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Green racket: DC mayor took ‘economic development’ trip to Masters on taxpayers’ dime

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Green racket: DC mayor took ‘economic development’ trip to Masters on taxpayers’ dime


District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser may want a mulligan on this one.

The Democrat took a taxpayer-funded “sports and economic development” trip to last week’s Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga.

Bowser, 51, announced the jaunt on her public schedule and a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office confirmed that DC residents paid for all related travel expenses to get inside the gates at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club, DC News Now reported.

Susana Castillo, Bowser’s communications director, told the outlet that the mayor was invited by Jodie McLean and Deborah Ratner Salzberg, who are co-chairs of a city task force “to revitalize the Gallery Place and Chinatown Neighborhood.”

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Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser took a “sports and economic development” trip with taxpayers’ money to The Masters golf tournament last weekend in Augusta, Ga. Lenin Nolly/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

The spokeswoman did not disclose the total cost of the more than 500-mile flight south, nor did she immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

“No matter where I am, my team is working and always in touch with me at a moment’s notice,” Bowser added in a statement of her own to DC News Now.

The mayor has faced sharp criticism for her handling of a crime spike in the nation’s capital before pivoting last fall amid mass resignations by city police — including former chief Robert Contee III.

Bowser, 51, announced the Georgia jaunt on her public schedule and DC residents paid for all related travel expenses to get on the greens at Augusta National Golf Club. REUTERS

Violent crime surged 39% in the nation’s capital from 2022 to 2023, with homicides rising 35% and robberies up a whopping 67%.

In two recent high-profile incidents, armed carjackers stole the vehicles of an FBI agent and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), while a former federal official in the Trump administration was shot and killed by another car thief in February.

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Bowser embraced the Black Lives Matter movement during the riots that followed the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, but reversed course in 2023 to fight the city council over a radical crime bill that lightened sentencing for robberies, carjackings and other gun-related felonies.

Bowser embraced the Black Lives Matter movement during the summer riots that followed the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Muriel Bowser/X

Last year, she also opposed a progressive policing law that hampered officers’ ability to apprehend suspects and increased disciplinary measures, making them “scared to do their job,” according to Bowser.

The crime spike had briefly threatened a $515 million deal with Washington Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who entertained moving the NBA and NHL teams to a new northern Virginia arena before reaching an agreement with Bowser to stay in the nation’s capital.

It’s unclear what other projects Bowser may be pursuing in Chinatown.

It’s unclear what project Bowser is pursuing in Chinatown. Muriel Bowser/X

“As mayor, I frequently attended meetings and events to foster economic development, strengthen partnerships, and build rapport with people interested in investing in our city,” DC councilman Vincent Gray, who served a single term as mayor before being unseated by Bowser in the 2014 Democratic primary, told DC News Now.

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“I met with people in countless venues, be they overseas, in downtown DC conference rooms, or sometimes at high-profile gatherings,” he said. “I see no controversy in travel that is intended to promote the District in furtherance of opportunity that benefits residents and local businesses.”



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Augusta, GA

This Nike Victory Tour 4 Is Ready for the Masters in Augusta

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This Nike Victory Tour 4 Is Ready for the Masters in Augusta


Nike Golf continues to treat longtime and new fans of the sport to apparel, accessories, and footwear rooted in both performance and story-telling. The latest example arrives in the form of a Nike Victory Tour 4 Cleat inspired by the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga.

In comparison to the ‘prickly’ Roshe Golf 2 prepped for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the newly-surfaced Victory Tour 4 opts for a tamer aesthetic. The leather upper keeps things simple in ‘White’ with profile swooshes interrupting with their ‘Black’ contrast. Support clips around the heel, however, up the ante with their pink all-over print: floral motifs take on the golf cleat’s medial mesh layers, nodding to the Masters Tournament’s location in the process.

Underfoot, Nike Golf’s latest footwear offering features a midsole system reminiscent of many Nike Running models from yesteryear. The cushioning solution is coupled with a semi-exposed FlyPlate (the same carbon fiber stiffening component found in the AlphaFly 3) and a reliable spike/cleat system. Together, each aforementioned component delivers top-notch performance in a stylish package for those hopeful of winning the tournament in Augusta (or one day competing in it).

Enjoy official photos of the golf cleats ahead. The pair should be priced at around $210–the same price as Nike’s Victory Tour 3.

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For footwear for the streets and not the green, check out the Air Jordan 4 ‘White Cement’ retro slated for a return in May.

Nike Golf continues to treat longtime and new fans of the sport to apparel, accessories, and footwear rooted in both performance and story-telling. The latest example arrives in the form of a Nike Victory Tour 4 Cleat inspired by the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga.



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Augusta, GA

Rental companies prepare homes for Masters after Helene

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Rental companies prepare homes for Masters after Helene


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Masters is getting closer, but the time to rent out your house is now.

After Hurricane Helene, homeowners across the CSRA are racing to finish up any repairs to their homes.

We spoke to two home rental companies here about how this year will look.

When you drive around the CSRA, you still see a city trying to recover and prepare for its biggest week of the year that’s only a few months away.

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Despite what the city looks like today, rental companies say they’re doing everything they can to work with homeowners to make sure their homes are ready to go for patrons come April.

It’s the one week everyone wants to be in Augusta.

“People will always come to the Masters,” said Stacey Greenway, vice president of Tournament Housing and Events LLC. “No ticket will ever go unused.”

With the tournament only a few months away – everyone is trying to prepare.

“We have had some homeowners that are just overwhelmed with trying to get their home ready for Masters because they’re dealing with roofs that are, you know, have holes in them and the debris and all the outdoor structures are damaged,” said Kelly Starr, Corporate Quarters director of operations and events.

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Homeowners, rental companies and contractors have a long to-do list before April.

“We all have to just accept that the scenery will be different in backyards. you know, houses that have privacy might not have that anymore,” said Greenway.

Changing the criteria for the outside of homes and asking for patience from golf patrons this spring.

“I’ve already prepared some of our clients that there might be some houses that have patches on their roofs,” said Greenway. “That’s not going to affect the patron’s comfort. That won’t affect their ability to watch the tournament.”

But they’re still doing everything they can to make sure their homes are ready.

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Evans High School in Evans, Ga.

“Our greatest concern is that come March, there’s going to be homeowners calling and saying, oops, I thought my contractor would be ready and they’re not going to be ready so we have to refund the money,” said Greenway.

Even if some homes aren’t ready, others are stepping up to rent that have never done it before – even as far out as Aiken and Lake Oconee.

“We do have some people registering saying, you know, I know there’s a lot of houses out there that are damaged. We have never rented before and now we think this could be our opportunity to get in there,” said Greenway.

Even though the way the city looks might be different, the community and hospitality are still the same.

“I really think it’s a true testament to Georgia and Augusta and everyone wants to be very hospitable,” said Starr. “That’s why they call it southern hospitality. They’re excited to get their homes ready and have something to look forward to.”

They say they don’t expect to have to rent out as far out as Lake Oconee and Modoc because of the number of new houses being built and the increase of new people wanting to rent in Augusta, but it’s good to know that it’s an option if needed.

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Greater Augusta Arts Council awards hurricane relief to 51 local artists

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Greater Augusta Arts Council awards hurricane relief to 51 local artists


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Greater Augusta Arts Council announced Monday that 51 local artists received hurricane relief micro-grants through the C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E. Grant initiative.

Micro-grants of $500 to $1,000 were distributed to support costs associated with replacing supplies or a lost gig during this time.

The $30,000 fund with money supplied by the Augusta Foundation for the Arts was initially designated to support the Greater Augusta Arts Council programming and operations.

“Recognizing the urgent needs in the creative community following the hurricane, the Arts Council made the decision to reallocate operational funds,” the council said.

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“This isn’t the first time we’ve supported artists through re-granting, but it is the first time we’ve done so with funds originally intended to meet our own organizational needs,” council Executive Director Denise Tucker said.

The micro-grants were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and ranked according to need.

Applications were reviewed by an independent panel and disbursed on a rolling basis until the funds were fully allocated.

The council also held a post-Helene arts supply drive to aid artists of many different genres with replacement supplies.

Augusta Rugby Team

Grant recipients included Adrion Au Bell, Aislin Sparrow, Alex Foltz, Aort Reed, Art S. Abdon, Brandon M. Wiggins, Brandon T. Truesdale, Cameron Young, Daviana Reynolds, Destinee N. Wright, Devon McSherry, Erica M. Pastecki, Evy Danckers, Felina Martin, Francie E. Klopotic, Gregory Alan Young, Haliegh E. Key, Jacki Mayo Van Dyke, James Thompson, Jason K. Craig, Joe Stevenson, Jon Paschal, Jonathan Cook, Jonathan Soto Perez, Joseph David Johnson, Judi T. Dudley, Justice M. Kirkman, Karen Gordon, Karell Moses, Katherine Schiller, Kathleen Silvester, Keller A. Jones, Kigwana Samuel Cherry, Krislyn Murphy, Mafia Cartwright, Marty E. Duff, Matt Dahlheimer, Melissa Coffey, Nicole Swanson, Richard Tucker, Rickey R. Jones, Shanita Newton, Si-Long Chen, Symphoni M. Wiggins, Tarika M. Holland, Theron Cartwright, Thomas C. Reed, Tiphiknee De Herrera, Trey McLaughlin and William McCranie.

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