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Simon Says: Home ownership in CSRA varies from state to national levels

Buying a house is one of the largest purchases most people will make in their lifetime. In Georgia, 63 percent of all housing is owner-occupied; in Columbia County, it is 80 percent, and 53 percent in Richmond County. Evidence suggests that homeowners are more satisfied with their homes and neighborhoods and have more stable neighborhoods. It is therefore an interesting research question to understand the determinants of homeownership. Fortunately, Vanessa Wimberly, an undergraduate student in the Hull College of Business at Augusta University, has studied this question and presented her

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor April 20, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Commercial cleaning companies keep covid germs at bay

Covid-19 is like a houseguest who showed up and never left. For the last two years, commercial cleaning companies have played a key role in slowing the spread of the virus in local workplaces. But long before the pandemic, these companies focused more on health than aesthetics, according to Dalton Self, Vice President of Jani-King of Augusta, and four other cities, including Savannah and Macon. According to its website, Jani-King uses hospital-grade disinfectant sprays to kill a variety of germs, including those that cause covid infections. The company, which has

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Josh Heath April 20, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Merchants Association to present funds to three local charities

Three local charities will be able to fulfill their missions a little bit better, thanks to donations from the Merchants Association of Columbia County. The Merchants Association will make check presentations to The Bridge Ministry of the CSRA and Hope Women’s Center at 6:30 p.m. on April 26, and Child Enrichment at 2:30 p.m. on April 30. The donations are made from the proceeds of two fairs, the Merchants Association hosts. Their Spring Fair 2022 takes place April 23-May 1. Child Enrichment creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve

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Gary Kauffman April 20, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local chocolatier making life a little sweeter for Ukrainian refugees

Like the rest of us, Bebette Smith watches the heartbreaking news coverage of Ukrainian citizens forced to flee their country. The chocolatier wanted to find a way to help these refugees, particularly those fleeing to her native country of Belgium. Smith, the owner of La Bonbonniere Authentic Belgian Chocolates, 231 Furys Ferry Road, Suite 206B in Augusta, developed a sunflower chocolate box to honor the refugees. The sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. “I just so happened to have a sunflower mold,” Smith said. For every box a customer buys, she

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Josh Heath April 19, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Wedding cake artist delights customers with unusual flavor combinations

Kelsie Mellott, owner of Hey Honey! Cakery loves to experiment with unusual flavor combinations, such as jalapeno cheesecake, made with cheesecake filling and jalapeno jam. While that may sound strange, many of her customers have raved about the taste. “I enjoy creating different things,” Mellott said. “We sell unique cakes.” Mellott opened Hey Honey! Cakery, located in Furys Ferry Station at 229 Furys Ferry Road, Suite 129 in Martinez, on Jan. 29. But before that, she ran the business at home for eight years while also working as a stay-at-home

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Josh Heath April 19, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local retailer expands, due to inflation

If you’re a parent, you’re familiar with this common scenario: you buy your kids clothes, and a few months later, they need new ones because the old ones no longer fit. With the current inflation rate at 8.5 percent, parents want to pay less for kids’ clothes. Many have turned to consignment shops, such as Kid to Kid, for not only clothing but also toys and baby items. Shannon Unger owns two Kid to Kid stores in the CSRA: one in National Hills and another on Washington Road near Goodwill

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Josh Heath April 18, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local entrepreneur blends food and crafts to grow business

Angie Hood is shaking up the CSRA catering world. Charcuterie boards typically contain a variety of meat, cheese, fruit, and crackers. But Hood adds her own signature dishes, such as homemade Brussels sprouts and bacon bite-sized pizzas and stuffed dates with honey, paprika, and goat cheese, to her boards. The owner of Blooms, Boards & More, launched her home-based business one year ago after being laid off due to Covid. She also makes other foods, such as cheesecakes and pound cakes, as well as vegetable wreaths and fruit platters. “I

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Josh Heath April 18, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New business coming to busy Martinez intersection

A new structure being built at the corner of Furys Ferry and Evans to Locks roads will be a liquor store. The building is being built by Peter Patel, who also owns several Dunkin Donuts franchises in the CSRA. The liquor store will be owned by Sam Patel. Duckworth Development is overseeing the construction of the building. There was no information available about the planned opening date of the liquor store.

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Gary Kauffman April 15, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

SRP FCU Brings Easter joy to elderly care residents

The staff of the SRP Federal Credit Union Branch in Barnwell, S.C., decided they wanted to do something special for the disabled and elderly in their rural community for Easter. To do so, their team visited the local Barnwell Pruitt Health Residential Facility with a small gift for each of the approximately 45 residents. The SRP team members visited the residents on Wednesday to deliver Bunny Boxes filled with plush chicks or bunnies, a toothbrush, hand sanitizer, facial tissues, hand cream, chocolate eggs, and a chocolate bunny. Some of the

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Staff Reports April 15, 2022 No Comments
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