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Project Azalea under review by Augusta Planning

The proposed development of what may be a new Amazon distribution facility in south Augusta is underway, according to city records.

The Columbia County Management and Internal Services Committee approved moving forward with the initial appointments to the Columbia County Library System. Those appointments are: • Connie Melear – countywide (Columbia County District 1 Commissioner) • Rusty Jarrett - District 1 • District 2 vacant • Secelia Brown – District 3 • John Luton – District 4 (Community Services division director) County Manager Scott Johnson said “As you know, now that Columbia County is going to have a standalone library board, we have to appoint new members. These members will need to begin work pretty soon, working on bylaws, the guidelines that are in place, we will need to hire a new regional director, so they do have some work to do.” The District 2 seat will remain vacant until after the District 2 Board of Commissioner seat is filled following the election on Nov. 4. Karin Parham, with the Freedom to Read Coalition of Columbia County, read a statement on their thoughts on the proposed library board members. “Our organization is concerned about the direction of the new Columbia County Library System,’ Parham said. “When county administration, through the Community Services division director, continues to manage library services operation while also placing that same position on the board that hires and oversees the library director, it creates a built-in conflict of interest. So even if direct supervision of staff changes, real control still rests with the county manager and the commission through the administrative link. That means the library’s independence only exists on paper and not in practice. So, we urge the county to establish a structure that keeps library government separate from county administration and political influence.” District 1 Commissioner Connie Melear said she wanted to be on the board to help guide it. “We felt like we needed somebody on the commission on there to help guide it and I’m looking forward to being a part of it. I haven’t participated much in the library aspect before and now this is my opportunity.” The committee approved moving the members to the full Board of Commissioners. Aa resolution to establish the Columbia County library fees fund was also discussed. “Historically, the Library Advisory Board had a fund that money would go into for late fees and other fees, with the sale of books and those sort of things. It’s grown into a pretty sizeable amount of money, so with the Library Advisory Board no longer in place, it’s incumbent upon the county now to establish a fund for that. Due to our fiduciary responsibility, I would ask that we would use this resolution to establish a special revenue fund that way those funds could continue to be earmarked for library operations and use.” The committee also approved moving forward with this resolution. The next Columbia County Board of Commissioners meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at the Evans Government Center Complex.

Featured Article: News, Politics & Government

Columbia County to hold all committee meetings Tuesday

Tuesday will be a busy day for Columbia County government as all five committees will meet due to the Christmas holiday.

SRS Fire Department hosts DOE fire chiefs for three-day benchmarking visit

The Savannah River Site Fire Department hosted fire chiefs from across the Department of Energy complex for a three-day benchmarking and training visit aimed at improving fire safety practices and strengthening emergency response coordination.

Featured Article: Education, News, Politics & Government

All public schools to have naloxone by spring

In a nod to the spread of opioids, Georgia is installing overdose reversal kits at all 2,300 public schools in the state using money from a legal settlement with the pharmaceutical industry.

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Bribery charge filed after Augusta man tries giving flowers to judge in 2024 case

Richmond County Crime Map: November 26-December 2

List keeps getting bigger: SPLOST 9 climbs to $463 million

Columbia County Development Authority closes on property sale to Trammell Crow

Augusta University announces graduation speakers for December commencement ceremonies

Toy gun, bullet, and threats: Busy week for ARC and other county schools

Food insecurity tops Augusta Commission agenda as SNAP cutoff impacts thousands

Food insecurity took center stage at Tuesday’s Augusta Commission meeting, where Golden Harvest Food Bank leaders described the local fallout...

Columbia County Fire Rescue recruit passes away

Columbia County announced the death of a fire recruit on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Destination Augusta reviews and celebrates 2025 achievements in annual State of Tourism event

Local business leaders, dignitaries and artists celebrated Augusta as a “feel good city,” Wednesday evening, as Destination Augusta hosted its...

Richmond County 8th graders explore career pathways at ‘Next Stop, Your Future’ kickoff

Richmond County eighth graders got a glimpse of their potential futures Wednesday during the kickoff of “Class of 2030: Next...

Coalition demands transparency after Columbia County schools quietly remove dozens of books

A Columbia County organization is calling on the school district to reinstate dozens of books removed from school libraries after...

Richmond County opens 2026–2027 school choice and HB251 application period

The Richmond County School System (RCSS) has opened the application window for its 2026–2027 School Choice programs, offering families a...

Delays for distribution of government food benefits to the hungry

The one in eight Georgians who rely on the government for food may have to wait for weeks to get...

Wimberly wins District 4, homestead exemption passes easily

Retired Army sergeant major Lonnie Wimberly cruised to victory Tuesday in the District 4 Augusta Commission special election.

Jim Steed wins Columbia County District 2 Commission seat

Jim Steed has won the Columbia County Board of Commissioners District 2 seat.

Photo of the New Augusta Arena that is currently under construction. Staff photo by Skyler Andrews

Coliseum Authority accepts right-of-way from city, McKnight Constructions receives award for renovations

The Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority (ARCCA), during its meeting Tuesday afternoon, voted to accept a right-of-way abandoned by the city.

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