Augusta, GA
State’s aggressive seat belt ticket campaign coming to Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign will run from Nov. 22-30 as many families will start their holiday travel the weekend prior to Thanksgiving.
Beginning Monday, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is launching a separate initiative with local law enforcement agencies to enforce the state’s seat belt and child passenger safety laws prior to the start of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday travel periods.
The state “Click It or Ticket” safety bus will stop in Augusta on Wednesday to support Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic units.
The 2024 Georgia front seat day-time seat belt survey found only 88% of motorists in the state were wearing seat belts.
Preliminary state crash data showed 70% of the people killed in passenger vehicle crashes in Georgia during the 2024 78-hour Thanksgiving holiday travel period were not wearing seat belts.

According to federal data, 60% of the people killed in traffic crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend over a five-year period (2019-2023) were not wearing a seat belt.
Federal crash data also showed two out of every three people killed in pickup truck crashes in Georgia from 2019-2023 were not wearing a seat belt even though wearing a seat belt in the front seat of a pickup reduces the risk of a fatal injury in a crash by 60%.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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.
-
Pennsylvania5 minutes ago7 Off-The-Grid Pennsylvania Towns To Visit In 2026
-
Rhode Island8 minutes agoR.I. Democratic Committee issues no endorsement for governor or lieutenant governor – The Boston Globe
-
South-Carolina13 minutes agoWith 77 days until South Carolina football kicks off 2026 season, a look back at No. 77 George Schecterly
-
South Dakota20 minutes agoSaturday Boredom Busters: June 20
-
Tennessee23 minutes agoThings to do in the Chattanooga area this week include Chickapalooza, Amy Grant, Summerween | Chattanooga Times Free Press
-
Texas28 minutes agoSee how Texas medical schools rank among the world’s best for 2026
-
Utah35 minutes agoUtah marks a year of battling measles, with no clear end in sight
-
Vermont35 minutes ago‘The Great Bennington Battle and Vermont’: Pawlet and Rupert Historical Societies to host historian Howard Coffin