AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -Augusta University has opened a new “baby lab” where infants help train the next generation of occupational physical and speech therapists.

The program allows therapy students to observe and interact with babies to develop skills they cannot learn from textbooks alone. Students from three different therapy programs work together to assess different aspects of infant development.

“The occupational therapy students may be looking more at the baby’s fine motor skills, their play skills, where as the PT students may be looking more at their gross motor skills and our speech language students may be looking at communication skills and feeding skills,” said Mallory Rosche, associate professor of occupational therapy at Augusta University.

Students gain real-world experience

For students like Chesnee Freeman, an occupational therapy major, the lab provides practical training for her future career.

“I know it’s definitely going to help out when I go into my field work getting to draw on real life experience other than what I learned in books and lectures,” Freeman said.

Parents benefit from developmental assessments

The program also serves participating families by helping parents track their children’s developmental progress.

Yuli and Luis Rodriguez, parents of baby Alessandro, said the experience helped them understand their child’s development.

“I think it was giving us an opportunity to kind of figure out where he is out in his milestones and just figuring where he is at compared to other babies and making sure he is on course to meet everything,” they said.

The grant-funded program launched this month. Three large classes allow students to participate once per semester, with each session lasting about 20 minutes.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Three men have been sentenced to life in prison for last year’s murder of an Augusta smoke shop owner.

Antwan Herndon, Terrance Walker and Terry McClennon all entered guilty pleas in early December in the murder of Abdallah Rubeha, 29.

The murder happened during a robbery at the smoke shop, 2303 Lumpkin Road, around 9:30 p.m. Jan. 10, 2025.

PHOTO GALLERY: SUSPECTS IN SMOKE SHOP MURDER

According to the prosecution, the crime unfolded after the three suspects got into a car owned by Walker’s grandmother and drove from Burke County to Richmond County.

McClennon stayed in the car while Herndon and Walker went inside the smoke shop, authorities said.

The prosecution said Walker pointed the gun at Rubeha and asked him if he was “ready to die tonight.”

With the victim unwilling to open the cash register, Walker then shot him in the face “point blank,” according to the prosecution.

The prosecution said Rubeha fell to the floor near the cash register and Herndon then jumped over the counter to get to the register.

The suspects all began traveling back to Burke County, stopping at two gas stations to spend the stolen money, according to prosecutors.

Deputies in Burke County pursued the vehicle in a high-speed chase, which turned into a foot pursuit.

Walker was captured as he was running on foot, while Herndon and McClennon were taken into custody later.

According to court records:

• Walker pleaded guilty to malice murder, armed robbery and three firearm-possession offenses.
• McClennon pleaded guilty to felony murder, armed robbery and two firearm-possession offenses.
• Herndon pleaded guilty to felony murder.

The murder sent shockwaves through south Augusta at the time.

“Just a sweet soul was taken from everybody, and he didn’t deserve it,” said Mia Posey, Rubeha’s friend who owned a business nearby.

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