Augusta, GA
Future of Augusta Historic Preservation Commission still on hold
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The future of the Augusta Historic Preservation Commission remains uncertain after months of back-and-forth between city leaders.
Commissioners met on Wednesday to discuss possible changes to the ordinance.
This comes after the panel came under fire from city leaders over the decaying Old First Baptist Church.
Some leaders want to do away with the ordinance, while others are fighting for it to stay.
We caught up with Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson and Augusta Commission member Catherine Smith-Rice after the meeting.
“Decisions made, especially as it relates to homeowners, that it be brought before the commission before going to arbitration,” said Johnson. “No homeowner who’s bearing the costs of renovating a property that’s potentially hundreds of years old should have to bear the costs of an attorney if they are just trying to bring their house up to standard, so I would hope that decision would be brought before the governing body.”
“Augusta is an old city, and with what we have in Summerville, we’ve got a lot of old structures, so no, I don’t believe in doing away with the historic preservation,” said Smith-Rice. “They’ve been here for a while, we continue to keep them, and we need to work together.”
Commissioners talked about the guidelines within each district, the impact of downtown blight, and tax credits.

Johnson also says leaders are working on plans to help work on vacant buildings in the city.
“We had one of the best leadership organizations visiting our city and wanted to take a picture of the beautiful James Brown statue, but unfortunately, behind the James Brown statue is an eyesore. So, we are continuing to have conversations about how we could perhaps bring these buildings that are vacant to some level of decorum.”
Commissioners are expected to make a decision at the next committee meeting.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Augusta Men Drop Overtime Thriller to Georgia College and State – Augusta University
Augusta, Ga. – In a game that saw 19 lead changes, Georgia College and State prevailed over Augusta 99-91 in overtime Saturday at Christenberry Fieldhouse. The Jaguars fall to 2-2 in Peach Belt Conference play and 6-7 overall. The Bobcats are now 3-0 in conference play and 6-2 overall.
C.J. Jones of GCSU was the star of this one as he poured in 42 points to lead all scorers and also grabbed eight rebounds in the win.
The Jaguars fell behind midway through the second half, but with just one second left in regulation, T.J. Baker hit a three-pointer to send the game into overtime. But in the extra period, GCSU outscored AU 18-10 for the winning margin.
Luis Nonfon, who had another double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, started the scoring in overtime and gave the Jags the 83-81 lead. GCSU then rattled off five straight points to take the lead, one they would not surrender.
The Jaguars had five players in double figures led by Elías Pálsson who tallied 22 points while grabbing eight rebounds. T.J. Baker and Tobias Prall each had 18 points while Charlie McBeath scored 13.
Augusta hit on just 35% of their shots from the field while GCSU hit on 52.5%. The Bobcats outscored Augusta 46-22 in the paint and went 8-18 from three-point range while Augusta finished 10 of 29 from deep. From the foul line, both teams went 29-36.
Other than Nonfon grabbing double figures in rebounds, Pálsson eight rebounds and was a perfect 12-12 from the foul line.
Next up for the Jaguars will be a battle with Reinhardt University on Thursday at 11 a.m., part of Columbia County Education Day.
Augusta, GA
Richmond County deputies searching for suspect after armed robbery on Wheeler Road
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Richmond County started a search for an armed robbery suspect Saturday evening.
They started the search on the 3700 block of Wheeler Road after an alleged armed robbery at an SRP ATM.
The suspect is described as a 40-year-old black male, wearing all black, a face mask and a camouflage jacket.
The suspect fled the area on foot in an unknown direction.
The sheriff’s office used K9 Units, along with the drone unit, to search.
This investigation is in its early stages, and no further information is available at this time.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Aerospace program milestone reached at Thompson Farm in Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Students at Richmond County Technical Magnet School achieved a milestone by launching their 500th non-kit rocket.
Students launched rockets at Thompson Farm in Augusta. The launch is part of the school’s aerospace program that has been part of their STEM curriculum since 2014.
The Augusta Fire Department collaborated with the group for the launch.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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