🌱 One Injured In Shooting + Augusta Ranks High For Home Fires

Hello all. I'm here with your Thursday edition of the Augusta Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the community information you need to know right now.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Nice with plenty of sunshine. High: 74 Low: 51.
• Friday: Partly sunny. High: 80 Low: 64.

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Here are the top three stories in Augusta today:

1. One Person was injured in a shooting on Reedale Avenue in Augusta Wednesday morning. Deputies responded to a residence struck by gunfire on the block of 2100 and Reedale Avenue. The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing and in its early stages. (WRDW)
2. According to The Hartford’s 2023 home fire index, Augusta ranks ninth out of 150 cities for the highest number of home fires. The report index shows many of these fires are caused by fire hazards such as charging a phone overnight, smoking in your home, or not having adequate detection equipment such as smoke detectors in every room. The fire department hopes to get the number of fires lower by educating the public about fire safety and obtaining grants for smoke detectors for the community and updated equipment for fire rescue. A list of fire safety tips can be found in the full news article. (WRDW)
3. Local Augusta bills have moved forward in the Georgia General Assembly as the legislative session comes to an end. A variety of bills saw their way through the legislative courts during the session. The bill for the coliseum stadium funding has passed, which will see a 0.5 percent increase in property taxes. Other bills are still being decided on, such as additional funding for the Augusta judicial court and the bill to address food insecurity. (Subscription: The Augusta Chronicle)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Augusta:

Thursday, March 30

• 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship - Round 2 At Champions Retreat, Evans (7:30 AM)
• First Annual Easter Egg Hunt At Augusta Technical College, Augusta Campus, 1300 Building (5:30 PM)

Friday, March 31

• African Soul International At The Ethridge Center, Nearby Aiken (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Augusta Animal Services has lots of incredible animals up for adoption. Adoption fees are $75 for female dogs, $65 for male dogs, and $55 for cats. All animals are spayed or neutered and given their first round of vaccines so they are ready to take home. (Friends of Augusta Animal Services via Facebook)
• There will be an Easter Bunny meet and greet and book sale at The Wallace Branch Public Library. The library will be selling books from a variety of genres for all ages from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Both the meet and greet and book sale will take place on Apr. 8; details for the meet and greet can be found here. (Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System via Facebook)
• As the Masters' Golf Tournament takes place in Augusta, government officials would like to notify the public of lane closures on Riverwatch Parkway. These lane closures will be in effect near Topgolf Way and Cabelas Drive for the two-week duration of the tournament. (Augusta, Georgia Government via Facebook)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.