Augusta, GA
Green racket: DC mayor took ‘economic development’ trip to Masters on taxpayers’ dime
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser may want a mulligan on this one.
The Democrat took a taxpayer-funded “sports and economic development” trip to last week’s Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga.
Bowser, 51, announced the jaunt on her public schedule and a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office confirmed that DC residents paid for all related travel expenses to get inside the gates at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club, DC News Now reported.
Susana Castillo, Bowser’s communications director, told the outlet that the mayor was invited by Jodie McLean and Deborah Ratner Salzberg, who are co-chairs of a city task force “to revitalize the Gallery Place and Chinatown Neighborhood.”
The spokeswoman did not disclose the total cost of the more than 500-mile flight south, nor did she immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
“No matter where I am, my team is working and always in touch with me at a moment’s notice,” Bowser added in a statement of her own to DC News Now.
The mayor has faced sharp criticism for her handling of a crime spike in the nation’s capital before pivoting last fall amid mass resignations by city police — including former chief Robert Contee III.
Violent crime surged 39% in the nation’s capital from 2022 to 2023, with homicides rising 35% and robberies up a whopping 67%.
In two recent high-profile incidents, armed carjackers stole the vehicles of an FBI agent and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), while a former federal official in the Trump administration was shot and killed by another car thief in February.
Bowser embraced the Black Lives Matter movement during the riots that followed the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, but reversed course in 2023 to fight the city council over a radical crime bill that lightened sentencing for robberies, carjackings and other gun-related felonies.
Last year, she also opposed a progressive policing law that hampered officers’ ability to apprehend suspects and increased disciplinary measures, making them “scared to do their job,” according to Bowser.
The crime spike had briefly threatened a $515 million deal with Washington Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who entertained moving the NBA and NHL teams to a new northern Virginia arena before reaching an agreement with Bowser to stay in the nation’s capital.
It’s unclear what other projects Bowser may be pursuing in Chinatown.
“As mayor, I frequently attended meetings and events to foster economic development, strengthen partnerships, and build rapport with people interested in investing in our city,” DC councilman Vincent Gray, who served a single term as mayor before being unseated by Bowser in the 2014 Democratic primary, told DC News Now.
“I met with people in countless venues, be they overseas, in downtown DC conference rooms, or sometimes at high-profile gatherings,” he said. “I see no controversy in travel that is intended to promote the District in furtherance of opportunity that benefits residents and local businesses.”
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
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – SafeHomes Augusta is facing a funding shortfall after Georgia lawmakers vetoed millions in domestic violence funding.
The nonprofit is the only 24-hour domestic violence shelter in the area, serving 10 counties from Augusta to Burke County to Taliaferro.
It costs approximately $1 million to operate a 24-hour shelter that meets Georgia standards, but SafeHomes only receives $647,000 in funding.
Lawmakers vetoed $9.4 million in domestic violence funding and $3 million for sexual assault centers.
Executive Director Aimee Hall said staff is bracing for what comes next.
“I think we’ll still be able to provide services. It’s just going to be on a lower scale. And that’s my concern because there’s so many people who need our services. Last year we provided services to over 1,700 men, women, and children,” Hall said.
Hall said the concern is not just about budgets but about the people who depend on the shelter around the clock.
“We’re not a nonprofit that can close. Domestic violence don’t happen between 8:00 and 5:00,” she said.
Becky Halioua, a survivor who first made contact with SafeHomes in 2015, said the resource likely saved her life.
She said she has continued to share her story in hopes it can help others.
“Nobody starts a relationship saying, well, I can’t wait for this person to put their hands on me,” Halioua said. “Domestic violence really has no face. And I think it’s important for people to know that it affects everybody.”
She said the reality of leaving an abusive situation is something many people do not consider.
“Just imagine if you had to just uproot your entire life suddenly in, you know, maybe the middle of the night and leave with just the clothes on your back,” Halioua said.
Hall said the most important thing the community can do right now is show up. SafeHomes is actively seeking volunteers, and Hall said time is just as valuable as financial donations.
Anyone interested in volunteering or donating can contact SafeHomes Augusta directly at 706-736-2499.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
-
Nevada3 minutes agoNevada climber dies after fall while climbing in Oregon
-
New Hampshire6 minutes agoMan From Northwood Arrested On Driving Under The Influence Charge: Concord Police Log
-
New Jersey7 minutes agoNJ firefighter dies after crash responding to fire call
-
New Mexico18 minutes agoIsolated storm chances continue for parts of New Mexico this weekend
-
North Carolina21 minutes agoA 4-year-old boy’s simple habit of waving to his neighbors transformed his North Carolina community
-
North Dakota26 minutes agoWest Fargo attorney named to North Dakota Ethics Commission
-
Ohio33 minutes agoStruggling Ohio county seeks funds to care for 16 kids rescued from squalor and prosecute their family
-
Oklahoma36 minutes agoMartha Lillard, last US polio patient using iron lung, dies at 78 in Oklahoma
