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
Five Augusta Women’s Tennis Players Honored on PBC All-Academic Team – Augusta University
AUGUSTA, GA — The Peach Belt Conference has revealed the 2026 Women’s Tennis All-Academic Team, previously known as the Team of Academic Distinction. Maria Gento, Andrea Gonzalez, Julieta Palma, Giovana Patrocino, and Camila Taborga from Augusta women’s tennis earned spots on the team. The teams are part of the PBC’s larger initiative to celebrate the academic achievements of PBC student-athletes.
In order to be eligible for the PBC All-Academic Team, student-athletes must meet the following requirements:
1) Participate in at least half of his/her team’s events and be either a starter or significant contributor
2) Achieved a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and
3) Student-Athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically
Transfer students are immediately eligible once they meet the above requirements. The Peach Belt Conference sports communications professionals oversee the program.
| PBC WOMEN’S TENNIS ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAME | INSTITUTION | YEAR | HOMETOWN | GPA | MAJOR (MINOR) |
| Maria Gento Sanchez | Augusta | Junior | Santander, Spain | 3.90 | Biology |
| Andrea Gonzalez Sanchez | Augusta | Junior | Saltillo, Mexico | 3.90 | Business Administration- Supply Chain Management |
| Julieta Palma | Augusta | Junior | Cordoba, Argentina | 3.75 | Business Administration-Finance |
| Giovanna Piedemonte Patrocino | Augusta | Junior | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 3.56 | Psychology |
| Camila Taborga | Augusta | Junior | La Paz, Bolivia | 3.52 | Psychology |
| Sofia Lauretti | Columbus State | Redshirt Sophomore | Roma, Italy | 4.00 | Marketing |
| Maria Markosov | Columbus State | Junior | Bradenton, Fla. | 3.78 | Biology |
| Laura Pesickova | Columbus State | Senior | Milevsko, Czezh Republic | 3.75 | International Business |
| Monika Temkova | Columbus State | Junior | Skopje, Macedonia | 3.78 | Psychology |
| Eryka Kruk | Flagler | Senior | Minsk, Belarus | 3.83 | Business |
| Ornella Lomenzo | Flagler | Sophomore | Brussels, Belgium | 3.64 | Business |
| Elena Ondobo | Flagler | Sophomore | Brussels, Belgium | 3.85 | Business |
| Laura Almagro | GCSU | Senior | Marbella, Spain | 3.57 | Exercise Science |
| Rachel Black | GCSU | Sophomore | Valdosta, Ga. | 3.80 | Biology (Business Administration) |
| Natalie Kirka | GCSU | Sophomore | Marietta, Ga. | 3.76 | Mathematics (Business Administration) |
| Mabry Bowron | Georgia Southwestern | Sophomore | Cumming, Ga. | 3.66 | Psychology |
| EmmaRae Smith | Georgia Southwestern | Sophomore | Thomasville, Ga. | 4.00 | Psychology |
| Evelyn Altmaier | Lander | Senior | Kempen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany | 4.00 | Business Administration |
| Thilda Danielsson | Lander | Sophomore | Ahus, Sweden | 4,00 | Business Administration |
| Bailee Martin | Lander | Senior | Perth, Australia | 3.77 | Business Administration |
| Maria Jose Zarza | Lander | Junior | Asuncion, Paraquay | 3.83 | Business Administration |
| Ainhoa Meili Fernandez del Moral | Middle Georgia | Senior | Bilbao, Spain | 3.74 | Sport Management |
| Irina Furtuna | Middle Georgia | Junior | Rome, Italy | 3.50 | Psychology |
| Lucile Gence | Middle Georgia | Sophomore | Paris, France | 3.62 | Business Administration |
| Agustina Olivero | Middle Georgia | Senior | Montevideo, Uruguay | 3.90 | Mathematics |
| Victoria Niox-Chateau | North Georgia | Junior | Boulogne-Billancourt, France | 3.88 | Management |
| Anastasiia Opolska | North Georgia | Senior | Stebnyk, Ukraine | 3.73 | Marketing |
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Two former guards at Augusta State Medical Prison have been found not guilty in connection with the death of an inmate.
A two-count federal indictment unsealed in August 2025 charged Robert Roberson and Marcus Phillips violating the constitutional rights of an inmate by showing deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm to an inmate, resulting in his death.
The indictment alleges that on Oct. 28, 2020, Roberson and Phillips became aware of a smoldering fire in an inmate’s cell.
Rather than extinguish the fire, evacuate the inmate from his cell, remediate the smoke from the cell or call a fire emergency over the radio, they willfully disregarded the substantial risk of serious harm to the inmate by leaving him in his locked cell for several hours while he slowly died from smoke inhalation, according to the indictment.
Roberson was also acquitted of a charge of falsifying a logbook to cover up misconduct.
Inmate deaths aren’t unheard of at the prison. Among the deaths there:
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Mrs. Amy Elizabeth Black, age 56 of Evans, Georgia passed away on May 29, 2026, at her residence surrounded by her loving family.
A native of Augusta, Georgia, Mrs. Black was born on January 8, 1970, the daughter of Cynthia Bridges Cason and the late Charles Franklin Cason. She had lived all her life in the Martinez and Evans communities and attended and graduated from Evans High School in 1988. Amy went on to pursue her degree of Education Specialist from Augusta State University. Amy was employed with the Columbia County Board of Education for 22 years as a middle school teacher. One of her favorite childhood memories was playing little league softball where she played the position of catcher. She was married to Billy Richard Black, Jr. for 27 years and just celebrated being together for 31 years. Mrs. Black attended the Wesley United Methodist Church where she enjoyed participating in the VBS programs. She was also preceded in death by her father-in-law Mr. Billy Richard Black, Sr.
Survivors include her beloved husband, Mr. Billy Richard Black, Jr. Her son, Reagan Hugh Black; her brother, Charles F. Cason, Jr. and his wife, Katie; her sister, Lisa Ann Cason-Greene and her husband, David; her mother-in-law, Mrs. Brenda Black; her sisters-in-law, Lisa Fehrenbach and her husband Ken, and Shannon Koch and her husband Thomas; a number of nieces and nephews along with one great nephew. Amy always kept her beloved pets in fond memories they being “Kerchal”, “Grisby”, “Bear” and “Sandy”.
Funeral services for Mrs. Black will be conducted on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon at Wesley United Methodist Church 825 N. Belair Rd Evans, Ga 30809, with Rev. Greg Porterfield officiating. Interment will follow in the Bellevue Memorial Gardens 4501 Wrightboro Road, Grovetown, GA 30813.
The family will receive friends on Saturday from 12 p.m. until the service hour at the church.
The following gentlemen will serve as pallbearers and are requested to meet at the church on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and they include; Cason Greene, Christian Greene, Wyatt Cason, Wheeler Cason, Walker Cason, David Campbell and Barrett Albert.
Arrangements are being provided by Platt’s Funeral Home, 337 N. Belair Road, Evans, GA 30809 (706) 860-6166. Please take a moment to share your condolences by signing the online guestbook at plattsfuneralhome.com.
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