Augusta, GA
‘A sense of community’: Pride is thriving in downtown Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Pride Festival is this weekend, and as with any downtown event, safety is top of mind for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
The weekend kicks off Friday evening with Beats on Broad at 6 p.m. at the Augusta Common.
Then the Pride Parade will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the Augusta Pride Festival at the Common.
“Fifteen years of Augusta Pride, we’ve been in the city,” said Michael Barnard Jenkins, Augusta Pride president.
He noted it all started with an event expected to draw 100 people, and now attendance is up to more than 15,000.
It’s worth it to see the results after working on putting it together for so long.
“The people – it is always the people. Coming out and seeing it all come together after working 365 days to put it together. Standing back and seeing the smiling faces, the families just come out and being able to be themselves have a good time, being able to find resources they need,” he said.
“I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘Thank you. You know, I found a sense of belonging. I’ve found a sense of community.’ And I think that is the most important thing for me, is just continuing to do something for the greater good.”
We spoke with deputies about their safety plan for the weekend – and what their officer presence looks like during the day.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has community safety officers stationed all across downtown. They’re in yellow shirts, and either on foot or in golf carts.
Maj. Robbie Silas said with recent security additions, more people are comfortable coming downtown.
“It’s a lot safer environment and folks are able to come down and join themselves,” Silas said.
And that’s good for business.
“Especially right now with all the construction going on on Broad Street, you know, I think our downtown businesses thrive on our local festivals,” Jenkins said. “You know, Augusta Pride has had over $1.2 million worth of economic impact in one year alone for the city of Augusta.”
Festivals like Pride bring an even bigger security presence.
“With these large gatherings, we have increased presence at them. We have the Pride Festival coming this weekend and we’ve added extra security for this one and other events that are coming,” Silas said. “We have some great events coming down here, and we have adequate protection.”
Businesses will like that – especially ones that depend on foot traffic, like Grantski Records.
“We rely on in-person sales for the bulk of our revenue. So it’s tantamount that people are walking around and enjoying the city,” said Bryson Chapman, who works at Grantski. “So it means a lot to us. It’s very important.”
Part of the downtown security comes from getting to know the business owners and being there day in and day out.
That’s comforting to Diane Francis, who works at Cafe on 8th.
“We have one CSO detective, I think he’s here almost every day,” she said, “and so he’s part of what’s going on to make sure everything is OK – people from out there and even in here are safe.”
Jenkins said the festival organizers have a protocol to keep things safe.
“Rest assured we have never had any issues at our festival,” he said. “We work very closely with Richmond County, so just know the organizers work really, really hard, including myself, to put this event on and in a safe manner.”
He invites everyone to enjoy Pride this weekend.
“Come out. You can expect food vendors, craft vendors, resources for the community 365 days of the year, and overall, just a good time,” he said.
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Augusta, GA – Entered into rest Sunday, April 19, 2026. Mr. James Byron Duncan, 80, was the loving husband of Estelle Mulherin Duncan as well as devoted father, doting grandfather, and lifelong friend to many.
Byron was born and raised in Augusta, GA, the son of W.B. and Kathleen Duncan. After graduating from Butler High School in 1965, Byron’s kind heart called him into Social Work. He earned his Bachelor of Sociology from Augusta College in 1969. After 34 years of dedicated service to the State of Georgia, Byron retired in 2003 as Director of Jefferson County Family and Children Services. He devoted his life wholeheartedly to both service to others and dedication to his family, working in the tough field of social work while remaining a fiercely loving, spirited and unwaveringly passionate man.
His deepest commitments were to his wife, children, granddaughters, siblings, church, the Knights of Columbus and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Byron was deeply rooted in his faith and community. He was an active member of St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church, where he had served as an usher, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and finance committee member. He was also a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, Patrick Walsh Council 677 and Assembly 174, the Irish American Heritage Society and the Rotary Club of Louisville, GA. A true Georgia Bulldog at heart, Byron never missed an opportunity to cheer for his Dawgs, whether they were playing football, basketball, baseball or any other sport. He loved the simple joys of life – days at the beach, Jimmy Buffett, beach music and shagging, and a house full of family and friends. For many years, Byron delighted young and old alike by donning the red suit and playing Santa Claus at various events as well as visiting the classrooms at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic School as St. Nicholas.
Byron possessed the gift of gab! He never met a stranger and could often be observed enthusiastically carrying on a deep conversation with old friends or a stranger he just met on the street. No conversation with him was brief!
Family meant everything to him. He is survived by his beloved wife of 40 years, Estelle Mulherin Duncan; his children Sean M. Duncan (Jennifer), Matthew M. Duncan and Megan E. Duncan; his bonus daughter, Allison Crow (Joe), and his treasured grandchildren Riley, Emma and Harper Duncan, who brought him endless joy. He is also survived by his brother Keith Duncan; sisters Sheryl Werrick and Marcia Golden; brothers-in-law Dr. Joe Mulherin, Robert Gibson and Tom King; sister-in-law Janet M. Gibson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, April 24, 2026, at 1:00 P.M. at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church with Fr. Mark Ross as celebrant. Interment will follow at Westover Memorial Park. A Rosary service will be held Thursday evening at 6:00 P.M., followed by visitation from 6:30 until 8:00 P.M. at Thomas Poteet & Son.
Memorial contributions may be made to Aquinas High School, 1920 Highland Ave., Augusta, GA 30904 or St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church, 1420 Monte Sano Ave., Augusta, GA 30904 for the Our Faith Our Future Capital Campaign.
Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Road, Augusta, GA 30907, (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at thomaspoteet.com
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.
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