Augusta, GA
There’s going to be a new sheriff in town: Gino Brantley ousts Sheriff Roundtree
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Augusta is getting a new sheriff after Gino Brantley defeated Sheriff Richard Roundtree in a runoff election.
When Sheriff Richard Roundtree didn’t get 50 percent plus one vote in May’s Primary election Gino Brantley had one more shot at unseating the incumbent.
Tuesday he became the projected winner of the democratic primary and he says he has mixed emotions.
“Tired, been exhausted, but elated at the same time,” smiled Brantley.
Voter Genessa Travis thinks voters chose right and that it is time for a change.
“It is great. I think it’s great. I think after 12 years, it’s time for some new blood. The city has changed. And sometimes when you’ve been in a position for a long time, you’ve got to get probably get stuck in your ways and may not be open to new things,” she said. “So bring in somebody else new and I’ve seen Mr. Brantley at several functions and I like what he says he’s going to do with the city.”
Sheriff Roundtree posted to social media thanking people for their support and asking for prayers for himself and his deputies during transition.
Brantley tells NewsChannel 6 that Sheriff Roundtree called him Tuesday night after the results came out.
“He congratulated me and said he looked forward to speaking with me in the next week or two.”
Brantley said he talked to a lot of people while he was campaigning and that he hopes to address their concerns once he takes office. He added that transparency is the best way to do that.
“By being engaged in public forums, by having the deputies out in the neighborhoods, meeting with people, knowing the people. All that helps build trust and helps bridge the relationship between the community and law enforcement,” Brantley explained.
Travis said she was impressed by Brantley’s plans when he was campaigning and looks forward to seeing if he can make a difference.
“In order to make a change, you’ve got to be out there among the people talking to the citizens and seeing what we need. You know, you can make changes behind a desk, but if you don’t, you’re not talking to your constituents or your citizens, It doesn’t it doesn’t really do anything. So I enjoy that he comes out and he’s talks to you and he’s not talking at you.”
Brantley will take office in January if no one qualifies to run against him in November.
Brantley may have another candidate to beat in November. Richard Dixon qualified as an independent candidate and if he gets enough signatures on a petition, he will be on the ballot in the general election.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Olu Brown visited Augusta on Friday evening, stopping near the Sand Hills Community Center as early voting continues.
Brown is one of six candidates in the Democratic primary.
Campaign priorities
Brown said his vision as governor would focus on three main areas.
“One, it’s affordability around health care and making sure we expand Medicaid and expand Peach Care and make sure we continue to make our rural health care systems healthy and vital,” Brown said. “Number two, we’ve got to address education in all of Georgia, making sure every kid in Georgia gets an excellent education, and we’re paying our teachers more. And number 3, we’re protecting the rights of all women. Folks in the Gold Dome shouldn’t be making decisions about their bodies or the choices that they make.”
Brown is running against Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta Prep student was arrested on a charge of terroristic threats over a picture of a LEGO gun he posted on social media.
It happened Wednesday, according to an incident report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Eric Hedinger, the principal of Augusta Preparatory Day School, told deputies a student had uploaded a picture to Snapchat of a “pistol” with the caption “shooting up the school so I don`t have to take the stats exam tomorrow. Don`t come yall!”
The principal said he spoke to the student and his father about the photo.
The principal also provided deputies with the student’s address in Grovetown.
A deputy went there and was told by the student that the “pistol” was a LEGO set that he had built.
He also said the comment he made was supposed to be a joke because he was not looking forward to taking his Advanced Placement statistics test this week.
The student showed the deputy the box that the LEGO set came in, and how the set was already disassembled.
The deputy also looked in the boy’s room to make sure he was not in possession of any weapons.
The mother advised that there was one firearm in the residence but it was locked up.
The deputy contacted Judge Leslie Morgan and she issued a warrant for terroristic threats.
The student, age 18, was taken into custody and transported to the Columbia County Detention Center.
News 12 is not reporting his name or publishing his photo since the LEGO gun could not have actually harmed anyone.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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