Augusta, GA

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday. Here is some Augusta-area fun for the long weekend

Published

4 months ago

January 14, 2024

Press Room

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday. Here is some Augusta-area fun for the long weekend

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday. It will mark what would have been Dr. King’s 95th birthday.

The occasion will not go unnoticed as prose and parades, keynotes and opportunities to help those in need have been scheduled throughout the weekend. For many, this will also serve as a three-day weekend, a chance for relaxation and reflection.

There’s plenty to do, including the last chance to get some ice skating in, a night full of stars, and a couple of chances to see local athletes go head-to-head.

Here’s a look at these and other fun events scheduled this weekend across the Augusta area:

Remembering MLK: Retired Augusta priest, 95, recalls marching with his friend, Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. festivities, give-back opportunities

The 2024 Tri-College Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is noon Friday at Augusta Technical College off Bobby Jones Expressway. This is a collaborative celebration between Augusta Tech, Augusta University and Paine College. The keynote speaker is Otis Samuel Johnson, chairman of the Racial Equity and Leadership Task Force in Savannah.

Augusta Mini Theatre’s “Telling Our Stories Through Poetry” is 8-10 p.m. Friday, 3-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday at the theatre in Augusta at 2548 Deans Bridge Rd. In tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., young performers will combine poetry, movement, songs and other skills to illustrate Black history and culture. General admission is about $10 to $15 and tickets are available at augustaminitheatre.org.

Augusta NAACP’s 50th annual Freedom Fund Banquet is 6 p.m. Friday at Good Shepherd Baptist Church Family Life Center at 1714 Olive Rd. The keynote speaker is Augusta’s Chief Judge Kellie McIntyre, the first Black female chief justice of Richmond County. Tickets start at about $75 and are available at naacpaugustaga.org.

Augusta’s 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is Saturday starting at 1 p.m. at Dyess Park Community Center on at 902 James Brown Blvd. Participants will walk south on James Brown Boulevard, then west onto Wrightsboro Road, north onto Augusta Avenue, east onto Laney Walker Boulevard, and then north onto 11th Street to Johnson Motors.

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson is organizing a Day of Service, but it has reached volunteer capacity, according to the mayor’s spokesperson Brennan Meagher.

Augusta’s Community Fair and 10th annual Homeless Winter Clothing Drive is 2-4 p.m. Saturday in the James Brown Arena parking lot at 601 7th St. There will be community resources, food, a bounce house and other entertainment. This is to recognize World AIDS Day.

Outdoor activities

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park’s “Eco Explorer” Day is 2-4 p.m. Friday in Augusta at 1858 Lock and Dam Rd. Guests will get to become scientists, jumping into the water, examine bugs and get a behind-the-scenes look at the research lab. The day is restricted to adults and is twice per month. Those interested can register for about $26 per person at phinizycenter.org/eco-explorers.

Hephzibah’s Food Truck Friday returns 5-9 p.m. Friday at the Hephzibah Agricultural Center at 4245 Peach Orchard Rd. There will be plenty of food to choose from plus music, shopping and face painting.

Border Bowl XI is Saturday at Burke County High School in Waynesboro at 1057 Burke Veterans Pkwy. The best high school football seniors from Georgia and South Carolina will face off with gates opening at 11 a.m. and kick off at 1 p.m. Parking will be $5 cash. Tickets are sold on-site for $15 cash and $10 pre-sale for a limited time at eventbrite.com. Programs are available for $10 cash.

Evans on Ice is open for just a few more days at Evans Towne Center Park off Washington Road. It’s open 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, and noon to 9 p.m. Monday. Ice skate the night away, and when you need to warm up, there is also a fire pit. Tickets are $13 on weekdays and $17 on weekends. For more information, go to evansonice.com.

Ringing in the holiday spirit: Salvation Army of Augusta kettles raise more than $230,000

Indoor entertainment

The Imperial Theatre in Augusta has two shows this weekend: Southern Soul and Song Series’ “Appalachian Roadshow and The Cleverlys” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at 3 p.m. Monday. For tickets, call (706) 722-8341 or go to imperialtheatre.com.

Augusta University’s men’s basketball team faces USC Aiken’s at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Christenberry Fieldhouse in Augusta at 3109 Wrightsboro Rd. Tickets are $10 for adults, free for AU members as well as ages 6 and younger, and $5 for everyone else.

DuPont Planetarium’s “Ancient Sky Lore” is 7-8 p.m. Saturday at the Ruth Patrick Science Center in Aiken at 471 University Pkwy. Stars and constellations will be used to tell legends and stories from ancient cultures. Admission is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for senior citizens, $4.50 for grades 4K-12, and $2 for USC Aiken members.

Aiken Bridal Show 2024 is 1-5 p.m. Sunday at the Anne and Cot Campbell Center in Aiken at 1310 East Pine Log Rd. There will be a bridal fashion show, wedding vendors, dance lessons, food trucks and door prizes. Tickets are $15 at the door and $12 in advance at eventbrite.com.

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Augusta, GA

New family-affordable community hosts grand opening in Augusta

Published

5 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Press Room

New family-affordable community hosts grand opening in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A new family-affordable community is coming to Augusta and opens on Wednesday.

Organizers say the grand opening of Walton Green community will begin around 11 a.m.

The community is built near the Legacy at Walton Green on 15th Street.

The community features:

Spacious apartments
An Adventure Center – A complimentary after-school enrichment program.
It has tutoring, field trips, and counseling services for the kids.
Learn more here: Adventure Centers — Mission 1:27 (mission127.ngo)
A playground
On-site management & maintenance
A book of the month program and resident services.

They’re looking forward to serving people with excellence.

To learn more, head over to the website.

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Augusta, GA

Bringing awareness to Augusta Richmond county’s number one killer

Published

12 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Press Room

Bringing awareness to Augusta Richmond county’s number one killer

AUGUSTA, Ga. –
It’s the number one killer of 31 to 51-year old’s in Augusta-Richmond county.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health—fentanyl related deaths are on the rise.

For National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Serenity Behavioral Health Systems took time out to educate the public.

Fox 54 got the chance to hear firsthand just how dangerous and deadly this drug can be.

Timothy Stephens says he used to abuse almost every drug on the market.

“I already had my second failed marriage, I was pretty much homeless. In my head I was like hey you lost everybody, this doctor obviously cares about you so why mess that up, just go ahead and go to a recovery meeting,” said Stephens

Now Stephens, whose been drug free for over a decade, is the founder of the non-profit, Augusta Recovery Alliance.

The goal—to help people facing the challenges he once encountered.

Stephens says, “I had a beer saved for me that evening and I was like its October 18th 2012, I just threw it in the trash and said I’m going to try my very best and I haven’t had a drink or a drug since. The only way I know how to keep it is by pouring into others and showing them the way out.”

Fentanyl use is on the rise, being found in almost all counterfeit drugs.

“Right now, the findings are suggesting it could potentially be in every illegal drug that is found in the county right now. We can only speculate that maybe because it is cheaper to produce and people are mass producing counterfeit pills,” said opioid public health analyst, Beverly Brown.

Chuck Williamson with Serenity Behavioral Health says the most important thing right now is to educate.

“The street drugs the synthetic stuff, its killing people and we just need to make people aware,” said Williamson. “It’s a big-time issue, we’ve got to take it very seriously and address it. Education, education that’s the main thing.”

That’s why serenity hosted a Fentanyl Awareness Day teaching the community about the dangers surrounding this drug and how to help combat this issue.

One of the main things that can help is having Narcan on hand at all times and knowing how to use it.

You can find free Narcan at the Georgia Department of Public Health in Augusta while supplies are available.

Lifesaving information in the fight against an ever-growing problem.

“At Augusta Recovery Alliance our catch phrase is the best is yet to come, and with the buzz going on for recovery, the best is yet to come,” said Stephens.

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Augusta, GA

Richmond County seniors sign to become future educators in Augusta

Published

20 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Press Room

Richmond County seniors sign to become future educators in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – For years, filling teaching positions in the Richmond County School System has been a challenge.

Last spring, we told you they had around 300 teaching vacancies.

This year, they have more than 130 positions open from pre-K to high school.

The school system is putting its efforts into a program that brings kids back home to teach.

More than 20 students signed the dotted line on Tuesday to commit to doing just that.

Deciding what the future holds for the next four years of your life can be hard, but Jordan King says his future is a no-brainer.

“I signed up to be a teacher so I can teach other students they can be self-aware. They don’t have to go with those norms, the societal norms because they’re always changing,” said King.

King and his two best friends all share a common goal — to impact the future.

Kanye Gilmore said: “I want to make a difference because obviously, there’s not a lot of black young men wanting to be a teacher. So kids will see that and they’ll want to grow up and aspire to be a teacher.”

Quintin James said: “My teacher has inspired me, like just learning about what it takes to be a teacher. I kind of put myself in their shoes and said, ‘Hey, I can be a teacher.’”

Nanette Barnes is the director of career, technical and agricultural education. She says the trios drive couldn’t have come at a better time.

“There’s a teacher shortage. So we were trying to encourage our students to increase in those pathways to be pathway completers,” she said.

The trio joined more than 20 other Richmond County seniors committing to return back home after their college graduation.

It’s a commitment Barnes said the school will continue to keep tabs on.

“They’re going to see if they actually enrolled in college. They want to reach out to them at least two or three times during the school year, during their longevity in college, so that they can continue to remind them, that you have a place at home, got a job here, once they complete your college degree, can come back,” said Barnes.

And it’s a commitment Gilmore says he won’t ever give up on.

“I feel like I owe it to the community,” said Gilmore.

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