AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A future Disney star is ready to make the CSRA proud. Jiwon Lee is in the main cast of an upcoming Disney series and lives right here in Augusta.

It all started when she was 6 years old and her best friend introduced her to a local theatre program

“My dream job is singing, acting and dancing, I guess,” said Lee. “Triple threat.”

She’s doing all of that at the age of 11, landing her a role in a new Disney TV series, Vamparina.

“This was like, my first huge achievement because I couldn’t imagine that I was gonna be on Disney,” she said. “Then I was just like, super stoked.”

Lee is starring in the main cast as Sophie.

“Sophie is Vamparina’s human friend, and just so you know, V is a tween vampire girl,” said Lee. “She makes a big risk to move from her safe Transylvania home to a performing arts school.”

It took a lot of work for Lee to get to where she is, and it’s far from over.

“I got the audition from my acting agency, and it included me, like singing, acting and dancing, playing the guitar and piano,” she said. “Then it turned into a callback, then a chemistry read, then I had to turn in two more scene submissions, then I had to fly out to Los Angeles to do some more testing. Finally, I got the role. I booked it, and then I flew out to LA again to film the pilot.”

Lee is making new friends and remembering the ones who helped get her there.

“When I was filming the pilot, we were really close, and I think that while we’re filming the series, we’re going to get closer, and it’s going to be like a family,” said Lee. “I’m so excited, because I get to do my favorite thing in the whole entire world, and then I also get to do it with my favorite people.”

Lee says that as she steps into the role, she’s very thankful for her support system.

“I’m really grateful,” she said. “I’m kind of nervous for this whole thing to happen, but I’m really grateful for all the friendships that I’ve got to make, and everyone that’s going to support me along the way.”

In January, Lee will be flying to Los Angeles to start shooting the series that will air in 2025.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

Augusta, GA – The Augusta men’s basketball team dropped a 78-68 decision to No. 19 Florida Southern on Sunday afternoon at Christenberry Fieldhouse. 

Augusta (0-3, 0-0 Peach Belt)
FG% 42.4
3PT% 36.8
FT% 73.3

Florida Southern (5-1, 1-0 Sunshine State)
FG% 43.8
3PT% 26.7
FT% 90.0

Augusta opened the game with a strong offensive effort, securing a 33-28 lead at the half. The second half saw Florida Southern rally with 50 points, fueled by their efficiency at the free-throw line and key defensive stops.

Demitri Gardner led the Jaguars with a double-double, recording 17 points and 11 rebounds while also contributing 3 assists and 2 blocks. Max Amadasun was another standout, tallying 17 points and 7 rebounds on an efficient 8-12 shooting performance. Elias Palsson added 12 points, shooting 4-6 from beyond the arc and contributing 2 steals on the defensive end. John St. Germain III chipped in with 7 points, including a perfect 5-5 from the free-throw line, helping to keep the Jaguars competitive.

Despite winning the battle on the boards with 40 rebounds, Augusta struggled with turnovers and transition defense, areas that Florida Southern capitalized on for 17 points off turnovers and 15 fast-break points.

Next Up: Augusta will host Fayetteville State University on Wednesday, November 20, at 7:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be avilable at augustajags.com

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It’s been 50 days since Hurricane Helene made its way to our area.

The road to recovery across the two-state hasn’t been a fast or easy one.

Many people have been working long days and nights to get back to where we used to be.

On Saturday, Project City Serve spent the early afternoon and evening thanking our local heroes.

In Richmond County, trucks have picked up more than 1 million cubic yards of debris, and Columbia County is sitting at more than 900,000 cubic yards.

This fall has been full of emotions — both good and bad — and Leaders say nothing brings a smile to faces quite like food and fun.

Project City Serve gathered at the Augusta Commons for food trucks, a free meal for local heroes and fun as a way to say thank you to those who have given clean-up efforts their all.

“Things were going crazy because of the storm. As a committee, we joined together and said, you know, there’s a lot of service going on in the city, but we need to celebrate it,” said Luke Niday, executive director of the City of Alliance.

“A lot of the first responders have been super excited that somebody would just say thanks. A lot of them had to work 16-hour days, 18-hour days just to help in the course of the storm. And some of them got some of them got told thanks, and some of them got cussed out. So, it’s a great honor just to be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re thankful for what you doing and we see you,” he said.

As crews continue to work, they ask that you have patience.

Officials say to not burn your debris.

They say it’s so dry that even something as small as the end of a cigarette can cause big problems.

If you have debris, make sure it is vegetation only and it’s in a pile on the street but not blocking the roadway.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.