Augusta, GA
Nine on the line: Augusta committee considers future of city parks
An Augusta city committee on Tuesday is scheduled to hear an update from the Recreation and Parks Department about nine municipal parks that are so seldom used that they might not be worth keeping open.
A civil engineering firm partnering with Recreation and Parks spent months gathering information on Augusta-Richmond County’s 51 public parks.
The audit by Infrastructure System Management scored the locations using a rubric that measured the sizes of the parks and how close they are to other parks. The audit also counted the number of park visitors to calculate how often the parks were used.
In a previous presentation to the committee last fall, commissioners learned that it would cost about $22 million to bring all city parks up to proper maintenance standards for just the first year.
By comparison, the Recreation and Parks budget is closer to $1.2 million, according to Abie Ladson Jr., a former city engineering director who now directs the ISM consultancy.
The smallest of the nine parks, Alexander Barrett Park, is barely a 10th of an acre, about the size of an NBA basketball court. The wedge-shaped lot where Wheeler Road meets Royal Street is composed of open grass and two playground swings built only for infants and toddlers.
The largest of the nine is the 3.49-acre W.T. Johnson Center on Hunter Street, behind Beulah Grove Baptist Church. Its facilities include a gymnasium and athletic fields.
The parks whose futures will be considered:
- A.L. Williams Park, 1850 Broad St.
- Alexander Barrett Park, 2629 Royal St.
- Bedford Heights Park, 1016 Camellia Dr.
- Doughty Park, 1200 Nellieville Rd.
- Elliott Park, 2027 Lumpkin Rd.
- Heard Avenue Park, 1500 Heard Ave.
- Hillside Park (Vernon Forrest Park), 2101 Telfair St.
- Valley Park, 1805 Valley Park Dr. E.
- W.T. Johnson Center, 1606 Hunter St.
Augusta, GA
Augusta church honors gun violence victims during Wear Orange Weekend
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Community members gathered Sunday to honor those who lost their lives to gun violence as part of Wear Orange Weekend.
A memorial was held at Jordan Grove Baptist Church, bringing together several organizations to spread awareness about gun violence prevention.
Wear Orange Weekend honors 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago in 2013. Orange was her favorite color.
Several organizations participated in the event, including Moms Demand Action, Georgia Shift, Community in Action and Grieving Families of Youth Violence.
Organizers said ending violence is a community effort.
“Today may be our day, but tomorrow could be any day, don’t wait till it hits your front door step, get involved now because your voice may be the one that makes the difference in our community with your family or any loved one,” said Phyllis Jackson of Moms Demand Action.
“I want to thank the CSRA Community in Action, Georgia Shift, as well as Moms Demand Action for coming together to see a need to know we are here to stop gun violence in our area,” said Rev. Anthony Walker, co-founder of CSRA Community in Action.
The weekend also included a gun-violence panel discussion and a walk. Organizers said they are always looking for volunteers.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Augusta’s Broad Street planting plan lacks key details
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The city’s planting plan for Broad Street lays out the future landscape of Broad Street, from ADA accessible sidewalks to a separate bike path.
The plan also lists the types of trees and shrubs that will fill the now bare Broad Street.
But senior investigative reporter Lize Ownes found the plans are missing some crucial information.
The city has identified what types of trees and shrubs will go downtown, but not exactly where. The city has not said when it will begin planting. The planting plan also does not outline a long-term maintenance plan for the future greenery on Broad Street.
What the plan includes
Blueprints and architectural designs make envisioning Broad Street’s new look difficult without engineering expertise.
Augusta Richmond County’s planting plan includes several types of maple trees, including the Trident Maple, according to Joe, a tree specialist at Cold Creek Nurseries. The plan also includes willow oak trees.
The county’s planting plan also includes bringing back what was once the most predominant tree downtown: the elm. Years of neglect combined with Hurricane Helene wiped out many of the elms that once lined Broad Street.
Shade trees come with roots, space and maintenance requirements, Joe said.
Ground cover is also on the list. The plan includes Asiatic jasmine, an evergreen ground cover that stays low to the ground and spreads. The plan also includes liriope, a grass-like plant.
What’s missing from the plan
The planting plans do not answer several questions.
The plans do not say who will maintain the trees or what the long-term maintenance plan is. The plans do not say when planting will start or where each tree and shrub will go on which block of Broad Street.
Joe said he cannot say whether the tree choices will work downtown based on the information provided.
The engineering director was tied up in meetings and unavailable for comment. The Augusta Tree Commission received the same planting plans last week and is reviewing them.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Richmond Co. Coroner: Cane Corso attacks, kills Augusta infant
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Around 9:20, Saturday morning deputies with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on the 500 block of Hillwood Circle reportedly for a deceased 3-month-old infant who may have been attacked by a dog inside the home.
Upon arrival, deputies located the infant dead inside. The baby, 3 month-old Zamora Robinson was pronounced dead by the Richmond County Coroner at 11:00 am.
Investigators said they secured the scene, and all occupants were safely removed from the home.
The Coroner said that Zamora was attacked by a Cane Corso. It was removed from the residence by Animal Services as part of the investigation.
The investigation remains active and ongoing as investigators continue conducting interviews and gathering additional information.
No further details are available at this time.
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