AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – One of Augusta’s heroes turned 100 years old on Wednesday.

John Ballard is an Army veteran who served our nation during World War II and the Cold War as a firearms specialist.

He had a huge party at the Georgia War Veterans Home on Wednesday.

Members of the Barrack Temple Oasis in Hephzibah helped throw the party since they are a veteran-based organization. They felt it was important to give back and honor those who sacrificed so much.

His daughter says the event brought her to tears seeing the turnout for her dad.

“This is my heartbeat. I’m hoping he will go another 100 for me,” said Suzette Ferguson.

News 12 wishes Ballard a happy birthday — one of the very best from the year 1924.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr on Wednesday hosted a meeting of his statewide opioid task force at Augusta University.

The goal was to discuss the “war on fentanyl” and what Carr’s staff described as his continued efforts to combat the opioid crisis in Georgia.

Carr was joined by local leaders, law enforcement officials, state agency representatives, and recovery and addiction specialists.

“This is a mental health issue, a public safety issue, and most of all, a human issue,” said Carr. 

Attendees got updates from public, private, and nonprofit partners who are working to address this issue in the region and throughout the state.

Carr says there’s still a lot of ground to cover in the Peach State’s opioid problem. 

“How do we leverage the expertise, the assets and the resources that we have to combat this crisis that’s impacting everybody?” asked Carr. 

Carr says success is already being seen in the CSRA with a 15-pound fentanyl drug bust in Augusta alone last fall.  

Although recent statistics show overdose deaths have fallen in Georgia and across the country, it’s still a problem.

GBI Director Chris Hosey said: “It’s starting to spread throughout the state, just like an epidemic, as it’s been explained, is getting into our rural counties. And it is something that we’ve got to address in every county in the state.” 

The average age for overdose deaths is getting younger. Overdoses are the leading cause of death of people 18 to 45.

Reports show Georgia deaths are down nearly 6% – the first change in an increasing trend since 2011.

Local government leaders are hopeful to combat this with state funding from nearly a billion dollar’s worth of settlements from drug manufacturers and distributors. 

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson said: “We could establish a task force to determine how those dollars can be distributed to the many, many needed organizations throughout our community.” 

It’s an issue the state says is not going away anytime soon, efforts will continue until the end.   

Carr says those state funds are projected to go into the hands of local governments over the span of the next few years.  

Money will be focused on providing resources for treatment and prevention. 

It’s small comfort to families in the CSRA who’ve lost a loved one to an overdose – people like the family of Alex King, who was killed by fentanyl in 2020.

“There’s a lot of grief, there’s a lot of anger because a child should never pass away before their parents. It’s just not nature and it’s not natural,” said King’s stepfather, Bryan Lugo.

Colin Magill was prosecuted for the death, but released from prison early after taking a plea deal for drug possession and distribution charges. His release came less than a month before a new Georgia law strengthened efforts to fight the spread of fentanyl.

The strengthened law holds the drug dealer responsible for the crime with a charge of involuntary manslaughter. It carries a sentence of one to 10 years.

Burke County has charged two local suspects under the new law.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – As you’re wrapping up back-to-school shopping, one store is reminding its customers that every dollar matters.

At Goodwill, donations and purchases support education opportunities and job training programs.

As you’re looking around at all of those school items, it may be time for you to head to the classroom yourself.

“The back-to-school rush is heating up. I was just putting some backpacks out the other day for prospective students, so I’m very excited,” said Regional District Manager Joseph Cochran.

While you can find those back-to-school essentials at Goodwill, know you are supporting someone else’s education journey.

More than 86 cents of every dollar go toward Goodwill’s job training and placement services.

“It’s not just this is money going somewhere. There are legitimate programs we have here to serve the community and individuals in need,” said Cochran.

For those in need, they provide case management and intensive services through their job connection career centers.

“We try to serve mostly the underserved population of the disabled, previously incarcerated, and also individuals that are on the verge of homelessness,” said Cochran.

Cochran has been with Goodwill for 16 years and worked his way up the ladder.

He says Goodwill helped him when he was in grad school.

“The company was able to give me a tuition reimbursement so that way I was going to be in a better position coming out of school and after I graduated so it was very awesome that they were able to provide me with that,” he said.

Helms College is supported through Goodwill and offers everything from a GED to a college degree.

“Our Helms College, which has longer degree programs in health services in culinary arts, but we also have what’s called Helms Continuing Education and so we offer more short-term training and certifications,” said Cochran.

He encourages everyone to come visit.

“We’re glad to have you not only shopping, dining and donating with us, but should you be thinking about going back to school, it is an affordable option,” said Cochran.

They recently added an ESL course through Helms College.

You can also take phlebotomy, administrative and office skills and a forklift operator program through Helms College.

These programs are funded through their retail stores.

To sign up, visit https://goodwillcareerdevelopment.my.site.com/HCE/s/programs or any job connection career center.

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