Augusta, GA
“Definitely a little overwhelmed:” AU tries to get back to normal after Helene
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Cleanup is underway at Augusta University after heavy damage from Hurricane Helene.
Power is restored on campus and most of the debris is clear, but there is still caution tape up as crews clean up.
Dr. Keen says Helene left more than $5 million worth of damage.
AU leadership says although they’ve made strides with keeping the doors open, they still have a long recovery ahead.
“We can replace buildings, we can plant seeds for more trees, but we cannot replace the human beings that take part in our community,” says Russell Keen, Augusta University president.
It’s a reality Keen says they’re still trying to navigate after Helene left its mark, but he says clean-up isn’t the top issue right now.
“I think the most difficult part is, not necessarily the cleanup, it’s getting everyone else back on campus, focused and ready to go, which our faculty and staff and our students have done an amazing job,” says Keen.
Families express concerns as Richmond County kids return to classroom
Students say the transition has been mostly smooth, but it’s hard to ignore the last two weeks and what it has cost them.
“We actually had water coming through our doors,” says Riya Patel, senior at AU. “It wasn’t entirely too much, but it was enough to for us to be concerned.”
“Definitely a little overwhelmed,” says Tenbit Serbessa, a senior at AU. “You know, we didn’t have class for almost two weeks, so everything is, like, pushed until this weekend and next week.”
Students living on campus were moved to Gordon State College for refuge when power was out, and resources are still available for students like food and laundry services through the Salvation Army.
“It’s like good to see that everybody in the community stepped in to help one another out, especially the neighborhoods that were like severely impacted,” says Patel.
“I think they did the best that they could, given the circumstances,” says Serbessa.
Keen says fixing everything will be a long-term project, but he believes this will make the AU community stronger.
“The resilience that was demonstrated, and really the last couple of weeks of this institution, this community, speaks very loudly, and I’m very excited about what that might offer for our future,” says Keen.
AU leadership says they’re continuing to work with contractors to get everything cleaned up.
They’re continuing to focus on the well-being of students and faculty through hybrid classes and continuing community partnerships to fulfill their communities’ needs during this time.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A driver is in custody after leading Richmond County deputies on a chase that ended in a rollover crash Thursday evening.
Richmond County Sheriff’s Office deputies say they attempted to stop a black BMW sedan with no registration plate on Tubman Home Road at Gordon Highway around 6:30 p.m.
The driver, Willie Junior Brown, 33, failed to stop and led deputies on a pursuit, according law enforcement.
Deputies say Brown lost control of the vehicle on the 2500 block of Blueberry Drive, striking an unoccupied 1999 Chevrolet Silverado.
Brown’s vehicle rolled over and he then attempted to flee on foot before being taken into custody.
Deputies say Brown was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Several criminal charges are forthcoming and the investigation is ongoing.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A state budget cut is reducing the number of children Mach Academy can serve.
Faith Henderson, a coach at MACH Academy, said the program offers students more than athletic training.
“It’s not just the physical aspect. It’s the mental, it’s the character, the education. We have so much to offer to these kids and they need it,” Henderson said.
Henderson said she works with students individually through an educational enrichment component of the program.
“I come in with our educational enrichment program so I can give attention to individual students one at a time each day to help get to where they need to be” she said.
Funding cuts reduce enrollment
Michael Harden, president and CEO of MACH Academy, said the budget reduction has cut summer enrollment nearly in half.
“We have served in the past 60 to 70 kids. That reduction has limited us to maybe 30 to 40 kids this summer,” Harden said.
Helen Thomas-Pope, operations manager at MACH Academy, said the cuts are also affecting the program’s ability to prepare students for the upcoming school year.
“What we try to do is help them be prepared when they go back to school. We would like to do that as best we can. But I’m not sure that we’ll be able to be as successful as we have been in the past,” Thomas-Pope said.
Thomas-Pope said the four-day-a-week schedule may also need to change.
“Unfortunately, some kids may not have the opportunity to come out. Currently, our program is four days a week. And we may have to do more of a rotation where not all kids are able to come for the four days,” she said.
Staff commitment
Despite the reduced funding, Henderson said staff remain committed to the program’s mission.
“I grew up here. All of the coaches here, we grew up here or we started with MACH Academy and have come back to give back to MACH Academy because we believe in what MACH Academy does,” she said.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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