Consumer Stories

Consumer Stories

JBA construction closer to reality

The intergovernmental agreement between the Augusta Commission and the Augusta-Richmond Coliseum Authority has been signed. Authority Chairman, Cedric Johnson confirmed for ABD he signed the document. It creates the pipeline to receive funds from the half-penny sales tax approved by voters in November 2023. “Approval by the Commission opens the doorway for us to get those funds,” he said. “Without that agreement, any SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) goes straight to the city. So, we do have an agreement on how we would handle the funds.” One of

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Consumer Stories

Businesses getting down with downtown event

Mark your calendar for the Downtown Get Down event sponsored by Downtown Soul City. It’s a fundraising event taking place from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Savannah River Brewing Co. in Augusta on Thursday, March 21st, 2024. Local merchant association Downtown Soul City (DSC) invites the public to join them to celebrate their community achievements, learn about future initiatives and events, and have a funky good time. The non-profit association will be hosting a fundraising party featuring a theme of “The James Brown Era” and attendees are encouraged to

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Closings

Iconic retailer with an Augusta location announces store closings

Macy’s, which has an anchor store in the Augusta Mall, has announced massive store closings, including 50 by the end of this year and another 100 underperforming stores to close by the end of 2026. Although the full list of store closings has not been released, in an official statement requested by ABD, Macy’s corporate communications confirmed Macy’s Augusta Mall will remain open. “Our new strategy is designed to return Macy’s, Inc. to profitable growth and enhance the customer experience,” the statement explained. “We intend to close approximately 150 Macy’s

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Consumer Stories

North Augusta growing again with major new home construction

Business is booming in North Augusta and now, a new neighborhood has opened that should ensure there will be families to patronize those establishments. The neighborhood, developed by Ivey Homes, will have approximately 170 dwellings. Single-family homes range from 1,490 to just over 2,900 square feet. They offer two to six bedrooms and two to four bathrooms. Prices range from $271,000 to $400,000. There will also be townhomes, offering two to three bedrooms. Sizes range from just under 1,200 up to 1,490 square feet and two and a half bathrooms.

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Consumer Stories

Tourism icon to help military folks in the CSRA

An annual event scheduled at Augusta Regional Airport is drawing increased attention to the airport. The third annual “Run the Runway” has been set for March 16. It gives individuals the unique opportunity to run a 5k race on one of the runways at the airport. “The course takes you through Lock and Dam Park and then, it will turn and get you on our property. You’ll run up our runway and down and end on our taxiway,” Lauren Smith, Assistant Director of Marketing & Public Relations at the airport

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B2B Stories

Universities fueling the workforce pipeline for tourism and hospitality jobs

Travel, tourism, and hospitality are rebounding following a slump during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Augusta University and UGA are helping bump the numbers by offering training programs for those industries. A recent report from the University of Georgia (UGA), listed hospitality and tourism as the second largest contributor to the state’s economy. In 2022, there were nearly 168 million visitors generating $39.8 billion in direct visitor spending. That translates to $4.7 billion in state and local tax revenues. In Athens, the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel

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Consumer Stories

Mental Health Matters: Love Your Habits and Routines: The Mental Shift

In a world full of instant gratification and comfort, old habits die hard. Each day is a new day, a fresh new start to go and conquer the world. But the fact of the matter is we all fall into the slump of the “daily routine” – meaning our minutes, hours, and days are defined by our habits – the good, the bad, and the ugly. But are habits and routines interchangeable? It would make sense that the simple answer is yes – but the fact of the matter is

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Consumer Stories

Confessions of an Oscar Addict

I have been watching the Academy Awards since I was nine years old – my first memory of the show being Heath Ledger’s family, flown in from Australia, accepting the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for The Dark Knight on behalf of the late star. Two years later, at age eleven, The King’s Speech had impressed me enough with its storytelling that I swore on everything, except my own deceased relatives that it would suffice for the big prizes on Oscar night. It turned out that I was correct, and

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B2B Stories

Veterans open CSRA business to serve and protect your biggest lifetime purchase

After more than 20 years of military service in the U.S. Army, Jeremiah Adell and his wife, Maria are serving again, this time with a home inspection business. Last month, their family opened a Pillar to Post Home Inspectors franchise. “I’m from Rochester, New York, but Maria is from Augusta. When we bought our house here, I was still deployed, so the Pillar to Post Home Inspectors business seemed a great fit for us. The company has a checklist that takes the mystery out of home inspection whether a spouse

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B2B Stories

Another hurdle cleared and one step closer to JBA reality

The second step required to collect funds for the new James Brown Arena construction has been completed. Augusta Commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Augusta Richmond County Coliseum Authority. The agreement sets in motion the financial process of collecting and dispersing the money from the half-penny Construction Special Project, Local Option Sales Tax (C-SPLOST). It also clears the way to begin collecting money through the $250 million bond issue approved by voters last November. The process began in late January when members of the Authority approved the intergovernmental

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