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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

Rising cost of auto insurance a tough problem to solve

Drivers saw rising auto insurance bills in recent years, yet the industry was not seeing gains, an advocate told state...

Richmond County Crime Map: November 12-18

During the week of Nov. 12-18, a total of 251 crimes were tracked by The Augusta Press from the Richmond County...

Broad Street funding request tops Augusta’s Tuesday agendas

Augusta commission committees will review a slate of engineering and public safety items Tuesday, including new spending tied to the...

The Salvation Army hosts Christmas Kickoff Breakfast to highlight Red Kettle and Angel Tree campaigns

The Salvation Army Augusta celebrated its yearly holiday campaigns at the Kroc Center, Friday morning, with its Christmas Kickoff Breakfast....

Burke County math teacher Jeffery Heggs wins National Milken Educator Award

Jeffery Heggs, a math teacher at Burke County High School, got a big surprise on Friday morning when he was...

Irish American Heritage Society wins Anthem Award for community engagement

The Irish American Heritage Society has received an Anthem Award for Local Community Engagement in the Education, Art & Culture...

Columbia County announces temporary lane closures on Hardy McManus Road

Drivers on Hardy McManus Road should expect temporary lane closures later this month as Columbia County, in cooperation with Reeves...

Lawmakers consider ways to reduce chronic absenteeism

Georgia students who miss too much school could wind up losing their rights to drive or to play sports.

Elderly Aiken couple dies four days apart from injuries in October crash

Aiken County is mourning a sad loss after an elderly Aiken couple died four days apart from injuries suffered in...

Credit-card skimmer gang busted in Augusta; Equipment found in Airbnb safehouse

Multiple local agencies have dismantled a credit card skimmer operation based out of an Airbnb in Augusta, resulting in the...

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