Augusta, GA
Augusta Commission candidate forum sees races for districts 5 and 9
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Georgia’s voter registration deadline is Monday, April 22, and the May primary is one month away on May 21.
There are races this May for sheriff, district attorney, and Augusta commissioners.
Candidates for commission districts 5 and 9 filled up stands at the Alleluia Community School Saturday night, to hear from incumbents and challengers trying to secure commission seats.
For District 5, Commissioner Bobby Williams, and challenger Don “DC” Clark, both talked about tonight’s biggest recurring topic: keeping Augusta-Richmond County clean.
Bobby Williams said, “If you’re at home you want to clean your house, pretty much like being in Augusta, Georgia, it’s our home, it’s where we stay, we gotta keep it clean, we have the up-keep…”
Don Clark said, “I think we need to hold people accountable. We have the services in place, we have it built into our budgets to maintain our facilities. You wouldn’t build anything without ensuring that into your budget.”
Super District 9 candidates, Commissioner Francine Scott, and former Commissioner Marion Williams, also spoke about keeping the county clean.
This super district seat looks over districts 1, 2, 4, and 5.
Francine Scott said, “We have different departments doing the same thing. And what I think we need to do is consolidate those type of services.”
Marion Williams said, “I’m looking at the cleanup in Augusta, how, one side of Augusta looks one way, the other side of Augusta looks the other way. There’s trash all over the street…”
Mayor Garnett Johnson also made an appearance at Saturday’s forum and spoke about bringing voting power to the mayor’s seat at commission meetings, rather than just being a tie-breaking vote.
Mayor Johnson said, “It provides accountability to the only at large elected official in our entire government. For them to be able to take action to get things done. As you see, the abstention rule has prevented progress in Augusta Richmond County.”
Early voting gets underway Monday, April 29, and the Georgia primary voting day is on Tuesday, May.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Students showcased drones they built during a two-week summer camp at Augusta Regional Airport on Friday.
12 junior and high school students attended the camp, where they learned to fly and build drones designed to help others.
Anderson Puryear, a student, said the camp focused on delivering small medical supplies.
“It was focused on delivering small medical supplies like an EPI pen or glucose packet for like diabetics and for people with allergies in need in the real world that could obviously help save lives, and if people are like in a place in a boat or like in the desert or in the forest where they can’t easily access those supplies it can save their lives,” Puryear said.
The airport partnered with Georgia Tech, state troopers and the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Department for the Air Edu Summer Camp.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The 10th annual Juneteenth Augusta Festival brought families to the Augusta Fairgrounds on Friday despite the muggy heat.
Cultural and community-focused events, live music performances and food trucks were available at the celebration.
Tonia Hill, attending the Juneteenth celebration, said she loves the holiday and is supporting the community, though she acknowledged the weather conditions.
“I love Juneteenth. And I’m supporting everybody. It’s hot. It’s hot. It’s hot,” Hill said.
The festival runs until 10 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Dream Center is seeing more families turn to its food pantry this summer as children lose access to school lunches.
Organizations like the Augusta Dream Center see a surge in families who relied on school lunches during the academic year, according to Hallie Kohan, assistant director.
“We see a lot more families that have young kids who are in need that simply don’t have those meals they are normally getting,” Kohan said. “We see an influx of families that come through.”
Demand is up, but the food supply is not keeping pace.
“Right now we are having some food distribution issues so while we are seeing an increase in families, we are seeing a decrease in the amount of food coming through our doors,” Kohan said.
The center is asking the community to host food drives or donate kid-friendly items such as mac and cheese and oatmeal.
Every Sunday the Dream Center opens its doors for a hot meal, serving as many as 120 people.
“Families can come in and get their hot meal. They sit down, it’s dignified, it’s a diner,” Kohan said. “It’s a welcoming experience for kids to come in and not feel like they are in need.”
No paperwork is required to receive help.
“Just because you think someone is in a great situation, in today’s economy you never know,” Kohan said. “It could be your neighbor, mom, or best friend.”
The Augusta Dream Center food pantry is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. Hot meals are served Sundays from 5 to 6 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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