Consumer Stories

B2B Stories

Simon Says: Employment and earnings up!

September saw another record month for employment in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Employment in September increased by 900 to 248,400. Augusta has seen records broken every month since June. Education and Health Services also saw record employment in September. Employment in September increased by 350 to over 40,000 for the first time. Other sectors that saw employment increase in September were leisure and hospitality (+190), professional and business services (+180), Transportation and utilities (+80), and retail (+40). Wholesale and manufacturing employment fell. Another record fell in September, average

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Sports / Entertainment

SCAD Film Festival: Take That

In the early 90’s, boy bands were everywhere: ‘NSync, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on The Block. If you turned on your radio, you were guaranteed to hear their catchy tunes. One of those bands, Take That, was huge in the UK…but not the U.S. “Better Man,” a gala screening at the 2024 SCAD Savannah Film Festival may change that legacy. The film is a biography of Take That member, Robbie Williams. Williams came from a loving home with a caring mother and grandmother. His father, while present early on, had

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Consumer Stories

Recovering from Helene: Latin Flavor

Hurricane Helene may have knocked the roof off Maria Singh’s outside seating area, but it didn’t deter her from doing what she’s done since age 9 in her native Dominican Republic – cooking Caribbean style! “I’ve been blessed. We have to help each other,” said the owner of Latin Flavor on the Riverwatch Parkway. After cleaning up the restaurant, Maria began cooking for the Grovetown Police Department and those in need at Fort Eisenhower. Ms. Singh made more than 100 meals, including some Caribbean specialties like Caribbean Chicken, beans, and

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Consumer Stories

Building Trust and Confidence in Senior Leadership

Attracting and retaining top talent continues to be a struggle for many employers, perhaps because they underestimate the value of building a sense of trust and confidence among their employees. Instilling a sense of trust and confidence in senior leadership is key to protecting the organization’s reputation and bottom line. Employees who do not trust or respect senior leaders are less likely to be engaged and productive and are more likely to seek employment elsewhere, leading to burnout for other staff, as well as costs related to turnover. Good leaders

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B2B Stories

CSRA company fights back against Chinese imports

In April 2024, Club Car announced an $8 million investment in Columbia County for a street-legal utility vehicle called the Urban LSV. Now, the company, as part of the American Personal Transportation Vehicle Manufacturers Coalition, has filed critical circumstances allegations with the U.S. Department of Commerce, to address a massive increase in Chinese imports of low-speed personal transportation vehicles (LSPTVs). The Coalition seeks tariffs and duties on LSPTV products sold below market value and with the assistance of improper foreign government subsidies. Duties would be levied on any imports after

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Sports / Entertainment

“The Piano Lesson” is a family affair

Opening night of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival always sets the tone for the rest of the event and Saturday’s gala screening raised the bar to Hollywood royalty heights. The Piano Lesson, the theatrical release of playwright August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning drama, closed out the festival’s first night. The movie follows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more, in deciding what to do with an heirloom, the family piano. Starring John David Washington and directed by Malcolm Washington, the

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B2B Podcasting

SRP Ballpark Apartment Developer plans next project

In nearly two years, there will be more than 300 new apartment units in the CSRA. Fansler Construction, a contractor from Jacksonville, Florida is ready to build another high-end complex in the CSRA. Fansler Construction took the lead on Riverside Village, a 315-unit luxury complex adjacent to Greenjackets stadium in North Augusta. Their second project in the CSRA is also in North Augusta, a 343-unit complex located off Knobcone Ave. near Interstate 20. According to a news release, the project will feature seven 4-story buildings, seven townhome buildings, and five

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Consumer Stories

Augusta National & more Helene help

Thanks to clothing connections with Augusta National—the Salvation Army is set to outfit the community tomorrow for FREE at its’ five locations, including the Kroc Center. Nine pallets and tens of thousands of pieces of golf apparel were donated late last week from an organization called Pros Fore Clothes. AGNC volunteers spent hours unloading shirts, vests, pants, hats, and more, etc. Four Salvation Army stores (listed below), including the Kroc Center in downtown Augusta and a new shop on the Riverwatch Parkway in Martinez, will be distributing the clothing to the community.

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Sports / Entertainment

Will Hollywood return to Georgia any time soon?

Every October, Hollywood’s elite arrives in Savannah, Georgia, for the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. And, while the star power brings fans — and their disposable income — from far and wide, key players in the entertainment industry see it as something more for our state. Walker Dalton, Executive Director of the Savannah Regional Film Commission: “Historically, the film industry is in Los Angeles. But around 2006, they implemented the incentives program here — which at the time was the most robust incentive program to come out, and which has been

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Sports / Entertainment

Working for the Weekend: Sara’s Farm Adventure

There are only two weekends left to experience the CSRA’s newest spot for fall family fun – Sara’s Farm Adventure. Sara’s has long been known in our area for quality produce (especially those sweet South Carolina peaches) but it won’t take long for folks to know that this is a high-quality weekend outing for the entire family. Sara’s has taken the farm fun that we’ve seen in other places and stepped it up a notch. They have a lot of open space to work with, so the entire experience feels

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