Augusta, GA
Man sentenced in October 2023 bomb threat at Augusta Social Security office
A Richmond County man was recently sentenced to federal prison after threatening to blow up Augusta’s Social Security office nearly a year ago.
Keyon Tishaye Dickens, 39, of Augusta, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to using a telephone to make a threat to injure a person or damage a building by explosives, according to a news release from Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Dickens to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, according to the release. There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and testimony, Dickens received a notice in September 2023 that he was receiving overpayments to his Supplemental Security Income and that the Social Security Administration intended to recoup the funds from future SSI checks, according to the release.
Hurricane Helene live updates: More school closures, power outages reported
In response, Dickens called the Social Security Administration office in Augusta and said, “I’m going to shoot the office up and I’m going to blow it up. I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do,” according to the release.
Carrying a backpack, Dickens later visited the Social Security office and showed the security guard a note that read, “I have a bomb,” according to the release. The officer notified the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the building was locked down and evacuated.
No bomb was found, and Richmond County deputies took Dickens into custody, according to previous reporting.
“Keyon Dickens’ malicious actions are criminal and intolerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, acting SSA Inspector General. “This sentence demonstrates that threats to Social Security employees and offices are felonious and will not be ignored. We will continue to aggressively respond to threats, investigate the perpetrators and seek prosecution.”
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Man sentenced in Augusta bomb threat at Social Security Administration
Medical marijuana is having a moment in clinical trials
Cannabis has medical promise, but doctors still can’t prescribe it. A Harvard psychiatrist explains why science and policy lag behind.
A Vietnamese restaurant that closed in Columbia County more than three years ago will be the site of Georgia’s newest medical marijuana dispensary.
When Georgia’s Senate Bill 220 officially becomes law on July 1, it will expand requirements and qualifying conditions to participate in the state’s medical cannabis program. Co-sponsors of the “Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act” included state Sens. Lee Anderson, R-Grovetown, Harold Jones, D-Augusta, and Mark Newton, R-Augusta.
A company called Fine Fettle operates three cannabis stores in Georgia, eight in Connecticut, and two in Massachusetts.
The Fine Fettle dispensary, slated for 4300 Towne Center Dr. in Evans, will occupy the former Pho Bac restaurant. The Asian eatery opened in 2011 but closed in 2023 when it merged with another restaurant, Pho Augusta, at 4045 Jimmie Dyess Parkway.
At the store’s June 26 grand opening, patients and their families can learn about new product categories, qualifying conditions, and how to obtain a medical cannabis card, according to the company.
Fine Fettle received a provisional license from the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission in 2023 to start growing and selling cannabis products statewide. Evans was one of its proposed locations with an original opening for a low-THC oil dispensary planned for spring 2024, but the new state legislation upgraded the product level from the lower-potency oil to actual strains of cannabis.
Another cannabis company, Trulieve, opened its fifth Georgia store in Evans in September 2023 at 4218 Washington Road in Evans, near the shopping center anchored by Academy Sports.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Augusta election leaders met Monday to discuss a lawsuit filed by a former mayoral candidate.
Dr. Lori Myles is suing the Augusta Commission, as well as state and local voting leaders.
Myles alleges those involved with the May 19th primary destroyed absentee ballots and eliminated from the overall vote count.
“So the Board of Elections received a lawsuit from Lori Myles contesting the election asking for a recount, said Travis Doss, the Board of Elections director. “The Board discussed in executive session and when they came out of executive session they voted to authorize the county attorney to file an answer to that lawsuit basically that answer will be asking a judge for a dismissal on that lawsuit and it will be filed tomorrow.”
WJBF NewsChannel 6 will keep you updated on the next steps of the lawsuit as that information becomes available.
Photojournalist credit: Regynal McKie
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta will welcome community leaders to its Legislative Day on Monday.
The event will provide an inside look at the impact of the organization’s summer programs and year-round youth development initiatives.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta becomes an even more critical resource for local families during the summer. The organization provides supportive environments where local youth continue learning, building relationships and preparing for their futures.
During Legislative Day, community leaders will meet with staff and Club members, and experience how Boys & Girls Clubs is helping young people succeed through workforce readiness programming, academic enrichment, mental health support, nutritious meals and snacks and caring adult mentorship.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta serves youth throughout the region by providing high-quality programming focused on academic success, healthy lifestyles, character and leadership development and career readiness.
The event will start at 11:30 a.m. at E.W. Hagler Boys & Girls Club, 1903 Division Street.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
-
Fitness52 seconds agoAngela Rippon, 81, reveals the one exercise she never skips for strong legs: ‘I do it every morning without fail’
-
Movie Reviews16 minutes ago‘Mr. Reset And The Society Of Turnbuckle And Bone’ – Movie Review – PopHorror
-
World26 minutes agoParamount+ Sets Tulisa Docuseries About Shamed ‘X Factor’ Judge From Dorothy Street Pictures
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoNPR staffers share their favorite fiction reads of 2026 so far
-
Education1 hour agoThe Itinerant Preacher Who Helped Secure the Separation of Church and State
-
Technology1 hour agoHoto’s 25-bit electric screwdriver is 40 percent off during Prime Day
-
World1 hour agoTrump gets major win against China in African rare earth minerals race
-
Politics2 hours agoSocial media erupts over Mamdani’s silence after Brooklyn coffee shop bans Jewish congressman
