Augusta, GA

‘It was surreal’: Local 2-year-old celebrates end of chemotherapy

Published

12 months ago

June 26, 2023

Press Room

‘It was surreal’: Local 2-year-old celebrates end of chemotherapy

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A local 2-year-old has been battling a brain tumor for more than a year.

Now his family says they are thankful for the community’s support as they celebrate being done with chemotherapy.

It was a simple bell ring marking a big milestone: the end of chemotherapy for 2-year-old Webb Waddell.

“Everybody came down to celebrate and it was surreal,” said Laura Waddell, Webb’s mother.

It’s a battle he has fought his whole life.

“There was something that was off from the very beginning, Webb struggled to eat. He wasn’t taking in the amount of food that he should have been taking in,” said Laura. “This has been something from basically the word go. And it’s not anything that anybody prepares you for.”

At first they thought it was a problem with his intestines, but it was something bigger.

“In February of 2022, we had an instance where he woke up from his nap and his right eye started kind of moving back and forth, like from side to side, which is incredibly alarming, because that’s not what your eyes supposed to do,” said Laura.

It was a brain tumor, followed by a stroke.

“We were one of the only families that was being treated for that particular type of illness. And so it was very isolating and very, very scary,” said Laura.

But, with the help of social media, she found community.

“There were two local families specifically that have had children that have dealt with something very similarly to what we were dealing with that kind of created this growing Facebook community,” said Laura.

The page she started documenting their journey consists of more than 1,000 followers.

“Without that kind of support, I don’t know that we would have been a way to try to navigate the darkest days that we experienced,” said Laura.

After 14 months of chemotherapy, now Webb spends most of his days at home playing with his toys.

While he does still have his tumor, his family still has hope.

“Even though we were told to prepare for the worst possible outcome, I think that it’s important to never give up hope,” said Laura.

It’s a message she’s passing on to other families fighting similar battles.

“If you are going through a situation where you feel like you’re alone, I promise you’re not. This is a really, really, really large and helpful community,” she said.

If you want to keep up with Webb’s progress you can follow his journey on the Team Webb Facebook page.

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Augusta, GA

Homeless man found dead in wooded area in Augusta

Published

2 hours ago

June 15, 2024

Press Room

Homeless man found dead in wooded area in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The Richmond County Coroner’s Office is investigating the death of a homeless man who was found in a wooded area Friday evening.

The Coroner’s Office responded to the I-520 east bound ramp at Windsor Spring Road in reference to a deceased person.

The Coroner’s Office states the victim was pronounced dead around 5:45 p.m.

According to officials, the death is considered suspicious.

Their name will be released once a positive ID has been made, according to the Coroner.

An autopsy has been scheduled.

Count on NewsChannel 6 for more details as they become available.

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Augusta, GA

Russell Keen named President of Augusta University

Published

9 hours ago

June 15, 2024

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Russell Keen named President of Augusta University

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents announced that Dr. Russell Keen will be the next president of Augusta University, beginning July 1.

Last week, the USG Board of Regents named Keen as the sole finalist for the position. That decision was finalized today.

In a statement released by the university, Keen said his priority is to focus on Georgia’s need to provide skilled graduates to enter the workforce.

“I truly look forward to serving Augusta University as its next president,” said Keen. “I am excited to expand the focus Augusta University has had on cutting-edge research and innovation. We will prioritize elevating a culture of excellence and creating an unparalleled student experience, while promoting critical thinking and student engagement.”

Keen’s appointment comes as Dr. Brooks Keel will retire after serving as AU’s president for nine years, part of his four decades-long career in higher education.

“Russell has the experience and institutional knowledge for the job, and that will be critical as we look to increase Augusta University’s impact in Georgia and beyond,” said USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue. “I’m looking forward to watching Dr. Keen push AU toward being one of the best research universities in the nation as it continues to emphasize student success.”

Keen is a native of the Augusta area and has worked in USG over 22 years.

Augusta University’s first day of classes for the Fall 2024 semester begins Aug. 14.

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Augusta, GA

Response to safety concerns in Downtown Augusta following the shooting

Published

16 hours ago

June 15, 2024

Press Room

Response to safety concerns in Downtown Augusta following the shooting

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – A week after the shooting on Broad Street, we talked to people in the community about how they felt about downtown.

“People shouldn’t be scared to come downtown. Like if we can get Richmond County to work with us instead of against us, we can make it better,” said Chris Mccarthy, the General Manager of Joe’s Underground.

Mccarthy is the General Manager of a popular bar and restaurant. He says that while the area is not bad, there is room for improvement.

“There are pop-up booze and food vendors all over the place. We have to go through; we have to jump through 3 hoops to have ourselves here, and you’ve got these cats just sitting up girls out on the side of the street, and they are selling booze out of coolers unregulated. That is the problem,” said Mccarthy.

In an effort to ease minds, Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson released a statement reminding parents that most restaurants downtown stop serving food at 10 p.m. Also, minors MUST be accompanied by an adult if they are out past that time.

“There’s no place for a kid to be If you’re not 21. You can’t get into any of the businesses. You have no business being down here,” Mike Thomas, a patron.

Some businesses were shut down the next day because the road was blocked. People who work in the area say they wanted more information the following day because they had to close their doors.

“I don’t know what it’s going to take to fix it, but I do know it is a big problem,” said Kat Duscio, who works at Barkery. Okay, cool, great. Get more cops down here; that’s nice. But let’s make sure that they have the proper training and tools and know how to do their job appropriately and actually make people feel safe.”

That’s part of the Mayor’s plan for the downtown area. In his statement, the Mayor says that starting tonight, there will be an increase in security, patrols, and additional help from the Georgia State Patrol to keep downtown safe.

“It’s not going to stop until we as a community come together,” said Kasim, Security of Peddle Pub. “We have to come together, the cops and the citizens. We all have to come together. It’s not black or white. It’s not cop versus citizen; it’s us.”

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