Augusta, GA

‘This is history’: Augusta veterans join forces for last attempt to fund veterans cemetery

Published

2 years ago

January 25, 2024

‘This is history’: Augusta veterans join forces for last attempt to fund veterans cemetery

Between Fort Eisenhower, the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, and all the other resources, Augusta is a very military-friendly city. But it’s missing one thing: A veterans cemetery.

About 40 veterans from the area this week jumped on a bus and headed to the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta with the hope of correcting that.

A burial in a veterans cemetery comes with a lot of benefits and a veteran can be buried in any veterans cemetery no matter the location. But currently, the closest ones to Augusta are in Milledgeville and Columbia, South Carolina, both of which are more than 80 miles away.

Bringing this resource closer to the Augusta area’s military families has been a long-time passion project for veterans Don Clark and Bob Young, the former mayor of Augusta.

Q&A: Here’s what you need to know about the proposed veterans cemetery in Augusta

Georgia Capitol Dispatch: Veterans cemetery sought for Augusta, MLK’s son remembered

More than 200 acres of property have been procured around the East Central Regional Hospital’s Gracewood campus. Once completed, Georgia’s Department of Veteran Affairs will be in charge of its management.

The problem is funding the cemetery’s creation. The price is north of $10 million. The initial plan was to finance it with a federal cemetery grant, but it’s too far down on the grant’s list of priorities.

Their last hope is that the state will cover the cost, and there’s a window of opportunity between now and March when the legislative session for this year ends.

What happens if they miss that deadline?

“Don and I are probably going to fold our tent and go home,” Young said. “The only option after going to the state legislature would be, ‘Hey, City of Augusta, you want to pay for a cemetery for the state of Georgia?’ … I don’t think that’s a question the commission is looking forward to answering and I don’t think it’s an appropriate question.”

So the veterans lobbied in Atlanta, and multiple legislators were supportive.

“We are trying to find a way to honor our veterans by allowing them to be interred in their home community,” said state Sen. Max Burns.

Gloria Frazier voiced her support as a military spouse herself and as a state representative for the more than 66,000 military families in the Augusta area.

“I understand how important it is to make sure that we have our husbands and loved ones laid to rest close to us, so that we can actually visit them.” Frazier said. “A lot of the spouses would like to visit their loved ones a lot more.”

Clark said the trip went amazingly and they were proud to have so many veterans coming together to fight for this cause.

“This is history,” he said. “Bob and I have been working this process for four years going on five. … So to be able to introduce our veterans to the legislative process in motion and in action, and for them to receive recognition at the state capitol level, (I’m) very, very proud.”

Source link

Click to comment

Augusta, GA

Ga. teens heading to Drive, Chip & Putt finals in Augusta

Published

2 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Ga. teens heading to Drive, Chip & Putt finals in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Dozens of junior golfers have received their invitations to play the Drive, Chip and Putt finals at Augusta National Golf Club, including a local boy who is no stranger to the course.

Kipp Madison from Evans won back in 2024 in the boys 12 to 13 age group. Now he has moved up to the 14-15 division.

Kipp Madison of the Boys 12-13 group drives during the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 7, 2024.(Contributed)

Another Georgia teen is competing in the finals as well. Her name is Moa Kim and she is from Duluth.

The 13-year-old Kim is one of 80 finalists competing at the start of Masters week in the annual Drive, Chip and Putt Championships after dominating regionals at TPC Sawgrass.

“I think I did really good,” Kim said.

Kim finished first by 10 points for all national qualifiers in the women’s age 12-to-13 competition.

“Most people can’t just go and play at Augusta,” Kim said.

Kim said she wants to play in high school, then in college. But for now, she is focused on the competition.

“I just want to have fun,” Kim said. “Maybe if I win my parents will do something really nice for me.”

Here’s the full list on invitees to the finals:

The Drive, Chip & Putt finals will be played April 5. Masters week is April 6-12.

Source link

Augusta, GA

Car crashes into Verizon storefront while trying to park, deputies say

Published

14 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Car crashes into Verizon storefront while trying to park, deputies say

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A white Subaru Forester drove through a Verizon storefront while attempting to park in a front parking space, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to the Verizon store, 254 Robert C. Daniel Parkway, for a single-vehicle crash.

The occupants of the vehicle reported no injuries, but one person inside the store reported minor injuries, the agency said.

Around 3 p.m. Thursday, an employee on the scene told News 12 that an elderly couple was parked in front of the store; the woman’s leg locked up, and she drove straight ahead.

Verizon released a statement saying, ”We are working to restore the location and reopen it as quickly as possible, with safety remaining our top priority. In the meantime, and as always, customers are encouraged to use our store locator to find nearby local Verizon stores. Our verizon.com website, My Verizon app and 1-800-VERIZON numbers are open 24/7 to serve customer needs.”

Source link

Augusta, GA

Car crashes into Verizon store in Augusta, injuring 1. What happened?

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

Car crashes into Verizon store in Augusta, injuring 1. What happened?

The Augusta Exchange became somewhat chaotic on Thursday.

Richmond County Sheriff’s Office reported Thursday on social media that a white Subaru Forester crashed into the front of a Verizon store after accelerating from the parking lot.

Where in Augusta was the Verizon car crash?

The Verizon store in question is located at 254 Robert C. Daniel Jr. Pkwy.

What caused the Verizon car crash in Augusta?

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but RCSO said the driver remained on the scene and has reportedly been cooperating with authorities.

Who was injured in Verizon car crash in Augusta?

A patron inside the store was injured. Emergency responders arrived on the scene, evaluated the patron, and the extent of the injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. No other injuries have been reported at this time.

Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.

Source link