Augusta, GA
14 months later, upgrades still not started at Augusta park
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta’s Dyess Park is in desperate need of improvements – and city leaders agree.
In November of 2023, $6.5 million in sales tax money was set aside to revitalize the park.
The funds have been sitting on a shelf since then, and in the meantime, neighbors are paying the price.
While the city debates what to do with the community center, people who could be using this park are still stuck waiting.
At Dyess Park, playtime never stops.
“This should be their safe space,” said Mia Tate, Augusta resident, and parent.
It’s proof that joy can thrive in a place where promises fade.
“Can you be patient? You gotta be patient,” Tate said to her child.
Patience – something neighbors around Dyess Park are losing.
“I thought we did all the talking that we were going to do,” said Stanley Hawes, who lives near Dyess Park. ”All the talking over with, it’s time for action, that’s all.”
Standing in the way of progress is the locked community center.
“Literally and figuratively speaking, I weep,” said Hawes. “I weep because there are kids in my neighborhood that don’t have a chance.”
A historic building turned into an eyesore
“We can’t build communities with an empty building right there,” said Hawes.
For nearly 20 years, Hawes has lived next to the park.
“Some people got places to go, they can take their kids to the YMCA or whatever,” said Hawes. “Some of us here can’t do that, some of them got just what’s dealt to them.”
There is a playground, but other than that–
“Empty swimming pool,” said Hawes. “They have caught kids over there playing in a dangerous area because they had nothing else to do.”
It’s leaving some parents asking for change.
“If they have things that they’re able to exert their energy on versus what we will quote unquote say negative things, then we’ll see more impact on them having healthy and positive expressions on their faces and exerting of their energy there,” said Tate.
In return, they are hopeful a positive impact on the community could come about.
“If the government wants to help and the community takes it, take their part,” said Tate. “I think it would make a big impact and see everything flourish and go in the direction that everybody wants it to go.”
Commissioners say the talks about improving Dyess Park go back to 2004 and as you can see. some neighbors are tired of waiting.
“Hopefully they will decide to go ahead on and do this thing,” said Hawes.
Also Tuesday, Augusta Commission members:
- Approved supplemental funding not to exceed $15.4 million for Hurricane Helene debris removal services with Ceres Environmental Services Inc. Also approved the use of general fund fund-balance to fund these services.
- Approved supplemental funding in an amount not to exceed $1.272 million for Hurricane Helene debris removal monitoring services with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Inc. Also approved use of general fund fund-balance to fund these services.
- Approved supplemental funding in an amount not to exceed $874,319 for Hurricane Helene debris removal coordination support services with Infrastructure Systems Management LLC. Also approved use of general fund-fund balance to fund these services.
- Approved a motion to approve task order No. 1 with an amount not to exceed $500,000 for Hurricane Helene cost recovery services through Tetra Tech.
- Agreed to have Troy Akers meet with city officials to come back with a plan for a sports facility including pickleball courts off Interstate 20 near Doctors Hospital. He’s proposing 18 championship-size tennis courts and 48 pickleball courts. He’d also like a 15,000-square-foot gym with a walking track. His goal is to bring back tennis to Richmond County and introduce and grow kickball here, which he said “would put us on the map in the state.” He said the location near I-20 would help.
- Heard from Richard Skuse about paratransit services. He’s a blind veteran who moved here in 2009. “Over the last year, it’s gone downhill, specifically in the last several months,” he said of the service. He gave an example from around Christmas when he called paratransit and was told the service was booked up and he needed to call two weeks in advance. The director of paratransit says there are issues, one being vehicles being down in an accident and also there being a 24-hour notice. Skuse says it’s not just got him, but it’s those living check to check, and having to schedule two weeks out is hard. Commissioners decided to task the administrator and her team to work with transit and come up with a plan.
- Approved purchase of video surveillance security systems for three locations along the Augusta Canal as a sole source procurement in the amount of $90,854.
- Approved Augusta Utilities’ purchase of SmartWorks MDM for AMI data integration as a sole source procurement from systems and software in the amount of $607,000.
- Approved continued funding of the current “on-call property appraisal and acquisition services for Augusta engineering” contract in the amount of $350,000.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
The dream of finding an affordable home can feel increasingly out of reach for many prospective buyers, especially those in the middle-income bracket.
While the housing market might appear robust on paper, a closer look reveals a significant disconnect between available homes and what many can truly afford.
A collaborative piece from Realtor.com® and the National Association of Realtors®, the 2026 Housing Mismatch Report, highlights this critical issue. It reveals that middle-income households continue to face the largest supply gap, with buyers earning around $75,000 able to afford homes priced up to about $261,140.
Homes priced below this point currently account for only about 23% of listings nationally, compared with about 44% in a balanced market, representing an effective shortage of about 311,000 listings within reach of these buyers.
This disparity means that 36% of metros fall below 70% alignment, indicating that many lower- and middle-income households struggle to find listings within their price range. In the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area, this challenge is particularly evident, as the metro currently faces a shortage of homes for middle-income earners.
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC’s housing landscape
The housing market in Augusta, GA and the surrounding Richmond County presents a challenging picture for middle-income buyers. According to the report, for buyers earning $75,000, the metro is categorized as having a moderate shortage of affordable homes.
In March 2026, only 30.60% of listings were considered affordable for these buyers, a decrease from 33.80% in March 2025. This translates to a deficit of 787 affordable listings missing from the market.
Additionally, the report gives the area an alignment score that shows how well the current distribution of home listings matches the distribution of household incomes in a given market.
A score of 100% means listings are distributed proportionally across income levels, while a lower score means the available listings do not match what local buyers can afford. The score is calculated by comparing, at each of 12 income tiers, the actual share of listings that a household in that tier can afford against the share they would be able to afford in a balanced market, when listing prices are distributed proportionally across all income groups.
For the Augusta-Richmond County metro, the March 2026 Listing-Income Alignment Score stood at 78.90%. While this represents a positive change of +4.4 compared to 2025, it still marks a significant decline of 16.7 when compared to 2019.
This indicates that despite some recent improvements, the market still has a long way to go to truly align with the financial realities of its local buyers.
Experts weigh in on the path forward
Addressing the housing challenges in metros like Augusta-Richmond County requires more than just an increase in overall inventory. Experts emphasize the need for homes that align with what buyers can actually afford.
“The data makes clear that more inventory alone won’t be enough to unlock the housing market,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com®, explains. “A true recovery requires homes at the right price points.”
She adds, “Until the supply of entry-level and middle-market homes grows to meet demand, many buyers will continue to find the market out of reach despite headline improvements in affordability and inventory.”
Nadia Evangelou, NAR principal economist and director of real estate research, echoes this sentiment. “The U.S. housing market continues to face a structural mismatch between the homes available for sale and what buyers can afford,” she states.
Evangelou further notes, “Too much of the inventory available today remains concentrated at higher price points, leaving a shortage of options for entry-level and middle-income buyers.”
These insights underscore the urgent need for targeted solutions to create a more balanced and accessible housing market for everyone.
Generated with AI assistance and finalized through human editorial oversight by Dina Sartore-Bodo and Gabriella Iannetta.
The Augusta-based manufacturer of one of the world’s leading brands of golf carts could split from parent company Textron by the end of 2027.
Textron has announced its intention to concentrate its aerospace and defense subsidiaries into a separate company called New Textron, including Textron Aviation, Textron Systems, and Bell, a brand that produces military-grade helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft. It also oversees general aviation brands Cessna and Beechcraft.
Textron Specialized Vehicles is part of the company’s Industrial segment, which expects more than $3 billion in 2026 revenue. TSV properties include E-Z-GO golf carts; PACE Technology, which manufactures global positioning systems customized for golf courses; Jacobsen, a producer of turf maintenance equipment; and TUG Technologies, which makes airport ground support equipment such as baggage tractors.
“This planned separation creates greater clarity and focus for both businesses,” Textron CEO Lisa M. Atherton said in a statement. “New Textron will move forward as a pure-play aerospace and defense company positioned for higher growth, while Industrial gains the independence to pursue strategies aligned with its distinct strengths — unlocking long-term value for all stakeholders.”
The company “intends to explore multiple paths to effect the planned separation of its Industrial segment, including but not limited to a sale of the Industrial businesses or a tax-free separation into a standalone, publicly traded company,” according to Textron.
Textron said in its April 30 first-quarter earnings call to stockholders that it estimates the complete corporate separation to occur within 12 to 18 months, implying Halloween 2027 at the latest.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Fort Gordon service members will soon have more opportunities to further their education thanks to a partnership between Augusta University and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon.
Augusta University President Russell T. Keen and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence Maj. Gen. Ryan M. Janovic will sign a new memorandum to continue their partnership at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Shaffer MacCartney Building at the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University.
Augusta University first began its partnership with the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence back in 2016.
The new memorandum will provide additional opportunities for service members to receive degree credit for military training through Augusta University and AU Online.
The programs being updated under the new agreement include: Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management and Technology, Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies, Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies with a Technical Intelligence Analysis Concentration and the PhD in Intelligence, Defense and Cybersecurity Policy.
“We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence to create new educational opportunities for the men and women who serve our nation,” Keen said.
Janovic emphasized the magnitude of the relationship and the critical skillsets it supports.
“This partnership with Augusta University is a force multiplier for our formations. By translating our rigorous military training into academic credit, we bridge the gap between military instruction and higher education,” Janovic said.
“Through this partnership, we are preparing experienced military leaders to build on the skills they have already developed and continue serving in ways that advance our national security, strengthen Georgia’s workforce and create lasting impact for generations to come. Their commitment to service extends far beyond the battlefield. It continues in the communities they protect, the organizations they lead and the lives they influence every day,” said Keen.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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