Augusta dad charged with cruelty to children after son’s death

Published

10 months ago

March 28, 2025

Augusta dad charged with cruelty to children after son’s death

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A 25-year-old dad is facing a cruelty to children charge after the death of his son, according to a report from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

On Nov. 9, 2024, deputies say they responded to the 2100 block of Margaret Court in reference to a suspicious situation.

On scene, deputies met with the complainant, Maurice Jonathon Sturgis, who said he found his son unresponsive when he woke up.

Sturgis told deputies that he went to sleep on the couch next to him the night prior and is unsure of when they went to sleep.

According to deputies, Sturgis woke up and noticed his son was stiff and not breathing and began to do CPR to the best of his ability and called 911.

The incident report states that the son had no chronic health complications or illnesses. Sturgis told deputies that no one else was in the residence except another family member.

The deputy coroner gave a time of death of 1:22 a.m., according to the incident report.

Meanwhile, Strugis, 25, was arrested on Tuesday, according to jail bookings.

Sturgis is charged with cruelty to children in the second degree.

We’ve reached out to the Richmond County Coroner’s Office for more information on the death of the child.

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AU to cut ribbon on new Student Health Services building

Published

9 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

AU to cut ribbon on new Student Health Services building

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta University is set to cut the ribbon on a new Student Health Services building on Friday.

The ribbon cutting will be held at 2:30 p.m. at 1465 Laney Walker Boulevard in Augusta.

The event will showcase the field of college health and the role the services have on students’ personal development and academic success.

The clinic relocated to the new space last month to make way for AU’s advanced research and clinical innovation, according to officials.

At the event, there will also be snacks, interactive games and clinic tours.

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Law enforcement converges on home in west Augusta

Published

21 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Law enforcement converges on home in west Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – There was a large law enforcement presence Thursday morning at a home in west Augusta near Fort Gordon.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force were in the area attempting to find a suspect, according to deputies.

Witnesses said around 11:25 a.m. that officers had been surrounding a home at Harper-Franklin Avenue and Covington Court.

That’s in a neighborhood of mostly two-story brick-fronted homes built in the past three or four years just east of Jimmie Dyess Parkway and a couple of blocks north of Gordon Highway.

As noon approached, law enforcement had left.

But a Facebook post from earlier did show a large presence,including marked and unmarked cars, and officers all around the house. A witness said police dogs were on the scene, as well.

News 12 has reached out to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office for information.

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Augusta mayoral candidate holds town hall as election season begins

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Augusta mayoral candidate holds town hall as election season begins

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Steven Kendrick held a town hall on Wednesday at the Henry Brigham Community Center as he prepares to challenge Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson.

Kendrick, who serves as chief deputy tax commissioner for Richmond County, previously ran against Johnson in 2022. The town hall was part of Kendrick’s campaign tour as he seeks to unseat the incumbent mayor.

“Some of the people felt as though we really needed to dig a little deeper and we dug a little deeper,” Kendrick said after the meeting. “But that’s how you gain understanding, where everybody’s not going to agree about everything. Some of them we didn’t agree on. I certainly enjoyed the interaction. I learned some things, and I hope they learned some things as well.”

Multiple Commission seats up for election

The mayoral race is not the only contest facing Richmond County voters. Several Augusta Commission seats are up for election across multiple districts.

District 8 will have a new commissioner because Commissioner Brandon Garrett is term-limited and cannot run again. Michael Cioffi and Evett Williams have filed to run for the District 8 seat.

Districts 2, 4, 6 and 10 are also up for election. Stacy Pulliam currently serves in District 2.

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