AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Harlem Globetrotters and News 12 parent company Gray Media proudly announce the live broadcast of a Harlem Globetrotters game from their historic sports residency at American Dream in New Jersey on Aug. 18.

The event will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on local television stations owned by Gray, including in Augusta.

“Our history making residency continues to attract partners who want to help amplify the moment,” said Keith Dawkins, president of Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios. “It’s been over 40 years since audiences have seen the Globetrotters LIVE on TV, and we are thankful that Gray Media is helping us revitalize our brand for an entirely new generation.”

The broadcast will be produced by Gray’s Raycom Sports, a national leader in sports production and syndication with deep roots in college basketball, football and pro sports. On-air talent for the broadcast will be announced soon.

“We’re fired up to work with the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters! Over the last 45 years, we’ve produced over 10,000 events, including college basketball, football, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS games,” said Raycom Sports CEO Hunter Nickell. “Now, we’re honored to showcase the Globetrotters on Gray stations across the country.”

Raycom Sports currently syndicates ACC Football and Basketball games throughout the year on CW affiliates nationwide, and is the broadcast partner for the PWHL, a first-of-its-kind women’s hockey league that debuted in 2024.

The Harlem Globetrotters are the originators of basketball style, captured by their dynamic athleticism, unique skill and historical influence on the modern game of basketball. Since 1926, the Globetrotters, proud members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, have used their legendary global tour to showcase their iconic brand of basketball to tens of millions in more than 124 countries and territories across six continents.

They have expanded the brand by coming back to network television for the first time in 40 years with their Emmy nominated NBC series “Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward” which also airs on Telemundo as “Harlem Globetrotters: Ganando Con La Comunidad.”

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest after a 28-year-old was beaten to death last month.

38-year-old Tamiko Bolton has been charged for murdering Elias Delk on June 15th. 

The Coroner’s Office says Delk died from multiple blunt force trauma following the murder at the Dollar General on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

His former coworkers say they still can’t believe what happened. 

“I didn’t believe it. I called his phone over and over and over again, because it was just horrible. I think a trauma like that is super abrasive–and for a good little while, you’re not in your own reality,” said his former boss Sarah Cro.

“To hear about how it was done, it was just a shock. Nobody deserves to be beaten to death–so it was rough,” his kitchen manager Mikeda Johnson said.

Investigators say Bolton and several other people beat Delk using their fists, feet, and a stick.

Delk suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung, and hematomas to his scalp and face, before dying from his injuries.

His mother, Jacinda Beverley, sharing the same shock. 

“I was actually supposed to volunteer at a Father’s Day conference here in Dallas, and as I was preparing to get ready, I got a knock on the door. A cop, police officer, told me that Elias Delk was no longer with me–that shattered my whole world,” Beverley said.

Now they are remembering the man who meant the world to them. 

He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and Beverley says he was the happiest child growing up.

“He was always happy-go-lucky, he played a lot of sports, he played musical instruments like the flute and violin–I tried to keep him very busy, because he had a lot of energy,” said Beverley. “He was a handful, but just a great personality.”

Prior to coming to Augusta, he gained experience working in different jobs–a server in the hospitality industry, a maintenance job pulling carpets, and even took a job in management.

But along the way, his mother says he ran into trouble–he then found himself at a transition center in Augusta, in an effort to turn his life around.

The opportunity came along for him to work at Fifth and Finch in Augusta in 2022.

“Prior to coming to Fifth and Finch, he was working in a restaurant, so he had that background,” Beverley said. “So, when he went through the transition center, that’s where they placed him–and that’s where Sarah gave him the opportunity to work for her: and she’s been wonderful.”

Cro says he started as a dishwasher, and kitchen manager Mikeda Johnson saw his potential early on.

“After dishwashing he went to cooking, and he eventually moved to the front of the house and became one of the faces of the restaurant,” Cro said. “He was great at all of it.”

Friends and family saying they knew him best for his work ethic, and radiating positivity. 

“He was working multiple jobs to provide for his family, and he was on education route to be an HVAC technician, so he dialed back working at Finch. But the Masters of 2023–while practicing Ramadan strictly and fasting–he worked 70 hours that week,” said Cro.

“He would always be the type of person who was teachable,” Johnson said. “He always wanted to learn something new. We would have competitions about who could make the better desserts–so he was a great worker.”

“He had an infectious smile. If I ever said anything negative, he would just rebuke the statement. Like, Mom I can’t even think like that. He was determined to turn his life around,” said Beverley. “His life was just too short. He should still be here, living life, and enjoying life, and celebrating his life. My heart is crushed, and I’m still in somewhat disbelief that this happened.”

The Sheriff’s Office has informed NewsChannel 6 that a second suspect has now been arrested.

They and the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Creston Curry on Friday, July 19th.

They say Curry was also wanted for other outstanding warrants unrelated to the case.

Delk did not have life insurance, so a website has been created to support the family during this time.

If you would like to contribute in any way, you can find the website here.

Herbert L. Ellis, Jr., 77, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 17, at his home in Augusta, GA with his loving wife, Judy Parkman Ellis of fifty-six years by his side. 

He was born on July 31,1946 in Washington, GA to Herbert L. Ellis and Anne Williamson Ellis. Herb was raised in Jacksonville, FL, where he graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1964. He was recruited to play basketball at Augusta College where a beautiful young cheerleader, Judy, caught his eye and she eventually became his wife on August 26, 1967. Herb made lifelong friends with his fellow basketball teammates and through the years they have met annually to reconnect and enjoy a weekend of fellowship and golf. He left Augusta College and joined the U.S. Coast Guard where he was stationed in Cape May, NJ. Following his honorary discharge from the Coast Guard, Herb and Judy moved back to Augusta and he started his firefighting career. He started with the Richmond County Fire Department in 1978 and after many years serving the county, he took a job at Fort Gordon as a firefighter with the civil service. During his time with the fire department, on his days off, he built up a successful side business as a handy man and painter. He was always moving and didn’t like to sit still. Herb retired from firefighting in January of 2000 but he continued being a handyman until the last few years.

Herb loved sports, especially softball and all things golf. He participated in church league and travel softball with many teams. Herb excelled as a pitcher, and he could knock the cover off a softball. Since his return to Augusta in 1978 he never missed the Masters Tournament. His favorite spot to sit was behind number six green under the large oak, consuming egg salad sandwiches and occasionally a frosty cold beer. He spent many hours on the golf course and there were many memorable moments spent with friends and family on the links. 

Herb is survived by his wife Judy, their two sons and their children, Tripp and Lance, grandchildren Cal, Hayes (Tripp) and Parks, Preston (Lance). He is proceeded in death by his parents Herbert L. Ellis and Anne Williamson Ellis.

The memorial service will be held on Tuesday July 23, at 11:00 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 3185 Wheeler Road, Augusta, GA 30909 with the Reverend Rodger Murchison officiating. Honorary pall bearers will be members of the Exchange Club of Augusta. The family will receive friends in the Fellowship Hall at the conclusion of the memorial service. 

In lieu of flowers please consider memorial contributions to: Exchange Club of Augusta Charity Fund, P.O. Box 3884, Augusta, GA 30914.