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Simon Says: What County Had the Highest Per Capital Personal Income?

Did residents in Aiken, Columbia, and Edgefield County make the most money? In 2024, Columbia County had the highest per capita personal income in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), and McDuffie County had the largest increase over 2023. Personal income is defined by the Bureau of Economic Analysis as “the income received by, or on behalf of, all persons from all sources: from participation as laborers in production, from owning a home or business, from the ownership of financial assets, and from government and business in the form of

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B2B Stories

(Water) Taxi anyone on the Savannah River?

For North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams, the most intriguing part of Augusta 2035: Blueprint for Action report is Augusta Tomorrow’s proposal to introduce water taxis. Those would be used to shuttle passengers between the Augusta side and the new boat dock near the Sharon Jones Amphitheater on the North Augusta side. “Neither one of our communities has truly understood and embraced what it means to have a body of water in between us,” Williams said. “Communities in both our states would love to have water as part of what they

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B2B Stories

EXCLUSIVE: “Powerful” company ignites possibilities in Aiken

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in early February at USCA creates a partnership with a company on the leading edge of developing new ways to generate power. The MOU is with Antares Industries, a California-based company that specializes in nuclear fission energy systems, including fission microreactors, also known as Small Modular Reactors (SMR). Tom Mancinelli, Head of Federal Strategy and Policy at Antares, told ABD that their work right now is primarily for defense and space. They also work with the Pentagon and NASA to provide reactors for energy

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B2B Stories

250,000 member group in CSRA goes high tech

An organization that is more closely associated with outdoor activities and ecology is adding high-tech to its operation. The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is opening a satellite office in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center (GCITC) in downtown Augusta.  NWTF co-CEO, Jason Burckhalter, told ABD the collaboration is a natural progression to innovate so their mission has the maximum impact. “We’re leaning heavily into innovation and technology being a key component of that, and to be more specific, on the AI front. We wanted to embed our IT

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B2B Stories

All I know about the Trader Joe’s Deal in Evans

The worst-kept secret in the CSRA is that Trader Joe’s is expected to build a standalone store directly behind the Columbia County Performing Arts Center, with the building facing North Belair Road. Cal Wray, the leader of the Augusta Economic Development Authority, says Trader Joe’s even looked in Richmond County a while back and decided against it. He says that Columbia County officials not being specific on active projects is not unusual. He doesn’t comment until there is a signed agreement. A Columbia County spokesperson said, not only is the

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Consumer Stories

CSRA golf course piggybacks the Masters

Watching the Masters tournament at Augusta National or on CBS could lead to a big boon the following week for a renovated golf course in Augusta. The Augusta Municipal Golf Course, best known by its nickname, The Patch, is set to re-open on April 15 after a 16-month renovation process. Photo Courtesy of Augusta National It has been closed since April 2023. Under a partnership with the Augusta National Golf Club (ANGC), Augusta Technical College, The First Tee of Augusta, and Masters Tournament Charities, the 18-hole course has undergone a

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B2B Stories

CSRA retailer expands on Georgia Avenue

There are not many things that go better with ice cream than children with their favorite toys! The Orange Otter Toy Store just expanded on Georgia Avenue and moved its store just a few blocks away, and close to a North Augusta family tradition.  They were in the same center as South State Bank and adjacent to Gary’s Hamburgers on Georgia Avenue. Orange Otter is now next to the Pink Dipper ice cream shop at 507 Georgia Avenue. Aubrey Hickson, store owner, says the new location is 1600 square feet

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B2B Stories

2 Business Schools suggest a positive economic outlook in 2026

Dr. Santanu Chatterjee, interim dean at UGA’s Terry College of Business (at podium), and Dr. Simon Medcalfe, economist at AU’s Hull College of Business and an ABD contributor, both can see growth in Augusta’s economy in 2026. They see different sectors helping to drive revenue and jobs. Dr. Chatterjee led the 43rd annual statewide economic outlook event that travels from city to city. He said the Metro Augusta region is important to the overall outlook for Georgia, with healthcare leading the way. “The only sector in which we’ll see some

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Consumer Stories

Changes at local food and entertainment complex

John Hyder is about to demolish this part of his multi-purpose property that he opened 28 years ago. He’s a serial entrepreneur and is planning his 3rd act. His miniature golf course was part of a unique business model that featured the South on Whiskey Event Venue and JC’s Seafood on his several-acre property at 3197 Whiskey Road in Aiken. Those two businesses will remain open. Over the weekend, Hyder made the announcement on his personal Facebook page, and it sparked about 100 comments. “We would like to sincerely thank

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Consumer Stories

Simon Says: Augusta job growth vs. other Georgia cities

Publisher’s Notes: Last week, yours truly jumped the gun, and my headline undersold how good Augusta’s labor market is. “Augusta is growing jobs at a faster rate than most Georgia cities.” As Simon writes this week, the news is much better: SIMON: This week, I DO compare job growth to other cities (metropolitan statistical areas, MSAs) and job growth last year in Augusta was faster than ALL other Georgia cities. Only four MSAs had positive job growth in 2025: Augusta, Brunswick, Columbus, and Savannah. Four MSAs saw large job losses:

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