding to conduct an 18-month campaign to increase enrollment of children and families in public health insurance programs.

The campaign’s target population is uninsured kids and families that are eligible for Medicaid and PeachCare.

The plan calls for a two-pronged approach, enrollment assistance and outreach, that relies upon an extensive network of city departments, the Chatham-Savannah Public School System, area hospitals and clinics, and community-based organizations.

The city’s 3-1-1 service will serve as a main information number for families who wish to learn where they can get enrollment assistance. 

South State Bank will present Bethesda Academy with a $100,000 check for the establishment of the South State Bank Center for Young Entrepreneurship.

According to a spokesman, the Center "in conjunction with Bethesda’s Work-Study curriculum, aims to teach principles of sound business development, financial management, and integrity in the workplace to the students of Bethesda Academy."

The work-study portion of the program will grade students on their actual labor in the workplace and students will build a portfolio of their work while in the program.

"Every student will graduate knowing what it takes to run a business – integrity, discipline, responsibility, accountability, critical thinking – as well as understanding how to write and implement a business plan."

Originally founded in 1740, Bethesda Academy is the oldest child caring institute in America. 

Kevin Wallace was arrested late Friday night after turning himself in to police in reference to the wreck that took the life of Mrs Melaine Riley. He has been charged with homicide by vehicle, first degree felony, and leaving an accident – failure to give aid, also a felony. The SCMPD's Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) continues to investigate the crash.

The fatal crash occurred in the early morning of August 7, when police found a 1989 Ford Crown Victoria that had collided with two palm trees near the Wilmington Island Club. The body of 40-year-old Riley of Clarksville, TN, was found in the rear passenger seat.

Travis Israel, 40, of Wilmington Island, was transported to Memorial University Medical Center where he was released.

Investigators believe the accident occurred when Wallace was driving around a curve at a high rate of speed and struck two trees. He and his third passenger, Charles Riley, 42, of Savannah, each left the scene before police arrived.

Police are asking for help in locating Leonardo Divinci Lark, also known as "Rock," for questioning in a case related to a July 18 shooting on the 1200 block of Seiler Avenue that left one dead and a second with serious injuries.

Leonardo Lamont "Scoochie" Anderson, who was charged with the shooting, turned himself in to police Monday morning, but police continue to look for Lark. 

Alisha Nicole Cooper, 25, was arrested "for hindering the apprehension of a murder suspect," said police. She was also charged with possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) and false statements and writings. She helped hide Anderson after the shooting. 

 Lark, 29, is a black male, 5-foot-9, 165 pounds and may have a slight moustache and a heavier beard. He has a warrant for his arrest for probation violation and is known to frequent 1206 Seiler Ave.

Anyone with information on Lark's location are asked to call Metro Homicide Detective Jonathan Puhala at (912) 651-6728 or Detective Roger Mydell of SERFTF at (912) 429-4628. They also may call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters to Crimestoppers remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

Police are seeking help from the public in locating a woman wanted for questioning in an investigation of a shooting that fatally injured a Savannah man July 30.

Homicide detectives are seeking Mary Singleton, 20, who recently lived on the 100 block of Cornwall Street, in the investigation into the shooting death of Ivory Carter, 51, near Hampstead Avenue and Rogerwood Street.


Anyone with information on the case or the location of Singleton is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

A confidential Tip Line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124.

The organizers of this year’s Picnic in the Park announced today that the theme for October’s event will be “Fly Me to the Moon.” The event, a Savannah tradition, is sponsored by the City of Savannah's Department of Cultural Affairs in celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month. 

“We are pleased to be hosting the popular Picnic Contest for the first time this year,” said Greg Parker, president and CEO of The Parker Companies, who is sponsoring the event. 

The Picnic in the Park will be held on October 5 at Forsyth Park in Savannah’s Historic District. Each year, picnickers can enter the Picnic Contest where they are encouraged to design an imaginative picnic spread that is inspired by the theme of the evening including beauty, love, elegance, and romance.

“We’re amazed every year by the creativity of picnickers, not only their picnic spreads, but the interesting costumes that some choose to wear,” added Parker. “Many of the theme entrants suggested that people wanted a theme of nostalgia. The romantic theme chosen was a combination of a number of ideas entered." 

This year, Parker’s invited the public to suggest this year’s theme and received over 300 entries.

The annual free concert is highlighted by a performance by the Savannah Philharmonic as well as a number of featured performers, and draws crowds of as many as 20,000 picnickers. “There are endless great musical selections that the Philharmonic can choose,” said David Pratt, executive director, who along with Peter Shannon, conductor, will coordinate the musical presentations of all of this year’s performers.

The song “Fly Me to the Moon” was made famous by recordings by African American cabaret singer Mabel Mercer, and later by Johnny Mathis. The Philharmonic will feature this and other romantic musical sections for a night of romance and love for families in Savannah’s beautiful city park.

Police are continuing to search for Leonardo Divinci Lark, also known as "Rock," for questioning in a case. 

Leonardo "Scoochie" Anderson turned himself in July 11 at the Chatham County Detention Center and was served with the warrants. Metro detectives continue to search for Leonardo Divinci Lark, also known as “Rock” for questioning in the case.

A Savannah woman has been arrested "for hindering the apprehension of a murder suspect and police are seeking help from the public in locating the suspect and another. man wanted for questioning in the case," police said today.

Alisha Nicole Cooper, 25, was arrested on the hindering charge about 7 p.m. Thursday by U.S. Marshals in an apartment on Capitol Street. She also was charged with possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) and false statements and writings.

Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police have charged the man she helped, Leonardo Lamont “Scoochie” Anderson, 38, with the July 18 shootings of two men on the 1200 block of Seiler Avenue that left one dead and second with serious injuries.

Anderson recently lived on the 200 block of East 41st Street and is known to frequent the Waters Avenue Corridor and west Savannah areas. He is a black male, about 5-8, 190 pounds with short hair.

"He has an extensive criminal history and served a 10-year sentence from 1998-2008 for robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault. He should be considered armed and dangerous," police say.

Detectives also are seeking help in locating Leonardo Divinci Lark, also known as “Rock” for questioning in the case. Lark, 29, is a black male, 5-foot-9, 165 pounds and may have a slight moustache and a heavier beard. He has a warrant for his arrest for probation violation. He is known to frequent 1206 Seiler Ave.

Anyone with information on the locations of either man are asked to call Metro Homicide Detective Jonathan Puhala at (912) 651-6728 or Detective Roger Mydell of SERFTF at (912) 429-4628. They also may call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters to Crimestoppers remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

Country music star Brantley Gilbert, whose most recent single “Bottoms Up” was certified platinum, will perform Oct. 31 – yes, that’s Halloween – in the Martin Luther King Arena. The big hall, of course, is only for the most massive of shows, those for which giant crowds are expected. Tyler Farr, Chase Bryant and Brian Davis will be the support acts for the 7 p.m. concert.

Tickets go on sale Aug. 15 through the Savannah Civic Center box office.

MusicFile/Savannah Stopover is partnering with the Sept. 4 Savannah’s Fashion Night event to bring three indie artists, all Stopover veterans, back to town. All set for the free Broughton Street event are Mississippi popmeister Dent May, and the bands GEMS and Matrimony. May and GEMS will also gig the after-party at Ampersand.

It’s a triumvirate of talent. The Savannah Music Festival, Savannah VOICE Festival, and Savannah Philharmonic have announced a unique partnership for 2015. Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica – the first two complete operas in the history of the SMF - will be presented March 20 and 22, 2015 at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts.

The operas will be conducted by Eugene Kohn, with baritone Mark Delavan and soprano Veronica Villaroel in the title roles, and directed by Joachim Schamberger.

Founded by husband-and-wife opera singers Sherill Milnes and Maria Zouves, the Savannah VOICE FESTIVAL is an annual two-week celebration of opera, now in its second year. Mozart’s Don Giovanni was presented in concert earlier this week, as part of the 2014 festival.

Opera tickets go on sale Nov. 6, with the rest of the SMF 2015 schedule.