Augusta, GA
Some Augusta neighborhoods still ‘unrecognizable’ amid debris cleanup
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta and parts of the CSRA look very different than a week ago. Every other curb is packed full of tree limbs and crews are heading out to clear thousands of cubic yards worth of debris.
Some neighborhoods are now unrecognizable in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“It was heartbreaking to see so much destruction around you and mostly with people you know,” said Augsuta resident Lilo Benzicron.
It all hits too close to home for Lilo and his wife Klara Banzicron.
“She would have been hurt, she would have been right where it fell off from the tower, and then it would have, you see the window fell right in her bed,” said Lilo.
Their daughter wasn’t home during the storm, sparring this family from losing something irreplaceable.
“The other things, it’s just replaceable items. we just go through this cycle of headaches, dealing with people, dealing with this, dealing with that,” said Lilo.
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From the looks of it, you would think the storm just happened. That just goes to show how long it’s going to take to clean up around here.
“We are fortunate nothing happened to us physically, but then, you know, after what happened, then you start realizing all these necessities that you are accustomed to having,” said Lilo.
The one thing you can’t replace is life.
“We want to still have that peace here. We want to have this place rebuilt you know, in any way we can help and talk about things,” said Lilo.
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Columbia County says they have six derbis sites and are looking to add two more. They say they have about 44 trucks out moving debris.
Aiken County says now that the roads have been mostly cleared, the county is transitioning into the debris cleanup phase.
The collection sites are being finalized now and they aim to start collection on county-owned roads soon.
We have spoken to officials in Richmond, Columbia and Aiken counties, and they all say to leave the debris by the road but do not block the road.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The second annual Juneteenth trail ride took place on Old Waynesboro Road in Augusta on Saturday.
The event featured trail rides with horses and ATVs, a mechanical bull contest and music.
People shopped at vendors, and there was entertainment for kids, including a petting zoo, inflatables and games.
“It’s really a privilege just to be able to have the opportunity to share my space, to share my area, and to share for an event with so much value, to give back to my community and a place to celebrate,” said Davon Wallace, chief of operations at Crimson Hills.
Wallace said they will be hosting more events, with a haunted trail coming in October.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has made multiple arrests in a deadly shooting that left one teenager dead and another injured early Saturday morning.
According to deputies, the incident happened June 20, at approximately 12:50 a.m. in the 200 block of Warren Road, where authorities responded to reports of shots fired involving two gunshot victims.
When deputies arrived, they located two 18-year-old men from Augusta.
Officials identified the victims as Eric Markquis Bartley Miller and Joseph Lamar Thomas.
Investigators say Miller sustained at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thomas was also found with at least one gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation.
As of Saturday afternoon, three teenage suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
18-year-old Dmihjay Collins, 17-year-old Tayshaun Thomas, and 17-year-old Joseph Thomas have all been arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of Machine Guns. They are all currently being held at the Webster Detention Center.
A fourth teenager, 17-year-old Reante Byrd was also arrested, but investigators have not linked him to the murder case. Byrd has been charged with Possession of a Pistol or Revolver by a Person Under the Age of 18. He is also being held in the Webster Detention Center.
No further details in the investigation have been released.
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.
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