Sports / Entertainment

Consumer Stories

A new way to party like it’s 1999

Publisher’s Note: Startup Summer is the next step in Venture Lab Aiken (VLA). It is a collaboration among the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Make Startups in theClubhou.se in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center (GCITC) and South Carolina. $500,000 in seed money is available.  Music is a big part of Skyler Bates’ life. For him, part of the pleasure comes from enjoying music with friends. He is developing 432Bleu to recreate that experience by bringing in the human element. “432Bleu is a virtual concert space that prioritizes the guests’ ability

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B2B Stories

Play Ball with technology

Publisher’s Note: Today is part four of our ongoing Startup Summer series. It’s part of Venture Lab Aiken (VLA), organized by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Make Startups in theClubhou.se in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center (GCITC) and South Carolina Research Authority. $500,000 in seed money will be distributed. The ABS system started this year in Major League Baseball.  In the future, baseball fans and coaches can use a different device being developed to work in the strike zone. It is called PlateLogic, and Paul Musick came up

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Consumer Stories

New golf facility with ties to entertainer opens at CSRA golf course

True Spec Golf is opening today in Evans with ties to pop culture icon and entertainer, Justin Timberlake.   The local name will be True Spec Augusta. The company chose Jones Creek as the third True Spec facility in Georgia. It will be home to True Spec’s brand-agnostic club fitting matrix of more than 70,000 club head and shaft combinations from every major equipment manufacturer, which enables True Spec’s master club fitters to find the best equipment to improve a player’s game.  “Jones Creek puts particular emphasis on offering all of its golfers an enjoyable and welcoming experience every time out,” said Scott Anderson, President of True Spec Golf. “We strive

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B2B Stories

New arena begins to tower over 7th Street

The size of the new arena is taking shape off Telfair Street between 7th Street and 8th Street and completely changes the skyline. The new arena will be ten stories high, twice the height of the original James Brown Arena. It will be the length of three football fields and seat 10,500, substantially more than the old 7,000-seat capacity. “It’s going up fast. They’re doing a great job,” Brad Usry, chairman of the arena construction subcommittee of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority, told ABD. “We got 150 people working every

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B2B Stories

Local basketball boosts economy

A few tournaments in the next few weeks will bring in big money and big crowds to the CSRA tourism trade. Currently, Nike is hosting the Nike Junior Championships, followed by the nationally renowned Nike Peach Jam. According to Destination Augusta and the Augusta Sports Council, 20,000 visitors are expected to stay at area hotels, dine, and shop while in town. For the entire month of July, tourism professionals in our area expect there to be more than $12 Million in economic impact.

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B2B Stories

The economics of FIFA and the World Cup

The World Cup is well underway, and as expected, India, the West Indies, England, and Australia are topping their groups as I write.  Oh sorry. That’s actually the women’s cricket World Cup happening right now in England. Most US-based sports fans are probably more aware of the soccer World Cup happening across the US, Canada, and Mexico. As the tournament heads into the knockout stages, the big guns of Germany, Argentina, Brazil, and (er, hum) the United States Men’s National Team (abbreviated USMNT for no reason, we don’t have GMNT

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Consumer Stories

CSRA Business support is growing for Augusta’s newest hockey team

The first puck won’t drop in Augusta’s new arena for more than a year. Area businesses and general hockey fans are already jumping aboard the hockey bandwagon. The recent buzz started with the selection of the branding and name.  The Augusta Lynx is a tip of the helmet to an era of hockey that began in the mid to late 1990’s. “We already have a couple of sponsors that have signed on, and we’ve got a couple of conversations for some exclusive sponsorships,” co-owner David Hodges said.  CSRA companies and hockey

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Consumer Stories

Tomorrow’s a huge day for CSRA business

Some might call a block party on Sat., June 6, a bit of a heavy lift.  For the organization expanding into a new location— it’s no sweat! Tomorrow marks the grand opening of the Family YMCA of Greater Augusta’s new, state-of-the-art facility in North Augusta. It will be at their new location at 406 E. Martintown Road.  “With this space, we can really accommodate this community, including almost double the childcare space, because our community loves growing their families, and that’s been a struggle for us to really support the

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B2B Stories

Transitioning “Brave-ly”: How to Recover from a Bad Stretch

Publisher’s Note: Yours truly is a bit of a **** yankee, though I am a diehard NY Mets fan in baseball. Our esteemed columnist, Dr. Rick Franza, is a huge Atlanta Braves fan. Our teams are going in different directions this year, with the Braves setting records—a far cry from the 2025 disappointing season. The Braves are mentally strong, and Dr. Franza gleaned some lessons learned for our businesses. Dr. Franza: Many fans and members of the media called for a major shakeup of the team before the start of

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Consumer Stories

Updates on 2 popular, closed venues

In 2027, metro Augusta could see the return of two very different, but equally popular, venues. Both have been closed since 2024, one by design, the other following Hurricane Helene. JBA subheader In December 2024, demolition began on the James Brown Arena, clearing the way for a new, three-story, 10,500-seat venue. Last week, members of the Coliseum Authority learned that the construction work remains on schedule and on budget.  “Everything is moving on schedule with the steel erection,” Jon Rawlins, Senior Project Manager with Legends Global, updated authority members. “The

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