Record-breaking prices for metals such as copper, iron and steel mean hard times for many builders and contractors, but they are pure inspiration for one wave of opportunists.

A former Staunton Police Department employee pleaded guilty Thursday to charges that she fraudulently obtained around $120,000 in student loans using the identity of her ex-husband’s uncle.

Two women were arrested Wednesday for allegedly writing up to $18,000 in fraudulent checks two-years ago after illegally moving into an unoccupied Augusta County residence.

A Fishersville resident was arrested Sunday after allegedly attempting to rob a small Crimora grocery store, police said.

An attempted armed robbery this morning at the Ladd Convenience Store on Route 340 near Waynesboro ended abruptly when the flustered, would-be bandit fled the scene empty-handed, police said.

An attempted armed robbery this morning at the Ladd Convenience Store on Route 340 near Waynesboro ended abruptly when the flustered, would-be bandit fled the scene empty handed, police said

A Verona man charged with two counts of malicious wounding for his role in a Halloween double shooting in Staunton pleaded guilty Thursday in a deal with prosecutors for reduced prison time.

Construction equipment worth $1,900 was reported stolen yesterday from an Augusta County building site, police said.

A 56-year-old Spottswood man reported the theft yesterday of three jars filled with $1,000 in change from his home on the 500 block of Almo Chapel Road, police said.

Ten years after receiving a suspended jail sentence for cruelty to animals, the owner of a Staunton horse facility was tried Tuesday in Augusta County General District Court by the same judge for the same offense in a separate case.

A Charlottesville man turned himself in to police Tuesday after an early-morning shooting in Fifeville left an 11-year-old boy dead.

A Waynesboro couple accused of pressuring one of their son’s friends to commit perjury in the wake of a fatal Dec. 12 car crash near Crimora are scheduled to appear in court today.

A large, plasma-screen television valued at $1,500 was reported missing yesterday from the customer service waiting area at a Staunton car dealership, police said.

A Staunton man was arrested Sunday for allegedly detaining a Tennessee woman at knifepoint for two hours, police said.

A bus driver for Staunton City Schools was arrested Thursday for an alleged sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student, police said.

A bus driver for Staunton City Schools has been arrested for an alleged sexual relationship with a 16-year-old male student, police said.

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Despite recommendations that a 16-year-old Crozet boy involved in the Interstate 64 shootings be put into an intensive program at a local detention center, the teen was sentenced to an indeterminate amount of time at a state juvenile facility.

A judge Wednesday struck down a motion to dismiss as unconstitutional obscenity charges against a Staunton adult video store owner and one of his employees.

Flashing blue lights were a frequent sight on Waynesboro streets over the Memorial Day weekend, as police stepped up patrols and cracked down on violations with a zero tolerance traffic enforcement policy.

An assortment of tools, several coils of wire, a 36-inch television and various other items, with a total value of $4,045, were stolen from a Staunton residence Thursday night, police said.

An Alabama man staying in a Waynesboro hotel was arrested Sunday morning after allegedly stabbing another guest with a box cutter, police said.

Police charged a Staunton man with driving under the influence Friday in a three-car crash near Stuarts Draft that sent a woman to the University of Virginia Medical Center with serious facial trauma.

A jury has found not guilty a Waynesboro babysitter accused of breaking the leg of an 8-month-old girl last year.

The Augusta County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help in investigating the thefts of a camper and fishing boat last month.

A thief made off with $8,300 in cash and coins Wednesday after breaking into a Mt. Solon home, police said.

A Staunton teacher accused of planting a series of threatening letters at Shelburne Middle School in February is scheduled to appear in Staunton General District Court at 2 p.m. this afternoon for advisement on seven felony charges.

The Waynesboro man accused of running his motorcycle over a Staunton police officer during a traffic stop Saturday appeared in Augusta County Court this morning for an advisement hearing.

CHARLOTTESVILLE — The Afton man charged in the sniper-style shootings along Interstate 64 waived his preliminary hearing for the 15 felony counts against him.

A Waynesboro couple accused of pressuring one of their son’s friends to commit perjury in the wake of a fatal Dec. 12 car crash near Crimora are scheduled to appear in court today.

Alleged Interstate 64 sniper Slade Woodson was indicted by a Waynesboro grand jury today on six felony charges stemming from two early-morning shooting incidents in the city.