Augusta, GA

Ga. 21-year-old is youngest female mayor in U.S. history

Published

2 years ago

July 10, 2024

Ga. 21-year-old is youngest female mayor in U.S. history

ARABI, Ga. (WALB) – A 21-year-old Georgia woman is the youngest female mayor in not only the state’s history but also in the history of the United States.

Brooke Huckaby is the mayor of Arabi, a town of just under 500 people.

Huckaby is also a college student studying agriculture technology at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and works part-time at the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

“I’d say that one thing that really inspired me, it was just the lack of interest in all the people my age. They don’t really care about politics, and it really inspired me to take the jump in and get a head start on it. The older generation is not always going to be around to handle things for us,” she said.

While running for office, some citizens questioned Huckaby’s ability to lead at such a young age.

“How is someone supposed to gain any experience without putting themselves into the ring?” she said.

Huckaby said her father, who was the previous mayor of the city, has served as her mentor since she took office in January.

Lindsey Sword has served as the city clerk under both mayors and said that working with Huckaby has been a pleasure.

“Oh, it’s been great! I like having somebody that can think of newer things and bring new, more youth to the community versus some of our all these older councilmen that we have got,” she said.

Huckaby said a typical day consists of doing schoolwork, signing off on work orders for the city, working at the Department of Agriculture and assisting scientists in agriculture research.

“I feel like I’m living three different lives sometimes because I’m bouncing from an interview like this to going to class and then I’m going to work. Balancing all that has not, I would say been a struggle, but it has been a challenge, one that I feel like I’m up to”, she said.

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Augusta, GA

Volunteers come together to clean up Augusta neighborhood

Published

7 hours ago

May 30, 2026

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Volunteers come together to clean up Augusta neighborhood

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Volunteers came together Saturday to help clean up an Augusta neighborhood.

The cleanup took place on Wheeless Road and Dorn Road.

Jeremiah Atkinson started the event as a way to clean up trash dumped in the area and help the community.

He said they had at least 30 bags picked up as of Saturday morning.

“My message is if you see one piece of trash, pick it up and help Augusta clean it up because I feel like that would be more efficient, just pick up one piece of trash a day, just one to help out the community,” Atkinson said.

Organizers also provided snacks for volunteers.

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Augusta, GA

What is the cheapest place to buy a home in GA? This city ranks 8 in US

Published

17 hours ago

May 30, 2026

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What is the cheapest place to buy a home in GA? This city ranks 8 in US

Housing costs are often the biggest Georgians deal with every month, so it’s important to try and save money where possible.

Last week, WalletHub released its ranking of the most affordable cities to buy a home. It analyzed 300 cities based on 10 metrics, with the biggest weight going to housing affordability and cost per square foot.

Best city to buy a home in Georgia?

Augusta ranked the highest among Georgia cities, ranking 8th overall and 3rd best in the midsized cities list.

Augusta real estate prices

According to Zillow, as of March, the median list price for a house in Georgia is $205,000 with a median sale price of $187,283. About 57% of sales are under the list price.

The average rent, as of April, is $1,365 per month.

Augusta cost of living

The MIT Living Wage Calculator reports the hourly pay needed to support yourself and/or your family, assuming full-time employment. For Richmond County (Augusta), it’s $20.31 for one adult, $28.16 for a two-adult household with one working, and $14.08 for a two-adult household with both working.

Children obviously increase the wage needed. Depending on how many adults are working, the necessary pay figures may increase by up to $13 for just one child, with more needed for additional children.

Worst city to buy a home in Georgia?

The Georgia city with the lowest ranking on the list overall was Sandy Springs. However, with 300 cities, landing at No. 151 doesn’t make it nearly the worst in the nation. Sandy Springs was No. 56 on the small cities list.

What are the best cities to buy a home in US?

Flint, MI
Detroit, MI
Surprise, AZ
Yuma, AZ
Akron, OH
Pittsburgh, PA
Memphis, TN
Augusta, GA
Indianapolis, IN
Cleveland, OH

Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.

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Augusta, GA

Senate candidate Derek Dooley visits Lincolnton, Augusta

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2026

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Senate candidate Derek Dooley visits Lincolnton, Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Senate candidate Derek Dooley made several visits to the area on Friday.

Dooley had stops in both Lincolnton and Augusta on May 29 and was joined by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for his “Georgia First” tour. He spoke about one of the issues he finds in politics.

“But the other piece of it is the corruption. People sit on these committees. They have access to information that none of us have. And then you look up 2 or 3 years down the road and their wealth is just skyrocketing,” Dooley said. “You’re outperforming every investor out there. And I think it’s shameful. I think it erodes trust. It’s something that I will never do.”

“Politicians were out there getting paid. They were coming back home. They’re raising money and campaigning while the government shut down,” Kemp said. “What Derek’s saying, if he’s up there, we’re not going to allow legislators to get paid. We’re going to take away their benefits. That way, you won’t ever have another shutdown again.”

Dooley is facing Congressman Mike Collins in a runoff for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

The winner of the Republican nomination will face incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.

Photojournalist credit: Regynal McKie

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