Augusta, GA
Augusta sees $740K economic impact from events in February
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – March is just around the corner, but the city of Augusta is taking time to celebrate hundreds of thousands of dollars brought in through February through events like the Augusta half marathon, conferences, and more.
February was a busy month for Augusta, from conferences to sporting events more than 4000 people visited the CSRA, bringing an economic impact of over $740,000 to the city.
Local businesses also felt the love from visitors and sales and hope it continues into spring; hoping this early rush becomes their new normal.
“We definitely saw an uptick. I mean, there’s all the events that have been happening downtown, new bars that have been opening downtown, restaurants all coming together. I think people starting to realize that downtown’s place to be so February was great. If you compare it to last year. It’s tremendous. Yeah, big difference between last year and this year,” said Manny Hatzis, owner of Manny’s Sports off Broad.
Manny’s Sports off Broad has seen more people walk in their doors, especially from out of town.
“Comparing numbers, we don’t really see a big tick until like maybe March and then you get this of course we get our masters uptick. But really this early is kind of unique. So it’s nice to see that,” he said.
They are hoping to stay busy, helping not only their business but also Augusta grow.
“I also think that all the events that we’ve had, and all those little shows that we’ve had really helped a lot. And I look forward to more of those with the new James Brown Arena in the future,” said Hatzis.
And when events come to town, they’re ready. Some events, like the Augusta Half Marathon do what they can to support local businesses.
“We’ve been really conscientious about using more local businesses in our race. So for example, the metal design and the t shirt design, it’s from a local artist, Jason Craig. And we’ve gotten the year from a local, you know, local business here, and we’ve done the screen printing from a local business,” said Michelle Pippin, Augusta Sports Council CEO.
Allowing more money to go right back into the city, bringing more people back to the CSRA.
“These new restaurants that have opened up and all these other clubs that have opened up, people can now make it a destination. Downtown can be a destination and that’s a great thing. That’s what it was in the old days. I think it’ll start doing that again,” Hatzis said.
With Masters coming up, local businesses hope this wave continues into March and April.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
TikToker cleans father’s hoarded house – and goes viral
Madison Lovelle posts videos online while going through and cleaning her childhood home after her father died.
Housing costs are often the biggest Georgians deal with every month, so it’s important to try and save money where possible.
Last week, WalletHub released its ranking of the most affordable cities to buy a home. It analyzed 300 cities based on 10 metrics, with the biggest weight going to housing affordability and cost per square foot.
Best city to buy a home in Georgia?
Augusta ranked the highest among Georgia cities, ranking 8th overall and 3rd best in the midsized cities list.
Augusta real estate prices
According to Zillow, as of March, the median list price for a house in Georgia is $205,000 with a median sale price of $187,283. About 57% of sales are under the list price.
The average rent, as of April, is $1,365 per month.
Augusta cost of living
The MIT Living Wage Calculator reports the hourly pay needed to support yourself and/or your family, assuming full-time employment. For Richmond County (Augusta), it’s $20.31 for one adult, $28.16 for a two-adult household with one working, and $14.08 for a two-adult household with both working.
Children obviously increase the wage needed. Depending on how many adults are working, the necessary pay figures may increase by up to $13 for just one child, with more needed for additional children.
Worst city to buy a home in Georgia?
The Georgia city with the lowest ranking on the list overall was Sandy Springs. However, with 300 cities, landing at No. 151 doesn’t make it nearly the worst in the nation. Sandy Springs was No. 56 on the small cities list.
What are the best cities to buy a home in US?
- Flint, MI
- Detroit, MI
- Surprise, AZ
- Yuma, AZ
- Akron, OH
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Memphis, TN
- Augusta, GA
- Indianapolis, IN
- Cleveland, OH
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Senate candidate Derek Dooley made several visits to the area on Friday.
Dooley had stops in both Lincolnton and Augusta on May 29 and was joined by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for his “Georgia First” tour. He spoke about one of the issues he finds in politics.
“But the other piece of it is the corruption. People sit on these committees. They have access to information that none of us have. And then you look up 2 or 3 years down the road and their wealth is just skyrocketing,” Dooley said. “You’re outperforming every investor out there. And I think it’s shameful. I think it erodes trust. It’s something that I will never do.”
“Politicians were out there getting paid. They were coming back home. They’re raising money and campaigning while the government shut down,” Kemp said. “What Derek’s saying, if he’s up there, we’re not going to allow legislators to get paid. We’re going to take away their benefits. That way, you won’t ever have another shutdown again.”
Dooley is facing Congressman Mike Collins in a runoff for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
The winner of the Republican nomination will face incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
Photojournalist credit: Regynal McKie
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A man has been arrested after he was accused of hitting two women at Piedmont Hospital in Augusta.
The incident happened on May 14 around 12 a.m.
According to arrest warrants, Bruce Bland struck one victim with a closed hand several times in the face. Bland also threw a garbage can at the victim, hitting her in the head.
The warrant states the victim suffered a bruise on her face.
Bland also hit another victim with a closed hand on her mouth, according to the warrants. She suffered swelling and a bruise on her mouth.
Bland is charged with battery and simple battery, according to the warrants. Both charges are misdemeanors.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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