Augusta, GA
Augusta lawmaker happy with progress on school safety measures
ATLANTA, Ga. – Georgia lawmakers passed a handful of school and firearm safety bills Tuesday, including one that an Augusta legislator called a good compromise for both Republicans and Democrats.
The bills round out a package of legislation House Speaker Jon Burns had slated as a priority just hours after the Apalachee High School shooting last year.
Tuesday marked six months since the Apalachee High School shooting left two students and two teachers dead. Burns, in a letter to the House Republican Caucus the same week of the tragedy, said more school safety measures were needed.
The speaker got two items on his wish list passed Tuesday, including a bill that would offer tax incentives to Georgians up to $300 for purchases of firearms training courses, gun locks and other safe storage equipment. House Bill 79 passed overwhelmingly by 165-8, enjoying wide support from Democrats.
The bill defines safe storage devices as “any device originally manufactured to securely store or disable a firearm,” including gun locks, fingerprint or biometric identifiers, and gun safes.
While dozens of Democrats in the House threw their support behind the bill, some suggested it was a good step but not nearly enough to make a difference in one of Georgia’s most prevalent causes of death. Some wanted the safe storage program to be mandatory, not voluntarily incentivized.
“HB79 is a start, but what’s it going to take before this body will answer the call of 80% of Georgians who support more impactful common-sense solutions?” said Rep. Shea Roberts, D–Atlanta. “Respectfully, a school safety bill that doesn’t require safe storage isn’t complete.”
Rep. Mark Newton, R-Augusta, said the bill was a good compromise for both parties.
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“We have put some guardrails around it that I think are respectful of your Bill of Rights, your Second Amendment rights, but also allows responsible gun owners the option that they need,” he said.
Burns’ other high priority bill also passed the House on Tuesday. Perhaps a bit more controversial, House Bill 268 would introduce a statewide database accessible to school districts and law enforcement that would allow them to view a student’s academic and disciplinary records.
In a rare move, Burns stepped off the dais and argued his support for the bill himself, calling it “common sense.”
“I believe this legislation will usher in a new culture in our school systems, where we run towards our children facing struggles,” said Burns, addressing concerns over the privacy issues some lawmakers raised.
“It’s very important when a student transfers into a new school, and the receiving school does not have the information on that student,” said Burns. “Not an invasion of privacy, but just information on how you deal with all the issues that young people can face today, that all people can face.”
Rep. Holt Persinger, a Republican who represents the district that includes Apalachee and sponsored HB268, said the database could have prevented the Apalachee shooting by alerting the district that the alleged shooter previously struggled with mental health issues and had run-ins with law enforcement.
“We know that a lack of information sharing occurred with the accused shooter at Apalachee, and this measure directly addresses that breakdown in communication,” he said. “This will help ensure that students who are facing a mental health crisis receive the resources and support they need when they need it most.”
Persinser reiterated that not every student would have their information stored in the system, and that in fact, most won’t. But the legislation immediately raised additional questions about profiling issues.
“What exactly are we doing here?” asked Rep. Mekyah McQueen, D–Smyrna. “We are being asked to create a state-run student surveillance database, a watch list for children readily available for law enforcement access.”
McQueen also asked how long a student would remain on the list, and expressed concern that their presence there could prevent them from getting jobs or even into colleges.
“The talking points meant to be reassuring are, this isn’t a watch list, it’s just a safety tool, we track attendance, we track grades, why not this?” said McQueen. “Because this is different. This isn’t neutral data. This is subjective labeling.”
Both bills passed Tuesday will now move to the state Senate.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
The dream of finding an affordable home can feel increasingly out of reach for many prospective buyers, especially those in the middle-income bracket.
While the housing market might appear robust on paper, a closer look reveals a significant disconnect between available homes and what many can truly afford.
A collaborative piece from Realtor.com® and the National Association of Realtors®, the 2026 Housing Mismatch Report, highlights this critical issue. It reveals that middle-income households continue to face the largest supply gap, with buyers earning around $75,000 able to afford homes priced up to about $261,140.
Homes priced below this point currently account for only about 23% of listings nationally, compared with about 44% in a balanced market, representing an effective shortage of about 311,000 listings within reach of these buyers.
This disparity means that 36% of metros fall below 70% alignment, indicating that many lower- and middle-income households struggle to find listings within their price range. In the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area, this challenge is particularly evident, as the metro currently faces a shortage of homes for middle-income earners.
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC’s housing landscape
The housing market in Augusta, GA and the surrounding Richmond County presents a challenging picture for middle-income buyers. According to the report, for buyers earning $75,000, the metro is categorized as having a moderate shortage of affordable homes.
In March 2026, only 30.60% of listings were considered affordable for these buyers, a decrease from 33.80% in March 2025. This translates to a deficit of 787 affordable listings missing from the market.
Additionally, the report gives the area an alignment score that shows how well the current distribution of home listings matches the distribution of household incomes in a given market.
A score of 100% means listings are distributed proportionally across income levels, while a lower score means the available listings do not match what local buyers can afford. The score is calculated by comparing, at each of 12 income tiers, the actual share of listings that a household in that tier can afford against the share they would be able to afford in a balanced market, when listing prices are distributed proportionally across all income groups.
For the Augusta-Richmond County metro, the March 2026 Listing-Income Alignment Score stood at 78.90%. While this represents a positive change of +4.4 compared to 2025, it still marks a significant decline of 16.7 when compared to 2019.
This indicates that despite some recent improvements, the market still has a long way to go to truly align with the financial realities of its local buyers.
Experts weigh in on the path forward
Addressing the housing challenges in metros like Augusta-Richmond County requires more than just an increase in overall inventory. Experts emphasize the need for homes that align with what buyers can actually afford.
“The data makes clear that more inventory alone won’t be enough to unlock the housing market,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com®, explains. “A true recovery requires homes at the right price points.”
She adds, “Until the supply of entry-level and middle-market homes grows to meet demand, many buyers will continue to find the market out of reach despite headline improvements in affordability and inventory.”
Nadia Evangelou, NAR principal economist and director of real estate research, echoes this sentiment. “The U.S. housing market continues to face a structural mismatch between the homes available for sale and what buyers can afford,” she states.
Evangelou further notes, “Too much of the inventory available today remains concentrated at higher price points, leaving a shortage of options for entry-level and middle-income buyers.”
These insights underscore the urgent need for targeted solutions to create a more balanced and accessible housing market for everyone.
Generated with AI assistance and finalized through human editorial oversight by Dina Sartore-Bodo and Gabriella Iannetta.
The Augusta-based manufacturer of one of the world’s leading brands of golf carts could split from parent company Textron by the end of 2027.
Textron has announced its intention to concentrate its aerospace and defense subsidiaries into a separate company called New Textron, including Textron Aviation, Textron Systems, and Bell, a brand that produces military-grade helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft. It also oversees general aviation brands Cessna and Beechcraft.
Textron Specialized Vehicles is part of the company’s Industrial segment, which expects more than $3 billion in 2026 revenue. TSV properties include E-Z-GO golf carts; PACE Technology, which manufactures global positioning systems customized for golf courses; Jacobsen, a producer of turf maintenance equipment; and TUG Technologies, which makes airport ground support equipment such as baggage tractors.
“This planned separation creates greater clarity and focus for both businesses,” Textron CEO Lisa M. Atherton said in a statement. “New Textron will move forward as a pure-play aerospace and defense company positioned for higher growth, while Industrial gains the independence to pursue strategies aligned with its distinct strengths — unlocking long-term value for all stakeholders.”
The company “intends to explore multiple paths to effect the planned separation of its Industrial segment, including but not limited to a sale of the Industrial businesses or a tax-free separation into a standalone, publicly traded company,” according to Textron.
Textron said in its April 30 first-quarter earnings call to stockholders that it estimates the complete corporate separation to occur within 12 to 18 months, implying Halloween 2027 at the latest.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Fort Gordon service members will soon have more opportunities to further their education thanks to a partnership between Augusta University and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon.
Augusta University President Russell T. Keen and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence Maj. Gen. Ryan M. Janovic will sign a new memorandum to continue their partnership at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Shaffer MacCartney Building at the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University.
Augusta University first began its partnership with the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence back in 2016.
The new memorandum will provide additional opportunities for service members to receive degree credit for military training through Augusta University and AU Online.
The programs being updated under the new agreement include: Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management and Technology, Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies, Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies with a Technical Intelligence Analysis Concentration and the PhD in Intelligence, Defense and Cybersecurity Policy.
“We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence to create new educational opportunities for the men and women who serve our nation,” Keen said.
Janovic emphasized the magnitude of the relationship and the critical skillsets it supports.
“This partnership with Augusta University is a force multiplier for our formations. By translating our rigorous military training into academic credit, we bridge the gap between military instruction and higher education,” Janovic said.
“Through this partnership, we are preparing experienced military leaders to build on the skills they have already developed and continue serving in ways that advance our national security, strengthen Georgia’s workforce and create lasting impact for generations to come. Their commitment to service extends far beyond the battlefield. It continues in the communities they protect, the organizations they lead and the lives they influence every day,” said Keen.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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