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Consumer Stories
B2B Stories

Small businesses hope shoppers think local for Christmas joy

CSRA small businesses hope shoppers will remember the old saying, “Home is where the heart is,” and support local merchants this season. The biggest shopping day of the year is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when the Christmas shopping season officially begins. Traditionally, shoppers head to the big box stores to score bargains. But a day later, the spotlight turns to small, local businesses for Small Business Saturday. More than a dozen businesses in downtown Augusta will participate in the third annual Small Business Saturday (SBS) Crawl, sponsored by

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Dana Lynn McIntyre November 21, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Where to find the holiday shopping magic

Editor’s note: I’m showing my age here but when my three sisters and I were growing up, the arrival of the Sears Wish Book was a highlight for us. It was 600+ pages of Christmas magic. We earmarked the pages of the gifts we hoped to receive. My how times have changed! In today’s world, producing a Sears catalog and mailing it to the masses would cost a fortune. There are a scant 13 Sears remaining today because of increased competition from other big-box retailers, so no need for a

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Mitzi Oxford November 21, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Remote or return? That is the question facing employers and employees alike

In recent weeks, we have seen a steady increase in the percentage of workers returning to the office.   Workers are returning to the office at the highest rates since early 2020, as companies increase their efforts to bring back their employees from remote work.  According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, office use is up to 47.5 percent in 10 major metropolitan areas, the highest it has been since late March 2020. I am encouraged by this because I think there are many benefits to being back

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Dr. Richard Franza November 21, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Simon Says: Thankful for Decorah

I will be spending Thanksgiving with my son in beautiful Decorah, Iowa. In this season of glutinous overeating, Decorah has several gastronomic delights worth importing to Augusta Georgia. (If I use the word importing, then it makes this an economic column, right?!?!) Decorah, and much of the upper mid-west, was settled by Scandinavian immigrants and that culture is still strong. One of the best legacies is Lefsa, a traditional flatbread made with potatoes. It can be used as naan bread for curries, a wrap for hotdogs, or like a tortilla

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe November 20, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

New athleisure brand opens to the pickleball-loving public

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the CSRA and America. It’s easy to learn and fun to play. It’s a racquet sport and a cross between tennis, badminton, and ping pong, but played on a smaller court. Pickleball is also good for your health which is what brought brothers, Dan and Jon Lawson and David Pope together to form the athleisure company Good Get Apparel. Jon is a pulmonologist, Dan and David were in the technology side of healthcare. “We all understood the health benefits of playing pickleball,

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Mitzi Oxford November 16, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Dividing the tax pie following huge event successes

It’s been a banner year for events in the CSRA and with that comes a healthy chunk of money collected through accommodation taxes. Building on those success stories and creating a new event resulted in requests for dividing up the bounty. The funds are collected through the state’s 2% accommodations tax (ATAX) from visitors staying in hotels and similar lodgings. North Augusta’s pot has grown steadily. In 2021, the city had $76,065 to distribute. That climbed to $140,450 last year. Members of the North Augusta Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee reviewed

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Dana Lynn McIntyre November 15, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

3 companies team up for a good deed this season

Thanks to MoSH PiT Eats, Trendz Salon, and Dye’s Southern Catering, 50 families will be well-fed this Thanksgiving. It all started with a friendship between the owner of Trendz Salon, Robyn Kelley, and the owner of MoSH PiT Eats on Old Evans Road. Robyn and her team love the food that Jason and Amber Parrish serve up and they eat there often. Robyn is a member of Stevens Creek Church, which has the Augusta Dream Center as part of its campus in South Augusta. The Augusta Dream Center serves those

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Neil Gordon November 15, 2023 No Comments
ABD Extra

Georgia filmmaking soon to be back in action?

118 Days after declaring an industry walkout, SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating team announced the news that millions had long been waiting for: “We have reached a deal.” What does that mean for Georgia and specifically the CSRA? With the massive agreement comes the return of film to Georgia, and already a lot of high-profile projects are scuttling to get back to production. Clint Eastwood’s newest film, Juror #2, will soon begin shooting in Savannah. Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World will proceed with filming in Atlanta’s Trilith studios. While it isn’t yet

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Dylan James November 15, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

New CSRA gift shop opens just in time for the holidays

A charming, southern house built almost 100 years ago has served as a real estate office, a salon, and an interior design shop. Now, another life has been breathed into the property at 1216 Whiskey Road in Aiken. Meadow Aiken is a family-owned shop that opened last month. The rooms of the home now feature an array of gifts and other home décor. “When we first saw it, we thought it was so beautiful we couldn’t stop thinking about it,” said owner, Nikki Mackenzie. “Yes, it was old and had

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Mitzi Oxford November 14, 2023 No Comments
Awards/Celebrations

Augusta Metro Chamber receives prestigious honor

The Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (GACCE) recently recognized the 2023 class of Georgia Certified Chambers, and the Augusta Metro Chamber was one of nine Georgia chambers to receive the certification. In 2011, the GACCE Board of Directors sought a way to recognize Chambers of Commerce in the state that have focused internally on their operations to assess their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to create efficient, effective organizations positioned to deliver great value. Thus, the Georgia Certified Chamber program was created. The purpose of the program is to facilitate continuing

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Staff Report November 13, 2023 No Comments
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