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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While working Election Day in 2022, Sam Plo Kwia Collins Jr. drove alongside Aaron Marckell Williams to cover the evening results for the Washington Informer. As it became clear that Kenyan McDuffie would win his bid for an at-large seat on the D.C. Council, the duo rushed over to McDuffie’s victory party.

As soon as Collins Jr. parked his car, Williams “got to the front and took a very iconic photo” of McDuffie pointing at the crowd during his victory speech.

Over three years later, Collins Jr. saw the photo again on the Informer’s website and began thinking about his former colleague.

“Only to find out a couple of days later that he left us,” Collins Jr. told WTOP.

Williams, 26, was killed after being struck in a multivehicle crash following a high-speed chase in Northwest D.C. on Wednesday afternoon. A 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

To those who know him, Williams, a D.C. native, was known for his chill personality and love of photography. His Instagram page is filled with event coverage featuring hip-hop artist Pharrell Williams and former President Barack Obama.

The pair met after Williams returned to the District after graduating from the University of Miami.

His love of photography shined as they covered news events.

During downtime, Williams was very personable, Collins said, and willing to share about his background growing up in D.C. and attending a boarding school before going to Miami. While his laid-back approach may have confused some, he was not lazy, Collins said, calling his photos “quality work.”

“He just made it look very effortless, and that just spoke to his personality,” Collins said.

Williams recently chose to take a break from the Informer to focus on freelance work.

Washington Informer Managing Editor Micha Green told NBC Washington he was traveling multiple countries, including Ghana, to continue working as an “amazing visual storyteller.”

“We are heartbroken over the loss of Marckell Williams — a talented photographer, storyteller, and beautiful soul who was once part of the Washington Informer family,” the outlet wrote in a statement posted on X. “His passion for capturing people, culture, and truth will never be forgotten.”

The last time Collins recalls seeing his former coworker, Williams was taking photos at a go-go event on Marion Barry Avenue. Even though he was focused on his craft, Williams stopped for a moment to talk with his former reporting partner. The love shown at that moment, Collins said, spoke about the person Williams was.

“Being laid back in a city like this, where it gets more expensive and there’s just so much going on, that’s a feat in itself,” Collins said. “He had that spirit. He was just too good for us.”

AUSTIN, Texas – A 20-year-old was arrested and charged with murder for a deadly shooting at the Cambria Hotel in downtown Austin, police said.

What we know:

Police said on Monday, Jan. 5, around 6:55 a.m., officers responded to a report of a gunshot at the Cambria Hotel at 68 East Avenue #824. The caller said a person had been shot.

When officers arrived, they found a man with injuries. He later died at the scene. He was identified as Luke Bradburn.

The investigation revealed that Bradburn drove and crashed a car that belonged to 20-year-old Maximillian Salinas. After the crash, Bradburn and the other people in the car left and went to the Cambria Hotel. 

Salinas went to the hotel and shot Bradburn.

On Jan. 6, Salinas was arrested and charged with murder.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477.