Augusta, GA
Hurricane Helene contractors give update on debris status
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – As concerns grow from residents about the ongoing debris clean-up status, we’re digging deeper into what the city’s plans are and where they stand right now.
We’re officially on day 50 of clean-up in Augusta and Richmond County.
Crews are comfortably picking up and grinding down 35,000 cubic yards per day.
It’s a process they say they’re almost ready to transition to the next phase of clean-up.
The biggest question on everyone’s mind is when all the debris will be picked up in Augusta.
Steve Cassell with ISM Engineering is in charge of the operation in Augusta.
He says despite what you still see on the roads, they are about halfway done.
“We got about 135 trucks here, and it’s going well. But I will say this, everything’s going to be picked up before we go,” said Cassell.
Crews collected and grinded 1.2 million out of the estimated 2 million they’re expecting to bring in.
Cassell says he understands residents’ confusion about trucks being inconsistent in locations.
But he says that’s due to unexpected circumstances that come with this scale of an operation.
“There’s still a lot of utilities down. You know, they’re abandoned utilities, basically, they’re lying in the piles. So, they can’t pull those out. They can’t pull those piles if there’s utilities in it, because it could pull a pole down or something like that,” he said. “We’ve talked to all the drivers. Say you want to get on the street and style the street, there are monitors well, but each truck has a monitor. They’ve got assigned areas that they’re supposed to move through as they go. But you know, they’re also these trucks that are breaking down. They have hydraulic issues at times. So, we’ve had several of them go down.”
It’s a long process crews will need to revisit communities several times depending on what crews face.
“Typically, the stumps would be the last thing we pick up. There’s a special truck for that, and we do have some stump crews that are going around and picking those things up,” said Cassell.
It’s a job bigger than your average garbage route pick-up.
It will be hard to put a definitive timeline on yet, but they’re getting closer to finding out what the end looks like.
“We’ll be finishing up the first pass in a lot of these areas over the next couple of weeks and going to the second pass. So that’ll really determine what our final volume will be,” said Cassell.
Cassell says another challenge for them is the rainy conditions workers are starting to battle through.
Thursday’s weather caused crews to pick up about 10,000 less debris than normal.
But they say they are still on pace with hitting their 90-day clean-up goal to get 100% federal reimbursement.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The second annual Juneteenth trail ride took place on Old Waynesboro Road in Augusta on Saturday.
The event featured trail rides with horses and ATVs, a mechanical bull contest and music.
People shopped at vendors, and there was entertainment for kids, including a petting zoo, inflatables and games.
“It’s really a privilege just to be able to have the opportunity to share my space, to share my area, and to share for an event with so much value, to give back to my community and a place to celebrate,” said Davon Wallace, chief of operations at Crimson Hills.
Wallace said they will be hosting more events, with a haunted trail coming in October.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has made multiple arrests in a deadly shooting that left one teenager dead and another injured early Saturday morning.
According to deputies, the incident happened June 20, at approximately 12:50 a.m. in the 200 block of Warren Road, where authorities responded to reports of shots fired involving two gunshot victims.
When deputies arrived, they located two 18-year-old men from Augusta.
Officials identified the victims as Eric Markquis Bartley Miller and Joseph Lamar Thomas.
Investigators say Miller sustained at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thomas was also found with at least one gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation.
As of Saturday afternoon, three teenage suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
18-year-old Dmihjay Collins, 17-year-old Tayshaun Thomas, and 17-year-old Joseph Thomas have all been arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of Machine Guns. They are all currently being held at the Webster Detention Center.
A fourth teenager, 17-year-old Reante Byrd was also arrested, but investigators have not linked him to the murder case. Byrd has been charged with Possession of a Pistol or Revolver by a Person Under the Age of 18. He is also being held in the Webster Detention Center.
No further details in the investigation have been released.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Students showcased drones they built during a two-week summer camp at Augusta Regional Airport on Friday.
12 junior and high school students attended the camp, where they learned to fly and build drones designed to help others.
Anderson Puryear, a student, said the camp focused on delivering small medical supplies.
“It was focused on delivering small medical supplies like an EPI pen or glucose packet for like diabetics and for people with allergies in need in the real world that could obviously help save lives, and if people are like in a place in a boat or like in the desert or in the forest where they can’t easily access those supplies it can save their lives,” Puryear said.
The airport partnered with Georgia Tech, state troopers and the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Department for the Air Edu Summer Camp.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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