Augusta, GA
New Augusta commissioner and ‘Yes’ to tax questions were big winners in the primary
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – This business owner is taking care of business, after winning a seat on the Augusta commission.
“So thankful and grateful to the voters and supporters of District 6, they trusted me and believed in me and given this opportunity to serve the community,” said Commissioner-Elect Tamika Bean
Tamika Bean, the former assistant to Mayor Garnett Johnson, surprised many by her upset victory over incumbent commissioner Tony Lewis getting nearly 60 percent of the vote.
“I was totally humbled and surprised by it,” said Bean.
Bean, the newcomer, joins a commission full of familiar faces, as incumbents Stacey Pulliam, Lonnie Wimberly, and Wayne Guilfoyle all won re-election.
And despite organized opposition to axe the tax, Guilfoyle was happy to see approval of the SPLOST and especially the new FLOST, the half-cent sales tax for property tax relief.
“It directly impacts every property owner in Augusta, it benefits us. The government doesn’t receive any thing out of it,” said Guilfoyle.
Following the election, some want to see more out of the city’s registered voters, where turnout was less than 30 percent.
Gayla Keesee of the league of Women Voters says those registered need to understand the importance getting out with the run-offs coming in June.
Whose mayor or who’s District 8 Commissioner and those are final elections those are the ones the league is trying to get Richmond County voters to understand.
Voters decide elections, something commissioner-elect Tamika Bean totally understands.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The second annual Juneteenth trail ride took place on Old Waynesboro Road in Augusta on Saturday.
The event featured trail rides with horses and ATVs, a mechanical bull contest and music.
People shopped at vendors, and there was entertainment for kids, including a petting zoo, inflatables and games.
“It’s really a privilege just to be able to have the opportunity to share my space, to share my area, and to share for an event with so much value, to give back to my community and a place to celebrate,” said Davon Wallace, chief of operations at Crimson Hills.
Wallace said they will be hosting more events, with a haunted trail coming in October.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has made multiple arrests in a deadly shooting that left one teenager dead and another injured early Saturday morning.
According to deputies, the incident happened June 20, at approximately 12:50 a.m. in the 200 block of Warren Road, where authorities responded to reports of shots fired involving two gunshot victims.
When deputies arrived, they located two 18-year-old men from Augusta.
Officials identified the victims as Eric Markquis Bartley Miller and Joseph Lamar Thomas.
Investigators say Miller sustained at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thomas was also found with at least one gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation.
As of Saturday afternoon, three teenage suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
18-year-old Dmihjay Collins, 17-year-old Tayshaun Thomas, and 17-year-old Joseph Thomas have all been arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of Machine Guns. They are all currently being held at the Webster Detention Center.
A fourth teenager, 17-year-old Reante Byrd was also arrested, but investigators have not linked him to the murder case. Byrd has been charged with Possession of a Pistol or Revolver by a Person Under the Age of 18. He is also being held in the Webster Detention Center.
No further details in the investigation have been released.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Students showcased drones they built during a two-week summer camp at Augusta Regional Airport on Friday.
12 junior and high school students attended the camp, where they learned to fly and build drones designed to help others.
Anderson Puryear, a student, said the camp focused on delivering small medical supplies.
“It was focused on delivering small medical supplies like an EPI pen or glucose packet for like diabetics and for people with allergies in need in the real world that could obviously help save lives, and if people are like in a place in a boat or like in the desert or in the forest where they can’t easily access those supplies it can save their lives,” Puryear said.
The airport partnered with Georgia Tech, state troopers and the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Department for the Air Edu Summer Camp.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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