Augusta, GA

Augusta commission delays airport bonus vote, seeks input on pickleball courts

Published

3 weeks ago

April 1, 2026

Augusta commission delays airport bonus vote, seeks input on pickleball courts

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A one-time bonus for airport employees was brought up at commission Tuesday, but no decision was made.

Leaders moved to discuss the bonus at the next committee meeting on April 14.

The bonus would give airport employees up to $500 for the extra work they put in during Masters week.

Pickleball court options range from $7,500 to $540,000

Leaders also want to hear from the community about what it wants for permanent pickleball courts at Warren Road Gym.

They discussed the costs of converting the indoor gym’s tennis courts into pickleball courts or building outdoor courts.

If leaders choose the indoor option, that could cost about $7,500 for work and any repairs.

For outdoor courts, that could range from about $140,000 to about $540,000. That depends on whether the outdoor courts will be demolished and redone or just repaired.

No word on when community meetings will be held.

Augusta approves $95,000 for unbudgeted special election costs

Augusta city leaders approved nearly $95,000 in unplanned expenses to cover a special election and a runoff that were not built into this year’s budget.

The city is already working through tight finances and is now forced to dip into reserve funds as voters head to the polls.

The Board of Elections is already working with less. The office, like all city departments, faces a 5% cut this year. That means cutting back on mailers and services to stay within budget.

Commissioners approved about $95,000 to pay for the March special election and the April 7 runoff. More than $30,000 went to poll workers, with additional costs for early voting, equipment testing, security and day-of operations.

Because the election was not budgeted, that money comes from the county’s contingency fund.

“So basically what we were doing today is I mostly have been spending part of my budget to cover the special election and in anticipation of the runoff. So I needed to go back and get funds to put back into the primary account. So now we’ll continue on to pay the bills for the special election,” said Travis Doss, Richmond County Board of Elections executive director.

The funding helps the board reset after covering those unplanned costs as they quickly shift focus to what’s next. Doss said absentee ballots for the May election are already going out, with early preparations underway for the May 19 primary.

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Augusta, GA

Valette Earns Elite 18 Award; Augusta Men’s Tennis Lands Three on Peach Belt All-Conference Teams – Augusta University

Published

8 hours ago

April 23, 2026

Press Room

Valette Earns Elite 18 Award; Augusta Men’s Tennis Lands Three on Peach Belt All-Conference Teams – Augusta University

AUGUSTA, Ga. – With the Peach Belt Conference Tournament set to begin tomorrow, the conference office has announced the 2026 men’s tennis all-conference honors. Arthur Valette headlined Augusta’s selections by earning the Peach Belt Conference Elite 18 Award, presented to the student-athlete competing in the championship with the highest cumulative GPA.

A senior from Lyon, France, Valette competed in 18 matches this season for Augusta. He posted a 9-7 singles record and a 6-10 doubles mark, including a 3-3 record in both singles and doubles during conference play.

Augusta also placed three student-athletes on the all-conference teams. David Perret was named Second Team All-Conference Singles, while the doubles tandem of Alexis Bailhache and Perret earned Second Team All-Conference Doubles honors.

Perret, a junior from London, England, has been a key contributor throughout the season in both singles and doubles play. Bailhache, a senior from Nantes, France, teamed with Perret to give the Jaguars a consistent presence in doubles competition.

League major awards were claimed by Thomas Cardona of Columbus State, who was named Player of the Year, and teammate Hugo Didier, who earned Freshman of the Year honors. Columbus State head coach Evan Isaacs was selected Coach of the Year.

PBC Elite 18 Award

Arthur Valette, Augusta

Senior

The PBC Elite 18 Award is presented at each of the PBC’s 18 championships to the student-athlete competing with the highest cumulative GPA

Competed in 18 matches this season for Augusta

Had a 9-7 record in singles and a 6-10 record in doubles

Ended conference play with a 3-3 singles record and 3-3 doubles record

First Team All-Conference Singles

Thomas Cardona, Columbus State

Hugo Didier, Columbus State

Aniss Rafiq, Flagler

Ilian Borlee, Flagler

Harry Pugh, Lander

Pedro Liborio, North Georgia

First Team All-Conference Doubles

Andrea Sandrone / Elias Peter, Columbus State

Aly El Rafie / Noah Paterson, Flagler

Harry Pugh / Brendan Jayaprakash, Lander

Second Team All-Conference Singles

David Perret, Augusta

Aly El Rafie, Flagler

Simon Malis, Flagler

Chase Martin, GCSU

Daniel García Suárez, Middle Georgia

Alejandro Vizoso Ansedes, Middle Georgia

Joao Silva, North Georgia

Second Team All-Conference Doubles

Alexis Bailhache / David Perret, Augusta

Daniel Hammond / Benedek Szombathelyi, Columbus State

Juan Cruz Blanco / Ben Brandl, North Georgia

Player of the Year: Thomas Cardona, Columbus State

Freshman of the Year: Hugo Didier, Columbus State

Coach of the Year: Evan Isaacs, Columbus State

Elite 18 Award: Arthur Valette, Augusta

Augusta opens Peach Belt Conference Tournament play tomorrow against North Georgia in Columbus, Georgia.

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Augusta, GA

Start your engines: Augusta Tech gets $6.8M grant for new auto institute

Published

20 hours ago

April 23, 2026

Press Room

Start your engines: Augusta Tech gets .8M grant for new auto institute

An Augusta Tech plan to create an automotive service training center downtown finally has the funding to get rolling after more than four years of planning.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has approved Augusta Tech’s application for a $6.8 million grant to complete the Jim Hudson Automotive Institute, the workforce development school announced this week.

The campus will use the former site of Johnson Motor Co., a longtime Augusta Cadillac dealership on Walton Way that closed in 2021. Augusta Tech completed its purchase of the 6.5-acre property in December 2022.

“This grant is a powerful investment in Augusta’s economic future,” said Augusta Tech President Dr. Kendricks D. Hooker. “The Jim Hudson Automotive Institute will directly address critical workforce shortages while creating pathways to high-wage, in-demand careers for our students.”

Within a week of each other in April 2022, the Augusta National Golf Club and Columbia, S.C.-based Jim Hudson Automotive Group donated $1 million each to rev up the program.

“Anybody can sell a car,” company founder and principal Jim Hudson said at a June 2022 donation ceremony in the showroom of his Lexus dealership on Washington Road. “It takes a really good technician to keep it sold.”

Vehicles today aren’t just powered by gasoline or diesel fuel. Hybrid and electric vehicles are rising in popularity, and with it, the demand for more auto mechanics with high-tech training to repair increasingly computerized vehicles.

The facility will occupy about 33,000 square feet, or about half of the dealership building. The property’s layout as a working auto dealer will help flesh out the institute’s design “to support dealership operations, fleet maintenance and emerging vehicle technologies, while providing hands-on, industry-aligned instruction that responds to both regional and national labor market demand,” the school said in a statement.

Then-Augusta Tech President Dr. Jermaine Whirl told The Augusta Chronicle in 2022 that the school spent months talking with local auto dealers, transit companies, and other industry stakeholders to gauge interest in helping increase the auto-repair talent pool in the Augusta area.

The Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration approved the full grant request of $6,808,307, months after U.S. Rep. Rick Allen supported the grant application in a July 2025 letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

“Not only will this grant funding enable Augusta Tech to develop a Center for Excellence in Automotive Technology in Richmond County, but it will also equip hundreds of students and workers with the skills needed to succeed in our booming automotive manufacturing industry,” Allen said Tuesday.

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Augusta, GA

Map shows latest wildfires across Georgia and Florida

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

Map shows latest wildfires across Georgia and Florida

Firefighters are battling wildfires in two southeastern states, prompting officials in one to issue its first ever burn ban, authorities said on April 22.

The blazes, created by “extreme drought,” are burning across parts of southern Georgia and northeast Florida, forcing road closures and destroying homes and buildings in their path, officials said.

In Georgia, the state’s Forestry Commission reported more than half of the state’s 159 counties had burn bans in effect. At the same time, burn bans were in effect for more than 40 counties in the Sunshine State, according to the Florida Forest Service.

“My office and I are working closely with the Georgia Forestry Commission to respond to the increasing threat of wildfires in South Georgia,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wrote on X April 21. “If you are in a directly affected area, please adhere to guidance from your local officials to keep you and your family safe.”

The burn ban order prohibits the outside burning of trash and yard debris and agriculture material in the affected area. Campfires, fireworks and burn barrels are also not permitted.

The commission reported it marked the first time in the agency’s history that a mandatory ban on outdoor burning has been issued.

Slated to remain in effect for at least 30 days, the Georgia Forestry Commission said the ban includes regions below Atlanta and covers Harris County to Columbia County, south to the Florida line.

As of April 22, there were about a half dozen wildfires burning in the Peach State, USA TODAY data showed.

The Pineland Road fire, discovered on April 18 in Clinch County, about 13 miles northwest of Fargo, also continues to burn. As of the early afternoon of April 22, the fire had spread to nearly 9,000 acres and was 10% contained.

Where are wildfires burning in Georgia? See map.

The Georgia Forestry Commission reported 98% of Georgia’s total land area is experiencing moderate to exceptional drought conditions, and the number of wildfires statewide has now risen above Georgia’s five-year average.

The chance of rain is unlikely for most of the affected area in the coming days, the Georgia Forestry Commission said.

“The extreme drought conditions across Georgia are putting agriculture and forestry at significant risk, and I want to strongly encourage all Georgians to do the right thing and adhere to the Georgia Forestry Commission’s burn ban while these conditions persist,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper said in a news release.

Where are wildfires burning in Florida? See map.

At the same time, there were 135 wildfires burning almost 21,000 acres in Florida, the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

Roads in Franklin and Levy counties remained closed there due to smoke, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The law enforcement agency was urging motorists to use caution.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

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