AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Authorities chased down and caught two escapees and took them into custody Thursday morning in Richmond County.

At 10:41 a.m., the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office got an alert about a black Toyota Tacoma linked to two escaped inmates from the Georgia Department of Corrections.

They’d failed to return to the Augusta Transitional Center from their place of employment at 9 p.m. Wednesday and the vehicle was reported stolen in Richmond County, according to authorities.

A Columbia deputy spotted the vehicle headed east on Washington Road at Davis Road and followed it to Shartom Drive in Richmond County, where additional deputies from Columbia and Richmond counties as well as U.S. Marshals Services officers converged.

A felony takedown was performed, and the driver, George Carter, 58, and front passenger Matthew Connelly, 30, were taken into custody without incident, according to authorities.

The vehicle and both detainees were turned over to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals Service.

While officers were apprehending the escapees, the driver of the truck shifted it into reverse and it rolled into the front of a Columbia County deputy’s patrol vehicle, but no one was injured and the patrol vehicle received minor front-end damage.

Carter is serving 10 years for burglary out of Clayton County with a maximum release date of October 2025.

Connelly is serving five years for aggravated battery out of Bulloch County with a maximum release date of July 2026.

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A transformer fire at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro triggered a safety alert on Tuesday. The alert was resolved once the flames were extinguished.

Soon after the announcement, the alert was terminated, according to Georgia Power. Plant conditions didn’t impact public safety, according to experts.

Trained personnel are working on recovery efforts in close coordination with federal, state and local officials, noted Georgia Power in a news release.

More: Plant Vogtle nuclear reactor back in service after a shutdown due to ‘valve issue’

An ‘alert’ signals an event occurred that could cause safety concerns, according to the release. 

“Our top priority is the safety and health of the public and our employees,” said Plant Vogtle 1 & 2 site Vice President John Weissinger.  

There was no danger to the public, according to Georgia Power

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Funding Partners.

Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.

AUGUSTA, GA — Clayton State’s Ariyonna Jones and Georgia College & State University’s Jada Warren have been named the conference-level selections for the NCAA Woman of the Year. The two will be among the 46 Division II student-athletes advancing in the selection process after being chosen from all PBC institution nominees for the award. The selections were made by the Peach Belt Senior Woman Administrator committee.

A member of the Clayton State track & field team, Jones graduated with a degree in psychology & human services, carrying a 3.59 cumulative GPA. Named to the CSC Academic All-District team, she was also named to the PBC Team of Academic Distinction and the PBC Presidential Honor Roll. A member of the Clayton State student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC), she also volunteered with the Community Teen Coalition.

On the track, Jones earned both indoor and outdoor USTFCCCA All-Southeast Region mention.  The native of Dublin, Ga. broke eight school records between the indoor & outdoor seasons including shattering the 200m dash and the 400m dash records in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.  At the PBC Outdoor Championships, she earned the conference crown in both the 400m dash (55.75) and in the 200m dash (24.26) and in the 4×400 meter relay (3:53.00) and took second in the 4×100 meter relay. Also at the Championships, Jones clocked NCAA DII provisional times in the 200m and the 400m dash.  She also was a three-time all-conference finisher in the Indoor PBC Championships earlier in February.  She was key as the Laker women’s track & field team placed second, as a team, in the Outdoor Championships, which is the best finish in program history.

Warren graduated from GCSU with a degree in exercise science with a 3.64 cumulative GPA. From Norcross, Ga., she graduated cum laude and received the GCSU Student Leader of the Year Bobcat Award. A member of the PBC Team of Academic Distinction and Presidential Honor Roll, she was a CSC Academic All-District selection, a member of the GCSU honors college, and named to the Gamma Beta Phi Honors Society. She also served in the GCSU student government, the Black Student Alliance and in the LIFE Mentorship Program.

On the court, Warren averaged 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 points this season for the Bobcats. Warren, who pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds against Columbus State University, grabbed 256 rebounds and shot 44.0 percent (40-of-91) from the field. She also collected 22 blocked shots, 21 assists and 13 steals. Warren was 50th in NCAA Division II and led the PBC in rebounds. She was also first in the Peach Belt in rebounds per game (8.8). Warren finished seventh in the league in blocked shots.

The NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee will announce 30 finalists – 10 from each division – later this fall, then narrow that to the top three nominees in each division. The NCAA Woman of the Year award will be presented at the NCAA Convention in Nashville in January.