AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – In six months, a building in the middle of Broad Street in downtown Augusta will become the region’s newest small business incubator and micro-enterprise center.

It’s called Accelerate Augusta.

It’s in partnership with Augusta Tech and the Downtown Development Authority.

Two years ago, Senator Raphael Warnock sent over $2 million in funding for the project.

This new resource is meant for everyone in the community.

600 Broad Street is getting a new facelift aimed at setting entrepreneurs up for success while expanding downtown Augusta all at the same time.

“This is beyond exciting,” said Dr. Jermaine Whirl, president of Augusta Tech.

It’s a project years in the making and a big boost right in the heart of downtown.

“We have so many small businesses that have been wanting and needing these resources, and so to have this construction get started today. It’s a big, big opportunity for us to really assist those companies,” said Whirl.

When the doors open in early 2025, Accelerate Augusta will have resources Whirl says hit three markets needed in the Garden City.

“We have micro sprints, which might be a one-day class, eight hours. You come in in the morning, you’re done by five, and you get everything that you need,” said Whirl. Other individuals, might need two, or three month’s worth of training because they have a concept. So, they’ll spend several weeks with us from start to finish, to really grow out their business plan.”

And you don’t need a student ID to use it.

“If you want to build your business out, this is a place that you can do that from start to finish,” said Whirl.

Leaders say the plan is to continue the successful halo effect they’re already seeing downtown.

Margaret Woodard with the Downtown Development Authority said: “This block looks a lot different than it did when we got here last November. Buildings have sold. That building across the street will be the future home of 33 market-rate apartments, which we’re very excited about. Jake, who owns Sole Augusta, is opening a barbecue restaurant one block on Fifth Street.”

With phase one under construction, leaders tell me they have their eyes set on phase two, which is an incubator that will help entrepreneurs fine-tune their business models and then connect them with an actual location to open on Broad Street.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – City leaders are looking to set boundaries when it comes to the mayor’s credit card. 

Questions from commissioners started last month after Mayor Garnett Johnson asked for more than $40,000 to cover his credit card expenses for city business over the last six months. 

The goal of Tuesday was to reach a solution when it comes to reimbursing the mayor. Unfortunately, that did not happen. 

Instead, the conversation was moved again to the next finance committee meeting. 

The mayor is not breaking any policy by asking for reimbursements to his personal credit card. That’s because there is no policy for this specific request. 

There were questions from commissioners regarding whether they should change the existing policy to fit the needs of the mayor. 

But both the city’s finance director and procurement director say this could open a floodgate when it comes to other elected officials, meaning that if you make an exception for one you would potentially have to make an exception for all. 

Right now, the policy when it comes to a city-issued credit card includes a $500 limit per transaction or a $5,000 limit per month. 

The finance director says it’s best to have a policy that is more uniform rather than have several expectations. 

“We’re open to any resolution to it. All of our expenditures were based solely on us fulfilling our duties as mayor, and we proactively put this item on the Finance Committee’s agenda. This isn’t something that no one else did. We proactively put this in this agenda item so that we can address it, and that’s what we’re doing,” said Johnson. 

The city’s finance director did say they are not questioning the legitimacy of the mayor’s spending but says its more so the method of the expenditures being turned in. 

Again, the mayor turned in receipts which span over six months and when this conversation first started he took accountability for not turning the receipts in each month. 

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A man has been arrested after a brief altercation turned into a shooting and chase on Whitney Court, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.

On Aug. 7, around 4:31 p.m. deputies responded to Whitney Court in reference to an aggravated assault.

When deputies arrived they say they met with Christopher Miller, 43, who told them he shot back at the suspects after they shot at him.

Miller was detained, and then stated he misunderstood and did not return fire, deputies say.

He then told deputies that there had been someone breaking into cars and causing issues in the neighborhood.

Miller says the possible suspects could be someone who also lives on the street, deputies say.

When the suspect was pulling out of the driveway, Miller told deputies he yelled “What are you looking at?”

Miller walked up to the suspect who then displayed a semi-automatic handgun, according to authorities. Miller says he then returned home.

Shortly after, Miller told deputies he left to go to the store, but at the end of the block, the suspect was waiting and began shooting at him, according to authorities.

Miller stated he then began chasing the suspect’s vehicle and was attempting to crash the vehicle, deputies say.

After a brief chase, Miller lost sight of the suspect and returned home. He also told deputies he noticed two bullet holes in the front of his vehicle.

Miller was arrested on Aug. 7 and charged with two counts of aggravated assault and four counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, according to jail records.

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