Augusta, GA
‘This is history’: Augusta veterans join forces for last attempt to fund veterans cemetery
Between Fort Eisenhower, the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, and all the other resources, Augusta is a very military-friendly city. But it’s missing one thing: A veterans cemetery.
About 40 veterans from the area this week jumped on a bus and headed to the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta with the hope of correcting that.
A burial in a veterans cemetery comes with a lot of benefits and a veteran can be buried in any veterans cemetery no matter the location. But currently, the closest ones to Augusta are in Milledgeville and Columbia, South Carolina, both of which are more than 80 miles away.
Bringing this resource closer to the Augusta area’s military families has been a long-time passion project for veterans Don Clark and Bob Young, the former mayor of Augusta.
Q&A: Here’s what you need to know about the proposed veterans cemetery in Augusta
Georgia Capitol Dispatch: Veterans cemetery sought for Augusta, MLK’s son remembered
More than 200 acres of property have been procured around the East Central Regional Hospital’s Gracewood campus. Once completed, Georgia’s Department of Veteran Affairs will be in charge of its management.
The problem is funding the cemetery’s creation. The price is north of $10 million. The initial plan was to finance it with a federal cemetery grant, but it’s too far down on the grant’s list of priorities.
Their last hope is that the state will cover the cost, and there’s a window of opportunity between now and March when the legislative session for this year ends.
What happens if they miss that deadline?
“Don and I are probably going to fold our tent and go home,” Young said. “The only option after going to the state legislature would be, ‘Hey, City of Augusta, you want to pay for a cemetery for the state of Georgia?’ … I don’t think that’s a question the commission is looking forward to answering and I don’t think it’s an appropriate question.”
So the veterans lobbied in Atlanta, and multiple legislators were supportive.
“We are trying to find a way to honor our veterans by allowing them to be interred in their home community,” said state Sen. Max Burns.
Gloria Frazier voiced her support as a military spouse herself and as a state representative for the more than 66,000 military families in the Augusta area.
“I understand how important it is to make sure that we have our husbands and loved ones laid to rest close to us, so that we can actually visit them.” Frazier said. “A lot of the spouses would like to visit their loved ones a lot more.”
Clark said the trip went amazingly and they were proud to have so many veterans coming together to fight for this cause.
“This is history,” he said. “Bob and I have been working this process for four years going on five. … So to be able to introduce our veterans to the legislative process in motion and in action, and for them to receive recognition at the state capitol level, (I’m) very, very proud.”
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Georgia Gubernational candidate Geoff Duncan made another appearance in Augusta on Monday, speaking at the IBEW Local 1579 on Reynolds Street.
Duncan is one of the three candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. Duncan said when he served as lieutenant governor of the state, he fought to expand access to health care in rural communities. He said if he’s elected, he’ll focus on lowering costs in other areas.
Duncan stopped by NewsChannel 6 ahead of the campaign stop to speak about his plans.
“Look, 90% of Georgians know what they’re talking about when they want to pass commonsense gun legislation like universal background checks, red flag laws, and in-home safe storage laws. As governor, I want to lead the charge, and I want to give political cover to those Republicans that want to do the right thing, build those consensus around those bills,” Duncan said. “I hope to get some of them the cosign that legislation. Because it meets people where they’re at. It’s common sense. Look, I don’t want anybody to ever walk by a television screen and make another excuse for a mass shooting when it could have been stopped. With just common sense laws that are on the books.”
Photojournalist credit: Regynal McKie
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Golden Harvest Food Bank is partnering with local legal organizations for the 15th Annual Georgia Food Frenzy.
The fundraising competition is held in partnership with Feeding Georgia, the Office of the Georgia Attorney General, the State Bar of Georgia, and the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia.
The two-week competition runs from April 20th through May 1st, and every dollar raised stays local, supporting Golden Harvest’s work across the state of Georgia.
Groups can register at www.galegalfoodfrenzy.org/sign-up, and registration will remain open throughout the competition.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Georgia gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan campaigned in Augusta ahead of Election Day, making stops at two churches and meeting with local faith leaders.
The former lieutenant governor visited Good Hope Baptist Church on Cedar Street, where he spoke with the Greater Augusta Interfaith Coalition’s “Music to the Polls” group.
Duncan told us that, if elected governor, he wants to expand Medicaid, pass what he called “common-sense gun legislation,” and create more economic opportunities statewide. He also pointed to affordability concerns impacting families and businesses.
“I want to take $1.7 billion of our state’s fund and wrap it around the axle of poverty,” Duncan said, adding that he wants to lower child care costs and improve temporary assistance programs.
Duncan also stopped at Miles Memorial Church on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
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