Consumer Stories

B2B Stories

Kemp signs legislation targeting workforce and education

Ga. Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has signed more than half a dozen bills dealing with workforce development that were passed during the 2024 session of the Georgia Legislature. One of the bills, House Bill 982, requires the State Workforce Development Board to create a high-demand career list. The goal is to make sure the state is creating programs and educational opportunities to fill the most critically needed jobs. “Every job creator who calls Georgia home and every prospective company looking to expand tells me that, along with our business-friendly environment

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B2B Stories

A taste of Miami opens in the CSRA

Aiken is now home to an establishment that offers Latin jazz, flamenco performances, tasty dishes, cocktails, and premium cigars. Rhumba Rum and Cigar Lounge opened at 321 Richland West in Aiken, the former location of Antique Emporium which closed last year. Rhumba held a soft opening in April and a grand opening on May 9. Born in Cuba, Rhumba owner, Elier Alberto lived in Miami for 22 years working in nightclubs that served up Latin cuisine, Latin jazz, and fine cigars. Miami is known for its thriving nightlife and sandy

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B2B Stories

Brews, bites, and barks

Sometimes, business dreams are worth waiting for. When Andrew Phifer, an engineer, and his wife, Rachel, an accountant, found themselves more apart than together because of their jobs, they started thinking of what they could do together that both would enjoy. With inspiration from their own “good girl” Kate the rescue dog, the idea for Good Girl Brewing Company was born. In 2021, they found the perfect spot at 880 Banks Mill Road in Aiken, next door to Citizens Park and the former location of Found Treasures, an antique and

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B2B Stories

‘Tis the growing season in the CSRA

When you get off work today, you can pick up fresh veggies and other locally produced products at the South Augusta Farmers Market at Mayor Garnett Johnson’s Headquarters, 4104 Windsor Spring Road in Hepzibah. The official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the market is at 6:00 pm. They will also be open at 9:00 am on Saturday. Agriculture is Georgia’s leading industry with more than $74 billion in economic impact every year. In Augusta, agribusiness brings in more than $130 million, according to the Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA). “The event

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Inner Bean Café

Food Quality: 5 Service: 4 Business Meeting: 4 Value: 3 Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Inner Bean Café’s Facebook page refers to the eatery on Davis Road as “not just a place; it’s a state of mind,” and if you’ve ever eaten there, you probably know exactly what that description means. I’ve enjoyed visiting many restaurants in Augusta and beyond, but eating at Inner Bean has always been such a calming experience and a welcome respite from the chaos of the world. My wife, Rebecca, and I visited the

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Consumer Stories

In Wildcat, Flannery O’Connor’s life and words intertwine

The movie biopic has become something of a dreaded, exhausted genre; often an exploitative, surface-level travesty of a familiar personality played with predictable beats and cosmetic transformation of a leading actor hungry for an Oscar nomination (remember Mr. Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein?). Most of these films either try to capture an entire life in two hours, or laser-focus on one specific, usually climactic, period of a subject’s life with little to offer in terms of context. With the new film Wildcat, one may fear that legendary Georgia-born writer, Flannery O’Connor would

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B2B Stories

USCA gets financial boost to help cyber students

USCA has received money from a veteran-owned cybersecurity firm that will fund scholarships for students seeking a career in cybersecurity and computer science. SteelGate, LLC, a Virginia-based company with an office in Augusta, has donated $25,000 to USCA. The SteelGate Cyber Scholarships will be used to provide $1,000 scholarships to high school students in the Aiken-Augusta area. “We contacted about 15 to 18 high schools in the region. And there’s a competitive scholarship for each school, one to two scholarships,” Dr. Scott McKay, Dean of Sciences and Engineering, explained for

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Consumer Stories

Big donation from Columbia County merchants supports children in need

The most vulnerable infants at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia (CHOG) in Augusta are benefitting from the 4th Annual Spring Fair in Columbia County, thanks to the fair’s sponsors. The Merchants Association of Columbia County (MACC), a non-profit organization made up of active and retired business owners, presented the hospital with a check for $180,000. “We just want the community to recognize there are needs in our community, and there are associations in the community that want to help. Especially children in need,” said Carol Garner, MACC Charity Committee Chairperson

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Consumer Stories

When a biz break calls for family fun

Fort Eisenhower MWR Phone:  706-791-6779 Website: MWR Website Summer is right around the corner, and you may be thinking about options to explore with your kids that will not cost you an arm and a leg. From one local to another, I never really thought that a civilian could have such an easy time getting on post, but there are great programs in place just waiting for you to take advantage of all the fun that happens on Fort Eisenhower. There are options for civilian day passes and an Automatic

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B2B Stories

Augusta University graduates nearly 1,600 students

During ceremonies spanning two days, Augusta University conferred degrees on 1,584 graduate and undergraduate students from its individual colleges. Graduate students were honored on Thurs., May 9, with undergraduate students receiving their degrees on Fri., May 10. The keynote address was delivered by Sonny Perdue, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia (USG). He told graduates he knew they had worked with world-class professors and researchers, putting them on a fulfilling career path. “From the time you threw a coin in the fountain of the Summerville campus to now, a

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