Grovetown man accused of sexual exploitation of a child, grooming a minor

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2024

Grovetown man accused of sexual exploitation of a child, grooming a minor

GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A man has been accused of sexual exploitation of a minor and grooming a minor in Grovetown, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

On July 23, Columbia County deputies responded to a home on Baker Place Road around 6:52 p.m. to meet with a parent who wanted to report a suspicious situation.

The parent stated an unknown suspect had been sending text messages to a minor that exhibited inappropriate behavior, but at the time was not criminal, according to authorities.

Given details the suspect told the victim, authorities say they were able to successfully identify him.

Authorities informed the parent that if any crimes were committed to report them – which led to his later arrest.

According to the arrest warrant issued on Aug. 13, Jason Alexander Shumaker, 45, did commit several crimes in Grovetown several times on July 13, according to the affiant.

According to the arrest warrant, these crimes include sexual exploitation of a minor (computer or electronic pornography) and grooming a minor under the age of 14 years old.

Shumaker was arrested on Tuesday and charged with sexual exploitation of children and grooming a minor, according to jail records.

Source link

EARLY RESULTS: Special election underway for Ga. House District 130 seat

Published

8 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

EARLY RESULTS: Special election underway for Ga. House District 130 seat

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Voters in Georgia House District 130 headed to the polls Tuesday to fill the seat held by Rep. Lynn Heffner, who resigned.

The Augusta Democrat resigned because she was unable to meet the residency requirement for House District 130 due to damage to her home by Hurricane Helene.

Six candidates are on the ballot — four Democrats and two Republicans.

Early results

Results are coming in. Here is where the race stands:

Shelia Nelson, Democrat: 45.22%
Karen Gordon, Democrat: 20.65%
Sha’Quanta Calles, Democrat: 15.65%
LaFawn Pinkney-Mealing, Democrat: 7.61%
Thomas McAdams, Republican: 5.43%
David Carson, Republican: 5.43%

This story will be updated as votes continue to come in.

Source link

Nine on the line: Augusta committee considers future of city parks

Published

20 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Nine on the line: Augusta committee considers future of city parks

An Augusta city committee on Tuesday is scheduled to hear an update from the Recreation and Parks Department about nine municipal parks that are so seldom used that they might not be worth keeping open.

A civil engineering firm partnering with Recreation and Parks spent months gathering information on Augusta-Richmond County’s 51 public parks.

The audit by Infrastructure System Management scored the locations using a rubric that measured the sizes of the parks and how close they are to other parks. The audit also counted the number of park visitors to calculate how often the parks were used.

In a previous presentation to the committee last fall, commissioners learned that it would cost about $22 million to bring all city parks up to proper maintenance standards for just the first year.

By comparison, the Recreation and Parks budget is closer to $1.2 million, according to Abie Ladson Jr., a former city engineering director who now directs the ISM consultancy.

The smallest of the nine parks, Alexander Barrett Park, is barely a 10th of an acre, about the size of an NBA basketball court. The wedge-shaped lot where Wheeler Road meets Royal Street is composed of open grass and two playground swings built only for infants and toddlers.

The largest of the nine is the 3.49-acre W.T. Johnson Center on Hunter Street, behind Beulah Grove Baptist Church. Its facilities include a gymnasium and athletic fields.

The parks whose futures will be considered:

A.L. Williams Park, 1850 Broad St.
Alexander Barrett Park, 2629 Royal St.
Bedford Heights Park, 1016 Camellia Dr.
Doughty Park, 1200 Nellieville Rd.
Elliott Park, 2027 Lumpkin Rd.
Heard Avenue Park, 1500 Heard Ave.
Hillside Park (Vernon Forrest Park), 2101 Telfair St.
Valley Park, 1805 Valley Park Dr. E.
W.T. Johnson Center, 1606 Hunter St.

Source link

Augusta, GA

Augusta Athletics to Host ‘Sweet Sendoff’ for Women’s Basketball Heading to the NCAA Tournament – Augusta University

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Augusta Athletics to Host ‘Sweet Sendoff’ for Women’s Basketball Heading to the NCAA Tournament – Augusta University

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta University Athletics will host a Sweet Sendoff for the Jaguars women’s basketball team on Wednesday, March 11 at 12:30 p.m. at Christenberry Fieldhouse as the team prepares to depart for the NCAA Tournament.

Fans, students, faculty and staff are invited to stop by Christenberry Fieldhouse to help send off the 2026 Peach Belt Conference Tournament Champion Jaguars before they leave for NCAA Regional play. Cookies, brownies and other sweet treats will be available as the Augusta community gathers to celebrate the team’s championship and wish them well on their postseason run.

Following the brief gathering, the team will walk out to the bus as they depart for the NCAA Tournament.

Augusta captured the Peach Belt Conference Tournament title on Sunday to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, marking the program’s first conference tournament championship in 33 years.

The Sweet Sendoff is free and open to the public.

Sweet Sendoff

Wednesday, March 11

12:30 p.m.

Christenberry Fieldhouse

3109 Wrightsboro Road, Augusta, Ga 30912

Fans can follow Augusta women’s basketball throughout the NCAA Tournament at augustajags.com

Source link