Augusta, GA
Back-to-school drives make the difference for Augusta families
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It’s a little over a week from kids going back to school in Richmond and Columbia County.
With the new school year approaching, backpacks and school supplies are in high demand for many families.
RISE Augusta and Smile for Shay Foundation partnered up for the annual Back to School at The Hub & Books for Shay Event at The Hub for Community Innovation on Saturday.
It’s one of several community efforts to help gear up kids for school while also providing resources like literacy booths, after-school resources and free health screenings.
Parents like Melissa King said these efforts all make a difference for her kids and many others.
”When we were younger, we didn’t have back to school bashes all the time, there wasn’t enough in the community for those kinds of things for children to come to things like this and get the supplies they needed, or to even help them in general,” said King.
King said she relies on community back to school events to make sure she has enough supplies to support her kids through the school year.
”Sometimes supplies can be over 150 bucks, just depending on the location that you go to, and the supplies requested by the teachers in the schools throughout the year,” said King.
Event organizers and volunteers said well over 1,000 people came out on Saturday to enjoy the resources brought. They said the event really showcases the real want and need for community support in Augusta.
“The rising cost of what parents and families have to purchase for school just continues to go up. Anything we can do to help them get them started. We are also committed to making sure we provide supplies throughout the year because we know they run out,” said Betsy VanDeusen, AU Literacy Center.
New to Back to School at The Hub is the addition of the Books for Shay Event.
It’s one of several efforts from the Smile for Shay organization. The non-profit organization was created by the family of Shaylin Foster. She was a student at Grovetown High School when she was killed in a car accident in 2018.
One of her main passions was reading books. In honor of Shaylin, the Foster family gives back through donated books every year. Donated books from Smile for Shay were given out throughout the event for families to pick up.
The event started at 10:00 a.m. and finished at 1:00 p.m.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Volunteers came together Saturday to help clean up an Augusta neighborhood.
The cleanup took place on Wheeless Road and Dorn Road.
Jeremiah Atkinson started the event as a way to clean up trash dumped in the area and help the community.
He said they had at least 30 bags picked up as of Saturday morning.
“My message is if you see one piece of trash, pick it up and help Augusta clean it up because I feel like that would be more efficient, just pick up one piece of trash a day, just one to help out the community,” Atkinson said.
Organizers also provided snacks for volunteers.
Copyright 2026 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
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