Augusta, GA
I-TEAM UPDATE: Concerns continue about use of Augusta’s stormwater fees
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – City leaders say in a matter of weeks, they will replace a pipe causing sinkholes around an Augusta woman’s yard.
The homeowner has been fighting for years to get the city to fix the problem like many others paying a stormwater fee.
This is one of more than a dozen projects the city lists on its website under stormwater fees.
If you are a downtown commuter like most, then you’ve probably been caught up in stalled traffic at the some intersections.
Outside of downtown, homeowners are frustrated by years’ worth of stalled projects impacting their property.
The sinkhole grows larger, and patience grows shorter.
MORE STORMWATER PROBLEMS:
“It expanded two inches towards the shop,” said Chelsea Thurmond. “I finally started going out there and measuring now.”
News 12 met Thurmond a month ago — four years into her battle with the city of Augusta.
“The trench is what I now call it,” said Thurmond.
A war trench of sorts in the middle of no man’s land.
A city drainage pipe runs from the street through her property, straight to the sinkhole.
“We were told we would get answers but never heard from anybody. As taxpayers, I don’t feel like we need to harass the city to get something done,” she said.
But after years of patchwork jobs, there are still no real answers.
“I’ve tried calling and I haven’t heard from anybody,” said Thurmond.
The same week we first told you her story, engineering sent a crew to her house.
“They came and dug around a few places sprayed some red paint on the ground over there and dug right into our water line and busted that,” she said.
In an email, the director of engineering says he transitioned the project to a small capital project and his construction staff is “getting a fee proposal from our on-call contractor in the next few weeks they will schedule work.”
A work order from 2020 was also approved as a capital project, but city workers handled it, not a contractor. By handling, they filled in the sinkhole at the time, not replacing the storm pipe.
The director of engineering says the storm system is aging and there are multiple failures across the county. At that time in 2020, he had members of his team leave for other jobs.
“If the outdated infrastructure is any indication, I am almost positive I am not the only person with the same infrastructure issue around the city,” said Thurmond.
MORE FROM THE I-TEAM:
“Every time it rains, we end up with a hole in the yard. The more it rains, the bigger it gets,” she said.
Years of complaints and findings from an auditor in February do not add up.
Emails the I-TEAM received on Friday show the on-call contractor quote to fix the sinkhole at $170,000.
“I highly doubt it would have been that expensive. Instead of doing it all at one time when the issue arose so many years ago, they could have easily done that instead of choosing to waste taxpayers’ money by putting dirt in the hole. I could have put dirt in a hole,” said Thurmond.
Commissioners are working on a list of projects to dedicate $300 million in SPLOST funds next year, which is a separate fund from the stormwater fee.
The administrator wants the focus of the funds to go to infrastructure, but some elected officials are considering spending the money on a water park.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The 2025-2026 Peach Belt Conference brackets are set, and there is plenty of shakeup this year.
Starting with the women’s bracket, Augusta University secured the #4 overall seed and will face #5 seed Middle Georgia in round one.
USCA’s women’s team did not fair as well, finishing in last place of this season’s standings.
On the men’s side, USCA’s men’s team secured the eighth and final spot in the conference tournament.
In a shocking turn of events, AU’s men’s team did not qualify for the tournament.
This marks the first time the program has missed the PBC tournament since Dip Metress took over the program in 2004.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, Ga. – Augusta managed just five hits and one run and fell to Georgia Southwestern 12-1 Sunday as the Hurricanes win two of the three games of the series. The Jaguars are now 7-2 in Peach Belt Conference play and 11-8 overall. The Canes improve to 7-2 in conference play and 12-7 overall.
Georgia Southwestern scored runs in all but one inning including four runs in the first two innings and plated five runs in the fifth, highlighted by a grand slam.
The only Augusta run would come in the fourth inning. Landon Leonard would reach on an error and would come around when Kent Moon reached on a fielder’s choice that would plate Leonard.
Leonard, Moon, Davis Newman, Harris Bachelder and Jakob Cowart would collect the hits for the Jaguars.
Augusta will next be in action on Friday when the open up a three game series with Lander at Jaguar Field. First pitch on Friday is set for 6:00 p.m.
Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Local protestors made their voices heard after Israel and the U.S. announced strikes on Iran Saturday, ones that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reports say.
Protesters lined 13th Street in Downtown Augusta and walked across the river to North Augusta to make sure as many people as possible heard them.
50501 CSRA already had a march planned for Saturday, but in light of the strikes on Iran, decided to expand its focus.
Local leaders spoke about their concerns for the strikes, and roughly 60 people showed up to share theirs as well.
One of the event organizers said to make your voice heard your voice heard.
“Just call your people, call your representatives, if you don’t like that Iran was bombed, I don’t either. But call people and let them know, email them. Let it be relentless. Congress did not approve this. They have a say in this,” Zee Cook said.
The strike is being called “Operation Epic Fury,” with Iran responding with multiple missile and drone strikes across the Middle East.
In a social media post, President Trump said the bombing of the country will continue “as long as necessary.”
People across the world began lining the streets as well in support and against the decision.
Leaders across the world reacted to the news, including those in Georgia and South Carolina.
There’s a protest planned in Charleston and other regional cities this week.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Federal prosecutor admits ‘extraordinary’ timing in Abrego Garcia smuggling case charges
NJ Gov Mikie Sherrill booed at Devils game honoring US Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes
Rex Satterfield’s 1956 Bel Air takes 2026 Ridler Award in Detroit
Iran conflict disrupts flights out of SFO
Wilonsky: A mom deported, 4 kids left behind and an 80-year-old Dallas Girl Scout troop leader’s good deeds
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
House Republicans push Johnson to go to war with Senate over SAVE Act
Israel FM says Europe too divided, slams Spanish PM
Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war
Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms
Dems’ potential 2028 hopefuls come out against US strikes on Iran
-
World4 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts5 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO5 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
News1 week agoWorld reacts as US top court limits Trump’s tariff powers