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Consumer Stories
Consumer Stories

Members to receive a nice surprise in their August bill

It’s not every day that consumers get money back by doing business with a successful organization. That’s the case this year for members of a CSRA cooperative. Many of the 30,000 utility members of Jefferson Energy Cooperative will be sharing in a return of more than $4.5 Million. These capital credits will be divided amongst the members based on their electricity usage, if they had service in 2025. Most will receive the credits on their August bill. Traditionally, JEC retires capital credits on an average rotation of approximately 25 years.

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Neil Gordon July 24, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

A new way to party like it’s 1999

Publisher’s Note: Startup Summer is the next step in Venture Lab Aiken (VLA). It is a collaboration among the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Make Startups in theClubhou.se in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center (GCITC) and South Carolina. $500,000 in seed money is available.  Music is a big part of Skyler Bates’ life. For him, part of the pleasure comes from enjoying music with friends. He is developing 432Bleu to recreate that experience by bringing in the human element. “432Bleu is a virtual concert space that prioritizes the guests’ ability

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Dana Lynn McIntyre July 24, 2026 No Comments
Awards

Augusta picked as #1 rising city in America

LinkedIn, a platform dedicated to connecting business leaders together, just released its annual survey. Some of what the CSRA takes for granted caught the attention of LinkedIn and NBC News. Those ranking cities were impressed by our top employers such as SRS, AU, and the US Army. (Photo above by Michael Holahan, Augusta University) Top industries hiring are the many CSRA hospitals and healthcare businesses, along with higher education and Electric Power Generation, such as Plant Vogtle. The median household income is $55,485, and the average home listing price is

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Neil Gordon July 23, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Play Ball with technology

Publisher’s Note: Today is part four of our ongoing Startup Summer series. It’s part of Venture Lab Aiken (VLA), organized by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Make Startups in theClubhou.se in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center (GCITC) and South Carolina Research Authority. $500,000 in seed money will be distributed. The ABS system started this year in Major League Baseball.  In the future, baseball fans and coaches can use a different device being developed to work in the strike zone. It is called PlateLogic, and Paul Musick came up

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Dana Lynn McIntyre July 23, 2026 No Comments
Awards/Celebrations

Hurricane Helene and 40 years of serving the CSRA

Hi-Tech Power Systems, Inc has been catching its collective breath since the Fall of 2024 through their 40th Anniversary in the Summer of 2026. “The hurricane was quite the experience. We thought the ice storm of 2014 was bad, but it was nothing compared to Helene, “ said President Beverly Whiteside.  Our office had damage as well as some of our employees’ homes, so our access was limited, but our employees stepped up and did what they could for our customers.” This photo indicates what Hi-Tech techs encountered at various homes

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Neil Gordon July 21, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Simon Says: Minimum Wage

I was at an economic conference in Denver two weeks ago and went to a session on the minimum wage (so you don’t have to!). Economic theory is clear on the effects of hiking the minimum wage: employers demand less workers and so employment falls. Unfortunately, the empirical observations are not as clear-cut. Some of the trouble lies in isolating the effect of minimum wage laws from other factors that affect employment, such as the general economy or competition from other firms. There are also differences in the data economists

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Hull College of Business Economics Professor July 21, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Dog Days of Summer Give Off More Than Heat

In the CSRA, we are used to dehydration and sunburns and all that goes with the blazing hot sun in July and August. Joseph Galpin from EnviroPro 360 says it’s also peak season for something else that can cause you health issues. https://enviropro360.com/blog/mold/why-july-and-august-are-peak-mold-season-in-augusta-and-what-to-do-before-it-starts/

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Joseph Galpin, EnviroPro 360 July 17, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New dessert shop rounds out growth at Evans Town Center

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Check. Groceries. Check. Dessert? Another popular franchised café is coming to Evans between Publix and Jimmy John’s. The Peach Cobbler Factory is working around the renovations at the Evans Town Center to build out a space next to a new breakfast spot on the way—Biscuit Belly. There will now be a Mediterranean and Chinese restaurant to go with a sub shop and the two new restaurants to compliment McDonalds and Taco Bell on the border of the center at 4274 Washington Road. The Peach Cobbler Factory

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Neil Gordon July 17, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Endowment started by Aiken firm

It was time to give back and honor the Crane roots by using a practice taught to their clients. Jason and Martha Crane are part owners of Crane & Owen Financial Solutions, a financial advisory practice at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. The Cranes established a $10,000 scholarship for business students at Truett McConnell, with plans to increase the endowment in the future. Jason’s grandfather, mother, and other family members graduated from the faith-based college in North Georgia, and he wanted to honor their legacy. “We are proud to do our

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Neil Gordon July 16, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New golf facility with ties to entertainer opens at CSRA golf course

True Spec Golf is opening today in Evans with ties to pop culture icon and entertainer, Justin Timberlake.   The local name will be True Spec Augusta. The company chose Jones Creek as the third True Spec facility in Georgia. It will be home to True Spec’s brand-agnostic club fitting matrix of more than 70,000 club head and shaft combinations from every major equipment manufacturer, which enables True Spec’s master club fitters to find the best equipment to improve a player’s game.  “Jones Creek puts particular emphasis on offering all of its golfers an enjoyable and welcoming experience every time out,” said Scott Anderson, President of True Spec Golf. “We strive

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Neil Gordon July 15, 2026 No Comments
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