AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The city of Augusta is preparing for a potentially significant ice storm this weekend, with officials holding multiple planning calls and reviewing emergency protocols.

Mayor Garnett Johnson said the city has had multiple calls with the National Weather Service and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, with more planning calls scheduled.

Johnson said it will likely be another 12 to 16 hours before the city lays out a concrete plan or decides whether to activate its Emergency Operations Center, where multiple departments and agencies coordinate response efforts.

Emergency response levels

Augusta’s Emergency Operations Plan, last updated in December 2020, outlines how the county should respond to winter weather. The plan draws on lessons learned from the 2014 ice storm.

The plan establishes three levels of Emergency Operations Center activation. At the lowest level, the city monitors weather and checks in with agencies. The middle level brings more departments in and starts moving crews around. The highest level is an all-hands-on-deck response.

Preparation recommendations

Augusta’s Emergency Management Agency director advised residents to charge their devices and get battery packs. She also recommended closing off any drafts in homes and leaving faucets dripping at night.

Regional preparations

Aiken County will hold a news conference on Thursday at its Emergency Operations Center to discuss its plans. Officials in Burke County, McDuffie County and Columbia County have not yet released their preparation plans.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team responded to two separate calls in less than three hours on Tuesday.

Hay Meadow Drive

Along with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT BearCat Unit, Richmond County’s SWAT team responded to the 800 block of Hay Meadow Drive in Sims Place Neighborhood at 10:40 p.m.

Deputies say the call originally came in as a domestic incident involving a firearm.

A woman involved was able to escape the residence and leave the area safely, according to deputies.

Officials say the male suspect barricaded himself inside the home with multiple firearms, refused to exit and made threats toward law enforcement officers.

Nearby residences were cleared and residents were asked to temporarily shelter elsewhere for safety reasons.

All entrances to the area were blocked to vehicle and pedestrian traffic until 12:15 a.m. Wednesday

Officials say a trained negotiator communicated with the suspect and remained on the phone with him for one hour.

Deputies say a gunshot was then heard from inside the residence. The SWAT team made entry into the home, where the suspect was located and observed with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Richmond County Coroner’s Office says Rafael Moreno, 35, was taken to Wellstar MCG, where he was pronounced dead at 2:09 a.m.

An autopsy has been scheduled.

The area was reopened around 12:32 a.m. Wednesday morning. The scene was completely cleared at 4:01 a.m.

Fox Hall Circle

A man accused of threatening to kill deputies was taken into custody after firing shots into the air during a standoff Tuesday night, authorities said.

Richmond County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) deputies responded about 9 p.m. to reports of shots fired in the 2900 block of Fox Hall Circle.

When deputies arrived, the man came outside the home and allegedly fired multiple rounds into the air, officials said.

According to the agency, during initial phone contact, he threatened to kill deputies.

The RCSO SWAT team was activated and assisted by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) SWAT BearCat armored vehicle team.

“This marks the third SWAT call out in the past week, and each incident has ended peacefully due to the specialized training and equipment that our teams have worked hard to put in place. The immediate response by our deputies and the cooperation from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, supported by our mutual aid agreements, have been essential in ensuring safe outcomes. We are very grateful for the strong partnership between our agencies and the commitment of every deputy involved,” said Sheriff Eugene Brantley.

A drone team provided aerial overwatch while deputies notified nearby residents and advised them to seek shelter or stay in place, authorities said.

After a standoff and with assistance from a neighbor who communicated with an RCSO negotiator, the man exited the home unarmed and was taken into custody, officials said.

Deputies secured the home to ensure no other individuals were inside.

Investigators are obtaining warrants after observing a large number of weapons in plain view, authorities said.

The man was transported to a hospital for evaluation before being taken to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.

The scene was cleared around 10:30 p.m.

The sheriff’s office says more information will be provided regarding charges when available.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Georgia’s former Lt. Gov. and current gubernatorial candidate, Geoff Duncan, came to Augusta on Tuesday.

He toured the Carpenters Local Union 283 training facility.

He spoke with staff about his plans to lower costs for workers across the state.

Duncan also spoke about artificial intelligence and the impacts it will have on workers.

He says unions are essential to help economic growth in Georgia.

“I do think unions are definitely a part of Georgia’s future,” he said. “Our economic growth is headed in a great direction, and it needs to continue to improve. And in order to have qualified labor that’s safe and ready to go to work, we’ve got to have unions as a part of that training protocol.”

He said programs like those of the union are coordinated to let people get the training to be successful on those projects.

“There’s folks listening to this right now that would love to go back to work, but they can’t afford child care. There are things we can do as a state to better affect that and look at opportunities to better fund the caps program to lower childcare costs to better fund the TANF to wrap our hands around folks hanging around the vicious cycle of poverty,” he said.

He also addressed creating livable wages for Georgians.

He was a Republican when he was lieutenant governor, but now he is a Democrat.

Other candidates running for governor include Democrats Michael Thurman, State Senator Jason Estevez, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Olu Brown, and Representatives Derrick Jackson and Roe Roman.

Republicans running include Attorney General Chris Carr, Lt. Gov. Bert Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Ken Yasger.

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