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Over the past four months, the Armstrong Police Department at Armstrong Atlantic State University collected nearly 500 pounds of unused prescription drugs.

"With the help of the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), the drugs were transported to Florida to be incinerated," a university spokesperson says. "The program, started by CNT, was spurred on by the need to keep prescription drugs out of the water supply."

“Most people just flush the drugs down their toilets,” said Autumn Rahn, the coordinator of Armstrong’s prescription drug drop-off program. “This method leads to the drugs infiltrating the water supply, which is highly unhealthy. Instead, the drugs need to be destroyed completely.”

The Armstrong Police Department has "the only 24-hour prescription drug drop-off box in Chatham County, so the amount collected can be substantial. People can anonymously drop medication off at any time, but the pickup by CNT only occurs when a large volume is accumulated," the university says.

Rahn explains that people with severe illnesses often require multiple medications, and when those individuals die, their relatives can be left with massive amounts of prescription drugs. Armstrong’s take-back system helps them rid their homes of dangerous drugs and, possibly, ease their grief.

“It touches everyone whether they realize it or not,” she said.

Armstrong’s prescription drug drop-off box is open to the public and is always confidential.

Two City aldermen involved in a controversial hubbub at a recent council meeting — stemming from disagreements about a new hotel project — issued joint statements Tuesday:

STATEMENT FROM ALDERMAN BORDEAUX

Last week there was a disruption during the City Council meeting. I am sorry for my part in it. I expressed an opinion directly to Alderwoman Mary Osborne, and I was rude in having done so. I have sincerely apologized directly to her for my comment.

Let me be clear about something else: No part of this disruption, nothing that was said by any of us Council members and nothing of my own poor behavior, had anything to do with race, despite what some observers have speculated. We on Council know each other personally. We each have our own strengths and weaknesses, and our own beliefs about what’s best for Savannah. We are not perfect, but all of our actions are driven by a desire to best serve our city.

STATEMENT FROM ALDERWOMAN OSBORNE

I accept this public apology from Alderman Bordeaux, and hope that everyone will put this incident behind them. We can disagree, but must always be able to express our positions without being disagreeable to one another.

Most days, we keep the debate respectful. But on occasion, all of us have said things we regret in the heat of the moment. It is time for Council to focus on the business of the city, and for everyone to move on. I know I have.

Savannah-Chatham Police detectives have obtained warrants for the arrest of two Atlanta area residents tied to a River Street fight during Mother’s Day weekend.

Misdemeanor warrants have been filed for Robert William Gray, 40, of Cumming, GA and Richard Wayne Barnes, of Lawrenceville, GA.

Both men are charged with affray due to their roles in a fight near Savannah’s Rousakis Plaza on the night of Saturday, May 10. The incident became internet fodder after extensive social media attention.

This comes after "video surveillance cameras captured a physical altercation between two men as they passed one another on a crowed sidewalk along with their families. Surveillance footage showed members of both groups carrying beverages," police say.

Police "arrived at the scene within 10 minutes of the first call, where members of one of the families remained. Responding officers reported a heavy odor of alcohol among members of the group."

To judge for yourself, see unedited footage of the incident, not provided by local police, here.

“We definitely credit the hard work of SCMPD’s Downtown Precinct detectives for combing through the facts of this investigation,” said Police Chief Julie Tolbert. “The matter is now in the hands of our justice system, which will undoubtedly apply due diligence to reaching an appropriate judgment.”

"Aggressive drivers and those drinking and driving will be targeted when some 30 officers from law enforcement agencies across Georgia join Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police in a 90-day traffic enforcement operation," a police spokesman says.

"Operation Thunder" begins today when visiting officers will join Metro in "road checks and saturation of high traffic areas in all five precincts."

The operation is being held in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The operation was invited to the area by Metro Police Chief Julie Tolbert after a series of fatal hit and run incidents involving pedestrians and some 11 fatal and 24 serious injury accidents so far this year.

“Serious and fatal accidents are among the most heart breaking events we respond to and it is so disturbing to realize most could have been prevented with just a little more caution on the part of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists,” Tolbert said. “Some of these victims are children and many of them were doing absolutely nothing wrong when someone else’s carelessness brought them tragedy. We hope this operation will help us curtail that.”

The operation is overseen by Metro Traffic Unit Lt. Greg Mitchell who is steering it towards traffic hot spots through road checks, speed enforcement and school zone enforcement. Visiting officers will join his traffic officers and precinct patrol officers through August 29.

“Speeders, aggressive drivers and drunk drivers will be sought out in an attempt to make our streets and highways safer,” he said, pointing out that extra efforts will be made to address roadway safety during the July 4 weekend.

Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police are requesting the public’s help in identifying the gunman who shot a homeless man during a reported robbery attempt May 5.

Carl Whipple, 51, has been hospitalized in serious condition since the shooting on West 40th Street near MLK Jr. Boulevard in the Cuyler-Brownville neighborhood. Central Precinct officers patrolling a block away heard the shots and found him on the ground about 9:30 p.m.

Robbery unit detectives are trying to identify the man who reportedly demanded money from him then shot him after he refused to comply and walked away.

The gunman was described as a clean-shaven black male, possibly in his mid-20s, about 5-6, 140 pounds with a short haircut. At the time of the shooting he was wearing long white pants, possibly jeans, and a blue and white polo-style short-sleeve shirt.

Anyone with information 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.

Detectives from the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the death of a homeless man found near railroad tracks in West Savannah earlier this week.

The body of the 65-year-old man who was known the frequent the area, was found at the end of Old W. Lathrop Street by a passer-by about 10:52 a.m. His identity has been withheld pending notification of next of kin.

An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death.

Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police rescued two different animals across their jurisdiction Tuesday. Animal Control officers recovered an injured hawk in Lake Mayer while Islands Precinct officers were untangling a cat found hanging by its broken leg on a fence top in east Savannah.

The juvenile red tailed hawk was captured via a blanket. It had an injured leg and other issues.

“He didn’t even try to fly away,” said Lt. Carey Hill, who leads the Animal Control Unit.

• Lt. Carey Hill with the injured hawk

The bird has been taken to a rehabilitator to be nursed back to health. Patrol officers found the cat, believed to be a pet, hanging from a fence on Louisiana Avenue about the same time.

• Ofc .Clayton Smith with the kitty

Detectives are investigating a report by a Savannah man that "he was shot as he walked to a relative’s house this morning," police say.

King Reeves, 23, told officers from the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department Central Precinct that he was walking on the 600 block of West 46th Street about 3 a.m. "when one member of a small group of males walking behind him shot at him, inflicting a non-life threatening wound."

Reeves was transported to Memorial University Medical Center for treatment.

Metro detectives are asking anyone with info 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 City of Savannah Property Maintenance Department will be conducting an illegal yard parking blitz in several Southside and Westside neighborhoods tomorrow, Wednesday, May 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

City ordinance requires vehicles, boats and trailers to be parked on an established driveway or within 5 feet of that driveway and parallel to it. Cars parked at an angle on the yard, or too far from a driveway, are in violation.

City inspectors recently conducted similar illegal yard parking blitzes in late March, generating a total of 135 citations and courtesy notices.

Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police detectives continue to collect and review videos of an altercation between "what appears to be two families on River Street Saturday night and are seeking participants to complete their investigation," a spokesperson says.

Downtown Precinct detectives would like to interview three males and two females about the altercation which took place near Rousakis Plaza about 9:48 p.m.

Videos being reviewed by detectives "show two large groups of people, each including children, walking on River Street. When one group encountered eight members of an Atlanta family standing on the sidewalk, one male avoided contact by walking into River Street while a male and female worked their way through the family," police say.

See the video here.

Just after that male walked through the cluster of family members, "he was confronted by one or two males in the family and a verbal altercation ensued. The male who had walked around the family pulled the other male away and they left. But one of the males in the Atlanta family continued to talk to him. He broke free from the male who was leading him away and ran back into the crowd where a fight ensued, with members of both groups trying to break it up," police say.

The video does show a female with the second group trying to separate the parties and pulling a female family member away by her hair. "But detectives could find no sign of a 6-year-old or 13-year-old child being punched, as a member of the family announced in a Facebook posting," police say.

This is the Facebook page of the Atlanta man who originally posted the first account, which soon went viral.

Atlanta media coverage is here.

Police were on scene within 10 minutes of the first call, but the second group had left by then. The videos showed that members of both groups were carrying beverages and officers on scene reported a heavy odor of alcohol.

“We certainly understand the frustration of a family who came to Savannah for an enjoyable weekend and ended up with injuries from an unpleasant situation,” said Police Chief Julie Tolbert. “But preliminary investigations show this was not a random act. We will continue to determine all the facts as we move forward.”

Detectives are asking members of the second group, which appeared to be a family with children and an older couple, to come forward and provide their version of the altercation. One male was wearing a yellow shirt, the other a red shirt and later took it off and was wearing a white tank top. A younger female was wearing a white skirt or shorts and a beige or yellow top. The elder male was wearing all white and a white hat. They are asked to contact Downtown Precinct detectives via the SCMPD non-emergency number (912) 651-6500.