Augusta, GA

Downtown Augusta businesses prep for New Year’s Eve celebrations

Published

3 days ago

December 31, 2024

Downtown Augusta businesses prep for New Year’s Eve celebrations

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The CSRA and especially downtown have been preparing for New Year’s Eve, hoping to see more people and business to start off the new year strong.

They are getting ready for the night ahead and even celebrating a little early.

“Oh it’s fun,” said Kathy Nave, Skateland of Augusta owner. “It’s a lot of fun having all the families here and their siblings.”

Skateland of Augusta has been busy preparing for a family-friendly New Year’s by having an event for the kids early in the day and one for everyone later at night.

“The younger children are falling asleep and they want to be involved in the adult stuff,” said Nave. “It’s midnight, it’s New Year’s, so we decided about three years ago, that we should have a balloon drop just for little kids.”

But Nave says the fun doesn’t stop there.

“We have a balloon drop at midnight,” she said. “We’ll countdown with the big ball dropping.”

They aren’t the only ones who have spent the day preparing for the new year.

“Blowing up balloons, getting confetti all set up ready for the big ball drop, having everything set up,” said Dustin Keyes, bar manager at Dirty Boots.

They are making sure they’re ready for anything.

“Any night that we work, we never hope to be slow,” said Keyes. “So we’re always prepared to be super busy and just as busy as we can be.”

Hoping it’s busy, and that it stays that way into the new year.

“It seems like ever since we’ve been down here, it’s definitely grown and blown up a little bit, especially with this bar,” said Keyes. “We have two others right now going on, so who knows what the future will hold.”

There are only a few hours left of 2024 and these businesses say to come celebrate with them.

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Augusta, GA

22-year-old killed by crash in front of Fort Eisenhower

Published

6 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

22-year-old killed by crash in front of Fort Eisenhower

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A man was killed in a crash Thursday morning in front of Gate 1 at Fort Eisenhower.

The crash occurred on Gordon Highway at Jimmy Dyess Parkway.

David Houck, 22 years old from Fort Eisenhower was attempting to cross Gordon Highway when his vehicle was struck by an eastbound vehicle.

Houck was taken to Wellstar/MCG Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:54 a.m.

An autopsy has been scheduled.

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Augusta, GA

Man, 22, dies in Augusta crash during morning work rush

Published

14 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Man, 22, dies in Augusta crash during morning work rush

An autopsy is scheduled for a 22-year-old man who died Monday in a two-vehicle collision.

David Houck of Fort Eisenhower was trying to cross Gordon Highway, where it intersects with Jimmie Dyess Parkway, when a vehicle traveling in the same direction hit Houck’s vehicle.

Houck was pronounced dead at 8:54 a.m. at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center, according to Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen.

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Augusta, GA

New Orleans mass killer spent years in the CSRA

Published

22 hours ago

January 2, 2025

Press Room

New Orleans mass killer spent years in the CSRA

THOMSON, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The New Orleans attacker once lived in Thomson, where he was married to a woman before they divorced after three years.

It was during a time when he served in the Army, and we’re working to confirm he worked at Fort Eisenhower, which was then known as Fort Gordon.

ISIS-inspired attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar steered around a police blockade and plowed into a crowd of New Year’s revelers before exiting the truck and shooting at people on Bourbon Street. He was shot dead by police, but not before killing at least 14 people.

Authorities said Thursday they believed he acted alone, yet they’re seeking additional potential suspects in the attack that happened as countless Georgians were in New Orleans to see the Bulldogs play in the Sugar Bowl.

Jabbar and Tiera Symond Whitfield were married in Augusta on Sept. 15, 2013, after receiving a marriage license in McDuffie County, according to court records.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s marriage license in McDuffie County.(WRDW/WAGT)

They divorced in DeKalb County 2016 over irreconcilable differences and stating that there was no hope they would get back together, according to news reports.

Online records showed Jabbar lived on Holt Street in Thomson for a time, apparently during the marriage.

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When we asked the Thomson police chief about a connection between Jabbar and the city, we were referred to the FBI.

The FBI told us: “We are following up and doing interviews with relatives from Georgia in that area.”

News 12 also contacted Fort Eisenhower to learn whether he’d ever been at the post when he was in the Army.

Fort Eisenhower referred us up the chain of command to the Pentagon, where an Army spokesperson told us:

“Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar was in the regular Army as a Human Resource Specialist (42A) and Information Technology (IT) Specialist (25B) from March 2007 until January 2015 and then in the Army Reserve as an IT Specialist (25B) from January 2015 until July 2020. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010. He held the rank of Staff Sergeant at the end of service.”

Evans man shares account of New Orleans fatal attack

Although the Army wouldn’t directly confirm he’d served at Fort Eisenhower – then known as Fort Gordon – the service periods released by the Pentagon do match up with the time he lived in Thomson.

Emergency services attend the scene after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal...

Meanwhile, authorities are investigating possible connections between Jabbar and another soldier who died in another apparent attack attempt Wednesday.

Active-duty soldier Matthew Livelsberger died in a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Seven people were injured.

Authorities say they don’t believe the Las Vegans and New Orleans incidents were related.

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