Augusta, GA
Parallel parking, high visibility crossings: Georgia Avenue traffic study under review
It was in November of 2022 that North Augusta started collecting input for how traffic along Georgia Avenue, from the bridge to Martintown Road, could be improved for both safety and business access.
Now, that input, plus the engineering analysis behind the full traffic calming study, has come back with a draft set of recommendations on what the city’s best options might be.
Block-by-block analysis yielded block-by-block recommendations, but the broader picture is one that takes all that angled parking and makes it parallel; adds center medians and makes pedestrian crossings high visibility.
Full implementation of these recommendations would be a $2.5 million effort.
Concerning the junction of Georgia, Carolina and Jackson avenues, recommendations in the ongoing draft of North Augusta’s Georgia Avenue traffic calming study “won’t solve for what we need,” said Mayor Briton Williams.
The city has taken no action yet on any of the recommendations, and certain of them — those for where Georgia Avenue meets with Jackson and Carolina avenues — aren’t going to cut it, officials say.
The proposed solution would cut out some of the existing pavement and curve Carolina Avenue slightly. That lessening of asphalt would result in those coming down Carolina Avenue then turning south onto Georgia Avenue before turning onto Jackson; current practice is a direct turn from Carolina onto Jackson, avoiding Georgia Avenue altogether.
“It won’t solve for what we need,” Mayor Briton Williams said.
Whether creating a roundabout for that tri-junction is an option is unclear. Georgia Avenue is a state road, and normally South Carolina Department of Transportation wouldn’t look favorably on a two-lane roundabout, said Joe Robertson, traffic engineer and project manager with Kimley-Horn.
And bringing Georgia Avenue down to one lane in either direction at that point isn’t recommended for the bottle-necking this would cause, Robertson said.
There could be more options out there, though, and the city is likely to pursue additional study of Georgia-Carolina-Jackson convergence.
That’s not to hold up implementation of other improvements.
A final report from Robertson’s group is forthcoming, and Georgia Avenue is likely to leapfrog other initiatives also being funded by the current round of the penny sales tax: North Augusta City Council has indicated it’s likely to pass the necessary resolution to do so on March 4.
The city is also looking at funding all $2.5 million of recommended improvements with the next round of the sales tax, which comes to voters in November.
If this all goes to plan, the first improvements could get underway next fall or early in 2026, with phase one centering on the stretch between Pine Grove and Spring Grove avenues.
Joe Robertson, traffic engineer with Kimley-Horn, gave an update Feb. 21 on North Augusta’s Georgia Avenue traffic calming study, here outlining the $1.19 million in recommended improvements for the stretch between Pine Grove and Spring Grove avenues. In foreground are, from left, Councilman David Buck, city attorney Kelly Zier and Mayor Briton Williams.
These improvements, as now drafted, are estimated at $1.19 million and would convert all angled parking in that block to parallel parking and narrow each of the drive lanes to 11 feet. With the extra space these changes would create, the idea is to install a 12-foot-wide central median — not just a striped median but the kind that’s got dimension to it.
High visibility crossings at both intersections, and for all four crossings at each, are also part of the recommendations.
Business, walkability in downtown
The Georgia Avenue traffic study was commissioned with the goal of creating a downtown corridor that promotes business and walkability.
“What we want is to have things here [on Georgia Avenue] to where it’s not your thoroughfare anymore. It can be, but in the meantime, I’m also stopping here and here and here,” Mayor Williams had said during those public input sessions of 18 months ago.
Councilwoman Jenafer McCauley had said then that figuring out Georgia Avenue was “one piece to the whole vision of downtown.”
Kimley-Horn’s Robertson said it’s estimated that Georgia Avenue, 10 years hence, could see its vehicle traffic increase by up to 70%, at least at its lower end, between Center Street and Buena Vista Avenue.
This section of Georgia Avenue sees about 25,000 vehicles a day, according to traffic counts taken in August of 2022. By 2032, that could be closer to 43,000 vehicles at Center Street and 34,500 at Buena Vista.
Which would make “stopping here and here and here,” per Williams’ comment, trickier for pedestrians unless improvements are made to accommodate the additional vehicles — and new development going up nearby, namely Beacon Bluff at Georgia Avenue and Center Street, but also possible new construction in Riverside Village.
Few changes to this lower section of Georgia Avenue, though, are recommended in the draft reviewed by Council last month, and officials indicated they’d like to build in the pedestrian crossings, particularly at East Clifton, that could catch the spill from new development and from the future downtown Greeneway connector.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – One of the CSRA’s longest-tenured and most accomplished high school girls basketball coaches has died.
Sunday evening, Lucy C. Laney High School released the following statement:
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Coach Smart. He has been a staple on the Blvd for years and will be remembered for generations to come. Our prayers are with his family, athletic community, students, and staff that have had the privilege of having had a connection to this great man over the years. We will post any updates as they are received regarding any services and remembrances that are shared with us.”
Smart spent more than four decades leading the Wildcats, building one of the most successful programs in Georgia high school basketball history.
Smart’s coaching career spanned more than 40 years at Laney, where he won multiple state championships and amassed more than 1,000 career victories.
Earlier this year, he became one of the few high school basketball coaches in Georgia to reach the 1,000-win milestone, a feat that reflected not only his longevity but also the sustained excellence of his program.
His success extended far beyond the win column. Throughout his career, Smart helped develop generations of student-athletes, many of whom credited him with teaching life lessons that extended well beyond basketball. Former players frequently described him as a mentor, role model and father figure whose impact reached classrooms, families and the Augusta community.
Back in February, News 12/26 spoke with several of Smart’s former players following his 1,000th career victory. Not one of them had anything negative to say about the coach who helped shape their lives.
“He is the face of women’s high school basketball in my eyes, and an incredible man and coach,” former Laney standout Destiny Brewton told News 12/26 in February. “His long-standing dedication and remarkable success over the years have left an indelible mark on the school and the community.”
Former player Morgan Lee said Smart taught his teams to value each other as family.
“He taught us how to work as a family. He taught us how to come together as one and treat each other with respect,” Lee said.
His influence also stretched across generations. Trina Lee, a 1984 Laney graduate and Morgan’s mother, marveled that Smart was still leading the Wildcats more than four decades after coaching her.
When News 12/26 last spoke with Smart about his milestone, he downplayed the significance of the number itself. Although his 1,000th official victory came via a forfeit, Smart chose to personally recognize the team’s win over Glenn Hills as the moment he truly reached the milestone, a reflection of the competitive spirit that defined his career.
For decades, Smart became synonymous with Laney girls basketball, transforming the Wildcats into a perennial state contender while earning the respect of opponents, coaches and former players throughout Georgia.
His legacy will be measured not only by championships and victories, but by the countless young women whose lives he helped shape.
Richmond County Schools released a statement his passing as well:
“Coach Smart was basketball coach, mentor, a guiding light, and a cornerstone of our community. For decades, Coach Smart didn’t just win games; he shaped futures. Coach Smart didn’t just represent Laney High School; he embodied it. Today, we don’t just mourn the loss of a coach; we say goodbye to “Mr. Laney” Coach Smart, thank you for showing us all what it truly means to be a champion in life. You will never be forgotten.”
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Newly obtained records show the Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council moved to revoke the certifications of eight Richmond County school police officers tied to an online training cheating scandal.
It’s a case investigators described as involving shared answer keys, deleted group texts and a department culture where some officers said cheating had become routine.
POST opened the investigation around Sept. 3, 2024, after allegations that Richmond County Board of Education Police Department officers cheated on online training courses for which they received POST credit.
The two courses identified in the file were Introduction to Human Trafficking and De-escalation for Law Enforcement, administered online through Virtual Academy. The core allegation is that officers shared screenshots/test answers in a group text so others could complete required online training faster.
Our previous reporting showed the case had grown to nine officers, with Officer Tajuana Jones receiving 24 months of probation and being ordered to take an ethics and professionalism course, while the remaining cases were still open because the officers had requested hearings.
POST records appear to show the next step: for eight officers — Dorothy Holmon, Kara Anderson, Anthony Dubois, Brian Jackson, Wallace Lebrane, Kellie Holland, Jacquez Williams and Nathan Mercer — the POST Probable Cause Committee recommended revocation, and the full council accepted those recommendations in June 2026.
According to the file, the Board of Education hired a third party entity to investigate. That investigation found Sgt. Dorothy Holmon and Cpl. Kara Anderson shared test answers. Officers identified as being in the group text and receiving answers included Brian Jackson, Jacquez Williams, Anthony Dubois, Wallace Lebrane and Kellie Holland.
POST also noted a limitation: there were other phone numbers in the group text, but the group had been deleted or disbanded before POST started investigating, preventing investigators from identifying every number
They have 30 days to file a formal appeal. The process requires submitting a written request for a pre-hearing conference or administrative hearing, a notarized written response to the allegations, and a required administrative fee.
The school system said it couldn’t comment because this is an active personnel matter.
The officers
Dorothy Holmon
• POST paints Holmon as one of the central figures. She admitted taking screenshots of test questions and answers and sending them to subordinates in a group text, and she described what she called a “culture of cheating” going back to 2000. POST says she also encouraged subordinates to go ahead and take the tests after sending the answers. The PCC recommended revocation, and the Full Council accepted it
Kara Anderson
• Anderson also admitted supplying test answers to the group text and acknowledged she knew it was wrong. She told POST her motivation was to get mandatory training completed quickly because of staffing issues. The PCC recommended revocation, and the Full Council accepted it
Anthony Dubois
• Dubois admitted receiving the group text and using the information to check his answers before submitting his test. He also described a broader culture of cheating in the department. POST records say his test score matched Holmon’s and that he missed the same questions. PCC recommendation: revocation. Full Council: accepted
Jacquez Williams
• Williams admitted receiving answer-key screenshots from Holmon and Anderson and admitted using them to complete his Virtual Academy testing. He also admitted he did not report the cheating up the chain of command. PCC recommendation: revocation. Full Council: accepted
Wallace Lebrane
• Lebrane admitted receiving a text from Holmon containing test answers and acknowledged it with blue-heart emojis, according to POST. He denied using the answers, but POST noted his test results matched Holmon’s, including missed questions. PCC recommendation: revocation. Full Council: accepted
Brian Jackson
• Jackson admitted receiving a group text from Holmon containing test answers but said he did not use them and did not take the tests at issue. POST’s concern appears to be that he did not report the message, despite being a supervisor. PCC recommendation: revocation. Full Council: accepted
Kellie Holland
• Holland admitted receiving a group text from Holmon but said the image was blurry and that she did not report it. POST records also say she admitted receiving answers for required Board of Education “GCN” testing from teachers. PCC recommendation: revocation. Full Council: accepted
Nathan Mercer
• Mercer’s case is different from the group-text cases. The file focuses on statements about whether Holmon was going to help him with a test tied to University of Georgia football special-duty work, and whether his account conflicted with statements from other officers. PCC recommendation: revocation. Full Council: accepted
Tajuana Jones
• Jones was covered in a March story. POST records at that time showed she received 24 months of probation, had to complete an ethics and professionalism course, and was accused of receiving answers but not reporting the misconduct.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The South Augusta YMCA will not renew its lease at the Tobacco Road location, the Y confirmed.
The shopping center is being sold, and the current lease ends in October.
The Y has not announced a final day at the current location. Officials said they plan to announce that date and next steps for South Augusta later this month.
The YMCA said it still plans to serve South Augusta after the lease expires.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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