Augusta, GA
2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Dog Owner Charged After Woman, 21, Killed by Two Pit Bull-Type Dogs in Augusta, Georgia

After Samara Rogers was killed by dogs, the owner was charged with manslaughter.
Woman Walking Killed by Dogs
Augusta, GA – A 21-year old woman is dead after being attacked by two dogs Wednesday in Augusta. At approximately 10:29 am, Richmond County sheriff’s deputies responded to the 3500 block of Ira Road in reference to a dog attack. Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowden said the victim, Samara Rogers, was walking on Ira Road when the dogs attacked her. Upon arrival, deputies located the severely injured victim. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:05 am, according to Bowden.
WRDW captured footage of an animal control officer and deputy removing the two large dogs from a nearby home with a catch pole. The first was white with a few dark spots and the second was tan with a darker muzzle and a white chest. Both are pit bull-type dogs. The white dog appears similar in size and structure as “Blade,” which killed baby Serenity Garnett in Martinez, a suburb of Augusta, in 2022. The baby’s great-grandmother, Migdelia Guadalupe, was sentenced to six years in prison.
Not long after the dogs were seized from the home on Ira Road, the sheriff’s office arrested Charles David Blackwell, 55, of Augusta, for involuntary manslaughter in connection to Rogers’ death. We believe we located the brown dog on Kimberly Blackwell’s Facebook page, his wife, who is asking for prayers for “Chuck Blackwell,” and “I’m doing everything I can. I love you thick and thin we will get through this.” One commenter asked, “What about the poor girl that was killed by your dogs?”
There are also unconfirmed comments on the Jail Report Facebook page stating that a person was bitten by one of these dogs as recently as yesterday. Typically (if not always), the criminal charge of manslaughter or higher is only filed if the dog(s) were involved in bites or acts of aggression prior to the deadly mauling. Authorities are expected to provide additional information as the investigation progresses. So far, we have not seen any comments from the victim’s family members or friends.

Two pit bull-type dogs being seized from a home on Ira Road after deadly dog mauling.

Samara Rogers, 21-years old, was killed by two dogs on Ira Road in Augusta, Georgia.

Unconfirmed reports of a previous bite by one of the two dogs as recently as yesterday.
Related articles:
04/27/23: 2022 Dog Bite Fatality: 7-Month Old Killed, Great-Grandmother Injured by Muscular…
08/07/20: Teenager Suffers Critical Injuries, Crushed Trachea, in Pit Bull Attack in Barrow County
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent “baseline” information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.

Augusta, GA
Augusta, USC-Aiken baseball go head-to-head
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – If you need a warm-up for opening day, here is your chance.
Since we all can’t get out on a plane and head to San Diego, we have the next best thing in our backyard.
USC-Aiken and Augusta are going head-to-head at SRP Park for bragging rights in the CSRA on Wednesday.
This is the sixth time these two have met here at SRP Park, and the Pacers haven’t won since 2022 in North Augusta.
While they’re each fighting for a chance to improve their standings in the Peach Belt, this is also a chance for many on the roster to show out in front of their hometown in a MILB stadium.
Each have 10 local products that could make their way into the lineup on Wednesday.

Some things are just bigger than the scoreboard, and this is a chance to not only showcase the Peach Belt but also the CSRA
When it comes to the game, it can go either way between these two.
Both have been in a rut; USC Aiken has dropped their last two conference series and the Jaguars are three straight games in the hole.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Retail clothing giant Primark opening first Georgia store in Augusta Mall
An international clothing retailer is opening its first Georgia store in Augusta.
Primark Ltd., headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, has signed a lease agreement for space in Augusta Mall, the company announced Tuesday.
Primark U.S. President Kevin Tulip delivered the news in Las Vegas at Shoptalk 2025, an annual trade event for retail businesses. Primark also plans store openings in Greenville, S.C., and Arlington, Texas.
“These expansions reflect our commitment to bringing Primark’s unique combination of style, quality and affordability to even more shoppers in the U.S,” Tulip said.
The retail chain emphasizes fashionable clothes at competitively discounted prices, as well as home furnishings and beauty care products.
Primark operates 450 stores in 17 countries. Its first store in Dublin in 1969 opened under the name Penneys, and the 38 stores in Ireland today still carry that name. Elsewhere in the world, where JCPenney still holds the rights to the Penneys name, the stores are Primarks.
Augusta, GA
Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter hosts Tele-town Hall
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – For just under an hour, Congressman Buddy Carter was on the phone talking with constituents and answering a few questions.
Throughout that time this is what came up, VA benefits and backlogs, fear of Medicare/Medicaid programs disbanding, and why this town hall was not in person.
“Are you tired of winning?” A question to open up Congressman Buddy Carter’s town hall.
Carter took the first few minutes to praise the president’s accomplishments and thank other Republicans for their support in the House of Representatives and Senate.
The Congressman brought in a special guest speaker Texas Representative Brandon Gill. Gill spoke in support of President Trump’s Deportations and echoed Congressman Carter’s Support for Executive Order 14168.
According to the moderator, there were about 10,000 people called in at the call’s highest count. During the question and answers, around 20 questions were called in.
While the Congressman could not get to every question, he ended the call by saying if your concerns were not addressed you can make an appointment through his office.
Some of the questions that were addressed include the backlog that the VA is experiencing in claims. Carter voiced his support for local veterans while also assuring them that the VA is being looked at.
The topic of social security and benefits for elderly Americans was questioned more than once but the Congressmen says there is no risk of those programs going away.

Questions involving DOGE and their role in our government were also raised. The Congressman explained that the Department of Government’s Efficiency is only an entity, they do not have any authority but instead suggest things to parts of the government that do have authority.
Last month, Republican leaders urged members of the House of Representatives not to hold town halls in their home districts.
However, the Congressman said “throughout the week I visited all communities, but we have found that his tele-town hall is the most efficient, which is what we have been talking about, an efficient way for us to communicate with our constituents. Yes, it can get out of control when you have an in-person town hall, and I have had some and we have had some problems, and the police have asked me not to do them again. So we will continue to communicate just as I have.”
He defended the question as to why his town hall was not in-person by pointing to past in-person town halls that had ended poorly. He does recognize that although there were thousands dialed in only as few were able to speak and to that he says he wanted to continue to hear from his constituents on how he can better represent them.

The Chatham County Democratic Committee released a statement regarding Congressman Carter’s Monday night town hall meeting.
“The Chatham County Democratic Committee would like to express its disappointment in Congressman Carter’s refusal to hold an in person town hall meeting. He chose to hold a tele-meeting open only to those who subscribe to his newsletter. It’s unfortunate that he chose to ignore the majority of the people he is supposed to be representing by meeting only with the chosen few. The citizens of this congressional district need leaders who will engage with their constituents, not hide from them,” wrote the Chatham Democratic Committee in a statement.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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