Augusta, GA
PBC Releases Baseball Team of Academic Distinction
AUGUSTA, GA — The Peach Belt Conference has released the 2024 baseball Team of Academic Distinction, presented by Barnes & Noble College. The team is a part of the PBC’s larger initiative to celebrate the academic achievements of PBC student-athletes.
To be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must 1) participate in at least half of his/her team’s events and be either a starter or significant contributor; 2) achieved a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and 3) completed at least one full academic year at his or her current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility. The Peach Belt Conference Sports Information Directors oversee the program.
Barnes & Noble College currently operates more than 1,400 campus bookstores and their school-branded e-commerce sites, serving more than 6 million college students and faculty nationwide. As a strategic partner, Barnes & Noble College is a retail and learning company. The company is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
| Name | Institution | Year | Hometown | GPA | Major (Minor) |
| Jorge Arispuro | North Georgia | Sr. | Lawrenceville, Ga. | 3.731 | Finance |
| Koby Ayala | Augusta | Jr. | Lilburn, Ga. | 3.75 | Business Administration |
| Michael Bailey | Claflin | Grad. | St. Matthews, S.C. | 3.95 | Business Administration |
| Daniel Barcena | Georgia Southwestern | Jr. | Cape Coral, Fla. | 3.60 | Communications & Emerging Media |
| Sebastian Biggs | USC Beaufort | Jr. | Painfield, Ill. | 4.00 | History |
| Jacob Bodkin | USC Aiken | So. | Tyrone, Ga. | 3.888 | Exercise & Sport Science |
| Colby Brabson | Columbus State | Sr. | Columbus, Ga. | 3.74 | Kinesiology |
| Peyton Burton | Columbus State | Jr. | Phenix City, Ala. | 3.68 | Health & Physical Education |
| Jacob Butler | USC Aiken | So. | Windsor, S.C. | 3.653 | Exercise & Sport Science |
| Jackson Chizek | Columbus State | So. | Loganville, Ga. | 3.96 | General Business |
| Michael Coit | Claflin | Sr. | PG County, Md. | 3.57 | Sport Management |
| Evan Cowan | Georgia College & State University | So. | Richmond Hill, Ga. | 3.60 | Finance |
| AJ Deibel | USC Aiken | Sr. | Aiken, S.C. | 3.695 | Business Administration |
| Doom Dennis | USC Aiken | So. | Charleston, S.C. | 3.879 | Business Administration |
| Aiden Driscoll-Sadusky | USC Beaufort | Sr. | Carwfordville, Fla. | 3.782 | Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Jacob Fletcher | USC Aiken | Jr. | Acworth, Ga. | 3.869 | Business Administration |
| Nick Foray | Lander | Grad. | Wesley Chapel, N.C. | 4.00 | Business Administration |
| Gary Garrett | Lander | Grad. | Snellville, Ga. | 3.93 | Business Administration |
| Leo Giannoni | Columbus State | Jr. | Marietta, Ga. | 3.85 | Finance |
| Joey Gill | Columbus State | Jr. | Navarre, Fla. | 3.61 | General Business |
| Mason Gray | Flagler | Jr. | Lake City, Fla. | 3.93 | Business Administration |
| Justin Haskins | Flagler | So. | Suwanee, Ga. | 3.60 | Finance |
| Parker Ingram | Augusta | Jr. | Gray, Ga. | 3.51 | Kinesiology |
| Win Johns | Columbus State | Sr. | Savannah, Ga. | 3.62 | Business Administration |
| Britt Kelly | Augusta | Sr. | Roswell, Ga. | 3.72 | Communication |
| Jacob Lassiat | North Georgia | Sr. | Alpharetta, Ga. | 4.00 | Marketing |
| John Leland | USC Beaufort | Jr. | Pensacola, Fla. | 3.678 | Interdisciplinary Studies |
| AJ Mathis | Georgia College & State University | Sr. | Dublin, Ga. | 3.68 | Exercise Science |
| Kobe Miller | Claflin | Grad. | Chesnee, S.C. | 3.78 | Business Administration |
| Taichi Nakao | Lander | Jr. | Auckland, New Zealand | 4.00 | Exercise Science |
| Bennett Nance | Lander | Grad. | Eden, N.C. | 3.91 | Business Administration |
| Andrews Opata | North Georgia | Jr. | Lawrenceville, Ga. | 3.848 | Elementary & Special Education |
| Tyler Overholt | Lander | So. | Abbeville, S.C. | 3.90 | Business Administration |
| Luke Parker | USC Aiken | Jr. | Kingsland, Ga. | 3.685 | Business Administration |
| Steven Reiss | Flagler | Jr. | Green Cove Springs, Fla. | 3.55 | Business Administration |
| Seth Robinson | USC Beaufort | So. | Summerville, S.C. | 3.687 | Business Administration |
| Kurt Rogers | Lander | So. | Westminster, S.C. | 3.70 | Business Administration |
| Joshua Sharp | USC Aiken | Jr. | Lawrenceville, Ga. | 3.984 | Applied Computer Science |
| Cooper Smith | Flagler | Jr. | Tallahassee, Fla. | 3.78 | Sport Management (Psychology) |
| Hunter Steger | USC Aiken | Grad. | North Augusta, S.C. | 3.519 | Master of Business Administration |
| Will Taylor | Flagler | So. | Mobile, Ala. | 3.71 | Business Administration (Marketing) |
| Zach Thomas | Flagler | Jr. | Fort Meyers, Fla. | 3.80 | Criminology (Business Administration) |
| Isaiah Wellman | Flagler | Jr. | Brunswick, Ga. | 3.89 | Sport Management |
| Jordan Wilke | Augusta | Sr. | Cartersville, Ga. | 3.74 | Political Science |
| Brayton Wilmes | USC Beaufort | So. | Monument, Colo. | 3.60 | Business Administration |
| Gabriel Wuerth | Georgia College & State University | So. | Woodstock, Ga. | 3.54 | Marketing |
Augusta, GA
Augusta Regional Airport hosts drone camp for students
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.
Augusta, GA
10th annual Juneteenth Augusta Festival draws crowds despite heat
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The 10th annual Juneteenth Augusta Festival brought families to the Augusta Fairgrounds on Friday despite the muggy heat.
Cultural and community-focused events, live music performances and food trucks were available at the celebration.
Tonia Hill, attending the Juneteenth celebration, said she loves the holiday and is supporting the community, though she acknowledged the weather conditions.
“I love Juneteenth. And I’m supporting everybody. It’s hot. It’s hot. It’s hot,” Hill said.
The festival runs until 10 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Augusta Dream Center sees surge in families needing food as summer begins
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Dream Center is seeing more families turn to its food pantry this summer as children lose access to school lunches.
Organizations like the Augusta Dream Center see a surge in families who relied on school lunches during the academic year, according to Hallie Kohan, assistant director.
“We see a lot more families that have young kids who are in need that simply don’t have those meals they are normally getting,” Kohan said. “We see an influx of families that come through.”
Demand is up, but the food supply is not keeping pace.
“Right now we are having some food distribution issues so while we are seeing an increase in families, we are seeing a decrease in the amount of food coming through our doors,” Kohan said.
The center is asking the community to host food drives or donate kid-friendly items such as mac and cheese and oatmeal.
Every Sunday the Dream Center opens its doors for a hot meal, serving as many as 120 people.
“Families can come in and get their hot meal. They sit down, it’s dignified, it’s a diner,” Kohan said. “It’s a welcoming experience for kids to come in and not feel like they are in need.”
No paperwork is required to receive help.
“Just because you think someone is in a great situation, in today’s economy you never know,” Kohan said. “It could be your neighbor, mom, or best friend.”
The Augusta Dream Center food pantry is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. Hot meals are served Sundays from 5 to 6 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
-
Arkansas2 minutes agoJoshua Harris tackles “American Ninja Warrior” and Arkansas health problems
-
California7 minutes ago
Smoke advisory issued Saturday as Boyle Heights fire continues
-
Colorado14 minutes agoSouthern Colorado man launches community wildflower project
-
Connecticut16 minutes agoWNBA photo gallery: Toronto Tempo @ Connecticut Sun – 6/19/26
-
Delaware22 minutes agoState Police Issues Sex Offender Notifications – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware
-
Florida29 minutes ago11 Most Charming Towns In Florida
-
Georgia37 minutes agoDemocrats block local property tax referendums as Georgia lawmakers clash over affordability – The Current
-
Hawaii44 minutes agoOffice of Hawaiian Affairs Responds to Senate Bill Involving Pōhakuloa – Big Island Video News