AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Pickleball is helping veterans, seniors and people with disabilities find community in Augusta.

For Stephen Childress, pickleball is now a big part of his life.

“My wife passed away before I started playing pickleball, and I was looking for something to and found pickleball, and has been playing every day since,” Childress said.

Childress plays with the nonprofit organization Hazelwood Pickleball Incorporated. He said the social side is what keeps him coming back.

“That’s the main thing for me. Getting out and talking to people and making so many friends,” Childress said.

Club serves players across Richmond County

Hazelwood Pickleball launched last year and now serves players at community centers across Richmond County. Founder Glenn Hazelwood said the goal is simple.

“The mission is to help the disabled, veterans, disabled kids and seniors and special needs through the use of the great sport of pickleball,” Hazelwood said.

The club also offers adaptive pickleball for players in wheelchairs. Hazelwood said it’s a sport for every ability level, including his own.

“I’ve had both hips replaced, and I can still play. We have people who had both knees replaced, shoulder injuries, and they’re still able to play,” Hazelwood said.

He said pickleball is quick to learn and easy to play no matter where a player is starting from.

“I’ve always lived by the adage that there’s no such thing as can’t. If someone tells you that you can’t, don’t let them hold you back. There is a way to do these things because we have people from all walks of life and all ability levels,” Hazelwood said.

Childress’s advice is simple: give it a try. He said even if a player is bad at first, the club will help them get better.

Free community event set for Friday

Hazelwood Pickleball is holding a free community event Friday at Warren Road Community Center from 6 to 10 p.m. The event will include card games, pickleball and local businesses.

The club is also raising money for specialized wheelchairs so more players with disabilities can join in. Each wheelchair costs about $4,000.

The event is free, but donations help fund equipment and community outreach programs.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Two recent lawn mower deaths in our region are highlighting just how dangerous routine yard work can be.

In Augusta, 67-year-old Robert Duncan of Aiken County died Sept. 12 after the riding mower he was operating overturned into the Augusta Canal near Fenwick Street and James Brown Boulevard.

And just this week in Greer, S.C., 59-year-old Charles Satterfield died after a riding mower went off an embankment along Danny Lynn Drive and flipped on top of him. He died at the scene.

Each year in the United States, lawn mowers are blamed for about 85,000 injuries and about 70 deaths.

More than 9,000 of those hurt each year are under 18, with many older kids injured while mowing as a chore or side job.

Flying debris and machine rollovers are common factors in serious accidents.

Here are some safety tips:

• Children under 12 should not use a push mower, and anyone younger than 16 should not operate a riding mower.
• Never allow a passenger on a mower or let someone “catch a ride” while it is running.
• Make sure safety features work: a push mower should stop its blade when you release the handle, and a riding mower should shut off if the operator leaves the seat.
• Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants to protect feet and legs.
• Walk the yard before mowing to pick up toys, hoses, tools and rocks that could be thrown.
• Keep children and pets out of the mowing area, and stay alert to anyone entering that zone.
• Avoid mowing on wet grass, steep slopes or near embankments where a mower can slide or roll.
• Do not mow while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Use eye and hearing protection, and never refuel a hot engine.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Downtown businesses are adjusting operations ahead of Sunday’s Ironman race, including changes to entrances and to-go service.

Mellow Mushroom General Manager Parker Edwards said the restaurant has dealt with disruptions before.

“I mean the hurricane, the construction, ice storms a couple of years ago, downtown’s been through it all. We’re going to stay through it all,” Edwards said.

Customers visiting Mellow Mushroom during the race will need to use side doors because of closed-off sidewalks.

“We’re gearing up for a little bit more on the to-go side. I don’t know how much people are gonna be able to hang out in here with us with everything going on,” Edwards said.

Commander Coffee owner Randy Bradum said his shop is offering coffee classes and a new drink tied to the race.

“For us here at Commander Coffee, we’re offering coffee classes and we’re also offering special coffee drinks in light of the Ironman event, called the Iron Latte, in which we’re creating a protein latte to offer our patrons that come in,” Bradum said.

The event follows Arts in the Heart, giving businesses another opportunity to draw customers downtown.

“Our business is about meeting people where they are with specialty coffee because we know that there’s a lot of folks that enjoy drinking coffee out there,” Bradum said.

Mellow Mushroom is also relying on delivery services to reach customers who may not be able to visit in person.

“We’ve got the Uber Eats and DoorDash, so you don’t have to get out the couch to order our stuff. So we’re really kind of leaning forward to make it as easy to bring Mellow to you as possible,” Edwards said.