Augusta, GA

Augusta Parks and Rec audit decision sent back to full commission

Published

2 years ago

June 12, 2024

Augusta Parks and Rec audit decision sent back to full commission

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The full Augusta Commission will make the decision on a firm to conduct an audit of the Parks and Recreation Department.

It’s been bouncing back and forth from the committee level to the commission level for a few weeks.

Commissioners met at the committee level Tuesday and sent the decision to the full commission.

The question drew a heated discussion during last week’s commission meeting.

There are lingering questions about how and when UHY Advisors Mid-Atlantic was chosen by the city procurement department.

Before UHY was picked, Marcum LLP had been awarded the bid.

That was before city officials say they realized UHY had met the deadline to submit a bid.

City Interim Administrator Takiyah Douse says the UHY bid was delivered by UPS on May 7 at 8:02 a.m.

Because the procurement department hadn’t opened, UPS took the package back to its warehouse and delivered it the next day on May 8.

Officials say the evaluation committee was not aware of the UHY bid when it discussed which company to pick.

The committee met again May 10, and ultimately picked UHY as the winner of the bid.

UHY’s bid was around half the cost of Marcum LLP’s cost.

Some commissioners are suspicious, and when they asked to see the UHY timestamps, they were refused, with the city staff citing state law and the fact that it’s still an open bid.

When Maurice McDowell resigned as parks and recreation director, Augusta leaders said they wanted to check every corner of a department riddled with internal and external investigations before the next director stepped in.

Source link

Augusta, GA

Local group holds 4th annual walk against autism

Published

3 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Local group holds 4th annual walk against autism

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – April is Autism Awareness Month, and one local group raised awareness with a walk in Augusta on Sunday.

The fourth annual autism walk was hosted by Moving Over Mountains Against autism at Lake Olmstead Park.

All proceeds from the walk support autism awareness initiatives.

We spoke with the CEO and founder of the group, Deidre Roberson, who said this year they are dedicating the walk to their photographer, who died recently.

Roberson told us what she looks forward to the most.

“I look most forward to seeing the different people every year. We always meet different people, new people, and they come from all over the CSRA, so Washington, Wilkes, Carolina,” she said.

There were also several vendors providing resources to families.

Source link

Augusta, GA

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

Published

15 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- Augusta University baseball is in a three-game series matchup against the University of North Georgia.

AU is currently down in the series 0-2 after a close loss Friday and a loss Saturday.

But we aren’t focusing on the Jags, we’re going to take a look at North Georgia’s head coach, Nolan Belcher.

He is an Augusta native who began his career at Greenbrier and Augusta Christian.

He won three state championships, which then led him to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

There he won back-to-back national championships and finished runner up in 2012.

His coaching career began after that where he eventually joined the Peach belt Confrence, coaching at USCA and GCSU.

Now in his first season as head coach for the Nighthawks, he is happy to come home and coach in front of his friends and family.

“I’m very fortunate that I got family that, one is still around and they can come watch me do what I love. And, they’ve shown me, nothing but support throughout my whole coaching career and even back on my playing dates are very thankful and appreciative for everything they’ve done for me.”

AU and UNG will have their final series match on Sunday.

Source link