AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Across the CSRA, there are several sheriff races happening on Tuesday. Voters get to decide who will win.

Here’s a list of sheriff races across the two-state.

Aiken County

• Republican Marty Sawyer won the Aiken County sheriff’s race against Democrat Lucas Grant. As of Wednesday morning, Sawyer received 63.3% of votes over Grant’s 36.7%.

Burke County

• Incumbent Democrat Alfonzo Williams and Republican Brad Capitosti are fighting for the seat. We are still waiting for results on this race.

Jefferson County

• Democrat Gary Hutchins won the Jefferson County sheriff’s race over Republican Colby Harrell. As of 9:50 p.m., Hutchins had received 74.3% of votes while Harrell had received 25.7% of votes.

McCormick County

• Republican Chad Cox won the title of McCormick County sheriff over Democrat Tim Kelly. As of 9:05 p.m., Cox had received 63.3% of votes over Kelly’s 36.7%.

Screven County

• Republican Norman Royal and Democrat Mike Kile go head-to-head for the sheriff’s seat. We are still waiting for results on this race.

Wilkes County

• Republican Darrell Powers won the Wilkes County sheriff’s race against Democrat Detric Jones. As of 9:42 p.m., Powers had received 52.4% of votes compared to Jones’ 47.6%.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Longtime Augusta community leader Patrick Blanchard, Sr., has died, we learned on Tuesday.

Blanchard, 81, passed away on Monday, according to his obituary.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Gwen Banks Blanchard of Augusta; son, Patrick (Gretchen) Blanchard, Jr. of Suwanee, GA; daughter, Mary Blanchard of Martinez, according to his obituary.

Blanchard was an active member of Rotary, the Metro Augusta Chamber of Commerce, the Augusta Symphony Board, Historic Augusta and the Georgia Southern University Foundation, Inc.

He also served on numerous other boards and committees throughout the Augusta community.

According to the obituary, a memorial service will be held at a later date in Augusta.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The USDA has granted $500,000 to Augusta Locally Grown for a CSRA-wide farmer business program that will help them expand their operations.

Augusta Locally Grown (ALG) partners with the Augusta Metro Chamber, the Richmond County Extension, and Gateway Business Services to offer robust programming to CSRA small business farmers.

This project provides tiered agricultural and entrepreneurial services tailored to beginning farmers, to help them improve and sustain farming operations.

Agricultural activities include the Homesteading Conference, individual farm plots, farm training workshops, extension classes, farmer planning meetings, farmer forums and mentorship. Entrepreneurship activities include business training/coaching in three formats (self-paced, small group, one-on-one) and general business workshops.

“This robust program and its unique partnerships stand out on a nationwide platform to strengthen to serve 200 local farmers at a time when farmers are struggling to feed themselves and the community,” Rebecca van Loenen, Executive Director of Augusta Locally Grown, says.

Classes will provide individual farm plots, mentorship, climate-smart agricultural training, business plan development, and more to help beginning farmers improve and sustain farming operations.

Program workshops will start as early as December 2024 and continue through December 2027.

For more information regarding the program, you can contact Chuck Simpson, Program Manager at chuck@augustalocallygrown.org.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.