Augusta, GA

What’s the impact in CSRA as nation’s COVID emergency ends?

Published

2 years ago

May 13, 2023

What’s the impact in CSRA as nation’s COVID emergency ends?

AUGUSTA, Ga. – With this week’s end of the national emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic, some things will change but others won’t.

Since 2020, the Georgia Department of Public Health reports 2.36 million cases, 140,279 hospitalizations and 35,376 deaths.

Georgia physician Dr. Cecil Bennett said the nation has made truly remarkable strides. He likens COVID now to the common flu, which is contagious and can be deadly for many people, like COVID.

“It is still dangerous, don’t get me wrong, the flu kills 33-35,000 people annually, and COVID could do the same,” Bennett said.

People at high risk should still consider wearing masks, he said.

The Georgia Department of Public Health noted that since the end of the peak of the Omicron surge at the end of January 2022:

Daily COVID-19 reported cases are down over 98%.
COVID-19 deaths have declined 97%.
Newly reported COVID-19 hospitalizations are down 97%.

Most prevention tools, like vaccines, treatments and testing, will remain available. Other tools such as certain data sources and reporting, will change, the agency said.

COVID vaccines and tests will still be available at no cost to the public at health departments throughout the state for the foreseeable future.

ACROSS THE RIVER:

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s inventory of COVID-19 antigen rapid tests has been refreshed and kits are available for free at most DHEC health clinics. Visit DHEC’s testing locator to learn more.

For information about vaccination locations, please visit https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.

Testing locations and hours and home test kits can be found at https://dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting.

Medication to prevent severe COVID-19, such as Paxlovid, will remain available at no cost while supplies purchased by the federal government last. After that, the price will be determined by the manufacturer and insurance coverage.

“Most importantly, the end of the PHE does not mean that COVID-19 is over,” the agency said in a statement. “Georgians should stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, get tested if they have been exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms, stay home if they are sick and check with their health care provider about available COVID-19 treatments.”

Gov. Brian Kemp’s office says Georgia has been ahead of the curve.

“Just over three years ago, Georgia became the first state in the country to reopen because we chose to protect both lives and livelihoods throughout the pandemic,” the office said in a statement. “While the federal government is just now beginning its transition to a long-term health strategy after the pandemic, our state focus was already and will continue to be on addressing the health care needs of Georgians.”

The office said: “The Peach State is well positioned to do just that.”

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Augusta, GA

First look at Augusta’s new grocery store ahead of opening day

Published

9 minutes ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

First look at Augusta’s new grocery store ahead of opening day

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – We got an inside look at Augusta’s newest grocery store, FreshTake.

It’s located next to the Outback Steakhouse on Washington Road, where Whole Foods used to be.

FreshTake touts itself as an elevated shopping experience with a focus on fresh, ready-to-eat meals.

There is a butcher shop, seafood counter, specialty food stations like sushi, pizza, pasta, juices and smoothies and a Starbucks coffee shop located inside the store.

There’s also a beer and wine bar inside the grocery store and a BBQ smoker outside.

“I always wanted to have a store that had an abundance of food service offerings on one side just like you see here. I’m super happy and excited I was able to bring this to the Augusta community to enjoy,” said Jackson Mitchell, CEO of FreshTake.

FreshTake opens its doors to the public on Monday at 10 a.m. for its soft opening with a grand opening set for January 30.

The store tells us it is also committed to ensuring no food goes to waste and is partnering with Golden Harvest Food Bank.

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Augusta, GA

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

Published

8 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

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.”

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.

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

Published

16 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

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.

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.

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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