AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An incident at Lucy C. Laney Comprehensive High School on Wednesday forced administrators to lock down a hallway and restrict student movement for about an hour.

According to a letter sent to families, a student “physically assaulted an employee” in one of the hallways.

The assault involved a member of a contracted staff organization, according to the school system.

School administrators, teachers, and Richmond County School System police responded immediately to the incident.

Out of an abundance of caution, school officials say classroom transitions were limited and students were held in place while personnel responded and cleared the area.

The student was removed from school and the incident will be addressed under the school’s Code of Student Conduct and Discipline and applicable state law, according to the letter.

“The safety and well-being of our school community remain our highest priority,” the Richmond County School System said in a statement. “The school system maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any conduct that threatens the security of our campuses.”

The school system says it is cooperating fully with local authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and that appropriate administrative and legal actions are taken.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Construction has continued across downtown Augusta, with the new Augusta Arena rising on schedule and on budget, the former Ramada Hotel under development under a new name, and roadwork on the 500 block of Broad Street set to begin next week.

Crews are currently building a crane to haul steel and begin work on the arena’s steel skeleton. The former Ramada Hotel, which had been vacant, is now under construction and has announced its new name: The Conroy.

Orange construction barrels and cones along Broad Street have marked the area for some time. Steven Fishman, owner of Sidney’s — a business that has operated on Broad Street since 1894 — said he has watched the corridor change over the decades.

“I watched Broad Street expand. I watched Broad Street in 1960s, 1950s. It was jumping. Everything was happening,” Fishman said.

Some businesses have felt the impact of the ongoing construction. One source noted that businesses “can’t get foot traffic, and they can’t get parking,” adding that “there’s a lot of empty buildings on Broad Street.”

Dylan Pope, area manager for Sole and Fifth and Fire, said the disruption is part of a larger process.

“I think we’ve been wanting change for downtown and change comes with a process at the same time,” Pope said.

Pope said the construction represents a shift in what downtown Augusta could become.

“I think we’re making this more of a destination strip. You know, we’re making it to where people are going to come downtown and stay downtown,” Pope said.

He added that the work will benefit the area long-term.

“It’s going to lay the foundation for the future that I believe that a lot of us do want for downtown, which is putting money back into downtown and actually putting the right foot forward for downtown,” Pope said.

The original construction timeline projected the work could take up to 36 months, which would place the completion date in late next month. Empty buildings along the block are also being refreshed as part of the broader development activity.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Deputies with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office converged on a gas station at one of Augusta’s busiest intersections Tuesday.

It happened around 12:45 p.m. at the BP station at Stevens Creek and Washington roads.

At the scene, there was a large police presence, with several officers wearing vests with the label “U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.”

Authorities said they were there looking for a suspect, but they didn’t offer details.

Officials have not released what the person is wanted for.

Law enforcement officers are familiar with the gas station.

In November, deputies responded to a possible robbery at another BP, and then pursued a man who ran but wasn’t a suspect. During the chase, he pulled a gun, and deputies shot him. The man, Dalyn Elder, 20, of Augusta, later died.

In August 2021, a stray bullet from a shooting at another nearby gas station injured a person who was in the parking lot at the BP.

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