Augusta, GA
Augusta commission waives $70K in trash haulers performance penalties
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Coastal Waste and Recycling has been collecting the city’s trash for nine months, and commissioners say service is picking up.
“I’ve been pleased with Coastal. Every time I’ve had a problem, my constituents had a problem, they’re contracted, they’re right there. I think any time you change over totally to a whole city, you’re going to have some hiccups,” said Commissioner Tina Slendak.
But when starting last year, mistakes were made and under the contact, that costs the company money, for things like missed pickups and delays delivering carts
Coastal racked up $144,000 in fines the first three months.
But on the recommendation of the city engineer, commissioners voted to waive all but $70,000 of the fines.
“Work with them and do what we can we should compromise with them I mean for me I used to have a lot of problems and a lot of calls but I’m not getting them,” said Commissioner Catherine Smith Rice.
The vote was 6-5 for the waiver and some commissioners saying it was a bad call because Coastal should not be missing stops
“That’s the due diligence that you do when you bid for a contact and one of those is find out what it all entails and when you’re talking about picking up waste, you need to make sure you know where it’s all at,” said Commissioner Lonnie Wimberly.
Commissioner Jordan Johnson raised an ethics question, since Coastal made a $2,000 dollar campaign contributions to the mayor and other commission candidates.
“I didn’t get any money from them. I mean, they gave to several people, not just people who are currently up there,” said Commissioner Slendak.
As commissioners give $70,000 worth of grace to Coastal’s early mistakes.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The second annual Juneteenth trail ride took place on Old Waynesboro Road in Augusta on Saturday.
The event featured trail rides with horses and ATVs, a mechanical bull contest and music.
People shopped at vendors, and there was entertainment for kids, including a petting zoo, inflatables and games.
“It’s really a privilege just to be able to have the opportunity to share my space, to share my area, and to share for an event with so much value, to give back to my community and a place to celebrate,” said Davon Wallace, chief of operations at Crimson Hills.
Wallace said they will be hosting more events, with a haunted trail coming in October.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has made multiple arrests in a deadly shooting that left one teenager dead and another injured early Saturday morning.
According to deputies, the incident happened June 20, at approximately 12:50 a.m. in the 200 block of Warren Road, where authorities responded to reports of shots fired involving two gunshot victims.
When deputies arrived, they located two 18-year-old men from Augusta.
Officials identified the victims as Eric Markquis Bartley Miller and Joseph Lamar Thomas.
Investigators say Miller sustained at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thomas was also found with at least one gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation.
As of Saturday afternoon, three teenage suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
18-year-old Dmihjay Collins, 17-year-old Tayshaun Thomas, and 17-year-old Joseph Thomas have all been arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of Machine Guns. They are all currently being held at the Webster Detention Center.
A fourth teenager, 17-year-old Reante Byrd was also arrested, but investigators have not linked him to the murder case. Byrd has been charged with Possession of a Pistol or Revolver by a Person Under the Age of 18. He is also being held in the Webster Detention Center.
No further details in the investigation have been released.
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.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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