Augusta, GA
Communications degree from GA college leads to Mission Control Console at NASA!
Leah Cheshier Mustachino graduated from Young Harris College ten years ago
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)– While we here in Augusta like to the the eyes of the world are on us during the first week in April… lots of eyes were also looking UP that same week. It was the historic Atremis II Mission, sending humans further into space than ever before with that amazing lunar flyby.
I had the opportunity to talk with a young woman who’s at the top of her game– let’s just say, on top of the world! She was part of the Artemis team, providing live commentary and interviews on NASA-TV during the 10-day mission.
Leah Cheshier Mustachio does live commentary for launches, spacewalks, and more– and many of you watched her recently during the exciting coverage of the Artemis ll mission and lunar flyby!
“I was 20 years old, I went to Wallops Island, Virginia. I saw a cargo launch, and I saw one of my now colleagues moderating a press conference, and that’s when I realized, I have a place here. NASA needs communications professionals. From that point on, I had blinders on to any other opportunity. I wanted to work at NASA so bad.”
A communications degree from a Georgia college led the way to the Mission Control Console at NASA, giving Leah a front row seat to history.
“Yeah, I think that I’m still living in this bubble of having worked so closely on it that it’s now it’s starting to hit me how global it was. It was incredible. It’s still incredible. I’m working with the crew tomorrow and I can’t wait to see them. I saw them on Saturday and I’m excited to see just how their perspectives have, like, shifted since then.”
Leah says a big goal in covering an event as significant as the lunar flyby is ensuring that people stop and remember where they were, pass that story down to their grandkids, and inspire the next generation.
“I feel like we live in a world that it’s so easy to swipe up on your phone to the next story. We’re used to getting views of everything in the world– now. But getting to see something like this is a generational moment, and I think it’s inspirational and really uplifting. It’s something that we should all be really proud of, um, for our nation’s space program, for these astronauts that have joined and really done this huge mission.”
She’s inspiring herself, getting praise from viewers around the world, who see Leah as the face of a group of women, who played a big role in making the Artemis mission a success.
“A lot of people loved that! All the women involved.”
“Yeah, I, that really was serendipitous, too. We didn’t just think, let’s put all these women’s voices on camera, you know, it’s, these are the roles that we’ve been working in and training for, and that’s just how it happened. It’s very, very sweet, though, to hear that it’s inspiring. This feels like our generation’s Apollo 8 in a way. You know, looking back on Earth and everything that we think is so important and that we think matters so much, and then you see how far away and how small it really is. It definitely makes you think twice about what really matters, you know, how can we be a better neighbor? And how can I just cherish everything that I have even more?”
Leah is from Georgia. She graduated 10 years ago from Young Harris College in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains.
Fun fact: in 2018, she was doing a story about interns at NASA who went on to work there… one of them was the Chief Engineer of the Aviation Safety Office. She and Nick Mustachio were married 4 years later, and now have a precious little boy… who may well wind up exploring the moon one day!!
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A man who was previously wanted for questioning in an Augusta deadly shooting has now been charged with murder in the case, according to authorities.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says Kemfton Quewanaki Kenon, 27, was arrested on Friday in connection to the shooting death of Khyla Rodriguez, of Augusta.
Kenon is booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center and charged with murder and possession of a firearm during a crime, according to jail bookings.
Rodriguez, 25, was found dead after deputies received a call about a shooting on May 15 at 1:11 a.m. on Cameron Drive.
The Richmond County Coroner’s Office said Rodriguez was pronounced dead at 2:27 a.m.
Kenon was previously wanted for questioning in the case and was located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He was interviewed and arrested on an unrelated warrant.
Deputies were also interviewed two other subjects in the case. They were not arrested in the case.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – People who live in South Augusta are raising concerns about the future of the Family Y on Tobacco Road.
Officials say the facility has been operating at a loss for years, and have had a low number of memberships. The location also has a new owner. The cost of the lease is too high and the facility is also in need of renovations, which are said to be costly.
“The reality is we couldn’t afford the current lease that we were in,” said Catie McCauley, president and CEO of Family Y of Greater Augusta. “Over the last 10 years we’ve been subsidizing this lot. So we got to look at a model that we can sustain for the next several generations not just the next couple years.”
The location is set to close in October, but officials say they are working with community members and contractors for a new building that they can move into and are committed to staying in South Augusta.
Photojournalist credit: Gary Hipps
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – SafeHomes Augusta is facing a funding shortfall after Georgia lawmakers vetoed millions in domestic violence funding.
The nonprofit is the only 24-hour domestic violence shelter in the area, serving 10 counties from Augusta to Burke County to Taliaferro.
It costs approximately $1 million to operate a 24-hour shelter that meets Georgia standards, but SafeHomes only receives $647,000 in funding.
Lawmakers vetoed $9.4 million in domestic violence funding and $3 million for sexual assault centers.
Executive Director Aimee Hall said staff is bracing for what comes next.
“I think we’ll still be able to provide services. It’s just going to be on a lower scale. And that’s my concern because there’s so many people who need our services. Last year we provided services to over 1,700 men, women, and children,” Hall said.
Hall said the concern is not just about budgets but about the people who depend on the shelter around the clock.
“We’re not a nonprofit that can close. Domestic violence don’t happen between 8:00 and 5:00,” she said.
Becky Halioua, a survivor who first made contact with SafeHomes in 2015, said the resource likely saved her life.
She said she has continued to share her story in hopes it can help others.
“Nobody starts a relationship saying, well, I can’t wait for this person to put their hands on me,” Halioua said. “Domestic violence really has no face. And I think it’s important for people to know that it affects everybody.”
She said the reality of leaving an abusive situation is something many people do not consider.
“Just imagine if you had to just uproot your entire life suddenly in, you know, maybe the middle of the night and leave with just the clothes on your back,” Halioua said.
Hall said the most important thing the community can do right now is show up. SafeHomes is actively seeking volunteers, and Hall said time is just as valuable as financial donations.
Anyone interested in volunteering or donating can contact SafeHomes Augusta directly at 706-736-2499.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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