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Detectives are investigating the actions that led to the shooting of West Savannah man during a dominoes game in the Hudson Hill area Wednesday night.

Kareem Marquise Harris, 29, of a Newcastle Street address, was transported to Memorial University Medical Center where he underwent surgery after the 8:47 p.m. shooting.

He and others had convened at a house on Kane Street when three men entered the yard and an altercation began. One of the men produced a handgun and fired, striking Harris.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward. A confidential Tip Line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124.

A 31-year-old motorcyclist died this morning after he lost control and crashed at Interstates 516 and 16. James Ernest Banks of Guyton died at Memorial University Medical Center where he was transported after the 7:32 a.m. crash.

He had been on a a blue and silver 2003 Suzuki motorcycle northbound on I-516 and turned right onto the off ramp to the entrance of I-16. He entered the curve and lost control, striking the guard rail on the north side of the off ramp.

The driver was found down the embankment and the motorcycle came to rest on the south side of the off ramp.

Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting death of a 19-year-old Savannah man early this morning.

Antwan Rivers of the 200 block of Hampstead Avenue was found dead on the sidewalk on the 1100 block of East 38th Street by residents alerted by gunshots at 1:22 a.m.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward. A confidential Tip Line also is open directly to Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police investigators at (912) 525-3124.

The Georgia Department of Public Health today confirmed the state’s first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV). The adult patient from Brantley County was infected in May and recovered without hospitalization or complications.

“Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes that may be infected with West Nile Virus,” said Rosmarie Kelly, Ph.D., MPH, Georgia Department of Public Health entomologist. “In the heat of summer, it can take less than 10 days to go from egg to adult mosquito.”

Reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home by emptying standing water from containers - flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires, and birdbaths - anything that holds water and gives mosquitoes a place to thrive.

The most effective way to avoid WNV, says the Ga. Dept. of Public Health, is to prevent mosquito bites and the best way to do that is to observe the “Five D’s of WNV Prevention.”

· Dusk/Dawn — Mosquitoes carrying WNV usually bite at dusk and dawn, so avoid or limit outdoor activity at these times.

· Dress — Wear loose-fitting, long sleeved shirts and pants to reduce the amount of exposed.

· DEET — Cover exposed skin with an insect repellent containing the DEET, which is the most effective repellent against mosquito bites.

· Drain - Empty any containers holding standing water because they can be excellent breeding grounds for virus-carrying mosquitoes.

· Doors — Make sure doors and windows are in good repair and fit tightly, and fix torn or damaged screens to keep mosquitoes out of the house.

Symptoms of WNV include headache, fever, neck discomfort, muscle and joint aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that usually develop three to 15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. will develop less severe West Nile fever. One in 150 people bitten by infected mosquitoes will develop encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord). Approximately 10 percent of people with a severe form of WNV infection die from their illness.

Detectives continue to sort out details of a downtown shooting early this morning in which a bystander received non-life threatening injuries.

A 22-year-old man was transported to Memorial University Medical Center with a shoulder wound after the 12:15 a.m. incident near Bay and Whitaker streets.

The area of the shooting was "immediately saturated with Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police officers who were in the area for the annual July 4 festivities," a police spokesman says.

Four males running from the shooting were detained for questioning but none have been connected to the shooting at this time. One of those, Joseph Roscoe Marshall, 18, was charged with possession of a stolen firearm after an officer saw him running from police on the 300 block of West Broughton Street. He is not a suspect in the shooting.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). 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 merger of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography with the University of Georgia, effective July 1, was initiated by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia as part of efforts to streamline operations.
Those involved expect the new alignment between the institute and the university will enhance the research efforts of both the Skidaway Institute and UGA’s marine and coastal programs.

“This historic merger creates new opportunities in research, instruction and outreach while facilitating collaboration among University System of Georgia institutions,” says new UGA President Jere W. Morehead.

The Skidaway Institute is a research institution on a 700-acre campus on Skidaway Island. It was created in 1967 by the Georgia General Assembly and operated as a stand-alone institution for four years before coming under the responsibility of the university system. With the merger, the institute's executive director, Jim Sanders, now reports to the UGA’s Office of the Provost.

“Combining the intellectual and physical resources of the Skidaway Institute with those of the University of Georgia will strengthen an area of research whose impact extends far beyond the coast,” said Libby Morris, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

According to Skidaway Institute executive director Jim Sanders, in addition to strengthening pre-existing collaborations with UGA researchers, the merger creates new opportunities for cross-disciplinary research with faculty in units such as the College of Engineering.

“Also, we expect Skidaway Institute to continue to maintain the historically strong relationships with other university system institutions, such as Georgia Tech and Savannah State,” Sanders said.

UGA already has a strong presence on the Skidaway Institute campus. The UGA Marine Extension Service Aquarium provides educational programs for approximately 18,000 students annually. The Marine Extension Service Shellfish Laboratory is also located on the Skidaway campus.

A Savannah man is in custody following his arrest in connection with a series of fires at a Southside apartment complex in late March and early April.

Savannah Fire investigators say 24-year-old Juwan Johnson of 10612 Abercorn St. was arrested this morning at a business in the 10400 block of Abercorn Street.

Johnson was charged in June through a federal indictment with three counts of arson in connection with the fires at Stratford Arms Apartment complex at 126 Tibet Ave.

Savannah firefighters responded to three separate fires at the apartment complex on March 31, April 2 and April 8. All three fires were reported by Johnson and SFES investigators deemed at least two of them to be suspicious at the time. Two of the fires occurred near a maintenance storage building and the third was in a vacant apartment at the complex.

Through their investigation, SFES investigators developed a link between Johnson and the fires and were assisted by agents of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms. In addition to the three arson charges, Johnson is charged with lying to a federal agent. He is currently in the custody of the US Marshal’s Service awaiting an initial court appearance.

One man has died and another has been arrested after an early-morning shooting on the Southside.

Marco Cruz, 54, of the 100 block of Tibet Avenue died after being transported by an acquaintance to St. Joseph Hospital with gunshot wounds about 3:13 a.m. this past Sunday.

Homicide detectives charged Venturino Ruiz Suchiapa, 46, of the 10900 block of Queen Ann Court, with murder after Southside Precinct officers saw him driving back to the area of the shooting.

The shooting on Queen Ann Court was reported to have followed a confrontation between the two men.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward. A confidential Tip Line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124.

"In response to community interest," Savannah City Council will allow an hour during Thursday’s City Council meeting for the public to offer comment on the Cruise Ship Feasibility Study being considered by City Council, says a City spokesperson.

The comment period will occur at the beginning of the next City Council meeting on Thursday, June 27 at 2 p.m. Those wishing to speak during the meeting must sign up at the meeting. The comment period will be limited to 3 minutes per person, with an overall time limit of one hour.

"Due to the time constraints, organizations are encouraged to select one individual to sign up to speak for their group," the City says. "The Mayor encourages all interested parties to send their comments to her in advance of the meeting."

She can be reached by email at [email protected] or by FAX at 912-651-6805.

For more info contact the City of Savannah Public Information Office at 651-6410.

Today city crews are retrofitting lights in Washington and Warren squares with new energy-efficient induction lamps.

"The public should be aware that during the retrofit process," says a City spokesman, "temporary fixtures will be in place on the light poles for the next few weeks. The permanent fixtures, when installed, will be more historically appropriate."

Washington and Warren squares — located long Bryan Street at Habersham and Houston — are two of seven historic squares that will receive energy efficient and more natural lighting this year. The others are Orleans, Pulaski, Calhoun, Chatham and Troup squares, as well as the Gordon and Tomochichi monuments in Wright Square.

The lights will be retrofitted with "Pennsylvania Globe induction lamps to be consistent with the recommendations of the comprehensive lighting plan for downtown parks and squares, which was developed in 2011," the City says.

The lights will be the same as those in Wright, Whitefield and Lafayette squares, which were upgraded in 2012 with financial support from the Downtown Neighborhood Association.

Upgraded fixtures in Warren and Washington Squares should be installed by the middle of July and those in Orleans, Pulaski and Calhoun squares by the middle of August.

Donations, neighborhood matching funds, and existing square renovation funds will be used to pay for the upgrades.