Augusta, GA
Neighbors will take data center concerns to Augusta Commission
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta neighbors have organized to express concerns about a data center that’s going up next door.
The group will address the Augusta Commission on Tuesday about the data center that’s planned next to the Haynes Station subdivision.
The east edge of the site is perched on a hill behind homes on Goodale Drive, and the west side would stretch to the Captain’s Corner subdivision.
The Haynes Station Concerned Residents Committee said neighbors will attend the Augusta Commission meeting shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The group said it was formed to “better understand the project and to seek clarity.”
The neighbors said they’re not opposed to development or data centers but question whether they ever had a meaningful chance to participate in the review process.
“The initial focus is on ensuring compliance with required notification and transparency standards,” the group said. “Once clarity on the notification process is established, residents intend to engage constructively on shared community concerns at a later date.”
The environmental quality section of the application with the state says the data center will likely affect water supply watershed, wetlands and floodplains.
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“Following clarification of the notification process, residents anticipate seeking additional information related to infrastructure capacity, water usage, noise and generator operations, traffic, emergency services, and cumulative impacts on surrounding residential communities in Haynes Station,” the group said.
Until recently, many residents didn’t even know about the plans for the site off Gordon Highway just east of Grovetown.
A smaller data center totaling 1.67 million square feet was announced years ago before much of Haynes Station neighborhood was even built.
Later, the original company exited the project and many people likely presumed it was dead.
However, in a move that slipped under the radar for many, a new company came in and filed an application with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to expand the proposal.
It would now include six two-story buildings totaling more than 2.15 million square feet.
For comparison, Augusta Mall has 1.1 million square feet of store space.
SEE THE SCHEMATICS:
The application states the facility is expected to consume 18,000 gallons of water per day. That’s about 900 showers.
It would also generate 9,200 gallons of wastewater a day, or about 5,750 flushes.
At least some preliminary work has apparently begun on the data center, with one older home being demolished and heavy equipment coming to the location that’s near a power substation.
According to the application with the state, the center could be completed in the second quarter of 2026.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Olu Brown visited Augusta on Friday evening, stopping near the Sand Hills Community Center as early voting continues.
Brown is one of six candidates in the Democratic primary.
Campaign priorities
Brown said his vision as governor would focus on three main areas.
“One, it’s affordability around health care and making sure we expand Medicaid and expand Peach Care and make sure we continue to make our rural health care systems healthy and vital,” Brown said. “Number two, we’ve got to address education in all of Georgia, making sure every kid in Georgia gets an excellent education, and we’re paying our teachers more. And number 3, we’re protecting the rights of all women. Folks in the Gold Dome shouldn’t be making decisions about their bodies or the choices that they make.”
Brown is running against Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta Prep student was arrested on a charge of terroristic threats over a picture of a LEGO gun he posted on social media.
It happened Wednesday, according to an incident report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Eric Hedinger, the principal of Augusta Preparatory Day School, told deputies a student had uploaded a picture to Snapchat of a “pistol” with the caption “shooting up the school so I don`t have to take the stats exam tomorrow. Don`t come yall!”
The principal said he spoke to the student and his father about the photo.
The principal also provided deputies with the student’s address in Grovetown.
A deputy went there and was told by the student that the “pistol” was a LEGO set that he had built.
He also said the comment he made was supposed to be a joke because he was not looking forward to taking his Advanced Placement statistics test this week.
The student showed the deputy the box that the LEGO set came in, and how the set was already disassembled.
The deputy also looked in the boy’s room to make sure he was not in possession of any weapons.
The mother advised that there was one firearm in the residence but it was locked up.
The deputy contacted Judge Leslie Morgan and she issued a warrant for terroristic threats.
The student, age 18, was taken into custody and transported to the Columbia County Detention Center.
News 12 is not reporting his name or publishing his photo since the LEGO gun could not have actually harmed anyone.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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