Augusta, GA

Shootings at store draw a call for action from Augusta leader

Published

2 years ago

January 16, 2024

Shootings at store draw a call for action from Augusta leader

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta Commission member wants to deal with a convenience store that seems to be a magnet for gunfire and murders.

Catherine Smith McKnight wants to consider beefing up security or closing down the Smart Grocery at 3221 Wrightsboro Road due to the number of shootings happening around there.

It’s a matter she brought up at Tuesday’s meeting of the commission.

The store has been the site of at least nine shootings in recent years, at least two of them fatal, including one on Dec. 11 claimed the life of Jeremiah Griffin, 32, of the 300 block of Fox Trace.

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McKnight’s matter is being moved to the next committee meeting of the commission so the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the store owner can speak.

Through McKnight’s communication with her district, she told News 12 it could be an issue of staffing deputies around the area, and that the owner has reached out to the sheriff’s agency for an added officer that he would pay for.

Another store in the Glendale neighborhood near the Olive Road bridge will also be discussed due to the number of shootings that also happen around here.

Smart Grocery has had a high profile in the news for all the wrong reasons.

It doesn’t help that it’s near some apartment complexes that have been trouble spots for crime, including the one where Griffin lived.

In fact, one of the complexes – formerly known as Fox Den – had such a problem with drugs and other crime that the owner set up a mobile security tower with bright lights, cameras and a siren.

At least some of the violence from the apartments has spilled over to Smart Grocery in recent years, leading Smith McKnight to wonder at what point it becomes a public safety problem.

Smart Grocery and its immediate surroundings have been the site of several gun incidents in recent years. Among those incidents:

In July, one person was sent to a hospital after another shooting at the store.
In January 2023, a man was shot with his own gun in the 3200 block of Wrightsboro Road after an unknown person grabbed his pistol from his pocket and shot him with it as he tried to break up a fight.
In September 2022, Zayquantez Jones, 17, was killed in a shooting at the store.
In December 2021, two motorists fired gunshots at each other near the store before driving off in separate directions. One person was arrested.
On Nov. 23, 2021, a man pointed a gun at a woman in the parking lot of the store as part of an apparent road-rage incident.
In April 2021, a man was found in the parking lot of the store, injured after being shot at least twice.
In March 2020, a shooting there wounded a bystander after a verbal altercation in the parking lot. Marcia Laquette Wimbley, 28, of Augusta, was taken into custody
In November 2018, a victim was found in the parking lot of the store with at least two gunshot wounds in their mid-section.
In May 2017, a man suffered wounds to a hand and thigh in a shooting at the store. The injuries were not life-threatening.

Last year, commissioners vowed to bring more funding to fight crime in the area.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta Jaguars preparing to host cross-town rival USC Aiken Pacers

Published

8 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

Augusta Jaguars preparing to host cross-town rival USC Aiken Pacers

AUGUSTA, GA (WJBF)- The Augusta men’s basketball team is gearing up to host cross-town rival the USC Aiken Pacers Wednesday night in a Peach Belt Conference matchup.

The Jags held their last full day of practice at Christenberry Fieldhouse before they take the court against the Pacers. Augusta holds a 54-33 lead in the overall series, but the Pacers swept the Jags last season.

Both teams this year off to a slower start in conference play, with just five wins combined between the two programs. So, this matchup will serve as a strong evaluation on where the teams are at now, and what they can improve on moving forward.

“We started the season off a little slow. But each game you can see the progress that we’re making in practice, the progress that we’re making. As a team we’re starting to click and understand what it takes,” said AU point guard Kyndon Wilburg.

“Rebounding the basketball is probably the most important thing, getting back in transition. This would be a huge win for us, coming off a tough loss from lander. I think it would be a great way to kick start what we’re about to do,” Wilburg said.

Tip-off for the men is set for 7:30 p.m. at Christenberry Fieldhouse.

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Augusta, GA

We the People: Augusta Museum showcases new America’s 250th exhibit

Published

20 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

We the People: Augusta Museum showcases new America’s 250th exhibit

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Museum of History is launching a new America’s 250th exhibit that showcases the area’s Revolutionary War, Civil War and modern-day connections.

“When people think of the Revolutionary War, a lot of times they think of up north, you know, New England and Paul Revere, but there’s just as much history down here,” Krystal Lyons, head of education, said.

The exhibit is a chronological journey through Augusta’s past

The exhibit moves chronologically through Augusta’s history, telling specific stories through objects that have not been displayed before or in a long time.

The display starts with Native Americans and the Stallings Island community, progresses through the Revolutionary period and into the Civil War and antebellum period before arriving at the modern day.

Visitors should plan multiple visits to see all the historical stories the artifacts tell, as the exhibit will change every three months.

“These stories that each of these artifacts has, it has a little story that we can connect to people today, so it might feel like a long time ago, 250 years ago, but there’s a lot of things that we do that are just the same today as they were 250 years ago.”

You can also visit the Augusta Museum of History’s social media pages as they deep dive into one artifact per week throughout the year.

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Augusta, GA

GameStop to close 16 Georgia locations, including 1 in Augusta

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

GameStop to close 16 Georgia locations, including 1 in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Video game retailer GameStop is reportedly closing 16 stores in Georgia, including one Augusta location, as part of its “comprehensive store portfolio optimization.”

The store in Augusta is located in the Southpointe Plaza at 3209 Deans Bridge Road.

The retailer announced in an SEC filing that it plans to close “a significant number of additional stores in fiscal 2025.”

While an official list is not available, emails sent to customers and notices sent to employees indicate 16 stores in Georgia are on the chopping block.

All Georgia locations closing include:

North Point Mall, 1198 North Point Circle, Alpharetta
Lenox Square Mall, 3393 Peachtree Rd. NE Suite 2027, Atlanta
Howell Mill, 1801 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Atlanta
Southpointe Plaza, 3209 Deans Bridge Rd., Augusta
Shops @ Main Street, 455 Cherokee Pl., Cartersville
Chamblee Village, 1841 Chamblee-Tucker Rd., Chamblee
Peachtree Mall, 3131 Manchester Expwy. #34B, Columbus
Cumming Marketplace, 1060 Market Place Blvd., Cumming
Dublin Commons, 2421 Hwy. 80 W, Dublin
Hartwell Station, 115 Walmart Dr., Hartwell
4959 Bill Gardner Pkwy., Locust Grove
McDonough Square, 1144 Hwy. 20-81, McDonough
Pharrs Village, 1830 Scenic Hwy. N, Snellville
Stone Mountain Festival, 1825 Rockbridge Rd., Stone Mountain
Cofer Crossing, 4363 Lawrenceville Hwy., Tucker

GameStop’s board of directors recently approved $35 billion in performance-based stock options for CEO Ryan Cohen, should the company’s market cap hit $100 billion. The company’s market cap is $9.3 billion.

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