Augusta, GA
Finding Solutions: Augusta University ‘Baby lab’ gives hands-on learning
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.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The South Augusta YMCA will not renew its lease at the Tobacco Road location, the Y confirmed.
The shopping center is being sold, and the current lease ends in October.
The Y has not announced a final day at the current location. Officials said they plan to announce that date and next steps for South Augusta later this month.
The YMCA said it still plans to serve South Augusta after the lease expires.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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
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