AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A downtown business is following through with its pledge to feed those who need it most on the last business day of the month for the next two years.

Toaste of Augusta has partnered with the Project Refresh Shower Day at the Department of Public Health.

Adding Toaste to the community line-up offers a real ‘restaurant’ experience and helps connect with those who are often overlooked.

“I just wanted to make sure that I had food. Now I have Dom, so I don’t even have to think about it. I used to have to think, I need volunteers here, but that’s a lot to take on. This is what Dom does,” said Rev. Lisa Ann Wheeler with the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Wheeler is talking about Dominik Cartrel, who owns Toaste of Augusta. It’s his second time working with the other community partners for this particular event.

“We just want folks to come down and enjoy themselves, no judgment whatsoever. If you know somebody that’s in need of a good meal, sit down, and we’ll take care of them,” said Cartrel.

Cartrel also provides a service called “God’s Grits,” where every month he opens his restaurant up to whoever needs a plate of food at no cost and no questions asked.

“My events are normally averaged about, say, right at 100 was my most. The last event we had here was 250 people. So I saw the need. It was very eye-opening, simply because it was word of mouth. There are a lot more people that actually need our assistance. Not so much as homeless but so many that people are in different situations,” said Cartrel.

He’s giving his community an experience many take for granted.

“We wanted folks to have a nice dining experience,” he said.

He compared the experience to buying a car.

“They didn’t know if I had a million dollars in the bank or if I had $10 in the bank. They treated me like an individual. And that’s how I treat folks, when they come inside my restaurant, no matter what dollar amount, I still want to provide the same experience,” said Cartrel.

Cartrel said the experience is a gift.

“I didn’t know so many folks had kids weren’t eating a hot meal, or just a meal in general,” he said.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – StandardAero on Tuesday began work on a $33 million expansion of its operations in Augusta – a project that’s expected to create 90 new jobs in Richmond County.

The company is a provider of business aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services.

Operating in Augusta since 1974, StandardAero currently supports more than 170 jobs in the area. Approximately 425 aircraft and 500 turbine aircraft engines undergo service each year at the facility.

“The new facility will add over 60% of new space to our existing footprint,” said Chris Bodine, vice president and general manager of StandardAero’s Augusta facility.

The current facility was built in the 1970s, when aircraft were a lot smaller, Bodine said.

“The new facility will allow us to support additional super mid-size to large cabin aircraft for airframe and avionics while also significantly expanding our engine shop to further support many of those aircraft,” Bodine said.

StandardAero will construct a new hangar and engine shop at 1150 Hangar Road adjacent to the airport. The expansion will add 80,500 square feet to the company’s footprint in Augusta.

Construction on the expansion is expected to be completed in 2025.

Tony Brancato, president of the company, was thankful to the airport, city of Augusta and the state of Georgia for their “generous outreach and support” for building the new facility.

“We are ecstatic about StandardAero’s expansion,” said Herbert L. Judon Jr., executive director of the airport.

He called the expansion is “a key building block” for future growth of the airport.

As a leader in both logistics and the aerospace industry, Georgia is proud to congratulate StandardAero on this expansion,” said Gov. Brian Kemp.

The company will be hiring for roles in administration, management, and operations. Learn more about careers at StandardAero.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

Georgia Power announced Monday that Unit 4 at Plant Vogtle has entered commercial operation, producing enough electricity to power approximately 500,000 homes and businesses throughout Georgia. 

Vogtle Unit 3 entered commercial operation on July 31. With all four units now in operation, Plant Vogtle is expected to produce more than 30 million megawatt hours of electricity each year, according to a news release.

“The new Vogtle units are a key piece of our strategy to meet the energy needs of our customers not only tomorrow, but 20 years from now,” said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power in a news release. “… I’m also proud of the teams who have worked tirelessly to deliver the first newly constructed nuclear units in the U.S. in more than 30 years – representing a long-term investment that will benefit our customers and the state of Georgia for decades to come.”

The nuclear expansion project at Plant Vogtle was originally scheduled to conclude in 2016 and 2017. The project encountered a series of delays that drove up the cost to more than double the $14 billion anticipated when the Georgia PSC approved the reactor construction in 2009.

Previously: Plant Vogtle Unit 4 nuclear reactor reaches 100% power, says Georgia Power

The Public Service Commission voted late last year to let Georgia Power pass on to customers almost $7.6 billion of the project’s costs, which caused an increase in the average monthly residential customer’s bill by $8.95, according to reporting from Capitol Beat.

The plant is operated by Southern Nuclear on behalf of co-owners Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities. 

Nuclear energy provided more than 25% of Georgia Power’s generation, including Plant Vogtle and Plant Hatch in Baxley, Georgia, said executives.

In addition to the 800 permanent jobs created by the two new reactors, the nuclear expansion at Plant Vogtle employed more than 9,000 construction workers at the peak of the project, including engineers, welders, electricians, pipefitters, and plumbers, according to Georgia Power. 

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Funding Partners.

Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.