Consumer Stories

B2B Stories

$42 million to boost physician shortage challenges

The good news is that Georgia is growing. The bad news is the state has a huge shortage of doctors. Dr. David Hess, Dean of the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) made that point clear in his annual State of the College address. He said Georgia currently ranks 40th in the country in the number of primary care physicians. “All these counties, which are blue, or yellow are short, so there’s hardly any place that has enough physicians,” he said, using a slide to demonstrate the shortages. “And even worse,

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Consumer Stories

Skies over Augusta will again be filled by an Air Show

The air show at Augusta Regional Airport can now officially be called an annual event. The second annual Air Show Augusta will be held on May 25 and 26, and the first of the performers has been announced. The U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor Demo Team will be the centerpiece for this year’s show. “They’re one of the more, shall we say, loud and boisterous jet demo teams that are out there,” Chris Dirato, Director of Public Relations for the event, told ABD, adding that is the first of many

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B2B Stories

New eatery provides a business bite to go

Two years ago, Eric Emedoh moved to North Augusta from the Bronx, where bodegas line every street corner. If everything goes as planned, there will be many of the small restaurants across the CSRA as well. Bodega means a storehouse for wine. In New York, bodegas are like small convenience stores selling products including milk, eggs, and meats. Le Bodega at 1696 Knox Avenue in North Augusta doesn’t have wine and the ingredients they offer are cooked up in some delicious handheld sandwiches. Perfect for a busy businessperson to stop

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Awards/Celebrations

7 Brew Coffee celebrates 7 years with special offers

The drive-thru coffee concept with two Augusta locations started their birthday celebration on Valentine’s Day, because who doesn’t love coffee? Yet another reason to celebrate, 7 Brew is quickly approaching its 200th location, doubling its presence nationwide since June 2023. “The explosive growth we’ve seen since our founding shows that cultivating kindness and offering a stellar product can bring a brand to the next level,” said CeCe LaBorde, president of 7 Brew corporate locations. “We wanted to take this birthday to celebrate our customers who have embraced 7 Brew wholeheartedly.” You can

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B2B Stories

National workforce training program headed to Augusta

A program created by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) is coming to Augusta, one of just nine locations selected. The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce will partner with Augusta Technical College to select a cohort of adult learners of color who are underemployed or unemployed. The program will train them in an industry credential or degree. Details of the program are being worked out, but Sue Parr, President of the Augusta Metro Chamber, told ABD the first cohort will run for 18 months. “You know, it’s scary

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Awards/Celebrations

CSRA auto group celebrates 50 years with a big gift to the community

Gerald Jones Auto Group is celebrating 50 years of serving the CSRA by entering a 5-year commitment with Augusta Technical College, resulting in a $250,000 donation to the school’s Foundation. The Augusta Technical College Foundation helps create essential career pathways for the growing automotive landscape in Augusta. Andy Jones of Gerald Jones Auto Group said, “It is critical that we support Augusta Technical College in providing training and education for careers in automotive. It’s also important to the success of our dealerships and it’s great for our area residents.” The

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Consumer Stories

Anatomy of a Fall is a meal for audiences

One of the more intricate and exciting films released this year was Justine Triet’s French-English crime drama Anatomy of a Fall, starring Sandra Huller and nominated for five Academy Awards. With a mistrustful protagonist, an anxious setting, and an open ending, fans of murder mysteries, character studies, or psychological dramas will eat this flick up with a side salad. The film centers around the mysterious death of writer, Samuel Maleski, who falls from the second story of his chalet in Grenoble after sabotaging an interview of his wife, author, Sandra

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B2B Stories

Challenges get the best of local restaurant and take-out business

Editor’s note: The best part of my job is writing about new businesses. During the interview process, the excitement is palpable. The hardest part is telling the story of the ones that close. Telling those stories brings a different set of emotions to the table. Like most entrepreneurs, Jennifer Steller, owner of A Steller Kitchen, followed her dream which was to open a restaurant. Along the way, she endured some big challenges, including opening her doors in the midst of Covid and later her husband was diagnosed with two brain

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B2B Stories

Putting empty Augusta buildings back to work

Augusta-Richmond County will soon see a series of vacant buildings finding new life for different purposes. The most recent is the former Rite Aid/Eckerd Drugs store on Walton Way at 15th Street. It re-opened on Feb. 8 as a retail store and training center for Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA. That came on the heels of Goodwill turning the former Georgia Federal Bank on Washington Road at Furys Ferry Road into its welcome center for Helms College. Both locations had been commercial tracts, generating property taxes for

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Awards/Celebrations

3rd generation family business celebrates 75th year

Nuts and bolts go together and without both, you can’t produce strong equipment. They are designed to work so that they strengthen whatever they are holding together. Stafford Nut and Bolt understands the concept, which is why they’ve been around for 75 years. The family-owned business was founded in 1949 and acquired by owner and President, James Stafford’s grandfather in 1952. Based in Augusta, Stafford Nut and Bolt specializes in industrial supply and has become a cornerstone of the local business landscape. James Stafford, the president and owner, reflected on the company’s

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