Augusta, GA
Thomson Mayor Benji Cranford faces federal lawsuit
THOMSON, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Thomson Mayor Benji Cranford is facing a federal lawsuit.
Cranford just took over as mayor last month after unseating Kenneth Usry, who served the city for 12 years.
News 12 found the lawsuit paints a different picture than Cranford’s campaign.
The lawsuit was filed just months before he launched his campaign for mayor — a campaign in which he promoted himself as a successful entrepreneur hoping to help others thrive in the business community just like him.
But the lawsuit reveals alleged financial troubles and broken promises.
Cranford touted the town and his success in political ads he ran locally last fall.
“I’ve made a good living in Thomson, and I want everyone else to know they can stay in Thomson to have a good living and be successful,” Cranford said in his campaign ad.
Just three months later, his business office doors are locked. Online, it shows it’s permanently closed.
Cranford posted on social media sites and his website about his paving company, C&H Paving, being a cornerstone of the town’s economic landscape.
But financial troubles and a lawsuit now threaten to shatter his tales of homegrown success.
Last July, four months before launching his campaign, Fidelity and Deposit Co. of Maryland filed a lawsuit against Cranford.
As the bonding company, Fidelity and Deposit Co. of Maryland was brought in to guarantee that large-scale projects undertaken by Cranford’s company would be completed.
The lawsuit says Cranford notified the bonding company that his business was having money problems. Cranford needed them to step in to pay debts, so he could keep his business running.
What’s at stake? Millions of dollars of contract work that Cranford has with the Georgia Department of Transportation.
READ THE LAWSUIT:
The lawsuit says Fidelity and Deposit Co. of Maryland agreed under certain conditions C&H would continue to help complete the projects by the deadlines with GDOT and give F&D access to all company and personal assets.
The lawsuit says Cranford broke the agreement.
It alleges C&H failed to complete projects on time, never transferred equipment for use and didn’t give F&D access to the company’s financial system.
Instead, the lawsuit says Cranford gifted his asphalt plant to one of his sons just two months after agreeing to pledge all of his properties to the bonding company.
Days after being elected as Thomson’s mayor, Cranford appeared to be someone who welcomed an open line of communication.
During an interview with News 12, he said: “You should be able to talk to your mayor. He’s the representative of the city. He’s the one that, he’s like your mama and your daddy. That’s who you go to.”
This week, News 12 tried several times to reach the mayor, including at his business office.
That’s when we were approached by a Thomson police officer who said Cranford was not available to talk nor in town.
Cranford did eventually respond to a text message.
When News 12 called to ask him about the lawsuit, the newly elected mayor, who ran on the slogan of “Grow. Unite. Listen,” cut News 12 off mid-sentence telling us to “Get to the point. He was very busy.” He advised us to schedule an appointment with the city clerk to speak to him.
We have since called the city clerk twice to set up a time to talk to Cranford.
The city clerk left a message Thursday that she didn’t know his schedule and would check on dates and times.
When News 12 followed up on Friday, no one picked up the phone at the clerk’s office.
In the lawsuit, the bonding company said it has suffered over $4 million in losses over Cranford’s projects and expects to shell out even more.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Students showcased drones they built during a two-week summer camp at Augusta Regional Airport on Friday.
12 junior and high school students attended the camp, where they learned to fly and build drones designed to help others.
Anderson Puryear, a student, said the camp focused on delivering small medical supplies.
“It was focused on delivering small medical supplies like an EPI pen or glucose packet for like diabetics and for people with allergies in need in the real world that could obviously help save lives, and if people are like in a place in a boat or like in the desert or in the forest where they can’t easily access those supplies it can save their lives,” Puryear said.
The airport partnered with Georgia Tech, state troopers and the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Department for the Air Edu Summer Camp.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The 10th annual Juneteenth Augusta Festival brought families to the Augusta Fairgrounds on Friday despite the muggy heat.
Cultural and community-focused events, live music performances and food trucks were available at the celebration.
Tonia Hill, attending the Juneteenth celebration, said she loves the holiday and is supporting the community, though she acknowledged the weather conditions.
“I love Juneteenth. And I’m supporting everybody. It’s hot. It’s hot. It’s hot,” Hill said.
The festival runs until 10 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Dream Center is seeing more families turn to its food pantry this summer as children lose access to school lunches.
Organizations like the Augusta Dream Center see a surge in families who relied on school lunches during the academic year, according to Hallie Kohan, assistant director.
“We see a lot more families that have young kids who are in need that simply don’t have those meals they are normally getting,” Kohan said. “We see an influx of families that come through.”
Demand is up, but the food supply is not keeping pace.
“Right now we are having some food distribution issues so while we are seeing an increase in families, we are seeing a decrease in the amount of food coming through our doors,” Kohan said.
The center is asking the community to host food drives or donate kid-friendly items such as mac and cheese and oatmeal.
Every Sunday the Dream Center opens its doors for a hot meal, serving as many as 120 people.
“Families can come in and get their hot meal. They sit down, it’s dignified, it’s a diner,” Kohan said. “It’s a welcoming experience for kids to come in and not feel like they are in need.”
No paperwork is required to receive help.
“Just because you think someone is in a great situation, in today’s economy you never know,” Kohan said. “It could be your neighbor, mom, or best friend.”
The Augusta Dream Center food pantry is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. Hot meals are served Sundays from 5 to 6 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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