Augusta, GA
Augusta man missing off Georgia coast as search continues
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Coast Guard and McIntosh County Fire Department continued searching Friday for an Augusta man who went missing off the Georgia coast, as a body was found Thursday.
Roman Waldera’s daughter spoke about the last conversation she had with her father before he disappeared while fishing.
“I actually spoke to my dad in the morning he went missing. We talked back and forth a little bit and then he told me, well, I’m on the boat. I’ve got to get going. We’re going to start fishing. And I was like, all right, we’ll be careful. I love you,” she said.
The Coast Guard called her after Waldera went missing.
“After we got the call, my first goal was to get down there and start searching the island of Blackbeard,” she said.
Community joins search efforts
Shellman’s Fish Camp and other local boat owners joined the search in Sapelo Sound.
“I mean, everybody in the area who had a boat, they were on the sound, and it ended up, I was coordinating with the Coast Guard this whole time,” Waldera’s daughter said.
She said her father’s teachings motivated her to take action.
“So my dad raised me and my grandparents to get it done. Don’t wait around. Don’t sit around. Don’t wait for someone else to do the work. If someone’s going to make it happen, it’s going to be you. And I just, I thought, what would my dad want? He’d want me down there and he would want me looking,” she said.
She described what she would do if reunited with her father.
“I think I just hugged him. I think he just hugged me because I think he knows that I was down there. I was all alone doing that, looking for him all day long. I slept in his room. I think he knows. I think he knows everything, and I don’t think there need to be any words. I think we just love each other,” she said.
The Coast Guard asks anyone with information about the disappearance to call 843-453-1261. Officials said crews not part of the official search can create unsafe conditions and hinder response efforts.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
TikToker cleans father’s hoarded house – and goes viral
Madison Lovelle posts videos online while going through and cleaning her childhood home after her father died.
Housing costs are often the biggest Georgians deal with every month, so it’s important to try and save money where possible.
Last week, WalletHub released its ranking of the most affordable cities to buy a home. It analyzed 300 cities based on 10 metrics, with the biggest weight going to housing affordability and cost per square foot.
Best city to buy a home in Georgia?
Augusta ranked the highest among Georgia cities, ranking 8th overall and 3rd best in the midsized cities list.
Augusta real estate prices
According to Zillow, as of March, the median list price for a house in Georgia is $205,000 with a median sale price of $187,283. About 57% of sales are under the list price.
The average rent, as of April, is $1,365 per month.
Augusta cost of living
The MIT Living Wage Calculator reports the hourly pay needed to support yourself and/or your family, assuming full-time employment. For Richmond County (Augusta), it’s $20.31 for one adult, $28.16 for a two-adult household with one working, and $14.08 for a two-adult household with both working.
Children obviously increase the wage needed. Depending on how many adults are working, the necessary pay figures may increase by up to $13 for just one child, with more needed for additional children.
Worst city to buy a home in Georgia?
The Georgia city with the lowest ranking on the list overall was Sandy Springs. However, with 300 cities, landing at No. 151 doesn’t make it nearly the worst in the nation. Sandy Springs was No. 56 on the small cities list.
What are the best cities to buy a home in US?
- Flint, MI
- Detroit, MI
- Surprise, AZ
- Yuma, AZ
- Akron, OH
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Memphis, TN
- Augusta, GA
- Indianapolis, IN
- Cleveland, OH
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Senate candidate Derek Dooley made several visits to the area on Friday.
Dooley had stops in both Lincolnton and Augusta on May 29 and was joined by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for his “Georgia First” tour. He spoke about one of the issues he finds in politics.
“But the other piece of it is the corruption. People sit on these committees. They have access to information that none of us have. And then you look up 2 or 3 years down the road and their wealth is just skyrocketing,” Dooley said. “You’re outperforming every investor out there. And I think it’s shameful. I think it erodes trust. It’s something that I will never do.”
“Politicians were out there getting paid. They were coming back home. They’re raising money and campaigning while the government shut down,” Kemp said. “What Derek’s saying, if he’s up there, we’re not going to allow legislators to get paid. We’re going to take away their benefits. That way, you won’t ever have another shutdown again.”
Dooley is facing Congressman Mike Collins in a runoff for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
The winner of the Republican nomination will face incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
Photojournalist credit: Regynal McKie
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A man has been arrested after he was accused of hitting two women at Piedmont Hospital in Augusta.
The incident happened on May 14 around 12 a.m.
According to arrest warrants, Bruce Bland struck one victim with a closed hand several times in the face. Bland also threw a garbage can at the victim, hitting her in the head.
The warrant states the victim suffered a bruise on her face.
Bland also hit another victim with a closed hand on her mouth, according to the warrants. She suffered swelling and a bruise on her mouth.
Bland is charged with battery and simple battery, according to the warrants. Both charges are misdemeanors.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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