Augusta, GA
Challengers argue Georgia’s new maps still harm Black voters
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – (AP) – Challengers on Thursday told a federal appeals court that Georgia lawmakers are still violating Black voters’ rights after redrawing the state’s congressional and legislative maps.
If judges uphold the challenges, they could order different district lines to be used in Georgia for the rest of the decade, making it possible that more districts would elect candidates favored by Black voters — usually Democrats.
The voting rights groups argued in three cases that lawmakers created additional majority-Black districts, but didn’t do enough to address the harms suffered in the areas where they proved at trial that there was illegal vote dilution.
For state Senate and House maps, the area in question is in Atlanta’s southern suburbs. For the congressional map, it’s in areas north and west of downtown Atlanta. But lawmakers drew in Black voters in other parts of the metro area to make new Black-majority districts.
“Going to a different part of Atlanta to create opportunities for Black voters is not sufficient,” said Ari Savitzky, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union representing those challenging state legislative maps.
Lawyers for the state, defending the current maps, say that the state has complied with a court ruling ordering new maps and that the challengers can’t demand new districts in exact locations. Stephen Petrany, Georgia’s solicitor general, says the challengers are really trying to elect more Democrats, and that the court shouldn’t let them use the lawsuits to do that.
“Are these the right number of districts? Yes. Are they in the right area? Yes,” Petrany told judges. “That is the end of this case.”
Judge Adalberto Jordan said any decision on redrawing maps would wait until after a ruling on a separate challenge to U.S. District Judge Steve Jones’ original decision by Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In that case, argued in January, Raffensperger contends that Jones’ decision should be overturned and the state should revert to the maps that lawmakers drew in 2021 before Jones ruled they were illegal under the 1964 Voting Rights Act. Section 2 of that law protects minority voters.
The challengers have a steep climb. Jones ruled in 2023 after a trial that lines were drawn to illegally dilute Black votes. But he accepted maps drawn by lawmakers in special session as fixing the illegalities. For the three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the map, the judges must rule that Jones abused his discretion.
Jones rejected claims that the new maps didn’t do enough to help Black voters. Jones said he couldn’t interfere with legislative choices, even if Republicans moved to protect their power. But challengers say Jones was too deferential to lawmakers even when he had already found they had acted illegally.
Jordan repeatedly pushed the challengers on how many of the affected voters had to be included in new districts. Lawyers for the challengers said there was no set standard, but that Georgia lawmakers hadn’t done enough.
Abha Khanna, representing challengers in two lawsuits said the new map “laundered Black voters across districts deftly to create the illusion of new opportunities.”
While the maps created additional Black-majority districts, they also locked in Republican advantages. In a state where GOP candidates in competitive races win at best 53% or 54% of the vote statewide, Republicans hold 64% of congressional seats, or 9 of 14. They hold 59% of state Senate seats, or 33 of 56. The state House is a little closer to parity, with Republicans holding 100 of 180 seats, or 56%.
If the current maps are not overturned, Georgia is likely to use them through the 2030 state elections.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A luncheon Thursday gave business and community leaders more information about data centers coming to Augusta.
Georgia Power and QTS representatives attended to help people understand what the project is and how it will impact Augusta. The QTS data center is planned for land near the Haynes Station neighborhood.
They cited the Public Service Commission’s rule that data centers have to pay for 100 percent of their energy usage and upgrades to local grids.
“We heard earlier today about some of the great things that Georgia’s been doing in being able to provide that reliable and affordable power,” said Khara Boender, director of state policy for the Data Center Coalition. “And the data center industry is committed to paying for their full cost of service for electricity, including paying for some of those upfront costs when it comes to those grid build-outs.”
The experts said the main thing drawing data centers to Georgia is the availability of land and power. They called Georgia the number one state for data centers.
Kerry Bridges, Georgia Power’s region executive, said the state’s low energy rates — 15% lower than the national average — contribute to that draw.
Bridges said the bill for usage and upgrades to electrical systems go 100% to the data center company and nearby neighbors should not be affected.
“The future looks like a growing Georgia, an economy where everyone across the state can participate, lower utility bills across the country because our wonderful partners are coming to town, they’re bringing the dollars, they’re investing in the electric grid,” Bridges said.
QTS, the company building the data center in Augusta near the Haynes Station neighborhood, said they are building a closed loop system. Each center requires an Olympic-sized swimming pool amount of water to start, but then it recycles that water for the rest of its time in use.
Jeff Greene, senior manager at QTS Data Centers, said QTS now only builds these closed loop centers.
Greene said they plan on each of their six buildings using 18,000 gallons of water a day just for flushing toilets and using sinks after the system is up and running.
“It just stays, it’s like a giant radiator, it will just keep cycling through, the water is heating and cooling constantly over and over again. And that’s a very different water consumption use than what typically used to happen, which was evaporative cooling. QTS went away from evaporative cooling in its data centers back in 2018,” Greene said.
Residents have pushed back against data centers in meetings, questioning how they would affect nearby neighbors. There is currently the QTS data center being built in Augusta, two data centers under construction in Columbia County and one in McDuffie County.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Investigators: Augusta teen firefighter accused of fake fire inspections, illegal firearms
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – A 19-year-old employee of the Augusta Fire Department accused of unauthorized inspections has been arrested and is facing charges.
Tyrone Antonio Harris, Jr. has been charged with five counts of Impersonating a Public Officer or Employee.
Each bond has a charge of $9,000.
Earlier this month, the Richmond County School System sent a statement saying authorities were investigating after an Augusta Fire Department employee allegedly visited several schools and conducted what appeared to be fire inspections.
The schools Harris allegedly visited on April 27th include:
- Jamestown Elementary School
- Hephzibah Middle School
- Hephzibah High School
- Morgan Road Alternative School
He also reportedly also stopped by AAA Gun and Pawn Broker on Tobacco Road on that date.
On May 13, both Augusta Fire Department and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the situation was under investigation.
AFD reportedly informed RCSO they intended to put Harris on Administrative Leave for the incident in question.
The Deputy Fire Chief also expressed concern about social media posts about firearms that Harris is alleged to have posted earlier in the morning May 13th.
The photo shown to the investigator allegedly showed Harris posing with two Glocks, both of which appeared to have been converted via a “Glock switch” to allow the firearm to function as a fully automatic weapon, also known as a machine pistol, according to the incident report filed in the case.
Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed this week that the case had been referred to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, operated through the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire.
WJBF has reached out to the Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, but a spokesperson responded to our inquiry, saying, “Our investigation into Mr. Harris remains ongoing. We cannot comment further on active investigations.”
This is a developing story.
-
Lifestyle24 minutes agoTrump’s name must come off of the Kennedy Center, judge rules
-
Technology36 minutes agoAcer’s launching a Linux handheld for streaming your PC games
-
World42 minutes agoPentagon hosts first-ever Israeli–Lebanese military talks aimed at curbing Hezbollah
-
Politics48 minutes agoFederal judge orders Trump’s name removed from Kennedy Center, says only Congress can rename it
-
Health54 minutes agoSingle infusion of controversial drug changed severe depression symptoms within hours, study finds
-
Sports1 hour ago2026 World Cup Odds: Spain Narrowly Favored Over France
-
Technology1 hour agoFake grant email promises $4.5 Million but could steal your identity
-
Business1 hour agoAnother tech company says it will cut hundreds of jobs amid pivot to AI
