Augusta, GA
Response to safety concerns in Downtown Augusta following the shooting
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – A week after the shooting on Broad Street, we talked to people in the community about how they felt about downtown.
“People shouldn’t be scared to come downtown. Like if we can get Richmond County to work with us instead of against us, we can make it better,” said Chris Mccarthy, the General Manager of Joe’s Underground.
Mccarthy is the General Manager of a popular bar and restaurant. He says that while the area is not bad, there is room for improvement.
“There are pop-up booze and food vendors all over the place. We have to go through; we have to jump through 3 hoops to have ourselves here, and you’ve got these cats just sitting up girls out on the side of the street, and they are selling booze out of coolers unregulated. That is the problem,” said Mccarthy.
In an effort to ease minds, Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson released a statement reminding parents that most restaurants downtown stop serving food at 10 p.m. Also, minors MUST be accompanied by an adult if they are out past that time.
“There’s no place for a kid to be If you’re not 21. You can’t get into any of the businesses. You have no business being down here,” Mike Thomas, a patron.
Some businesses were shut down the next day because the road was blocked. People who work in the area say they wanted more information the following day because they had to close their doors.
“I don’t know what it’s going to take to fix it, but I do know it is a big problem,” said Kat Duscio, who works at Barkery. Okay, cool, great. Get more cops down here; that’s nice. But let’s make sure that they have the proper training and tools and know how to do their job appropriately and actually make people feel safe.”
That’s part of the Mayor’s plan for the downtown area. In his statement, the Mayor says that starting tonight, there will be an increase in security, patrols, and additional help from the Georgia State Patrol to keep downtown safe.
“It’s not going to stop until we as a community come together,” said Kasim, Security of Peddle Pub. “We have to come together, the cops and the citizens. We all have to come together. It’s not black or white. It’s not cop versus citizen; it’s us.”
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. (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. (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.
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