Augusta, GA
Augusta small businesses step up to serve those in need
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Two weeks after Helene hit our area, local businesses are left picking up the pieces.
We checked in with a couple of them who say despite what they were experiencing, it was important for them to get up and running so they could help others.
El Rey on Washington Road is running business as usual, but that was not the case a couple of days ago.
They were without power for 13 days and lost food in one of their coolers.
“Just to restock it. It was around 14 to 15 grand just to restock that one walking cooler. So, I can only imagine for a smaller business or someone who was already struggling. It’s going to be tough to get it back up and running again,” said owner, Ramiro Galvan.
Before Wednesday, they were operating in the parking lot out of their food truck serving first responders and linemen for free.
“We had our food truck, and it was full of police officers on this side and on the other end linemen waiting to get a hot meal. It was amazing. It was amazing that we were able to do that,” said Galvan.
Just like El Rey, other businesses found ways to help others, like the Earth Pantry.
They’re a grocery store located on Broad Street.
“We opened right away to make sure that we could get food to those who live downtown, and we also wanted to make sure we could reach the people in the community because I know a lot of the regular box stores were selling out of everything,” said Earth Pantry owner, Alexia Redman.
Despite not having internet and a boil water advisory in place, Redman says they were still able to work around this so people could get necessities.
“We were able to provide water from our sinks using the boiler along with cold soaking pasta, rice. We just liked being a safe haven, doing what we can because we know people were stressed out, struggling, worrying about how they were going to feed their kids,” she said.
Around the corner at Taco Cat, they say their main concern first was their employees and making sure they were okay.
“Last week was voluntary. We worked with the people who chose to show up. Some people couldn’t afford not to work so we offered them a space to be able to work,” said Director of Operations for Frog Hollow Hospitality Group, Breannah Newton.
She says giving people a place to come and eat is a priority for them.
“Creating a sense of normalcy for a lot of people is really important to us,” said Newton.
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AUGUSTA, Ga – The Augusta men’s basketball team extended their winning streak to eight games with a thrilling 79-75 come-from-behind win over No. 19 Columbus State on Saturday afternoon. The victory improves Augusta to 8-4 overall and 2-0 in Peach Belt Conference play, while handing Columbus State just their second loss of the season, dropping them to 10-2 and 1-1 in conference action.
Augusta (8-4, 2-0 Peach Belt)
FG% 51.1
3PT% 38.9
FT% 82.8
Columbus State (10-2, 1-1 Peach Belt)
FG% 45.1
3PT% 42.1
FT% 84.0
The final five minutes of the game showcased Augusta’s grit and composure. After trailing 71-65 with just over five minutes remaining, Demitri Gardner sparked a comeback with a pair of free throws at the 4:13 mark, cutting the deficit to four. Max Amadasun followed with a clutch three-pointer, narrowing Columbus State’s lead to 73-70 with 3:17 left.
John St. Germain III then drove into the paint for a layup, bringing Augusta within one at 73-72 with 2:40 on the clock. Moments later, Luis Nonfon capitalized on an offensive rebound with a go-ahead layup, giving the Jaguars a 74-73 lead at the 2:04 mark. Nonfon added a free throw to push the lead to two.
With the game tied at 75 after a Columbus State jumper, St. Germain III delivered again, hitting a layup with 30 seconds left to put Augusta ahead 77-75. Gardner sealed the victory by stealing the ball with six seconds remaining and converting two clutch free throws with two seconds left, giving the Jaguars a four-point lead. Max Amadasun’s defensive rebound on Columbus State’s final three-point attempt secured the win.
Gardner led all scorers with 28 points, shooting 9-15 from the field and a perfect 9-9 from the free-throw line. He also added three rebounds and two steals, including the critical takeaway in the final seconds. Amadasun contributed a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while St. Germain III added 12 points, five assists, and the decisive layup. Nonfon and Elias Palsson chipped in with key contributions down the stretch.
Next Up: The Jaguars will hit the road for their next game on Wednesday, January 8, when they face Clayton State University in Morrow, GA. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Augusta will then travel to Aiken, SC, for a rivalry matchup against USC Aiken on Saturday, January 11, at 3:30 p.m
Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags
We recognize you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which
enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore access cannot be granted at this time.
For any issues, contact enews@wfxg.com or call 706-650-5400.
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