Augusta, GA

Georgia Power invests $200K to boost Augusta’s teacher workforce

Published

5 months ago

August 26, 2024

Georgia Power invests 0K to boost Augusta’s teacher workforce

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Georgia Power has committed $200,000 to Augusta University to help improve the quality of the teacher workforce in Richmond County.

The university’s College of Education and Human Development is using the funds to launch Richmond Recruitment and Retention, or the R3 Initiative.

First and foremost, the R3 initiative will aim to recruit more high school seniors – especially minority male students – to a career in education. Nearly 85% of Richmond County students are members of minority groups.

“We are trying to create more diversity by recruiting differently and providing the support that is needed to retain teachers who are members of minority groups,” said Judi Wilson, PhD, dean of COEHD. “I’ve had students say, ‘Dean Wilson, I went all the way through school, and I never had any teachers who looked like me except for a coach.’ Those role models are really important.”

Similarly, the R3 Initiative will help foster affinity groups to assist with recruitment and retention efforts.

“We gravitate toward like-minded people,” Wilson said. “We want to create intentional support systems, so students feel engaged and like they are part of a community.”

Other recruitment and retention efforts will include securing leadership candidates to support first- through third-year teachers and involving retired teachers in observation, mentoring and support of the most at-risk education degree candidates and young teachers.

“We are also reaching out to teachers who have received a waiver in Richmond County,” said Wilson. “These are teachers who have a degree in something other than education. We recognize that these teachers are at risk because they haven’t been fully trained, and we are sending them out into the field to serve. We want to help prepare them for success.”

Last year, there were more than 450 teachers with a waiver in Richmond County public schools. That means more than 1 in 5 of the 2,136 teachers employed by Richmond County did not meet the minimum education requirements to be certified as teachers in Georgia. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission approves these waiver certificates, which are intended to help alleviate teacher shortages and allow qualified candidates to teach while completing all requirements for certification.

AU is partnering with the school system to facilitate education credits and professional development for these teachers. Furthermore, a portion of the Georgia Power funding will provide partial scholarships to assist teachers in earning a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from AU – in just two years – through an online MAT program.

“The MAT online is catered to adult learners,” Wilson said.

Through focus groups, university leaders learned that barriers to going back to school include money, raising children, caring for aging parents, and constraints on time and quality of life. The online option allows teachers who have a waiver to accommodate the additional coursework within their already busy adult lives, and the partial scholarships from Georgia Power will help with tuition fees.

The Dr. Paulette Harris Literacy Center located in the Hub for Community Innovation is helping...

Securing a master’s degree will boost retention of qualified teachers because of the pay raises that accompany higher education in the field, Wilson added.Georgia Power has supported minority male teacher recruitment in the past in collaboration with AU.

“Georgia is our home and has been for over 100 years,” said Kerry Bridges, Georgia Power Region Executive for the Augusta area. “Georgia Power Foundation continues to support education and workforce development initiatives that align with our vales through exciting partnerships like the R3 Initiative to power Georgia’s growing economy, our communities, and our next generation workforce well into the future.”

“We’re really excited to be partnering with Georgia Power to create the R3 initiative,” said Wilson. “They are incredible partners, and we are very blessed to have them in our community and to have them investing in the future of education.”

Additional contributions may be made online to the College of Education and Human Development’s R3 Initiative fund to help educate and promote more male minority high school teachers in Richmond County.

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Augusta, GA

Social media posts lead to arrest of man in public indecency case

Published

4 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Social media posts lead to arrest of man in public indecency case

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A 58-year-old man has been arrested and charged with felony public indecency on Wednesday afternoon.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says Timothy Kevin Marcus, 58, was arrested without incident around 4 p.m. and charged with two counts of felony public indecency.

The sheriff’s office says they were made aware of online social media footage regarding this incident.

The sheriff’s office says additional charges may be forthcoming.

According to the sheriff’s office, Marcus has five previous convictions for similar offenses, including one in Columbia County.

“I would like to thank our media partners and the citizens who provided the critical information that allowed us to swiftly apprehend this suspect. By working together, we can accomplish so much more for the safety and well-being of the residents and visitors of Augusta-Richmond County,” said Sheriff Gino Brantley.

Marcus is currently being held at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office is requesting that anyone with direct footage or additional information regarding any specific incident, please email it to the sheriff’s office at pio@augustaga.gov.

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Augusta, GA

Georgia Power crews ‘ready to help’ during winter storm

Published

12 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Georgia Power crews ‘ready to help’ during winter storm

AUGUSTA, Ga. – As highway crews prepare roadways for a winter storm that’s approaching the Peach State, Georgia Power is getting ready, too.

“We are ready to help where needed,” said Alicia Brown, spokesperson for the utility that’s just come off Hurricane Helene, the must destructive disaster in the company’s history.

In the CSRA, a wintry mix is possible Friday into Saturday for areas near and north of Interstate 20. A FIRST ALERT has been issued to give proper preparedness for potential minor winter impacts.

Brown said Georgia Power is also closely monitoring the forecast to be ready to respond should the storm cause widespread power outages.

“We have continued to invest in our grid to make sure during times like these that we can get the power back on as quickly as possible,” Brown said.

The upside of the winter storm coming after Helene – and disaster that wiped out electric service across Augusta for days, and weeks in some cases – is that many of the weaker trees were brought down.

The downside is that there are still many trees with perilously hanging branches that could come down without much effort.

Stay informed

Outage Alerts – Customers subscribed to our free Georgia Power Outage Alert service will receive personalized notifications and updates via text message. Check that your contact number is up to date to receive the latest information.
Outage and storm center – Available at https://www.georgiapower.com/about/safety/outages-storm-center.html?cid=redirect_vanity_storm, customers can visit this site to check their contact information is updated to receive Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information. Customers can also report and check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Power at 888-891-0938.
Outage map – Housed within the Outage & Storm Center, Georgia Power’s interactive Outage Map provides near real-time information, allowing users to see where outages are occurring across the state and track estimated restoration times.
Georgia Power mobile app – Download the Georgia Power mobile app for Apple and Android devices to access storm and outage information on the go.
@GeorgiaPower on X – Follow @GeorgiaPower on X for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.

Tips

Optimize heating – Heating can account for 50% of a home’s typical winter energy usage. Enhance the efficiency of your heating unit by changing filters monthly, or every three months for pleated filters. Make sure heating vents and return air registers are unobstructed by furniture or drapes.
Check your insulation – Keep heat where it belongs by ensuring proper insulation in attics and walls. Replace any cracked or peeling caulk or weatherstripping around doors and windows to save up to 10 percent on energy usage and reduce cold air infiltration into your home.
Adjust your thermostat – Set your manual thermostat to 68 degrees or lower. Each degree lower can result in a 3-4% decrease in energy consumption. Or take advantage of programmable thermostat features if available to save energy throughout the day.
Utilize natural heat – Open blinds and shades on sunny days to naturally warm your home at no cost. Close them at night to minimize the chill from cold windows.

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Augusta, GA

UFC CEO Dana White joins Meta’s board

Published

20 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

UFC CEO Dana White joins Meta’s board | National | wfxg.com

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