AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Georgia’s former Lt. Gov. and current gubernatorial candidate, Geoff Duncan, came to Augusta on Tuesday.

He toured the Carpenters Local Union 283 training facility.

He spoke with staff about his plans to lower costs for workers across the state.

Duncan also spoke about artificial intelligence and the impacts it will have on workers.

He says unions are essential to help economic growth in Georgia.

“I do think unions are definitely a part of Georgia’s future,” he said. “Our economic growth is headed in a great direction, and it needs to continue to improve. And in order to have qualified labor that’s safe and ready to go to work, we’ve got to have unions as a part of that training protocol.”

He said programs like those of the union are coordinated to let people get the training to be successful on those projects.

“There’s folks listening to this right now that would love to go back to work, but they can’t afford child care. There are things we can do as a state to better affect that and look at opportunities to better fund the caps program to lower childcare costs to better fund the TANF to wrap our hands around folks hanging around the vicious cycle of poverty,” he said.

He also addressed creating livable wages for Georgians.

He was a Republican when he was lieutenant governor, but now he is a Democrat.

Other candidates running for governor include Democrats Michael Thurman, State Senator Jason Estevez, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Olu Brown, and Representatives Derrick Jackson and Roe Roman.

Republicans running include Attorney General Chris Carr, Lt. Gov. Bert Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Ken Yasger.

Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – You and your family can celebrate reading and learning during the Kroc Center’s Literacy Nigh on Tuesday.

The event will take place from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center, 1833 Broad Street.

It is free for all ages.

Literacy Night is part of the Kroc Center’s literacy initiative and will bring together local partners, educators and authors for families in the CSRA.

“Literacy is foundational to everything we do — from education and employment to confidence and connection,” said Randall Collins, Director of Operations at the Kroc Center of Augusta.

The event is presented in partnership with the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, RISE Augusta, Richmond County Library and Dr. Paulette P. Harris Literacy Center at Augusta University.

At the event, attendees experience:

• Community literacy resources
• Local author readings
• Games with prizes
• Free books 
• Crafts and hands-on literacy activities
• Take-home learning resources
• Pizza for attendees

“This Literacy Night is about removing barriers, bringing families together, and creating a welcoming space where reading and learning feel accessible and fun for everyone,” said Collins.

Registration is available online at AugustaKroc.org. Walk-ins are welcome.

Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta neighbors have organized to express concerns about a data center that’s going up next door.

The group will address the Augusta Commission on Tuesday about the data center that’s planned next to the Haynes Station subdivision.

The east edge of the site is perched on a hill behind homes on Goodale Drive, and the west side would stretch to the Captain’s Corner subdivision.

The Haynes Station Concerned Residents Committee said neighbors will attend the Augusta Commission meeting shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The group said it was formed to “better understand the project and to seek clarity.”

The neighbors said they’re not opposed to development or data centers but question whether they ever had a meaningful chance to participate in the review process.

“The initial focus is on ensuring compliance with required notification and transparency standards,” the group said. “Once clarity on the notification process is established, residents intend to engage constructively on shared community concerns at a later date.”

The environmental quality section of the application with the state says the data center will likely affect water supply watershed, wetlands and floodplains.

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“Following clarification of the notification process, residents anticipate seeking additional information related to infrastructure capacity, water usage, noise and generator operations, traffic, emergency services, and cumulative impacts on surrounding residential communities in Haynes Station,” the group said.

Until recently, many residents didn’t even know about the plans for the site off Gordon Highway just east of Grovetown.

A smaller data center totaling 1.67 million square feet was announced years ago before much of Haynes Station neighborhood was even built.

Later, the original company exited the project and many people likely presumed it was dead.

However, in a move that slipped under the radar for many, a new company came in and filed an application with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to expand the proposal.

It would now include six two-story buildings totaling more than 2.15 million square feet.

For comparison, Augusta Mall has 1.1 million square feet of store space.

SEE THE SCHEMATICS:

The application states the facility is expected to consume 18,000 gallons of water per day. That’s about 900 showers.

It would also generate 9,200 gallons of wastewater a day, or about 5,750 flushes.

At least some preliminary work has apparently begun on the data center, with one older home being demolished and heavy equipment coming to the location that’s near a power substation.

According to the application with the state, the center could be completed in the second quarter of 2026.

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