Augusta, GA

What’s the plan for Augusta’s opioid settlement money?

Published

2 years ago

January 4, 2024

What’s the plan for Augusta’s opioid settlement money?

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Fentanyl is Augusta’s number one killer for 30- to 50-year-olds, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen says last year, 100 people died from opioid overdoses, with another 85 deaths pending confirmation.

In Mayor Garnett Johnson’s State of the City address on Tuesday, he talked about how the city plans to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars that are already in the bank in opioid settlement money.

In two settlements over years, more than $7 million is going directly to the city.

The mayor says the problem is payments are spread across 18 years and the hundreds of thousands we do have have to be planned out carefully.

The city has almost $700,000 from the settlements, with hundreds of thousands coming in the next 18 years.

Dr. Bedder works at Augusta’s VA and as director at AU’s Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. He says some of the most vulnerable victims of this epidemic are those in recovery.

“If you don’t treat the withdrawal, they’re going to go right back out into the street to get more drugs to treat their withdrawal,” he said.

Bedder says a solution needs to come soon, which is what Mayor Johnson is pushing for in treatment vending machines.

“Not only hotel lobbies but bars, nightclubs, anywhere where someone is perhaps experiencing a need for treatment as a result of any of these opioids,” said Mayor Johnson.

Dr. Bedder says the real solution however is long-term care.

“I think the Mayor’s idea is a good idea, but it’s only a band-aid. It’ll prevent some deaths which is great, but the core is treatment and the detox facilities. We have seen nothing from the state, we have tried to tap into some of that settlement money that’s coming in,” he said.

But with the amount coming by the year, Mayor Johnson says these machines are the best way to create an immediate dent.

“I don’t know if the settlement dollars will flow that far, based on the settlement dollars we’re getting. But if we can, and we can make it work, I’m certain and open to having that conversation,” said Mayor Johnson.

Mayor Johnson says the soonest they can get something on the agenda to move forward is sometime after March.

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Augusta, GA

Structure fire blocks multiple lanes on Peach Orchard Road

Published

9 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Structure fire blocks multiple lanes on Peach Orchard Road

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Augusta Fire Department responded to a structure fire early Saturday morning in the 3600 block of Peach Orchard Road.

Fire truck shortage forces local departments to wait years for equipment

Emergency crews blocked multiple lanes as they battled the fire, according to a Facebook post from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

News 12 has reached out to the Augusta Fire Department to determine the cause of the fire and to inquire about any reported injuries.

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Augusta, GA

Finding Solutions: Augusta Juvenile Court receives grant for gang prevention

Published

21 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Finding Solutions: Augusta Juvenile Court receives grant for gang prevention

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Juvenile Court received a grant of more than $1 million to prevent youth from joining gangs by addressing underlying factors that lead to criminal behavior.

The grant from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will allow the court to expand services beyond its current programs and serve a broader population of at-risk youth.

“This allows us to build on the work we are currently doing. It also allows us to serve a different population of youth that we have not been able to serve on such an extended level, so we have additional funds that will serve even more kids and to hopefully assist the sheriff and district attorney in not having youthful offenders become adult offenders that they have to obtain and prosecute,” said Chief Judge Tianna Bias.

Addressing root causes

The funding will target factors that make youth vulnerable to gang recruitment, including poor school attendance and reading difficulties.

“Whether it’s that they have poor school attendance, not reading on grade level. One thing we’ve seen is that when you are not reading on grade level that has an impact on many other areas of your life. It’s really just an opportunity to offer wrap-around support for these kids so we can prevent them from getting into unfortunate situations that they may not end up in front of a juvenile court judge later,” Bias said.

Dr. Audrey Armistad, chief intake officer for the juvenile court, said the court’s goal is rehabilitation rather than detention.

“We put them in programs and services that help them to be able to develop mentally, socially and physically when it comes to kids involved with the juvenile court,” Armistad said.

Expanding services

The juvenile court currently serves at-risk youth through the THRIVE program. The court is also expanding services with a new computer lab set to open next month.

“It helps us to be able to provide instruction to kids getting GEDs, parents wanting GEDs, as well as we provide learning loss instruction to kids enrolled in Richmond County who may need remediation in math and reading,” Armistad said.

A gang prevention expert will meet with the juvenile court team to provide recommendations on how the grant money should be spent.

Bias said success will be measured by fewer teens in courtrooms and more in classrooms.

“We are meant to rehabilitate not to punish and we want to help these parents get kids on track so we can see a better Augusta for everyone,” Bias said.

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