Augusta, GA
Augusta leaders say debris cleanup finish line is late March
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Richmond County leaders had hoped to have Hurricane Helene debris picked up by now, but they’re shooting for late March at this point.
Crews have picked up more than 2.9 million cubic yards of debris – roughly the same amount as neighboring Columbia County.
That’s enough to fill up the Empire State Building twice and fill up 100 Olympic-size pools.
They’re looking forward to warmer weather coming up so they can increase the total.
Right after Helene tore through the CSRA on Sept. 27, officials told residents to pile vegetation debris along the curb, and trucks would pick it up. The pledge was that crews would visit every street in the county two or possibly three times.
The goal was also to get all the work done in 90 days because that was the deadline for the federal government to cover the full cost of the cleanup.
We blew past that deadline, and it was extended.
And although crews won’t even make the extended deadline, they’re already planning the final pass in some parts of the county.
“Final pass is all up in the northern part of the county, basically the District 7, District 1 areas of the northern part of the county,” said Steve Cassell, an Augusta debris consultant.
But for other areas, the work is just getting started.
“You go in a neighborhood and one street has a lot of debris, and another street has nothing,” said Cassell.
“It’s not for the whole county right now and we’re not stopping the first pass in other areas,” he said. “We’re just dedicating some resources to closing some of these areas out so we can redirect those resources.”
In the beginning, they focused on the heaviest-hit areas, but the final pass is based on voting precincts.
“Basically going by what people already know so that we can kind of close each area out as we go,” said Cassell.
Cassell says this pass will involve more observation.
“It goes street by street, you know,” he said. “Then it’s inspected by an inspector and then he declares it clean, then we’re done.”
Officials plan to give plenty of notice to residents so they can be sure to get all the debris to the curb in time.
“We’ll make announcements as we close these precincts and then to which precincts were coming to next,” said Cassell.
This pass is still focusing on lighter debris like tree limbs.
“There’ll probably be some of the stumps and root balls that are another frustration, but that’s another thing that comes in afterward,” he said.
And to help make the process faster …
“Don’t put bag debris in there, or put your fence or some other construction debris. That’s a separate pickup that’s also being done as part of the second pass,” said Cassell.
The deadline is early February for 100% reimbursement by the federal government.
But the county doesn’t expect the work to be done by then.
Then the reimbursement rate will drop down to 75%.
“It’s not going to take a week,” said Cassell. “So we’re probably ending March before we’re done with the whole county.”
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta inmate is now recovering after he was stabbed multiple times at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center last week, according to authorities.
Deputies say they responded to the jail on Jan. 22 and met with medial personnel at the jail.
Medical staff informed deputies that an inmate was stabbed multiple times in F Pod, according to the incident report.
Deputies say after the inmate was stabbed, his clothes, facility issued tablet and Store Call were stolen.
According to the report, the inmate told deputies he is a part of local gang, and the person who stabbed him is part of another gang.
Deputies say they found nine stab wounds and lacerations on the inmate, including on his left arm, left shoulder and his head.
While searching the F Pod, deputies found a uniform top with blood on it under another inmates mattress. They also found the injured inmate’s jail wristband under the mattress.
During the search, deputies say they also found a six inch sharpened metal object that appeared to have blood on it.
According to the report, five inmates were involved in the incident.
Officials say the inmate suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is now in stable condition.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta officials say a preliminary response related to an audit of the Housing and Community Development Department was received Tuesday from Cherry Bekaert.
The audit report is not yet complete, according to the city.
After initial review, the city has requested additional information to “ensure clarity and accuracy before the process moves forward.”
“The Augusta government remains committed to transparency and will provide further updates once the requested information is received and the audit is finalized,” the city said in the news release.
In November, Augusta Commission members held a budget workshop session with much discussion about the Housing and Community Development Department.
That’s the department that left the city on the hook to pay back millions in federal grant money.
The city received more than $6 million in grant money during the COVID-19 pandemic, supposedly to help people who were in danger of eviction.
The city never spent the money for that purpose, so the government demanded it back.
The department didn’t have the money on hand, so the city had to repay it, and then some, from the general fund — $6.3 million of the original grant money and $2.1 million in penalties.
The scandal led to the exit of Housing and Community Director Hawthorne Welcher and sparked an audit of the department.
On Oct. 28, commissioners in closed executive session approved the payment of up to $32,237.32 from contingency funds for rental assistance previously approved by the Housing and Community Development Department.
This means leaders agreed to take the money from their emergency fund and use it to help people with their rent as part of a program the department had already put in place.
Mayor Garnett Johnson said at the time this was an effort to address letters that were sent out, falsely leading people to believe they were getting some emergency funds.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Several health events in Augusta on Tuesday are offering help to those who need medical care.
Department of Public Health mobile clinic
The Department of Public Health mobile clinic will be at Christenberry Fieldhouse on Tuesday.
Officials say the clinic makes it easier to receive care for those who don’t have transportation.
The clinic will be at the 3109 Wrightsboro Road from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
You can receive sports, work and school physicals, diabetes management, WIC referrals, vaccines and more.
The mobile clinic offers private exam rooms, wheelchair-accessible lifts and modern medical equipment.
For more information on the mobile clinic and what stops it will take, visit www.ecphd.com/wego.
Annual Horizon Truckers Clinic
The fourth annual health fair for bus and shuttle driver employees with Horizon Motor Coach will be held on Tuesday at Julian Smith Casino, 2200 Broad Street.
This event will start at 11 a.m.
In partnership with the Augusta Lions Club, the Augusta University’s College of Nursing, Georgia Prevention Institute, College of Allied Health Sciences, the Dental College of Georgia and the Georgia Cancer Center make the event possible.
The health fair is designed to help prevent and identify health issues as well as providing mock DOT exams, dental examinations and nutrition advice.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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