Liz Owens
Senior Investigative Journalist
Augusta, GA
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Liz Owens is an Edward R. Murrow and Emmy award-winning investigative journalist. Liz has a track record for holding the powerful accountable, exposing corruption, and uncovering systemic failures. Her reports for the I-Team have led to state and federal investigations, resignations of politicians, and changes in law and policy.
She reported for local TV stations in Winston-Salem, N.C., Dayton, Ohio, and Greenville, S.C., before returning to her home state to join the I-Team.
Liz grew up as the eldest of nine siblings in Newnan, Ga. She was an original "learn from home" student long before virtual school. The former homeschooler went on to study journalism at Georgia State University.
USC Annenberg for Health Journalism named Liz a Fellow in 2021. Her data project exposed inequity in access to public education among local homeless students: https://centerforhealthjournalism.org/users/elizabeth-owens
She is a lover of documents, a nerd for data and a devoted practitioner of the field of fair and ethical journalism.
Liz is a two-time Emmy-winner and a recipient of two National Edward R. Murrow Awards. She has been honored with more than a dozen AP, Regional Murrow, and Gabby awards throughout her career.
Her most cherished award is "Best Mommy of the World" given to her by her daughter Willow before Liz became an uncool and embarrassing mother.
She and her husband Scott (the Beard behind the Brains) are adventure addicts and adrenaline junkies.
Liz receives therapy for her condition by escaping to the outdoors whenever she is not on screen or behind a screen. She loves to hike, kayak, run, ride two or four wheels and explore new places with friends and family.
Do you have a story you that you want Liz to investigate? Send her an email at liz.owens@wrdw.com
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Lithium-powered batteries last longer, but they can also become fire hazards. The I-TEAM investigates the risk and what you can do to protect your property.
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If Georgia governor signs bill, it would hold local governments accountable for public dollars they get to fight homelessness.
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The State Board of Cosmetology was aware of the problems at the school even before last summer, yet here we are nearly a year later and students and others in the beauty business are still waiting on the state to take action.
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Tyrique Robinson died before he had a chance to serve on the Richmond County Board of Education. Many factors weighed on him before his death.
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Officials are already warning about the cost of keeping cool this summer. The Georgia Public Service Commission says you should prepare before the heat wave hits.
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The family of Tyrique Robinson files a report with police against their son’s former business partner after going to court. The day before his death, his business partner went public with allegations.
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Law enforcement ruled his death a suicide, but our I-TEAM uncovered investigators did not recover fingerprints on the gun, bullets, knife, or cell phones lying next to Tyrique Robinson’s body.
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He was the youngest member ever elected to the Richmond County Board of Education. And was dead a week after the election.
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The owners of a local beauty school and adjoining Medi Spa are caught on camera by our I-TEAM packing up less than a week after we exposed complaints against the school.
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Our I-TEAM first exposed the ambulance shortage in 2020 when people in need of emergency medical services waited hours for help. We’ve found it is about to get much worse in this update to our initial investigation.
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A career in skin care is especially appealing for nurses burned out from the pandemic, but our I-TEAM found students in the new, growing business are losing time, money, and second careers.
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Leaders in emergency services throughout Aiken County are sounding the alarm yet again on a crisis that they say is costing the lives of citizens.
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This holiday shopping season might be a challenge for parents. But as the ITEAM warns, buying toys from third-party websites could endanger your child.
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Students who signed up to train for the esthetics industry spent thousands and then found out a local school wasn't what they expected.
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Tyrique Robinson had an infectious smile, bringing hope for change when he was elected to the school board. What led up to his death.
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Election Day is Tuesday, and there's a lot at stake in the Richmond County Board of Education races. Here's a look at who's running.
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The District 9 seat is important because the board member serves as a second representative for Districts 1,2, 4, and 5. Our I-TEAM sat down with the candidates for the District 9 seat.
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ITEAM reports have exposed disorder and dysfunction within Richmond County schools. So, who can fix it? That’s what the ITEAM is asking the candidates in this election spotlight.
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It’s up to the public if they want to see a leadership change in Richmond County. Our Liz Owens is sitting down with the people trying to get your vote for District 2 on the school board.
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Our I-TEAM continues to investigate the Richmond County School System, a district with failing marks when compared to others across the state.
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Homelessness, behavior, and poor academic performance are a few things that can put a student at risk of falling behind in school. A former intervention teacher tells our I-TEAM that some students do not receive the resources they need to make progress.
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More than one out of every ten students is disabled in the Richmond County School District. The ITEAM found the school system receives extra tax dollars for every student receiving special education.
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While investigating the basic needs of homeless students, the I-TEAM took a closer look at the person in charge of this growing segment.
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Pool season may be officially over, but river and lake season will continue as long as mother nature allows. The ITEAM found limiting access to public swimming pools and waterways is costing lives.
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The I-TEAM found the average hospital turnover for registered nurses is now at 96 percent over five years.
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As many as one in five teachers in Richmond County are being hired with an emergency or provisional waiver. Are these teachers are fully qualified?
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A new plan is being put into action to combat the homeless and affordable housing crisis in the city head-on.
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A Richmond County School Systems spokesperson released the numbers Tuesday in a news conference highlighting homeless services provided by their community partners.
Employees in the Richmond County School System say it’s leading to chaos behind the scenes to enroll homeless and vulnerable students.
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More than 11,000 students were chronically absent from schools across Augusta since the start of the pandemic. So, what are the rules?
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Third grade is one of the most important learning years in a child’s life. We have been hard at work looking at how third graders in the river region are doing with reading standards.
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Only a few weeks left until summer break is over and kids go back to school. COVID cases throughout Georgia are steadily on the rise.
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The warning signs of a recession are flashing while families continue to adjust to rising inflation. We found five ways families can prepare.
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Unused Personal Protective Equipment is filling up dumpsters across the country, including here in Augusta. We went dumpster diving to find out that one man’s trash is not always another man’s treasure.
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The good news, for now, is that gas prices are trending down. But paying less at the pump doesn’t mean you won’t feel the long-term effects of surging prices later.
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Revenue is projected to be down, so the board voted to slash funds in vital departments: instruction, transportation, and school administration.
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We uncovered nearly 3,000 students in the Richmond County School System are unaccounted for this school year. Here's what we found.
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Job openings in the two-state are among the highest in the nation, and it’s forcing local business owners to think outside the box.
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A veteran says her therapist at Charlie Norwood exploited her vulnerabilities in the worst way and the administration ignored it.
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A procedure saved a local veteran’s life five years ago but the device that keeps him alive is also keeping him from getting the care he needs.
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The FBI is now pushing for “Active Bystandership” among all forms of law enforcement. The training is unlike any other that exists.
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Long-term residents of motels are scrambling to find shelter a few days before Augusta's biggest week for visitors – when local homeless shelters are already at capacity.
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It’s our least favorite time of the year: tax season. And we want to make sure if you are owed a refund, you get it.
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Only after an I-TEAM investigation has school board agreed to provide additional funds to address the growing needs among homeless students.
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The I-TEAM helped to uncover barriers that are keeping people from accessing services within the system of nonprofits and government agencies.
Families with children, working parents even, are finding themselves newly homeless and in need of help. But the I-TEAM uncovered repeatedly, that help is often out of reach for them.
After nearly two years of losses from lives and jobs to homes and education, high school students are vanishing from the classrooms in record numbers.
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They are the youngest victims of the homeless crisis in Augusta. Young, helpless faces that are tired, weary, and in need of rest, shelter and food.
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An Augusta woman reports her truck missing only to discover years later the sheriff’s office recovered it and then sold it.
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Investigators are looking into the mayor’s campaign finance disclosures, and how he used city employees to work on his re-election campaign while clocked in on the taxpayers’ dime.
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