<to see these kids not walk up the street anymore...it's really important to me..out of respect >
Three days after their death... Neighbors at a vigil remember 3 children...all under the age of 10....lost over the weekend in a housefire.
Hello, everyone.
This is Eyewitness News at 11.
I'm Leah Johnson.
And I'm Frank Malloy.
Investigators still don't know what caused the fire...which they believe started in a bedroom.
One child survived...and has since been released from the Augusta Burn Center, where the family tells us...he was treated mostly for smoke inhalation.
Tonight.... Before the vigil... Judy Le spoke with the mother by phone.
<I just remember, sleeping, I got out of the bed and left. And when I came back, I got a phone call, my house was on fire. The firefighters were taking my children out. I was screaming, telling them to come on, come on>
Tonight... Colethia William's pain was felt by the entire neighborhood.
About 300 classmates ... school teachers... Friends and neighbors lit up the street in memory of those three children.
Judy Le has more from tonight's candlelight vigil.
What started with one stuffed animal...turned into a makeshift memorial for three children who died in a house fire.
<we don't have to have a death in the community to come together, we should come together on many occasions. it just hurts that this has to be the occasion everybody comes together like this>
<ever since it happened, we've been over with the balloons and everything
The front yard was covered with memories of the children...all under the age of ten. The only survivor is three-year old...J'lon Williams... who was released from the Augusta Burn Center Wednesday afternoon.
<i don't know if he even knows anything right now. I don't even know how to tell him>
With streets blocked off...about 300 light up the night in honor of the three children
The biggest support came from classmates...
<they all come from the school...>
The candlelight vigil started in prayer and song. Teachers took to the podium to remember the children in story.
There was not a dry eye during the vigil...as the neighborhood copes with what many say...feels like the loss of ...a family member
judy le 13wmaz eyewitness news
While the cause is still under investigation... both Fire chief Marvin Riggins... and coroner Leon Jones say... There's no reason to believe it was anything but a tragic accident.
In two days... A string of budget cuts called sequestration will become reality if Congress doesn't halt them.
We've talked extensively about the civilian furloughs...and equipment cuts...that could impact Robins Air Force Base.
But other branches of the military could suffer too...including the coast guard.
<We think the aggregate number of potential layoffs is as many -- and, again, this is early childhood and K to 12 -- we think it's as many as 40,000 people will lose jobs. And again, the only other, the only other way you don't do that, again, I think is you would reduce school days. You could go to three-day weeks or four, you know. >
And finally... There's the department of agriculture.
The agriculture secretary says... Everything from farm subsidies...to money that funds food safety inspections...could be reduced.
<farm subsidies may very well get cut...at the same percentage as the food safety budget gets cut. And the food safety budget unfortunately is mostly people. And I've heard also members of congress complain about that maybe there's travel that can be cut. We've already done that. >
Agriculture leaders say there are between 700 million and a billion dollars worth of cuts its self-imposed on the department.
Meanwhile... Congressional leaders continue to fire back and forth with no remedy.
Yesterday... House Speaker Boehner...and Senate Majority Harry Reid...both pointed fingers at opposite ends of Capitol Hill...each claiming the other branch was delaying productive talks.