Augusta, GA
Shape up or face city’s wrath, Augusta leaders tell Bon Air owners
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The troubled Bon Air Apartments are back in the news.
On Thursday, the director of construction for Redwood Housing – which is renovating the Section 8 apartment building that was a grand hotel many decades ago – was in the hot seat in front of the Augusta Commission.
He was trying to explain why even with millions in taxpayer money going toward repairs, there are still issues at the apartment building that draws maintenance complaints from residents, as well as enough crime to worry its neighbors.
These issues date back several years, drawing the scrutiny and criticism of U.S. Rep. Rick Allen.
Complaints of poor living conditions have been compounded by stabbings, shootings and complaints of a lack of security in the area.
It’s not just Bon Air residents speaking up, but other people who live nearby.
“I feel like that I’m hearing the same old thing that I heard a couple of years ago,” Commissioner Catherine Smith Rice said at Thursday’s meeting.
Mayor Garnett Johnson told Redwood:
“If you wanna be a great partner to this community, invest in some security.”
Commissioner Jordan Johnson threatened to put the landlord’s business license on probation “until we actually feel confident that something is going on.”
The company bought the Bon Air and the downtown Richmond Summit – another subsidized rental building that’s drawn complaints – in 2021.
Recent incidents at Bon Air include:
For its part, Redwood Housing gave an update Thursday on renovations at the Bon Air – two phases of work, including upgrading security cameras, replacing air-conditioning units and fixing the elevators.
“ I need to reassure you that we as Redwood, we develop and maintain quality properties,” said Bob Duke.
Those who live near the Bon Air disagree with the company’s claims.
“There must be two Bon Airs here because what I’m hearing doesn’t exist,” neighbor Frank Dolan said.
He says he hears gunshots constantly.
“If you are paying a security guard, you gotta get your money back because it’s not happening,” he said.
But Redwood repeatedly told neighbors and commissioners there is security at the Bon Air.
Redwood is expected to go back before the commission within the next 30 days.
“If it were up to me today, personally, I’d revoke your license,” Rice told Duke.
If conditions don’t improve at Bon Air and Richmond Summit, that could be a possibility.
Also at Thursday’s commission meeting …
- Commissioners approved supplemental funding in an amount not to exceed $10 million for Hurricane Helene waterway debris removal with Ceres Environmental Services. Commissioners also approved the use of general fund balances to pay for these services.
- Commissioners approved supplemental funding in an amount not to exceed $600,000 for Hurricane Helene waterway debris removal construction plans and monitoring services with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood. Commissioners also approved the use of general fund balances to pay for these services.
- Commissioners heard from Moses Todd about city-owned cemetery priorities and the use of SPLOST 9 funding as well as the legality of using SPLOST funding for a veterans cemetery.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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An Augusta biomanufacturer will start making ammunition in the global fight against malaria.
Manus last week broke ground at its local plant on Lovers Lane on a production facility to produce artemisinin. The chemical is a key starting component in drug treatments to treat the deadly mosquito-borne illness. Malaria killed more than 600,000 people worldwide in 2024, according to the World Health Organization
“This groundbreaking reflects a shift from dependence to capability,” said Ajikumar Parayil, Manus’ founder and CEO. “For decades, the U.S. has relied heavily on overseas supply chains for the building blocks of essential medicines. What we’re establishing in Augusta is a new model – one that restores control, strengthens resilience, and proves that advanced biomanufacturing can be deployed at scale, here at home.”
About 80% of key ingredients for essential U.S. medicines are made or sourced overseas, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
That has led companies such as Manus to pursue biomanufacturing production models capable of making medical compounds domestically, efficiently and on a large scale.
Earlier in 2026, Manus won federal funding to expand production to make shikimic acid, a key compound in the antiviral medication oseltamivir, better known by its brand name Tamiflu.
On April 30, Manus announced a partnership with the University of Georgia to start a structured biomanufacturing apprenticeship program in Augusta. With a UGA “academic blueprint,” according to Manus, apprentices would receive extensive training on live production equipment to produce more experienced professionals for bio-industrial manufacturers nationwide.
Manus reopened Augusta’s old NutraSweet plant in 2019. In 2021, it introduced NutraSweet Natural, a zero-calorie stevia sweetener made using a smaller environmental footprint.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Brent McMillian is being appointed as the new director of athletics at Augusta University, President Russell Keen announced Monday.
McMillian will begin the role on June 8, 2026.
According to AU, McMillian brings 13 years of athletics experience to the position. He previously served as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Engagement and Revenue Generation at Lipscomb University at Nashville.
“His vision aligns seamlessly with our goals for Jaguar Athletics: to champion student-athlete wellbeing, strengthen our competitive success, deepen community engagement, and build a vibrant, spirited campus culture,” Keen said. “His experience, combined with his personal connection to Augusta University, positions him to hit the ground running in a meaningful way.”
McMillian is a graduate of Greenbrier High School and attended Augusta University before completing his degree at the University of Tennessee.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Local restaurants hosted brunches for Mother’s Day, allowing neighbors to celebrate the day with the special women in their lives.
The Brunch House of Augusta on Greene Street hosted a brunch. The restaurant served berry pancakes and French toast, waffles, ham and cheese breakfast sliders and more breakfast foods.
One of the owners said the holidays are a great time for them to make connections with the community.
“We just had a group here come here that’s been coming here every year Mother’s Day for three years, every year basically since we’ve been open, they come in every year for Mother’s Day. We have people from out of town come and travel and visit us, so it’s definitely building that connection,” said Ashley Brown, co-owner of The Brunch House of Augusta.
Brown said they will be offering some specials for the upcoming Juneteenth holiday next month.
The Frog and the Hen also hosted a Mother’s Day brunch. The restaurant had about 350 people come in as of around 3 p.m.
They served foods like fried chicken, cheddar biscuits, French toast casserole and more.
The general manager said she enjoys seeing families come in for holidays like Mother’s Day.
“I feel like these are all my children here, so I feel like this day just in general, like I get to be the mother here, and so this is like I’m mother hen, so I get to take care of all this. I love supporting all the people as well and just being able to get the best food possible, the best chicken everywhere,” said Sheridan Roberts, general manager of Frog and the Hen.
Roberts said they often have to stop making reservations a few weeks ahead of the holiday due to the amount they receive.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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