Aiken County voters will decide a couple of races Tuesday. Voters in North Augusta will pick a new county councilman for District 5. Another race getting some attention is the Mayor’s race in Burnettown.

According to our news partner, ‘The Aiken Standard’, the Aiken County Board of Education voted, unanimously, Tuesday night to offer H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines to all students. The vaccine would be offered through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), after the vaccine is received.

A pivotal Senate committee has approved a sweeping remake of the country’s health care system, delivering a long-sought boost to President Barack Obama’s goal of expanding coverage. The 14-9 vote in the Senate Finance Committee sets up a historic debate on the Senate floor and moves health care overhaul closer to reality than it has been for decades.

Monday night, the Denmark City Council voted 4-2 to approve a 45 percent increase in water rates for all water users. There was a big crowd at the meeting expressing concern about the ability of seniors and the poor to pay the new rates.

A local attorney behind bars after Sheriff Ronnie Strength says he tried to bribe two Augusta Commissioners. David Fry, 57, was arrested Tuesday morning at his home and charged with two counts of bribery. Count on our Fraendy Clervaud. He has the story.

A victory is being claimed by some businesses in Aiken County, Wednesday morning. “Blue laws” are no more. Tuesday night, Aiken County Council members voted to do away with the laws by a vote of 7-2.

Aiken County Council will take a final vote on the “blue laws” Tuesday night. For years, the county has upheld the law that prevents stores from selling certain items, like clothes and housewares, from being sold before 1:30 p.m., on Sundays.

It’s creating a great sense of urgency, after months of fighting, and little progress. Augusta city leaders are scheduled to vote on the new trade center, next week, but this time, a ‘no action’ could mean the loss of a downtown hotel. WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

According to Richmond County Board of Elections Executive Director Lynn Bailey, at its special called meeting, held August 3, 2009, the Richmond County Board of Elections unanimously voted to call for the special election to fill the vacancy in Board of Education District 5 to be held on November 3, 2009 in conjunction with the scheduled General Municipal Election.

The Senate’s No. 3 Republican is breaking with the rest of his party’s leaders to support Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to approve Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic justice.

The No. 2 Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee says he’ll vote against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley says Sotomayor didn’t convince him she’d be able to set aside personal biases and prejudices to decide cases impartially. He says he still feels burned by his support for Justice David Souter, who Sotomayor would replace if confirmed.

The National Rifle Association is warning senators that it will consider their votes on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as part of its influential annual ratings of lawmakers.

The top Democrat in the Senate says lawmakers won’t vote until after August on health care, a blow to President Barack Obama’s ambitious timetable.

Gun control proponents scored a rare victory as the Senate rejected the carrying of concealed weapons across state lines.