Augusta, GA

Officers made brief phone contact with woman who’s been missing for days

Published

9 months ago

June 17, 2025

Officers made brief phone contact with woman who’s been missing for days

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – We’ve learned that authorities were briefly able to make phone contact with a missing woman before they ramped up a search for her last week.

Susan Rhodes, 65, has been missing since shortly after she was in a car accident last week on Gregory Lake Road. She wandered away into the woods after the crash, seeming disoriented, according to witnesses.

Authorities have been searching for her, with no success.

Up until today, we were under the impression that no one had had any contact with her since the crash around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

But an incident report from the North Augusta Department of Public Safety shows that with Edgefield County deputies present, her roommate called Rhodes after she’d wandered off.

Susan Rhodes(WRDW)

Rhodes did sound disoriented and indicated she was suffering some kind of medical condition, as authorities have suspected. A deputy urged her to call 911 so her phone could be pinged, but she hung up.

Authorities contacted her phone company and were able to ping her phone, and that’s when they decided to launch a search for her in the heavily wooded area near Gregory Lake.

Her roommate said Rhodes had been complaining all day about blood pressure and stroke-like symptoms, backing up the belief that she was suffering a medical emergency.

In addition, she reportedly had one arm in a sling when she wandered away from the crash.

The incident report also gives more details on the car accident than we’d previously known.

A 30-year-old witness described it to deputies. He said he’d been traveling on Gregory Lake Road away from Martintown Road behind a Chevrolet Malibu that was all over the road. The Malibu was being driven by Rhodes.

The witness said that just past Gregory Landing Drive, the Malibu left the left side of the road before returning to the road, where it struck a Toyota sport utility vehicle on the passenger side with its passenger front.

PHOTO GALLERY:

The Malibu then left the right side of the roadway and entered a ditch.

The witness helped Rhodes get out of the car.

He said she appeared disoriented and out of it before she walked off and entered a driveway in the 2200 block of Gregory Lake Road.

The Old Vaucluse Road overpass was removed after a fiery crash brought it down June 14 in...

Initially, a search was conducted by drone, but a large downpour made that difficult.

That’s when Rhodes’ roommate and deputies were able to contact her by phone.

After she hung up, North Augusta police decided to launch a grid search of the area.

No one has reported hearing from her since then, although deputies believe they saw her footprint near a creek.

The search continued through the weekend, but authorities received no new information from it.

Malachi Chaney (left) and Tray Chaney (right)

They say they don’t think she’s still in the area.

They’ve printed fliers, and Rhodes’ picture is also being shown on digital billboards, with no success.

She was wearing a red shirt, black shoes and a hat. She is 5 feet 5 inches tall.

If you see her or have any clues, call 803-441-4200.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta Boxing Club faces financial uncertainty after nonprofit funding cuts

Published

7 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Augusta Boxing Club faces financial uncertainty after nonprofit funding cuts

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Boxing Club is facing financial uncertainty after Richmond County’s 2026 budget left no room to fund nonprofit organizations.

The county’s decision removes one of the club’s main financial supporters, leaving the historic organization without a key source of funding.

The Augusta Boxing Club is one of the nation’s longest-running amateur boxing clubs and has served at-risk youth in the Augusta area.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta picks new planning and development director

Published

19 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Augusta picks new planning and development director

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta-Richmond County has selected a new planning and development director nearly a year after the previous director resigned.

Commissioners voted to hire Adleasia J. Cameron, who goes by Lisa, after an executive session Tuesday.

Cameron was one of two finalists for the position, along with Ryan A. Bland.

The position has been vacant since May 30, when Carla Delaney resigned as planning and development director.

“Augusta has been home to me for many years, from my time as a middle and high school student to earning my graduate degree. It has truly been a privilege to work here and contribute to the community’s growth, sustainability, and development,” Delaney wrote in her letter of resignation.

Cameron is expected to start within the next 30 days.

Her salary will be $125,000, with a moving allowance of up to $10,000 reimbursed based on receipts.

Other commission action

Commissioners also received an update that a veterans cemetery will break ground at the end of the year.

A motion passed authorizing the Marshal’s Office to purchase two vehicles at a cost of more than $115,000.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta family flees Middle East as U.S. launches Operation Epic Fury

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Augusta family flees Middle East as U.S. launches Operation Epic Fury

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta couple returned home from Israel and Egypt just as the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury Saturday.

This happened hours before the State Department issued an urgent warning urging Americans in 14 Middle Eastern countries to “depart now” due to “serious safety risks.”

Diego and Maile Sprague had been staying with a host family in Jerusalem, south of the West Bank. The host family provides self-defense training to women and children living in the West Bank.

“We moved to Jerusalem just south of the West Bank and stayed with a host family that provides self-defense training to women and children that live on the West Bank,” Maile Sprague said. “Sometimes those places aren’t the safest.”

Couple tours Egypt as operation launches

The Spragues left their host family Friday morning to tour Egypt. By Saturday morning, the U.S. and Israel had rolled out Operation Epic Fury.

The couple said their host family was forced to flee their home after two nearby Arab-developed areas were attacked.

“We got word he and his wife had to leave their home because where they live there are two Arab developed areas… and they were attacked, so he and his wife had to flee their home,” Diego Sprague said.

Maile Sprague said the host family is now sheltering with neighbors.

“They are staying in their bomb shelter because there has been constant red alerts, so they’re sharing their bomb shelter with their neighbors,” she said.

Tourism industry shuts down in Egypt

While in Egypt, the Spragues said they witnessed the country’s tourism industry — its largest — coming to a halt.

“Everything that has to do with the tourism industry was closing down. Tourists were trying to leave, and all the buses were being routed to the border for Israel to pick people up from,” Maile Sprague said.

The couple had planned to return to their host family in Israel but instead made the decision to return home to Augusta. They landed in Atlanta hours before the State Department issued its “depart now” warning Monday.

The Spragues said they are safe. Their host family remains in a bomb shelter.

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