Consumer Stories

Consumer Stories

How a Political Commentator Led to an Augusta AI discussion

I am a fan of Michael Smerconish, who hosts a daily (Monday to Friday, 9 am to Noon Eastern) radio show on SiriusXM’s POTUS Channel and a weekly (Saturday, 9 am to 10 am Eastern) television show on CNN. Despite being on two left-leaning channels (POTUS and CNN), Smerconish is known for being a centrist, so much so that the theme song of his radio show is Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle with You.” His proclivity to call things down the middle is very appealing to me, particularly in

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Closings

Healthy restaurant closing this month

The ownership team at SolFood restaurant in Surrey Center put their heart and soul into building a unique, wellness lunch spot for the CSRA. You can raise a glass of green juice or a plate of green goddess salmon sliders until it closes on September 26th. If restaurants are judged on how customers enjoyed the food, then SolFood was very successful in its five-year run. After 300-plus Google reviews, the café garnered an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. SolFood is open 25 hours per week for lunch

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: CSRA housing getting expensive

When I moved to Augusta over 20 years ago, one of the selling points was its affordability, especially for housing. Unfortunately, that may be changing. According to the Home Ownership Affordability Monitor tracked by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, housing in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has been unaffordable since May 2022. Housing unaffordability is defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as annual costs of home ownership exceed 30 percent of the annual household income. Costs include principal and interest on mortgage loans, associated

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Consumer Stories

“Signing Day” results in 38 new employees

One of the largest employers in the CSRA is adding to its workforce. Nearly 40 Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) summer interns received full-service job offers during the annual ‘Signing Day’ event, solidifying their place within a workforce known for its 75-year legacy of innovation in nuclear nonproliferation, national security, and environmental stewardship. Concluding the 12-week program, 38 interns signed on to full-service opportunities, and 25 others have converted to apprenticeships. The SRNS Internship Program provides opportunities for students from two-year technical colleges and four-year universities, up to the doctoral

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Closings

Final curtain for downtown business

The last event held at the Events on Broad location is their going-out-of-business sale. The combination restaurant/event space was open for years at 716 Broad Street, next to the Miller Theatre. The G.O.B. sale is tomorrow (Saturday) from 10-3 at their facility. They have decor, dinnerware, platters, candle holders, lamps, tables, and much more. In a social media post, the owner stated no item is more than $30.

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B2B Stories

Celebrating a $33 million expansion at Augusta airport

A dedication ceremony was held for a major expansion to a legacy business at Augusta Regional Airport (AGS), just a year after construction began. The expansion includes a new hangar at StandardAero, an aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul services business that has been at the airport for over 50 years. Russell Ford, Chairman and CEO of StandardAero, said the team in Augusta is part of an industry he believes is one of the most impactful in recent history. “Without the aerospace industry, there wouldn’t be a lot of materials and

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B2B Stories

CSRA company brings the spark to trade competition

For the fourth year, Newsome Electrical Construction LLC (NEC) is returning as a Title Sponsor of the AGC East Georgia Skills Challenge. This workforce development initiative targets high school students across 14 counties, delivering training in their choice of 10 construction-focused disciplines. High schools offering construction and/or welding programs are invited to participate. Schools that commit to the program will incorporate training materials into their curriculum, and each school may select two students per discipline to compete at the regional challenge. “Investing in and supporting career development opportunities that prepare

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B2B Stories

Businesses welcome athletes with special perks

One of Metro Augusta’s largest sporting events is offering local businesses an opportunity to welcome participants and volunteers. The Augusta Sports Council is inviting businesses in Georgia and South Carolina to participate in this year’s IM Local program. It is connected to the annual IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta triathlon, set for Sept. 28 this year. “We saw a need and an opportunity to promote what we have locally, to the athletes that were coming, the family and friends that they were bringing with them, but also for the volunteers that were

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Consumer Stories

Another flight added to AGS schedule

Good news from the Augusta Regional Airport if your business plans take you to Texas. The return of a second daily American Airlines flight to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has been added. The new service will begin on October 7, 2025, and will operate daily. The additional flight will depart AGS at 7:07 a.m., making it one of the first departures of the day. This early-morning option will complement the existing 4:30 p.m. DFW service, giving travelers more flexibility and connectivity. Both flights will be operated on CRJ-900 aircraft,

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B2B Stories

$2 billion financial firm opens office in the CSRA

1280 Financial Partners has opened a location in North Augusta as part of a group overseeing around $2 billion in client assets. What began in Ft. Myers, Florida, and Sandusky, Ohio, under the umbrella of United Bank of Switzerland (UBS), the firm also has offices in Miami and in North Augusta at the West Martintown Business Complex at 1315 W. Martintown Road. In May, 1280 Financial Partners left UBS to join independent broker-dealer and advisory firm Sanctuary Wealth Management, which includes more than 120 partner firms overseeing approximately $50 billion

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