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Norfolk Southern donates $250K to Children’s Hospital of Georgia

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Norfolk Southern donates 0K to Children’s Hospital of Georgia


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A $250,000 donation was given to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia on Tuesday for a new behavioral health center.

Norfolk Southern handed over the check.

It’s the same program pro golfer Kevin Kisner and his wife, Brittany, are supporting.

The children’s hospital is working to put all the resources in one space.

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Tuesday’s check from Norfolk Southern is just the latest to make it all possible as the second floor to CHOG is getting a new look.

“When you get off the elevator on the second floor, the space right above us will be enclosed,” said Pediatrician-In-Chief Dr. Valera Hudson.

It’s a facelift Hudson says is desperately needed.

“One in four adolescents have challenges with anxiety and depression. And, sadly, only 50% of them are able to get the help that they need. So we know the need is great not only here, but across Georgia,” said Hudson.

Georgia Department of Public Health shows more than 170 children under the age of 17 visited an Augusta emergency room for a mental health or behavioral health disorder in 2022.

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“It’s a lot, and sadly, the emergency room is not the optimal place to get that care. and so our vision is to be able to not only provide services in a more appropriate location but also long term, we really hope to be able to provide resources to help families thrive and to hopefully prevent some of the problems that we’re seeing now,” said Hudson.

It’s something close to the heart of Kisner and his wife.

They’ve already given $5 million to what will become the new Kisner Center.

The new check will make a big difference.

“The contribution today from Norfolk Southern, of $250,000, is substantial for us, and being able to move forward with a renovation, just upstairs on the second floor of the children’s hospital, that will create some new space for developmental-behavioral pediatrics, and allow us to enhance our child psychiatry services by adding an intensive outpatient program to what they can offer to serve children in our community,” said Hudson.

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Now that they have the money in the bank, construction is slated for August or September of this year with the center opening in a year and a half to two years.



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Georgia House Special Runoff Election 2026 Live Results

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Georgia House Special Runoff Election 2026 Live Results


The expected vote is the total number of votes that are expected in a given race once all votes are counted. This number is an estimate and is based on several different factors, including information on the number of votes cast early as well as information provided to our vote reporters on Election Day from county election officials. The figure can change as NBC News gathers new information.

Source: Vote data via the Associated Press. Projections by the NBC News Decision Desk.



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New Safe Haven Law: Georgia ‘baby box’ bill heads to Gov. Kemp

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New Safe Haven Law: Georgia ‘baby box’ bill heads to Gov. Kemp


A new bill headed to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk aims to provide Georgians with a safe way to surrender an infant through the installation of “baby safe haven boxes.” The legislation, which passed both the House and Senate last week, serves as an extension of Georgia’s current Safe Haven law.

What we know:

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Under existing state law, a mother can surrender a child up to 30 days after birth at a fire department, police station, or hospital without facing prosecution. The new bill would expand these options by allowing for the installation of medical-grade safety boxes at these locations.

The boxes are designed to be installed on the exterior of hospitals, fire stations, or police stations. According to the legislation, these units will be equipped with security cameras to record anyone accessing the box. Once a child is placed inside, an automated system will trigger a 911 call to alert emergency responders. The infant is then transported to a hospital before being placed into the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.

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Local governments will not be responsible for the cost of the units. Instead, individual communities must fundraise if they wish to install a safety box in their area.

What they’re saying:

Advocates like Brittany Almon, who worked with legislators to support the bill, say the mission is deeply personal. Almon became an adoptive mother in 2022 to a boy who was surrendered under the state’s current Safe Haven Law.

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“In 2022, I became an adoptive mom to a little boy who was surrendered under our current safe haven law. His biological mother did a face-to-face surrender,” Almon said. “He was a healthy baby boy and whatever her circumstances were, she knew that she couldn’t give him the life he deserved, and she knew there was somebody out there that could.”

Almon explained that the boxes provide a specialized environment for the infant while offering support to the parent.

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“Inside the box, there’s a medical-grade bassinet that she will place her baby in. There’s actually also some resources that will fall out to her in an orange bag,” Almon said. “Once that door is shut, there’s a 30-second delay let her, the person, walk away. And from there, an alarm goes off, and that alarm will alert fire station or hospital staff that a newborn is in the box.”

Once the alarm sounds and the child is recovered, Almon noted that “then from there that baby is placed into the Department of Family and Children Services’ custody.”

While the use of surrender boxes has sparked debate, Almon argued that increasing available options is the priority.

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“The more resources offer someone, the better it can be to help someone navigate the situation they’re in,” Almon said. “We can always judge people for what they do, and why do it, because we don’t know their circumstances.”

You can read more about Almon’s efforts here.

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The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the text of the Georgia legislation, an interview with advocate Brittany Almon, and official records from the Georgia General Assembly. 

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Falcons address biggest hole with Georgia prospect in new mock draft

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Falcons address biggest hole with Georgia prospect in new mock draft


For a long time it seemed the Atlanta Falcons were purposefully avoiding drafting prospects from Georgia for some reason. There are signs that’s changing with the new front office regime, though. Last month Kirby Smart commented on how his program is developing a relationship with the Falcons.

That’s a good sign for Atlanta’s defensive front-seven, because that group needs all the help they can get and it’s where the Bulldogs have thrived the most in recent years. Jalon Walker is helping to reinvigorate their pass rush, and more help could be on the way soon.

In a new five-round mock draft from NFL.com, the Falcons hit up that local resource again and take Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller at No. 48 overall.

At the combine Miller checked in at 6-foot-4, 321 pounds with 33″ arms and 10″ hands. Here’s the highlight reel.

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Like most nose tackle prospects, Miller’s college production (four sacks, 11.5 TFL) doesn’t exactly jump off the page.

However, the scouting report on Miller mentions both upper and lower body power in addition to good balance. Those traits should make him a solid nose tackle at the next level.

If the Falcons do end up drafting Miller, he should project to be starting up front in Week 1.



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