Augusta, GA

Augusta arena work brings hope to ailing Broad Street businesses

Published

3 months ago

December 23, 2025

Augusta arena work brings hope to ailing Broad Street businesses

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Work is moving along for the Augusta Arena, with less than two years remaining until the project is finished.

Funded by a half-penny sales tax approved by voters, the former James Brown Arena was torn down to make way for a space to hold more than 10,000 seats and eventually host hockey in the Garden City once again.

Officials said they have finished pouring the third level of concrete where the suites will be and are now working on the fourth level, the upper concourse.

Brad Usry, vice chairman of the Augusta Richmond County Coliseum Authority, said the progress is great after years of planning.

“In one word, it’s satisfaction. I mean, we’ve been working on this thing for over 10 years. So to finally see it going up and people seeing the fruits of our labor, it’s really nice,” Usry said.

The new Augusta Arena is starting to take shape as crews pour concrete, with the steel frame coming in a few months.

“We’re talking 900 feet long, three football fields long. The old arena was 50 feet tall. This arena is going to be close to 100 feet tall,” Usry said.

The arena’s impact could extend beyond entertainment, according to businesses on Broad Street.

Richard Sanders, manager of the Downtown Corner Store that opened this summer, said business is struggling, but the new arena could breathe life back into the area.

“A lot of the businesses that focus on either foot traffic or people just come at like, whether it’s a bar, restaurant. I mean, they’re all struggling right now,” Sanders said.

Sanders said events at venues like the Bell Auditorium already help local businesses.

“Once it opens, I mean, even when, I mean, even when they do stuff at the Bell, it helps. When they did stuff at the old Civic Center or James Brown Arena, it helped,” Sanders said.

Michael Weldon, owner of Psychotronic Records on Broad Street, said major acts bring new customers to his store.

“The first show I went to was Alice in Chains. And the last show that we went to, there was Cheap Trick and ZZ Top,” Weldon said of the former arena.

“When there’s a good show by a name artist in town, no matter where they’re playing, we get people in here that maybe are here for the first time,” Weldon said.

Usry said the project remains on time and on budget.

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Augusta, GA

Local group holds 4th annual walk against autism

Published

9 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Local group holds 4th annual walk against autism

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – April is Autism Awareness Month, and one local group raised awareness with a walk in Augusta on Sunday.

The fourth annual autism walk was hosted by Moving Over Mountains Against autism at Lake Olmstead Park.

All proceeds from the walk support autism awareness initiatives.

We spoke with the CEO and founder of the group, Deidre Roberson, who said this year they are dedicating the walk to their photographer, who died recently.

Roberson told us what she looks forward to the most.

“I look most forward to seeing the different people every year. We always meet different people, new people, and they come from all over the CSRA, so Washington, Wilkes, Carolina,” she said.

There were also several vendors providing resources to families.

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Augusta, GA

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

Published

21 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- Augusta University baseball is in a three-game series matchup against the University of North Georgia.

AU is currently down in the series 0-2 after a close loss Friday and a loss Saturday.

But we aren’t focusing on the Jags, we’re going to take a look at North Georgia’s head coach, Nolan Belcher.

He is an Augusta native who began his career at Greenbrier and Augusta Christian.

He won three state championships, which then led him to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

There he won back-to-back national championships and finished runner up in 2012.

His coaching career began after that where he eventually joined the Peach belt Confrence, coaching at USCA and GCSU.

Now in his first season as head coach for the Nighthawks, he is happy to come home and coach in front of his friends and family.

“I’m very fortunate that I got family that, one is still around and they can come watch me do what I love. And, they’ve shown me, nothing but support throughout my whole coaching career and even back on my playing dates are very thankful and appreciative for everything they’ve done for me.”

AU and UNG will have their final series match on Sunday.

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