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Augusta, GA

‘Unauthorized access’ blamed for cyber-crisis that’s crippled city computers

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‘Unauthorized access’ blamed for cyber-crisis that’s crippled city computers


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Mayor Garnett Johnson on Tuesday blamed “unauthorized access to our system” for problems that have brought the city’s computer network to a standstill.

That’s ironic, since Augusta is one of the nation’s key hubs for cybersecurity.

Johnson said the city has been a victim of unauthorized access in certain computer systems, and leaders say they are working to restore the systems as soon as possible.

They’re also actively investigating whether sensitive data was taken. So far, indications are it has not been.

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City officials haven’t disclosed which systems are affected and which are not, but signs are posted outside various offices telling the public that services are limited due to the outage. Even the legally required notice of Tuesday’s meeting had to be faxed and texted to media outlets instead of being posted through the usual means.

Although portions of the jail booking database are apparently affected, Johnson said public safety agencies are able to respond to emergencies as needed.

“Our public safety department, as well as our Fire Department, continue to operate and respond as needed,” said Johnson.

Gary Coker with Central Emergency Medical Service, Augusta’s ambulance operator, says the cyber issues have interfered with sharing of electronic records back and forth with via computer with the E911 center. But he said crews are overcoming the issue through a “manual” system. They still communicate back and forth by radio and no one’s safety has been in danger, Coker says.

LOW-TECH ADVANTAGE:

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  • We reported a few weeks ago that 911 dispatchers in Augusta are still using an old fashioned “flip-book” system with medical information printed on paper pages in binders. Obviously, that’s one system not affected by the outage.

The latest computer problems were discovered Sunday and are blamed on the unauthorized access, the mayor said.

Johnson said this outage is unrelated to one last week that knocked out systems for about 24 hours.

Perhaps due to the back-to-back problems, officials called a special emergency meeting Tuesday morning to deal with the problem.

While the scope is unclear, the city says it’s been a widespread issue since last week, hitting their system hard enough that Tuesday’s special meeting votes was taken via roll call.

The meeting between city administrators and some members of the Augusta Commission began at 10 a.m., then immediately went into a closed-door executive session. Officials didn’t emerge until just before noon.

Mayor Garnett Johnson and other city leaders hold a brief news conference on May 23, 2023.(WRDW/WAGT)

With the latest outage, city officials said staff members are trying to find workarounds.

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“Our information technology department is working diligently to investigate the incident, to confirm its impact on our systems and to restore full functionality to our systems as soon as possible,” said Johnson.

Whether by design or coincidence, the Augusta Commission last week approved the purchase of new computer equipment.

The motion called for replacement of obsolete computer equipment (laptops, computers, servers, printers, scanners, switches, routers, VOIP phones, virtual environment, backup solutions, analog gateways, other telecommunication devices, security appliances, uninterrupted power supplies, radios, and MDTs) as well as the purchase of any related required computer software upgrades, cloud storage and server resources.

The approximate estimated total cost for items scheduled to be replaced, upgraded or purchased in 2023 is $655,000. Funds are included in the 2023 information technology budgets as well as SPLOST 8.

No timeline has been given by the City of Augusta or Central EMS on when they’ll resolve this cyber hiccup, but public safety departments continue to say that this doesn’t affect how many lives that they continue to help on a day-to-day basis through their operations.

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Mayor’s full statement

“The city of Augusta, Ga., began experiencing technical difficulties this past Sunday unrelated to last week’s outage, resulting in a disruption to certain computer systems. We began an investigation and determined that we were the victim of unauthorized access to our system. Our Information Technology Department is working diligently to investigate the incident, to confirm its impact on our systems, and to restore full functionality to our systems as soon as possible. We are also actively investigating to determine whether any sensitive data may have been impacted. At this time, we have not confirmed that any sensitive data was compromised, but we will update you as more information becomes available. We appreciate your patience and understanding and apologize for any inconvenience. Our public safety offices and departments are continuing to operate and respond as needed.”

After a meeting to deal with computer problems the city has struggled with twice in a week, Mayor Garnett Johnson blamed “unauthorized access to our system.”



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Augusta, GA

What the Tech: Device and software that turns your car into a self-driving one

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What the Tech: Device and software that turns your car into a self-driving one


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Self-driving cars are no longer a futuristic concept; they’re on the roads today. One might have passed you on the way to work.

But what if you don’t want to buy a brand-new car to experience this technology? The Comma 3X device and Openpilot software offer a solution, turning your existing car into a self-driving vehicle.

How Does it Work?

The Comma 3X connects to your car’s safety features, such as lane assistance and adaptive cruise control. It uses cameras to monitor the road and the driver, and the Openpilot software takes control of the car’s steering, acceleration, and braking.

“It’ll never jerk the wheel,” said Comma’s Adeeb Shihadeh at CES 2025. “The system is best at, you get on the highway click the engage button on your steering wheel and you sit back and you watch it.”

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Users have uploaded dozens of videos to YouTube of Comma and Openpilot on their commutes and on long drives on the interstate.

“You can let the system just run on the highway for hours without intervention,” Shihadeh said. “We have experimental mode with red lights, stop signs. We have a lot of users driving around with that. They drive in the city and they’re really happy with that.”

Comma’s “chill mode” is best for anyone not quite ready for a device to take over all of the driving.

How safe is it?

Shihadeh says he believes it’s actually safer than a human behind the wheel making all of the decisions.

“We have lots of data that shows that driving with open pilot does change the driver a bit and you end up being a more attentive driver. And it’s really interesting because you don’t know when you’re distracted. It’ll beep and say, ‘hey, look at the road and it keeps escalating from there,” he said.

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The Comma device can be installed easily by users and there are many helpful videos and instructions available on YouTube. There are also active communities of Openpilot drivers on Reddit and Discord.

Features and Benefits

  • Lane Keeping: The system helps keep your car centered in its lane, reducing the risk of drifting.
  • Adaptive Cruise Control: Maintains a safe following distance from the car ahead, adjusting speed as needed.
  • Driver Monitoring: A camera inside the car ensures the driver stays attentive. If the driver’s eyes wander, the system issues a warning and can even slow the car down.
  • User-Friendly: The device is easy to install and use, and the software is regularly updated with new features and improvements.
  • Affordability: At $1,000, it’s a more affordable option than buying a new self-driving car.

Safety and Reliability

Comma boasts that users have logged over 100 million miles with Openpilot, and the software is constantly being refined.

The driver monitoring system helps ensure safety by keeping the driver engaged. However, it’s important to remember that the driver is still responsible for the car and must be ready to take control at any time.

Openpilot works with over 275 car models. You can check the Comma website to see if your car is compatible.



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Augusta, GA

Augusta leaders decide fate of Old First Baptist Church

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Augusta leaders decide fate of Old First Baptist Church


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Historic Preservation Commission decided on the future of the Old First Baptist Church building on Thursday. 

The organization is giving the property owner 10 days to take action in repairing the building.  

We spoke with officials about the building’s structural issues. 

After testimonies from people with code enforcement, neighboring businesses and Historic Augusta, the Preservation Commission decided that the owner wasn’t making routine repairs and maintenance to keep the property safe and up to code.  

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That means a potential legal battle if the ball doesn’t get rolling soon. 

One of the biggest pieces of downtown Augusta’s history is in danger of structurally failing.  

The Augusta Historic Preservation Commission says after hearing testimonies and gathering evidence of the state of the building, they’re concerned for the future. 

“It is on the endangered property list for historic Augusta but is on the state endangered property list. So, we’re not making up that it’s there’s a problem. There is a very serious problem with this building,” said Tara Conway, chair of the Augusta Preservation Commission. 

The city’s code enforcement says the building is breaking several code violations, including making Augusta’s blight list dating back to 2021.  

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The property owner, Joe Edge, says he’s spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs to keep the structural integrity of the church stable, like installing a new roof on the back of the building to prevent it from collapsing. 

Things were slow on the morning of July 19 at the Augusta Regional Airport as a global cyber...

“We’ve secured the front keeping the homeless out. We’ve had to secure not just put salt on. We’ve had to install wrought iron fencing around the basement to keep vagrants out of there,” said Edge.  

However, code enforcement says there are no permits pulled for almost all of the projects Edge claimed there was work done.  

It’s an issue historical stakeholders say they’re glad action is being taken because you can’t just rebuild historical markers. 

George Bush with the Preservation Committee Historic Augusta said: “This is not just a local building. This is where the Southern Baptist Convention started. This is a national asset, and we are just trying to save it, and we’re doing everything we can.” 

The city will now issue a notice to Edge for him to file a Certificate of Appropriateness, or COA, which is a permit with the city to allow him to start making external repairs. 

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Augusta, GA

13th Street construction continues as projects fail brick by brick

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13th Street construction continues as projects fail brick by brick


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – If you drive in downtown Augusta near the 13th Street bridge, you’ve likely dealt with the construction traffic as part of Augusta’s beautification.  

Brick-in-laid crosswalks were recently finished, and while they look great, they didn’t last long. 

John Ussery, assistant director of traffic, says they have already fixed some of the crosswalks on Telfair Street and 13th and Greene Street. 

Now, they are making their way down to Jones Street, and he says they’re almost done with the project — again.  

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“I’m driving. I’m like, “Yay, good job, guys.” And I hit this bump in the road, and I was like, “Where did this bump come from? It’s a perfectly good road,’” said Jesse Cheadle, who drives in Augusta.

Just when residents thought they saw the light at the end of the tunnel, crews are back out again. 

“I’m looking at it and the brick had literally been broken. And coming into the road,” said Cheadle. 

In October, the city installed brick sidewalks at the intersection of 13th Street and Jones Street. 

They said the construction would take about two weeks. 

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“It’s frustrating because it’s such a high-volume area,” said Cheadle. 

But now, three months later, they’re starting over. 

Hillcrest Farms after Hurricane Helene

“They laid the brick in there loosely. What did they think was gonna happen?” said Cheadle. 

Ussery says they are having to redo all of the brick sidewalks because the contractor decided to try a different technique than what the manufacturer had suggested. 

But this time around, they’re following the recommendation. 

“Well, you had one job and you failed,” said Cheadle. 

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Cheadle says he’s hoping it’s all done soon because it’s not just about convenience, but also safety. 

“That ambulance needs to get to a hospital in a timely manner. They don’t have time to go around I-20. They don’t have time to go around Gordon Highway,” said  

Luckily, the city says they do not have to pay for them to fix the crosswalks this time around. 



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