Augusta, GA

Ga. budget plan includes $10.7M for design of new MCG building

Published

2 years ago

February 20, 2024

Ga. budget plan includes .7M for design of new MCG building

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Georgia Senate on Tuesday released its budget for the next fiscal year, including $10.7 million to fund the design of a new “translational research” building for the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

This would allow the state’s flagship medical school to begin planning for a $146 million, 150,000-square-foot research building to house state-of-the-art labs and equipment for researchers and attract new physician-scientists and faculty to the state’s oldest and most prominent public medical school.

Translational research is meant to translating results in basic research into direct benefits for humans.

GA. CAPITOL COVERAGE:

MCG ranks 67th in the nation for National Institutes of Health research funding but ranks second in the country in NIH funding compared to other medical schools of a similar faculty size.

According to Regent James M. Hull, the new building would attract the talent Georgia needs for more research bench-to-bedside discoveries.

The Georgia House and Senate would need to agree in conference to fund the remaining cost of the planning for the new research building.

That is expected to be under $15 million for planning, design and demolition of buildings constructed in the 1950s.

The new translational research building is expected to cost $146 million, and funding for that project would need to be approved in next year’s budget.

Augusta leaders praised this first step in the process, including Augusta’s Mayor, Garnett Johnson.

“It’s important to note that every dollar of National Institutes of Health funding brings $2.64 back to communities where this important research is being done,” he said. “This is a wonderful signal from the Georgia Senate.”

Dr. J. Ben Deal, immediate Past Chair of the Medical College of Georgia Foundation, agreed.

“We need to expand what the Medical College of Georgia can do, but we can only do that with investment,” he said.

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Augusta, GA

Historic Masters landmark purchased and renovated by local resident

Published

8 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Historic Masters landmark purchased and renovated by local resident | News | wfxg.com

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Augusta, GA

Georgia governor candidate Olu Brown campaigns in Augusta

Published

20 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Georgia governor candidate Olu Brown campaigns in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Olu Brown visited Augusta on Friday evening, stopping near the Sand Hills Community Center as early voting continues.

Brown is one of six candidates in the Democratic primary.

Campaign priorities

Brown said his vision as governor would focus on three main areas.

“One, it’s affordability around health care and making sure we expand Medicaid and expand Peach Care and make sure we continue to make our rural health care systems healthy and vital,” Brown said. “Number two, we’ve got to address education in all of Georgia, making sure every kid in Georgia gets an excellent education, and we’re paying our teachers more. And number 3, we’re protecting the rights of all women. Folks in the Gold Dome shouldn’t be making decisions about their bodies or the choices that they make.”

Brown is running against Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta Prep student arrested over picture of LEGO gun, threat he called a joke

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Augusta Prep student arrested over picture of LEGO gun, threat he called a joke

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta Prep student was arrested on a charge of terroristic threats over a picture of a LEGO gun he posted on social media.

It happened Wednesday, according to an incident report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

Eric Hedinger, the principal of Augusta Preparatory Day School, told deputies a student had uploaded a picture to Snapchat of a “pistol” with the caption “shooting up the school so I don`t have to take the stats exam tomorrow. Don`t come yall!”

The principal said he spoke to the student and his father about the photo.

The principal also provided deputies with the student’s address in Grovetown.

A deputy went there and was told by the student that the “pistol” was a LEGO set that he had built.

He also said the comment he made was supposed to be a joke because he was not looking forward to taking his Advanced Placement statistics test this week.

The student showed the deputy the box that the LEGO set came in, and how the set was already disassembled.

The deputy also looked in the boy’s room to make sure he was not in possession of any weapons.

The mother advised that there was one firearm in the residence but it was locked up.