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.
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An Augusta biomanufacturer will start making ammunition in the global fight against malaria.
Manus last week broke ground at its local plant on Lovers Lane on a production facility to produce artemisinin. The chemical is a key starting component in drug treatments to treat the deadly mosquito-borne illness. Malaria killed more than 600,000 people worldwide in 2024, according to the World Health Organization
“This groundbreaking reflects a shift from dependence to capability,” said Ajikumar Parayil, Manus’ founder and CEO. “For decades, the U.S. has relied heavily on overseas supply chains for the building blocks of essential medicines. What we’re establishing in Augusta is a new model – one that restores control, strengthens resilience, and proves that advanced biomanufacturing can be deployed at scale, here at home.”
About 80% of key ingredients for essential U.S. medicines are made or sourced overseas, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
That has led companies such as Manus to pursue biomanufacturing production models capable of making medical compounds domestically, efficiently and on a large scale.
Earlier in 2026, Manus won federal funding to expand production to make shikimic acid, a key compound in the antiviral medication oseltamivir, better known by its brand name Tamiflu.
On April 30, Manus announced a partnership with the University of Georgia to start a structured biomanufacturing apprenticeship program in Augusta. With a UGA “academic blueprint,” according to Manus, apprentices would receive extensive training on live production equipment to produce more experienced professionals for bio-industrial manufacturers nationwide.
Manus reopened Augusta’s old NutraSweet plant in 2019. In 2021, it introduced NutraSweet Natural, a zero-calorie stevia sweetener made using a smaller environmental footprint.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Brent McMillian is being appointed as the new director of athletics at Augusta University, President Russell Keen announced Monday.
McMillian will begin the role on June 8, 2026.
According to AU, McMillian brings 13 years of athletics experience to the position. He previously served as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Engagement and Revenue Generation at Lipscomb University at Nashville.
“His vision aligns seamlessly with our goals for Jaguar Athletics: to champion student-athlete wellbeing, strengthen our competitive success, deepen community engagement, and build a vibrant, spirited campus culture,” Keen said. “His experience, combined with his personal connection to Augusta University, positions him to hit the ground running in a meaningful way.”
McMillian is a graduate of Greenbrier High School and attended Augusta University before completing his degree at the University of Tennessee.
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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Local restaurants hosted brunches for Mother’s Day, allowing neighbors to celebrate the day with the special women in their lives.
The Brunch House of Augusta on Greene Street hosted a brunch. The restaurant served berry pancakes and French toast, waffles, ham and cheese breakfast sliders and more breakfast foods.
One of the owners said the holidays are a great time for them to make connections with the community.
“We just had a group here come here that’s been coming here every year Mother’s Day for three years, every year basically since we’ve been open, they come in every year for Mother’s Day. We have people from out of town come and travel and visit us, so it’s definitely building that connection,” said Ashley Brown, co-owner of The Brunch House of Augusta.
Brown said they will be offering some specials for the upcoming Juneteenth holiday next month.
The Frog and the Hen also hosted a Mother’s Day brunch. The restaurant had about 350 people come in as of around 3 p.m.
They served foods like fried chicken, cheddar biscuits, French toast casserole and more.
The general manager said she enjoys seeing families come in for holidays like Mother’s Day.
“I feel like these are all my children here, so I feel like this day just in general, like I get to be the mother here, and so this is like I’m mother hen, so I get to take care of all this. I love supporting all the people as well and just being able to get the best food possible, the best chicken everywhere,” said Sheridan Roberts, general manager of Frog and the Hen.
Roberts said they often have to stop making reservations a few weeks ahead of the holiday due to the amount they receive.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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