AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – It was a joyous reunion on Wednesday between Sgt. Charles Linwood and his wife, and the Quint-Essential Designs team.

Until a month ago, the 70-year-old Army veteran was having trouble moving around his bathroom in his wheelchair.

“It took a lot of strength just to do that, just to get into the bathroom,” Sgt. Linwood said. “Taking a shower was difficult because I always had to depend on her to be there to help me.”

“The bathroom was just horrendous,” said Sgt. Linwood’s wife, Sarah. “Because his balance is off so bad, when I tried to get him in and out the tub, sometimes he’d fall or fall on me, and both of us was hurting.”

This led Sarah to contact homes for veterans, a nonprofit organization that renovates disabled veterans’ homes.

“They responded which was amazing,” Sarah said. “I couldn’t believe it when I first got the email.”

Homes for Veterans then asked Quint-Essential Designs, an Augusta-based general contracting company, to remodel the bathroom to make it ADA compliant.

“There’s a lot of vets in the Augusta area, especially on this side of town, down in this area,” said Quinton Sowell, the co-owner of Quint-Essential Designs. “My dad, he’s a twenty year vet, we remodeled his bathroom to make it more accessible. So we like helping the vets out.”

Donations funded the almost $28,000 project, giving Sgt. Linwood back his freedom without costing him a dime.

“Everything that Homes for Veterans do for us is very appreciated. I definitely appreciate it because I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t have did this by myself,” he said.

Quint-Essential Designs plans to help Sgt. Linwood and his wife with other remodeling projects in the future. To learn more about Homes for Veterans, click here.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The victims of a double homicide early Wednesday morning have been identified, according to Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen.

Bowen has identified the victims as William Horne, 49, and Carol Horne, 52.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says around 2:37 a.m., they responded to a home in e 3000 block of Mystic Lane about a shooting.

Officials say Tony Horne, 46, of Augusta, was arrested at the scene of the crime.

Bowen says William and Carol were shot at least one time inside their home. Both were pronounced dead on the scene at 3:20 a.m.

A neighbor told us the victims and the suspect were related.

Another neighbor we spoke with told us they were shaken up by the incident saying: ” I was just over there yesterday and they were fine. I’m really going to miss my friend.”

Tony was booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center, according to officials.

An autopsy has been scheduled.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta’s next city budget is pushing $1.4 billion. On Tuesday, commissioners approved the budget, but it comes with cuts.

Public safety is the main concern because that of course impacts everyone.

Commissioners have heard from the district attorney’s office, sheriff’s office and public defender’s office all asking for more money.

The administrator’s recommendation of taking $1 million from the general fund passed on Tuesday and the money from that will go to the district attorney’s office, essentially saving them $1 million.

“It allows us to be competitive across the state and hire the best lawyers and professional staff to help reduce the population of the jail to help make sure that people get their day in court and to also make sure that victims are protected at every level,” said Jared Williams, district attorney.

The sheriff’s office had also gone in front of the commission asking for more money.

They asked for $3 million but didn’t get any of that.

This will be the first year without American Rescue Funds, so they’re looking at an $8 million hole.

The commission has figured out $1 million out of that $8 million as mentioned.

As for the remaining money, they’re still figuring it out.

The commissioners did explore cuts to several groups like the land bank and canal authority, but that did not pass.

The budget becomes official on Jan.1.

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