Augusta, GA

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

Published

2 years 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

Senate candidate Derek Dooley visits Lincolnton, Augusta

Published

5 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Senate candidate Derek Dooley visits Lincolnton, Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Senate candidate Derek Dooley made several visits to the area on Friday.

Dooley had stops in both Lincolnton and Augusta on May 29 and was joined by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for his “Georgia First” tour. He spoke about one of the issues he finds in politics.

“But the other piece of it is the corruption. People sit on these committees. They have access to information that none of us have. And then you look up 2 or 3 years down the road and their wealth is just skyrocketing,” Dooley said. “You’re outperforming every investor out there. And I think it’s shameful. I think it erodes trust. It’s something that I will never do.”

“Politicians were out there getting paid. They were coming back home. They’re raising money and campaigning while the government shut down,” Kemp said. “What Derek’s saying, if he’s up there, we’re not going to allow legislators to get paid. We’re going to take away their benefits. That way, you won’t ever have another shutdown again.”

Dooley is facing Congressman Mike Collins in a runoff for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

The winner of the Republican nomination will face incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.

Photojournalist credit: Regynal McKie

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Augusta, GA

Man arrested, accused of hitting women at Augusta hospital

Published

17 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Man arrested, accused of hitting women at Augusta hospital

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A man has been arrested after he was accused of hitting two women at Piedmont Hospital in Augusta.

The incident happened on May 14 around 12 a.m.

According to arrest warrants, Bruce Bland struck one victim with a closed hand several times in the face. Bland also threw a garbage can at the victim, hitting her in the head.

Bruce Bland(Richmond County Sheriff’s Office)

The warrant states the victim suffered a bruise on her face.

Bland also hit another victim with a closed hand on her mouth, according to the warrants. She suffered swelling and a bruise on her mouth.

Bland is charged with battery and simple battery, according to the warrants. Both charges are misdemeanors.

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Augusta, GA

Luncheon provides information on QTS data center project in Augusta

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Luncheon provides information on QTS data center project in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A luncheon Thursday gave business and community leaders more information about data centers coming to Augusta.

Georgia Power and QTS representatives attended to help people understand what the project is and how it will impact Augusta. The QTS data center is planned for land near the Haynes Station neighborhood.

They cited the Public Service Commission’s rule that data centers have to pay for 100 percent of their energy usage and upgrades to local grids.

“We heard earlier today about some of the great things that Georgia’s been doing in being able to provide that reliable and affordable power,” said Khara Boender, director of state policy for the Data Center Coalition. “And the data center industry is committed to paying for their full cost of service for electricity, including paying for some of those upfront costs when it comes to those grid build-outs.”

The experts said the main thing drawing data centers to Georgia is the availability of land and power. They called Georgia the number one state for data centers.

Kerry Bridges, Georgia Power’s region executive, said the state’s low energy rates — 15% lower than the national average — contribute to that draw.

Bridges said the bill for usage and upgrades to electrical systems go 100% to the data center company and nearby neighbors should not be affected.

“The future looks like a growing Georgia, an economy where everyone across the state can participate, lower utility bills across the country because our wonderful partners are coming to town, they’re bringing the dollars, they’re investing in the electric grid,” Bridges said.

QTS, the company building the data center in Augusta near the Haynes Station neighborhood, said they are building a closed loop system. Each center requires an Olympic-sized swimming pool amount of water to start, but then it recycles that water for the rest of its time in use.

Jeff Greene, senior manager at QTS Data Centers, said QTS now only builds these closed loop centers.

Greene said they plan on each of their six buildings using 18,000 gallons of water a day just for flushing toilets and using sinks after the system is up and running.

“It just stays, it’s like a giant radiator, it will just keep cycling through, the water is heating and cooling constantly over and over again. And that’s a very different water consumption use than what typically used to happen, which was evaporative cooling. QTS went away from evaporative cooling in its data centers back in 2018,” Greene said.

Residents have pushed back against data centers in meetings, questioning how they would affect nearby neighbors. There is currently the QTS data center being built in Augusta, two data centers under construction in Columbia County and one in McDuffie County.

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