Consumer Stories

Residential Real Estate

Real Talk Real Estate: Spring Into Action: Get Your Home Ready to Sell This Season

As the New Year unfolds, many homeowners begin considering their goals for the months ahead. If selling your home in the spring is on your to-do list, now is the perfect time to start preparing. The spring real estate market is one of the busiest of the year, and getting a head start can help your home stand out among the competition. Here are the key areas to focus on to ensure your property is ready to shine when buyers start their search this spring. 1. Declutter and Organize A

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Awards/Celebrations

Local Leaders in the Georgia Spotlight

Georgia Trend magazine has released its annual top-of-the-heap leadership list. Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential leaders in the state. Johnson joins a veritable who’s who in Georgia, including Governor Brian Kemp, James Quincey, CEO of the Coca-Cola Company, Dan Amos, CEO of Aflac, and many other corporate, government, and civic leaders. The magazine staff chose Johnson because of his leadership following the devastation of Hurricane Helene when he sought assistance from federal and state agencies for citizens and businesses to start the

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Consumer Stories

What happens after hiring an employee?

Much attention is given to the importance of education, training, and apprenticeships to build a workforce pipeline. After an individual is hired, another step comes into focus: mentoring. SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), a leader in providing experts, research, and advocacy on challenges in the current workplace, said mentorships can be “career-defining and life-changing” in shaping how mentees learn about their chosen field while also learning to network and nurture their career growth. However, SHRM finds mentorships benefit both groups involved. “Mentorship is a win-win situation,” says Adrienne Mitchell,

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Consumer Stories

Aiken County steps into the future of technology

Data centers are growing in size, location, and scope across the country, and Aiken County is feeling the impact. In late August 2024, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announced it would build a center in Aiken County’s Sage Mill Industrial Park. Just three months later, Atlanta-based DC Blox said it would build a hyperscale edge node in North Augusta. Those centers are smaller and situated regionally to bring networking power closer to the end user. The North Augusta project is one of four announced by the

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Consumer Stories

10th Anniversary of Fun Business

A CSRA company is jumping into the New Year with 10th Anniversary celebrations. All Star Jumpers Party Rental is one of the leading providers of inflatable jumpers and party entertainment. The company has grown into a major special events business for birthdays, school events, corporate picnics, community festivals, and more. ASJP provides bounce houses, slides, obstacle courses, and interactive games. “We started with a simple goal: to create fun and memorable experiences for children and families. Over the years, we’ve expanded our services, improved our offerings, and built strong relationships.

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Consumer Stories

No Retail Room at the “Riverwood Inn”

100% of the existing buildings are now full at the shopping centers outside of Riverwood Plantation in Evans. Publix has more than half of the more than 100,000 square feet occupied between retail stores and out parcel properties at the intersection of Washington Road and William Few Parkway. Salt Interior and Design occupied the last space available recently, replacing a Taekwondo center. That business moved into a significantly larger space next to Rooted, a locally owned café. AR Workshop was the previous tenant next to Rooted. There are a few

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Residential Real Estate

Best of Real Talk Real Estate: Will Homes Finally Become Affordable in 2025?

Editor’s note: Welcome to a new year! Happy house hunting! As CSRA homeowners make changes after Helene and new potential homeowners move into the area, it seemed appropriate to repeat a column you might have missed about the potential of affordable homes in 2025. The question on everyone’s mind is whether 2025 will bring relief to homebuyers struggling with affordability. While recent fluctuations in mortgage rates have added uncertainty, many industry experts predict a gradual decline in rates next year. However, don’t expect rates to plummet too quickly. The powers

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Consumer Stories

A Dadventure unlike any other

Editor’s note: When Wes Hennings contributes to ABD, the topic usually revolves around Working for the Weekends and where you can take your kids for some fun and games. Today’s Dadventure is different. It’s a lifesaving trip he takes with his daughter.  You’re never prepared for your child to receive a devastating diagnosis. But it’s news we received before our daughter was even born. She would live her life facing Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a disease that until just a few years ago, was almost always deadly before the age of

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Consumer Stories

Second Round of Funding Underway for Helene Crisis Fund

The Community Foundation for the CSRA has entered the second phase of its Hurricane Helene Community Crisis Fund granting process. Since the storm’s aftermath, the Foundation has granted $2,803,500 to nonprofits that have worked on the front lines providing critical services and administering aid. The second phase of granting will continue to fund 20 counties, in both Georgia and South Carolina, that were impacted by Hurricane Helene.  During round two, the Foundation will expand its granting parameters to include not just 501(c)3 nonprofits, but also churches, civic organizations, and schools

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Consumer Stories

List pinpoints “hot” jobs in CSRA and the state

Georgia now has a tool identifying what are and will be, the most in-demand jobs to fill current openings and create a workforce pool for the future. Called “Georgia’s High Demand Career List’, it was approved by the State Workforce Development Board, according to a news release from Gov. Brian Kemp (R). “As the number one state to do business for over a decade, maintaining our competitive edge remains a top goal for my administration and our partners in the legislature,” said Kemp. “Georgia’s High Demand Career List is our

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