AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Former Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree’s funeral was held on Friday morning.

The funeral began at 11 a.m. at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, the Rev. Karlton Howard officiating.

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Interment will follow at Noah’s Ark Baptist Church Cemetery in Waynesboro.

A viewing was held on Thursday at Good Shepherd Baptist Church from 2-6 p.m.

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• Classmate remembers former Sheriff Richard Roundtree ahead of funeral
• Funeral announced for former Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree

News 12 first learned of Roundtree’s passing on April 11. He’d been in a metro Atlanta hospital with serious medical issues.

Several people spoke during the funeral service, but one deputy in particular spoke of Roundtree’s leadership.

“He was more than a sheriff. He was an innovator. He looked for better ways to serve. He led with integrity, courage and genuine commitment,” said the deputy.

Roundtree, 57, was the head law enforcement officer in Augusta for more than a decade − and when he took office in 2012, notably no sheriff had been like him.

He was the first African American elected to the title, something he spent a career working toward.

He was highly visible in the community, where he could frequently be seen in a vest, working a crime scene along with his deputies.

Former classmate Clarence Brown said he was proud of Roundtree for his work.

“I was proud of him for, for actually, you know, getting to that level. But at the same time I realized that that’s a heavy weight, especially being from the community, um, and, and to draw in the community,” Brown said. “And so I wanted him to know that there was somebody in his corner that didn’t need anything.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A 74-year-old Augusta man has been missing for more than a week, and his family says they are desperate for answers.

Alex Paulos was last seen on Ring camera footage on Ansley Court on April 8. Richmond County deputies said he was driving a white Nissan Frontier pickup truck with a license plate reading RPV-4222. The last reported sighting of him was in his neighborhood.

Neighbors Shay and Rodger Byers have lived across the street from Paulos for years and say they spoke with him often.

“Alex is always a gift for gab,” Rodger Byers said. “When he came over, I realized that there was more to his visit than just paying us for lawn care. And so I started talking to him for about 3 hours.”

Byers said Paulos was struggling before his disappearance.

“Alex was pretty distraught about the condition of his home,” Byers said. “I was really concerned about Alex’s mental state. I offered multiple times, probably 20 times to get him help.”

Both neighbors and family say his mental state and lack of communication are fueling their concern. A neighbor and close friend called his daughter, and that call sparked the search. Before that, the family says Paulos had been struggling with his home situation and the recent loss of his brother.

“There’s just been a lot going on for him mentally and emotionally,” said Jennifer Lewis, Paulos’s daughter. “If you know him, you know that he is bubbly and fun and doesn’t meet a stranger.”

Lewis said the family is trying to remain hopeful.

“I’m an optimistic person, so I want to try to stay as optimistic as I can,” Lewis said. “I mean, but yeah, we’re worried. I mean, it’s just a long time.”

The family says since posting on Facebook, they have received an outpouring of support from the community, including people resharing the post, which has been especially helpful during this time.

Anyone who has seen Alex Paulos or his white Nissan Frontier is asked to call Richmond County deputies.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is delivering resources to small business training programs across the state, including in Augusta.

Funds for the projects will be through bipartisan government funding legislation that became law on February 3.

“Small businesses are the backbone of Georgia’s economy and our communities,” said Ossoff. “These projects will support their growth for years to come.”

In Augusta, the GABCC Foundation was awarded $500,000 to provide training, technical assistance, and programming to small businesses and entrepreneurs in rural East Georgia.

“Thank you to Senator Jon Ossoff for your continued support of business owners in rural East Georgia,” said Ronic West, Founder, GABCC Foundation. “This marks the second program you have supported for the CSRA region, and shows your commitment is creating real opportunities for our business community to grow and thrive.”

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