Augusta, GA
Tax commissioner candidate indicted in Millen double-murder case
MILLEN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – We’re learning a candidate for Jenkins County tax commissioner has been indicted for murder and other charges.
In addition to murder, Shenice Thompson is accused of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm, making a false statement, hindering the apprehension or punishment of a criminal and tampering with evidence.
Tyrell Brown and Maxine Jones were shot to death in March, and authorities believe Thompson made a false statement in a homicide investigation and said she was at her mother’s house when the shooting happened.
News 12 spoke with Jones’ daughter, Deeari Grier, about her feelings and thoughts on her mother’s case.
“That day I was so numb to everything. I was shocked, and it just felt so unreal,” said Grier.
Grier was only a five-minute drive away from where her mother was killed.
Yet hours before that, it was a normal day.
“She came by my job and she was just talking to me and telling me that she was bored and didn’t have nothing to do,” said Grier.
But little did Grier know this was one of the last conversations she would have with her mom.
“I called her but she wasn’t answering,” said Grier.
It’s a night Grier says she’ll never forget.
“At first I didn’t believe she was gone but once everything happened, I just knew she was gone,” said Grier.
Now, four months later, the alleged suspect in the shooting is running for Jenkins County tax commissioner position.
“Trying to run for something that’s just crazy,” said Grier.
They also believe Thompson knew Raheem Whitfield committed aggravated assault and harbored him and concealed the gun.
She was indicted Monday.
Sheriff Robert Oglesby said Wednesday afternoon she was not yet in custody.
Whitfield, of Waynesboro, has already been arrested in connection with the March murder.
Brown, 28, of Garfield, and Jones, 48, of Millen, were shot dead just before 1:45 a.m. March 24 at the Annie P. Chance Veterans Center on Acorn Avenue, according to authorities.
After being notified of the shooting, law enforcement arrived and found Jones dead with a gunshot wound. Although Jones had no immediate signs of trauma, she was pronounced dead at the scene, as well, according to GBI.
A later investigation revealed a gunshot wound to her chest, according to Jenkins County Coroner Henry Young.
“They took a mother of eight kids, and her kids won’t be able to see her no more and it just feel so unreal,” said Grier.
Copyright 2024 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.
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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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