AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta commissioners are moving forward with plans for a long-promised water park in South Augusta, but the city will not build the facility alone.

The city set aside $5 million in taxpayer money to help jump-start the water park project.

Instead of building it itself, Augusta is trying to recruit a private company to contribute additional funding and operate the park.

The city administrator said Destination Augusta has been collecting proposals and intends to meet with potential partners Tuesday.

Residents push for updates on water park progress

The water park remains in the early planning stages, with no confirmed location or timeline. Voters approved the $5 million in funding through SPLOST in 2021.

Frank Howard, who lives near Diamond Lakes Park, has pushed commissioners for months about the project.

“South Augusta is hungry, we are hungry for some change, for some improvement, for something coming to South Augusta,” Howard said.

Melvin Ivey, another area resident, said he wants transparency about the project’s status.

“We have voted on it twice and no one has said anything. No one has presented any plans or anything. I want to know what’s going on,” Ivey said.

Diamond Lakes Park sees improvements while water park plans develop

While water park plans continue, Diamond Lakes Park is adding three new shaded areas that are currently under construction.

Howard showed the improvements at the park, saying the additions are “much better” and “only the beginning.”

Ivey believes Diamond Lakes Park would be the ideal location for the water park because the site spans more than 250 acres.

“I think Diamond Lakes is the ideal location,” Ivey said. “Diamond Lakes is over 250 acres and all you need is depending on the size.”

Both residents emphasized the need for a quality facility that serves the entire community.

“If you gonna bring water park over here, bring a water park that’s going to be satisfactory to everybody in South Augusta. Not only South Augusta, but the whole Richmond County,” Howard said.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta murder suspect was arrested in Thailand, according to Richmond County deputies.

Cedric Alandus Peters was wanted in the 2024 shooting death of Chavious Kimmerlin, 50, at Kimmerlin’s home in the 500 block of Highland Avenue, according to deputies.

In Nov. 2025, authorities released that Peters was wanted as a suspect in the case.

Peters was wanted by the sheriff’s office for malice murder, three counts of felony murder, two counts of possession of a firearem during the commission of a crime, home invasion in the first degree and burglary in the first degree, according to deputies.

Richmond County deputies say they are working with the U.S. Marshal’s Service on the case.

In January 2025, we reported De’Narian Cobb, 25, of Waynesboro, was charged in connection with the Nov. 21 shooting death.

Cobb was found at his home in the 500 block of Eighth Street in Waynesboro after Richmond County and Burke County deputies went there to take him in for questioning in connection with the shooting.

During their interview with him, Richmond County investigators said they found enough probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant.

Cobb was originally at the Burke County Detention Center for charges that occurred in that jurisdiction, but has since been extradited to Richmond County and booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center on the charges of murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to Richmond County deputies.

Kimmerlin’s slaying in broad daylight shocked those who lived and worked in the neighborhood.

A woman who works at the Wing Express across the street said the victim had just been there the night before, getting food.

“It’s scary out here,” she said. “I just come into work every day and pray I make it back to my car.”

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -Augusta University has opened a new “baby lab” where infants help train the next generation of occupational physical and speech therapists.

The program allows therapy students to observe and interact with babies to develop skills they cannot learn from textbooks alone. Students from three different therapy programs work together to assess different aspects of infant development.

“The occupational therapy students may be looking more at the baby’s fine motor skills, their play skills, where as the PT students may be looking more at their gross motor skills and our speech language students may be looking at communication skills and feeding skills,” said Mallory Rosche, associate professor of occupational therapy at Augusta University.

Students gain real-world experience

For students like Chesnee Freeman, an occupational therapy major, the lab provides practical training for her future career.

“I know it’s definitely going to help out when I go into my field work getting to draw on real life experience other than what I learned in books and lectures,” Freeman said.

Parents benefit from developmental assessments

The program also serves participating families by helping parents track their children’s developmental progress.

Yuli and Luis Rodriguez, parents of baby Alessandro, said the experience helped them understand their child’s development.

“I think it was giving us an opportunity to kind of figure out where he is out in his milestones and just figuring where he is at compared to other babies and making sure he is on course to meet everything,” they said.

The grant-funded program launched this month. Three large classes allow students to participate once per semester, with each session lasting about 20 minutes.

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