Augusta GA

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A Columbia County woman was sentenced to federal prison for using stolen and counterfeit business checks to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Dechanta Benning, 35, was sentenced to 70 months in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and five years of supervised...

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken County convicts drunk drivers at a lower rate than the rest of South Carolina, according to data from the South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination. The county’s DUI conviction rate stands at about 52%, compared to the statewide average of 62%. The nearly 10-point gap...

As of publication, Valentine's Day is just 9 days away. A romantic dinner is one of the more popular ideas for celebrating, but with so many restaurants in the Augusta area, how do you pick the best one? We searched for "Romantic Restaurants" in the area on Yelp and highlighted the five most popular ones we found....

Augusta University will shut down the main entrance to its Summerville Campus from Feb. 9-11. Two trees will be planted near the Walton Way entrance. Barricades will go up at 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9. The main entrance and Taylor Street will be blocked from University Hall to the...

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - After years of discussion, Augusta will be getting a veterans cemetery, News 12 has learned. Augusta Commission member Don Clark said Thursday that federal funding has been secured, plans are moving forward, and the project is expected to break ground at the end of this year on land behind...

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Hephzibah Comprehensive High School administrators have placed an employee on administrative leave following allegations of inappropriate online conduct, the school announced Thursday. School officials were notified of the alleged behavior and immediately launched an investigation into the...

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A deputy deployed a pepper ball Thursday to control inmates who refused lockdown orders at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office said. According to a press release, around 3 p.m. on Thursday, a deputy assigned to the detention center was...

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Richmond County Board of Education is responding to concerns about the loss of Josey High School’s legacy under a proposal that would drastically alter it. While the letter from the school board seems to take a reassuring tone, it also states that “the right...

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - A new boutique has opened in downtown Aiken after its owner made a cross-country move to launch her business in the area’s small business district. Michele Warren opened Urban Hyena boutique on Hayne Avenue Southwest in December, just one week after receiving the keys to her location.

A Columbia County woman is expected to spend nearly six years in federal prison over a $1 million check-fraud scheme. Dechanta Benning, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Randal Hall to 70 months in prison and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine and $300 in special assessments. According to prosecutors, Benning...