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First Lady Jill Biden’s visit praises economic and workforce development

For the second time this year, Augusta has welcomed First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden to tout economic growth and workforce development. In July, she visited Augusta Technical College. Wednesday’s visit brought her to the Aurubis Richmond, LLC plant under construction in the Augusta Corporate Park. Biden was first given a tour of several sections of the facility and was briefed by Aurubis COO, Inge Hofkens on what the plant will do when operational. Also on the tour were Aurubis CEO, Roland Harings, Superintendent Kenneth Bradshaw, Richmond County School System (RCSS),

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Augusta could see a visit from First Lady Jill Biden today

According to a Nov. 3 press release from the office of the mayor, First Lady Jill Biden is expected to visit Augusta today as part of the Investing in America Workforce Hub tour. She is scheduled to fly into Augusta Regional Airport with the interim Labor Secretary at 10 A.M. Though it is not yet confirmed which location she will visit, if any, the current presidential administration has recognized initiatives led by the City of Augusta, Mayor Garnet Johnson, Augusta Technical College, Aiken Technical College, the Richmond County School System,

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Repurposing of shopping center to include hardware and pickleball

Demolition and clearing continue this week inside the 50,000-square-foot former home of Bi-Lo and Final Cut in the shopping center at 500 Furys Ferry Road in Martinez. Once the remodeling is complete, the right side of the vacant building will feature Furys Ferry Hardware, a deal we reported a few months back. Co-owners of the tool and gardening center will be a local alternative to Lowe’s and Home Depot. The plan is for them to open their nearly 20,000-square-foot facility in early spring, in advance of the 2024 Masters Golf

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Columbia County Chamber gears up for the 2024 Georgia legislative session

Columbia County Chamber of Commerce lists workforce training and tort reform among its legislative priorities for the upcoming session. The chamber held its annual pre-legislative session breakfast on Nov. 2, hosting members of the local delegation and business leaders. “It’s an opportunity for us to educate our delegates on what our priorities are,” said chamber president and CEO, Russell Lahodny. “And it’s also an opportunity to hear from them and what are the things that they’re seeing? What are the things that they’re going to be focusing on in 2024?

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Augusta Tech gives a sneak peek of its next big project

A multi-million dollar renovation will bring one of Augusta Technical College’s in-demand training programs to Walton Way and 12th Street. The former Johnson Motor Company is being re-purposed to house the automotive training programs available at Augusta Tech. On Wednesday, the college issued an invitation to attend a soft launch and unveiled renderings, showing how it will look. Augusta Tech was able to purchase the former dealership, thanks to $1 million donations from The Knox Foundation, The Augusta National Golf Club, and Jim Hudson Automotive Group. The campus will be

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Building contractor gets to fix poor CSRA conditions

Efforts were underway to provide adequate housing for soldiers at Fort Eisenhower. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Oct. 31 for a new housing development on Fort Eisenhower named Pine Tree Terrace. This development aims to improve living conditions for young soldiers living on-post at Fort Eisenhower. A total of 76 homes will be built in the development, including four that are handicapped accessible. “There’ll be three and four-bedroom townhomes, modern floor plans, and modern amenities for our soldiers and service members,” said Chuck Parker, executive VP of Balfour Beatty

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Final week of early voting on JBA funding referendum

The fate of the James Brown Arena’s future is in the hands of Richmond County voters, and it is coming down to the wire. Today through Friday, November 3 are the final days registered voters can advance vote on the referendum to create a Construction Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (C-SPLOST). If approved, it will create a half-penny sales tax to fund the $250 million project to build a new JBA. Members of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority continue meeting with individuals and groups of voters to explain the

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Organization changing its name to conform with the new Fort Eisenhower

While most of the attention is centered on the Oct. 27 redesignation ceremony, as it is officially called, the renaming of Fort Gordon to Fort Eisenhower is having a ripple effect on the CSRA. One of the largest impacts is on a local organization dedicated to supporting the Army post, its missions, and its enlisted personnel and families. The Alliance for Fort Gordon is transforming into the Alliance for Fort Eisenhower to reflect its ongoing support. “The alliance will continue to advocate for big projects like an I-20 interchange and

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Big exposure available for small businesses in South Carolina

Small businesses across South Carolina, from the smallest communities to the largest metropolitan cities, have an online option to market their business. The North Augusta Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Business Roundtable hosted a Zoom meeting at their October 25 session to explain We Shop SC. The initiative is a partnership with the Municipal Association of South Carolina, Main Street South Carolina, and Beyond Main. “One of the biggest things that we pursued this past year and a half ago was developing We Shop SC,” said Jenny Boulware of Main Street

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Preparing for the 2024 Georgia Legislative Session

Lawmakers head back to Atlanta in January and local Chambers of Commerce are holding the traditional pre-legislative session breakfasts. The Augusta Metro Chamber held its event on Oct. 24 at First Baptist Church of Augusta. Cosby Johnson, mayor of Brunswick, was the keynote speaker. Legislators attending were Representatives, Gloria Frazier (D-District 126), Dr. Mark Newton (R-District 127), Karlton Howard (D-District 129), Lynn Gladney (D-District 130) and Brian Prince (D-District 132, chairman of local delegation) and Senators Harold Jones (D-District 22) and Max Burns (R-District 23). Johnson, who is also vice

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