AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The $40,000 John F. Beard Award at Augusta University has been presented to a graduate who’s described as a compassionate caregiver who puts patients first.

The honor went to Kendrick De Castro at AU’s May 9 commencement ceremony.

“Kendrick anticipates patients’ needs and goes above and beyond to make their medical care as comfortable as possible. He shows sincere care and interest, and holds the patient as the priority,” said Melania Velasquez, a physician assistant at Wellstar MCG Health who taught De Castro and worked alongside him during his OB/GYN rotation.

The $40,000 Beard Award, funded by philanthropists William Porter “Billy” Payne and his wife, Martha, is presented annually to a graduating College of Allied Health Sciences, Medical College of Georgia, College of Nursing or Graduate School student who exemplifies caring and compassion in health care.

“Kendrick’s friendly, genuine bedside manner has earned him the adoration of many patients, and his professional and caring connection to patients has eased patient reservations and also comforted children through traumatic procedures,” said Elizabeth Prince-Coleman, program director and assistant professor in the Physician Assistant Department in the College of Allied Health Sciences. “He goes beyond the expectations of a student in clinical services, offering help with patient transport; ensuring routine care like IV removal does not interfere with quality-of-life needs such as meal time; and writing down medication names for patients – unsolicited – to help them navigate the pharmacy.”

De Castro, who is from the metro Atlanta area, earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Georgia State University before coming to AU. He is a licensed pharmacy technician and is proficient in English, Spanish and Tagolog, a Filipino language.

“Kendrick works diligently with the student volunteer clinics to serve populations often marginalized in our society and health care system. He works to understand the challenges patients face not only with medical symptoms, but also the barriers to better health from other aspects of their lives,” said Prince-Coleman.

De Castro can often be found volunteering at those clinics, including the Equality Clinic, Faithcare Clinic and Clı́nica Latina.

“Kendrick’s actions and interactions with patients reflect a genuine concern for their physical, social and emotional well-being,” said Tiana Brown, Clinica Latina coordinator. “He has a unique gift for making patients feel heard and valued in the medical decision-making process, and he connects with them on a personal level.”

Beyond his interactions with patients, De Castro has created a culture of care and compassion among his cohort.

“Kendrick emerged as the light and the compass of our class,” said classmate Ellie Pontiakos. “He would go out of his way to send uplifting messages each day to the group. He provided positivity and comfort in a period of newness and anxiety.”

Amber A. Garrett, another classmate in the PA program, agreed.

“From the start, Kendrick embodied extraordinary character, marked by authenticity, compassion and kindness. Within the first week of knowing him, our cohort made the unanimous decision to appoint him as our class president, a role he has embraced with unwavering dedication,” Garrett said.

As class president, De Castro served as the liaison between faculty and his classmates and provided support to his cohort. From his daily messages to his ability to relate to anyone, De Castro has been a pillar of support for his patients and classmates alike.

“His ability to prioritize the needs of others above his own, even in the midst of adversity, speaks volumes about his character and commitment to compassionate service,” said Amanda Breeden, an assistant professor and De Castro’s academic adviser.

“Kendrick will be a great blessing to his future patients, not only in the care and compassion he provides directly to them, but also in the care and compassion I know he will invest in the entire team around him,” said Prince-Coleman, who was recognized with the Beard award in 2015.

The Beard Award was established in 1998 by Payne, the immediate past chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club, in memory of his father-in-law, who died of cancer in 1997. The award honors President Emeritus Francis J. Tedesco, MD, and Beard’s physician, Mark F. Williams, MD, a 1988 MCG graduate who treated Beard during his hospitalization.

This is the second consecutive year that a graduate in the College of Allied Health Sciences has earned this prestigious recognition.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story included some personal information that has since been redacted and incorrectly stated how injury funds were awarded to Ty Dailey.

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Richmond County Deputy Ty Dailey arrived at the detention center in Burke County on Friday morning to face charges in connection with a 2023 fatal crash.

We were on the scene at 8:25 a.m. when Dailey arrived at the detention center.

He was booked on the charge of homicide by vehicle second degree and driving in excess of the posted speed limit, according to the Burke County Sheriff’s Office.

He had a bond hearing in the afternoon, where he was given a $5,000 bond. He met bond.

ARREST WARRANTS, BOOKING PHOTO AND MORE:

“The accused was driving in a reckless manner, traveling 90 mph in a posted 55 mph zone, when he hit another vehicle, killing the driver,” an arrest warrant stated.

According to District Attorney Jared Williams, the case was forwarded to Burke County State Court Solicitor Mathew Franklin on Jan. 31.

Franklin’s office handles misdemeanor cases.

The crash happened in March 26, 2023, when Dailey was driving a Richmond County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.

More than a year has passed since the crash happened. Time has stood still for the Fager family, who are still stuck in the moment since receiving a call.

“You get a call like that and kind of flipped your world upside down. It’s a drastic change in the blink of an eye,” said Matt Fager.

EARLIER COVERAGE:

Driving home from Florida, Jay and Donna Fagers’ world collided with Dailey.

Their paths intersected at the intersection of Highway 25 and Cohen Road. The Georgia State Patrol report says Jay Fager stopped at the stop sign. But after stopping, he pulled out in front of Dailey’s patrol car.

Body cam footage: “He’s unconscious and he’s in bad shape.”

Dailey was not in pursuit. He wasn’t answering an emergency call. He was on his way to a training class.

New warrants from Georgia State Patrol say Dailey was going 90 mph in a 55 mph zone, 35 mph over the speed limit, when he hit and killed Jay Fager. Dailey was driving in a reckless manner, according to documents.

The I-TEAM first reported in March the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office never did an internal affairs investigation into Dailey’s deadly crash. He was also back at work – on the taxpayers’ dime – before any investigation was complete.

The I-TEAM uncovered a pattern with Dailey’s history at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

In 2013, he was disciplined after a second accident within six weeks of each other. Both were caused by Dailey’s speeding. In both accidents, he was found at fault.

The crash report went before the city of Augusta’s Safety Review Committee.

Though Dailey was driving 35 mph over the posted speed limit in the crash that killed Jay Fager, Augusta’s safety committee found him not at fault. And they made that decision even before Georgia State Patrol’s investigation was complete, and before the district attorney’s office was done reviewing the case.

The district attorney decided not to pursue any criminal charges and passed the case down to Franklin on Jan. 31. Weeks later, the Fagers’ attorney told the I-TEAM the case was being closed and there would be no charges against Dailey.

On Feb. 18, the I-TEAM filed an open records request for the case file and was told we would have it after it was reviewed and redacted. After more than a week passed, we were then told the case was re-opened.

Donna Fager paid Augusta $20,000 for damage to the deputy’s car.

But what the Fagers cannot put a price tag on is the life of a father, husband, and grandfather. They’ve been left waiting for answers and accountability in the deadly crash that took Jay Fager.

On Friday, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirms Dailey is still on paid administrative leave.

He’s not the only Richmond County deputy who’s currently facing charges yet is still collecting a paycheck to stay at home.

Taxpayers have been paying Brandon Keathley not to come to work since his arrest on Dec. 2, 2020, for an incident that happened on Feb. 7, 2020.

MORE COVERAGE ON BRANDON KEATHLEY:

A grand jury indicted him on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated assault on a peace officer. Both are felonies.

The case still hasn’t been to trial.

It’s on the June calendar call for a trial week in July.

It was actually on the court calendar last month, and prosecutors announced they were ready, but the case got bumped.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Murder suspects and victims seem to be getting younger and younger, if local cases are any indication.

Just Thursday, Richmond County deputies reported that a 14-year-old had been arrested as the suspect in a murder Sunday at the Olmstead Homes.

And that followed Sunday’s arrest of a 15-year-old as the suspect in the shooting death of a 14-year-old April 20 at the Cedarwood Apartments on Richmond Hill Road in Augusta.

On April 27, a 14-year-old girl was shot to death as she slept at her home off Bayshore Drive in Fairfax.

That same day, a 5-year-old was nearly shot in Allendale while sitting in a car that was shot up.

And just a few days earlier, also in Allendale County, an 11-year-old was injured in a shooting.

Murder often strikes young victims here – like when 8-year-old Arbrie Anthony was killed by during a 2022 drive-by shooting or when 13-year-old Buddy Brown was shot outside his family’s apartment in downtown Augusta in 2023.

It’s all part of a two-year outbreak of violent crime that’s killed more than 150 people across the CSRA on both sides of the Savannah River.

Authorities blame gangs for a lot of the violence.

As a result, the suspects are often young, too.

Law enforcement officials have said solutions will need to come from parents and the community – solutions that don’t happen with just talk but with having boots on the ground every day.

We’ve reported on community resources like the Purpose Center’s Men in Training Program, which aims to partner adults with children to mentor and shape them.

Through May, Steven O’Neil with Augusta Partnership for Children is hosting what he’s calling the Manhood Tour.

Every Wednesday, the tour is hosting sessions at May Park Community Center.

It’s a space where men of all ages gather to support and encourage each other by providing resources and information in an open discussion.

“There’s not enough programs out there for men. And with the things that’s going on in the community today, we feel like that men are most importantly needing these programs.. so we can restructure and change the dynamics and the stereotypes of men today,” said David Mew, Manhood Tour CEO.

It’s designed to be another resource for men in the community to take advantage of reaching their goals, get them on the right path and generate solutions.

They’re doing so with conversations.

“We challenge men in the youth, young males to think differently, think outside of their friend zones, think outside of their neighborhoods, think outside of their communities,” said Mew.

O’Neil says there’s an urgent need in this community in terms of providing resources to young men.

“You’re still in the process of developing as a person, specifically as a man. And so we want to get our youth, particularly our young men, at an early age because we can kind of mold them and kind of guide them in the right direction,” said O’Neil.

Violence is an issue that has a major impact on our community – from schools to home to everywhere.

Manhood Tour Facilitator Corri Gordon said: “We started out in the neighborhoods. And we went from the neighborhood to the schools. We’re going from the schools to the to the courtroom system. So we are now branching out.”

O’Neil says the Manhood Tour meets young men where they are and works with them to instill good, strong foundations for them as they grow in adulthood.

Time will tell whether this is the solution that will finally work.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.