MLILY Mattresses in Augusta, GA

Georgia (8-3) continues a stretch of five games in five different parks Tuesday night as the Bulldogs face Georgia Southern (7-4) at SRP Park in N. Augusta, S.C., before heading to Statesboro for a Wednesday tilt with the Eagles.

Last Friday, Georgia played #16 Ga. Tech in a three-game series, winning game one in Athens 7-2, blasting the Yellow Jackets 16-6 in Atlanta and then missing out on a sweep by falling 4-1 Sunday at Coolray Field, home of the Gwinnett Stripers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Sunday’s game was the 20th annual Spring Baseball Classic to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The Eagles bounced back to win a road series over Central Florida after the Knights posted a 6-4 walk-off in Friday’s opener. GSU outscored the Knights 30-15 in the final two games of the series. GSU is batting .302 with a .403 slugging percentage. The Eagles have a 5.13 ERA and a .980 fielding percentage. They are 5-3 at home this year.

SRP Park is home of the Augusta GreenJackets. The Bulldogs will be the home team and first pitch will be at 6:35 p.m.

Series History: Georgia leads the all-time series with the Eagles 60-53-1 as it dates to 1972. Last year, Georgia won the series 2-1, falling at SRP Park 13-5 before winning in Statesboro 5-1 and then in Athens 7-2. The Eagles are 2-0 against the Bulldogs at SRP, winning 1-0 in 2020 and the 2022 contest.

Knocking The Cover Off Of It: Through 11 games, Georgia has been smashing the baseball, tallying a .319 batting average with 28 doubles, 23 home runs and a .588 slugging percentage. Redshirt-freshman Charlie Condon has put a jolt in the lineup, batting an SEC-leading and team-best .538-4-20. He is the SEC Co-Player of the Week after hitting .588 (10-for-17) in four games last week with three home runs and eight RBI.

Juniors Parks Harber (.267-5-13) and Corey Collins (.355-4-9) have combined for nine home runs. In fact, the Bulldogs have hit at least one home run in nine of 11 games this year. They are 1-1 when they don’t hit a home run (Beat #16 Ga. Tech 7-2 in Athens; Lost to #16 Tech 4-1 at Coolray Field). The most home runs by Georgia in a home game has been five in a 11-6 win over Presbyterian while they most on the road is six in a 16-6 win over #16 Tech in Atlanta.

Graduate Connor Tate (.476-2-12) has a 16-game hitting streak dating back to last year while Condon has hit safely in his last 10 games.

On The Mound: The Bulldogs have a 4.73 ERA. Tuesday’s starter will be redshirt-junior LHP Charlie Goldstein (0-0, 6.43 ERA) while Wednesday’s starter is TBA. The Eagles have not announced their rotation.

The early season Bulldog bullpen stalwarts have been graduates Dalton Rhadans (0-0, 1.29 ERA, 1 SV, 7 IP, 0BB, 10K) and Kyle Greenler (0-0, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 3BB, 8K) plus junior transfer Zach DeVito (0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 2BB, 5K). Meanwhile, freshman Matthew Hoskins (0-0, 2.45 ERA, 1BB, 8K) had an impressive performance this past Sunday against #16 Ga. Tech. He tossed two scoreless frames with five strikeouts. Also of note, freshman Kolten Smith (0-0, 2.70 ERA) has showed flashes of dominating stuff in a pair of relief appearances with six strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

Georgia’s Charlie Condon, the Southeastern Conference batting leader, has been named the SEC Co-Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.

Condon, a 6-6, 211-pound native of Marietta, Ga., is enjoying a tremendous start to his career including helping the Bulldogs (8-3) to a series win over No. 16 Georgia Tech this past weekend. He batted .588 (10-for-17) with a pair of doubles, three home runs and eight RBI as Georgia went 3-1 last week. Condon went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in a 16-6 rout of the Yellow Jackets to clinch the series this past Saturday in Atlanta.

Condon leads the league with a .538 batting average, ranks second in on base percentage at .612 and fourth in RBI at 20. He has started all 11 games, seeing action in the outfield and at first base. Condon shared SEC Player of the Week honors with Florida’s Wyatt Langford. He posted 24 total bases including four home runs in five games last week with a series win over fifth-ranked Miami.

When Augusta University senior center Tyshaun Crawford joined the men’s basketball program almost four years ago, he said the established players welcomed him to the family with open arms.

They grew as a family, utilizing the team chemistry they worked so hard to create and turned it into three Peach Belt Conference Tournament championships in five years. On March 5, the team secured that third crown with an 86-72 victory over fourth-seeded Lander to earn the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Later in the night, the team found out they would be the No. 1 seed in the Southeast Regional for the second consecutive year during the NCAA Selection Show. The Jaguars, who lost in the national title game in 2022 to Northwest Missouri State, will play Emmanuel (Georgia) at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 11 in the opening round at Christenberry Fieldhouse, where the Jaguars are 35-2 over the past two seasons.

Crawford, who was named to the Top 50 Watch List for the 2023 Bevo Francis Award earlier this season, was named PBC Tournament MVP after averaging 22 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 block per game. After the game he received some special love from his mom, who was in attendance for the title game.

“My mom is my everything. She keeps me level-headed,” Crawford said. “My mom is there for everything and she tells me, ‘You’re going to have a bad game every now and then. You just have stick with it.’ She believed when nobody else believed, and now we’re here as back-to-back champions.”

The Jaguars (26-5), ranked No. 18 in the nation according to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), had a total team effort in the PBC Tournament.

Four players scored in double figures in Thursday’s quarterfinal game against Flagler, with Tyree Myers leading the way with 20 points. In Friday’s semifinal game against Columbus State, Crawford led three players in double figures with a double-double effort of 23 points and 13 rebounds. Crawford capped the tournament off in Sunday’s championship game by dominating the second half. He finished with 31 points after only scoring nine in the first half.

“It was a pretty full house today and that energy, that excitement — we need that atmosphere if we’re going to win this regional. We want everyone to come out and support our team because they just feed off that energy that’s in there. We saw that today. I think the success we have is going to mirror the excitement and the energy that’s in the building. Hopefully, everyone will come out and support our team.”

Ryan Erlacher, Augusta University Director of Athletics

Now AU will get at least one more game in front of the home crowd.

“It’s always good when you can play at home,” Crawford said. “We worked hard for it and all of that hard work is showing up. We’re just going to keep working and keep trying to grind out those wins at home in front of the good people and we just hope they come out.”

Head coach Dip Metress is proud of his seniors, as well as the team as a whole, knowing how important it is to be playing in front of the home crowd.

“We have three conference tournament wins, regular-season titles, and they’re the reason we’re good,” Metress said of Crawford, Myers, Miguel Arnold and Darren Lucas-White. “They stuck around and I’m really happy for them. We get a chance to host the regional and that’s huge because 48 hours ago, nobody was talking about that.”

AU won its tournament games by an average of 15 points while shooting 52% from the field and 56% from 3-point range. One key player Metress noted was junior guard David Viti, a vital player coming off the bench who helped changed the dynamics of the games he entered. He averaged 11.3 points in the tournament and his stellar defense disrupted the opposing teams’ schemes.

“Without him coming in and making those shots, we’re not cutting down those nets,” Metress said. “He’s had an unbelievable past five games where he’s been really good, and we have a lot of confidence in him.”

Director of Athletics Ryan Erlacher said he’s been “beyond impressed” over the past four months with the men’s team and noted that even when the Jags were down big early, they showed off their resiliency by coming back and dominating the second half.

“I think if you asked anyone in the arena if they were nervous, I think all of us would have probably said no because there’s just so much confidence on that team. Obviously, the run they made last year and the success they’ve had, I think we all expected them to come back,” he said. “I’m just so proud of them and the coaches and everyone surrounding the program. They’ve just done a fantastic job this year, and we’re not done.”

Erlacher said Sunday’s game was another example of why everyone needs to be out at Christenberry Fieldhouse supporting the Jaguars at the end of the week.

“It was a pretty full house today and that energy, that excitement — we need that atmosphere if we’re going to win this regional,” Erlacher said. “We want everyone to come out and support our team because they just feed off that energy that’s in there. We saw that today. I think the success we have is going to mirror the excitement and the energy that’s in the building. Hopefully, everyone will come out and support our team.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We learn more about the Augusta ambulance service provider decision, as leaders meet again on Wednesday.

According to officials, three proposals were introduced by AmeriMed, Gold Cross, and Central EMS during the meeting.

As of 1:17 p.m., Central EMS scored highest and will be presented for the recommendation on Monday.

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During the meeting, several commissioners and the mayor voiced their concerns and opinions about how to decide on an ambulance service provider.

Mayor Garnett Johnson believes the county must pay for the provider, not the state. He thinks the department should hire a consultant. Johnson states they will meet back soon because this issue needs to be resolved. After all, it’s a heavily contested issue, and finding a solution this way may not work.

Johnson says, “I’m just excited that at least we now have a path forward and that the EMS Council has recommended the Central EMS service to be our zone provider. So I’m excited about having a conversation with my colleagues on what the next steps are how we move forward, so we can provide adequate service to our citizens of Augusta-Richmond County.”

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Gary Coker, president of Central EMS, says, “We’re negotiating to get what’s the best annual service for the citizens to work for the county. Government will make sure it’s economical for them, but also to make sure that we’ve got enough to provide a good ambulance services.

Coker stated during the meeting that he can count the number of complaints on his hands, of only nine and a half fingers, he was proud of it.

Coker says, “It takes a certain amount of money to do that, so we want to make sure that we can meet our budget. That’s the balance that we have to meet and once we meet that, the ambulance service and the response times from the citizens will be what it needs to be.”

Central EMS started in 1983 and has served many cities throughout Georgia, and it operates a 911 call center in Forsyth County which is what Augusta is looking to do.

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“The 911 Center will communicate directly to our ambulances, which are a little bit of a change from the way it is now. Second, the way that we do our data and we input our data for medical records and for billing, we have a sophisticated computer system that has in and is automated and runs very smoothly. So we’ll be putting all of that,” Coker says.

Central EMS claims it has the same area dynamic as Richmond County and has less than eight-minute response times.

Coker states, “We think that the dispatch center 911 center ship didn’t directly dispatch the ambulance. Therefore they’ll have the response times. We’ll work on those to make sure those reports will do well. And that’s what we’re negotiating with county, what type of reports we need. They will be done on a regular basis. Response time would be one budget to another, you know, the number of ambulances, whatever those things are an ambulance service. Would be transparent.”

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Central EMS states it can be trusted to supply and start service overnight if needed. Central EMS also has its ambulance manufacturer to expedite orders of eight, 24-hour cars, six peak-time cars, and three QRCS Continue to train staff employees through different schools it has.

Central EMS calls the commission to give money and blames the commission for Gold Cross’s faults.

Central EMS also stated it’s not interested if the commission isn’t wanting to give a quality service.

820 employees in Georgia admit the problem of the shortage in the industry.

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Central EMS lastly states it’s looking to copy the system in Forsyth County here and keep 911 ambulances separate from other ambulances. The provider states, if selected, Central EMS will provide the best service for citizens.

“We began in 1983. And I’m the founder and that was the company of forty years ago, I guess. And so we were one of the largest ambulance services in the state. We joined with a partner of Kearney ambulance, and we have a very good annual net worth. That includes national EMS around Athens and Rockdale County. That includes in Cobb County Puckett EMS. So we’re part of that team and that makes us do that gives us a lot of horsepower when we get that many services and that type of company behind us,” Coker says.

During the meeting, each service provider presented a proposal, which created responses from commissioners and leaders.

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Mayor Johnson says he’s embarrassed that the Department of Public Health has to decide, and that he supports Gold Cross but doesn’t have a favorite. He believes that multiple attempts to bankrupt the company and wants more time to own the zone so the city is accountable not a particular company.

Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle questions why Augusta has this issue and wants no response times in the contract. He wants a local company and more structure within the contract.

Commissioner Brandon Garnett says he is tired of dealing with this for the last seven years and thinks there will be repercussions for no decision as of yet. He thinks the commission has failed the people, but at the end of the day, they have to find a solution to move forward.

Commissioner Bobby Williams calls out Gold Cross for being willing to work with whoever is selected but wants better for the citizens.

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Chief Steven Vincent says to look at call volumes compared to complaints in reference to Gold Cross services.

Gold Cross claimed it knows what Augusta needs because its has been doing it for 17 years. Gold Cross stated the proposal from 2013 doesn’t meet today’s current environment and will order all new ambulances.

Gold Cross believes it should’ve been awarded the request for proposal officially protested the bid, because if properly scored it should’ve been awarded month to month, and doesn’t have an end date. It proposed to provide eight dedicated ambulances and plans to fluctuate if needed.

Gold Cross also claimed if it were to receive more money, it will be able to meet the zone’s needs.

Gold Cross was questioned about its response times and if no ambulance ever shows up, no clear answer was given by Gold Cross.

Many concerns with the current state of Gold Cross and how it’s served the county in the past. Some brought up examples and wanted clarification for problems in past and answers for the future.

AmeriMed proposed 10 ambulances a day, eight ambulances at night, and three QRVs staffed and ready 24/7 60-90 days until fully operational.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — New job opportunities are coming to the CSRA, and there might be one for you.

If you’re looking for a job in education, twelve local school districts are participating in the Big CSRA Job Fair on Saturday.

Saturday’s job fair will be at the Jack B. Rack Technology Center at Augusta Technical College. It’s the second event hosted by the Regional Education Service Agency.

“They’ll be able to come in and go directly to those tables where those districts are participating. So, they may be doing some right-there-on-the-spot trying to do some recruitment of those people and they will be able to talk to them about vacancies that they have and availability,” RESA Executive Director Debbie Alexander said.

The aim is to get people who are interested in working with their local school systems, easier access to a job opportunity.

“The teacher shortage can impact school districts in any number of ways, and certainly we’ve seen a– large numbers of need for– in all of our districts,” Alexander said.

Columbia County Schools Assistant Chief Human Resources Officer Sean Petro says teaching jobs are vital.

“We’re always trying to find the best people. So, this job fair is really important to us to fill our positions– we’re looking to hire teachers for next school year, and currently, we have openings for bus drivers, custodians, nutrition assistants and pair professionals. So, if you’re willing to work in a school district, we’re willing to work with you.”

And he says, there are more ways to succeed in filling the teacher positions.

“If you’re interested in teaching and you hold a bachelor’s degree, Georgia has a path for you to become certified, and it happens pretty quickly. So, it’s something that if you’re willing to navigate, we’re willing to work with you.”

If you plan to attend, event organizers say to come job ready.

“We’re not saying you got to wear your three-piece suit because people don’t necessarily do that anymore but come looking like– you know– for the job especially that you’re applying for,” Alexander said.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 2 p.m., so if you’re interested in finding out more about the jobs being offered, all you have to do is show up.

We love highlighting patient stories on Miracle Monday, but we also like showing you what your dollars help provide kids at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We love highlighting patient stories on Miracle Monday, but we also like showing you what your dollars help provide kids at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, CHOG.

Here’s a look inside the sensory room where this area benefits kids of all ages. You can find the sensory room on the second floor of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.

Inside you’ll see kids like Knox, who is almost two years old.

He has CHARGE syndrome, which is a disorder that affects many areas of the body. It can cause some developmental delays and can impact the eyes and ears.

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Knox spent time in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units since he was born.

“He was very sensitive to the hospital in general. He didn’t like coming to appointments or therapies, and then they introduced him to the sensory room, which was new at the time. The first time they brought him in was the first time he didn’t cry,” said Sydney Painter, Knox’s mom.

Knox’s physical and occupational therapies now take place inside the sensory room.

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Ashlee Inman, occupational therapist, CHOG said: “He’s definitely re-engaging, and it’s neat to see that he’s responded so well to this room.”

So, what makes Knox happy? All the awesome gadgets he can touch, hear or look at.

He spends his time working alongside Inman, who says this room is designed for kids with sensory processing difficulties and those with anxiety. Overall, she says this is a calming space.

“This is our light-up table, so we’ve got different textured items. We can also do pre-writing skills where we might use shaving cream or some type of different medium where they’re fascinated by the light. We’ve got a bubble wall over here and light-up fingerlings. Down here on the floor we have different types of sensory tiles that have visual components, but if they have their shoes off, they can get the tactile feel as well,” she said.

If you have donated to the children’s hospital, this is an example of what you are supporting and the faces you are helping.

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Painter said: “When they see kids like Knox and how much a space like this, their little contributions and donations here and there can really change a child’s life. I tell everybody that before he was born, I didn’t think about the importance of living by a children’s hospital, but now I couldn’t live without one.”

The pediatric rehabilitation department has been working on setting up the sensory room for the past six months, and they expect it to grow.

Inman adds they also get families involved and show them what they can do at home with their children.

If you want to continue helping make miracles happen at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, visit Augusta University Health.

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