City of Augusta Selected for $450,000 Grant from Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD has selected the city of Augusta to receive a $450,000 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant.
The federal funding is a two-year planning grant that aims to support the development of
comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans, which focus on directing resources to
address housing, people and neighborhoods.
“Affordable housing is one of the driving forces for economic prosperity, and this planning grant
allows the city of Augusta to address the connected challenges between revitalizing distressed
neighborhoods and providing affordable housing to allow residents to benefit from the growth
and improvement of their community,” said City Administrator Odie Donald, II. “I applaud the
Augusta Commission for their continued leadership in finding creative ways to provide
resources to uplift neighborhoods that have been neglected far too long.”
MORE: Economic Development Authority Receives $9 Million Grant
MCG Foundation president and CEO Ian Mercier expressed similar sentiments.
“This grant is an expression of belief in these communities and Augusta, not just by those who
put this complex grant together, but by HUD and our development partners,” said Mercier. “It is
also proof that perhaps even the unlikeliest partners can collaborate to do something far greater
than themselves — to be led by the residents of Laney Walker and Harrisburg in bettering their neighborhoods and homes.
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The Southern Company Receives $1 Billion in Commitments for Climate Solutions Fund
Southern Company, a leading U.S. energy company serving nine million customers and the founding member of Energy Impact Partners (EIP), a global venture capital platform leading the transition to a sustainable future, announced the launch of EIP‘s Flagship Fund, Fund II. The Fund received $1 billion in commitments and will focus on investing in venture and growth companies advancing critical climate solutions.
Through Fund II, Southern Company will continue working with EIP to identify cutting-edge technologies that advance the zero-carbon economy and address global decarbonization goals. This includes companies innovating across supply decarbonization, electrification, mobility, tech-enabled infrastructure, reliability and resilience and intelligent demand.
“As the founding partner of Energy Impact Partners, Southern Company continues to believe in the platform’s mission to find and nurture those companies aiding the world’s transition to a sustainable energy future,” said Christopher Cummiskey, executive vice president and chief customer solutions offericer at Southern Company. “We see this as vital for the future of our business, our ability to achieve our sustainability goals and delivering the energy solutions our customers require.”
Augusta University To Participate in Great American Smokeout
The Great American Smokeout is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 18. This year’s theme is “Quit for COVID: Breathe Change.”
For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November. The Great American Smokeout is an opportunity for people who smoke to commit to healthy, smoke-free lives – not just for a day, but year round. The Georgia Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention, Control and Population Health team is proud to partner with the American Cancer Society to encourage people to stop smoking for a lifetime by visiting one of our “Commit to Quit” stations. There has never been a more critical time to quit than during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as cases surge, according to a press release from the university. A variety of tobacco stop-smoking aids and cessation resources will be available through the Smokeout program.
Members of the public are invited to join Augusta University and AU Health, its patients, families, students and employees on Nov. 19, 2020 at a Commit to Quit Stations to promote health and prevent diseases. Coronavirus safety precautions will be in place at each station. Masks are required. Learn about the benefits of quitting smoking and tips for taking those first steps, how to access cessation resources, and to sign-up for help with quitting.
Those interested in quitting smoking or vaping can easily access the Georgia Cancer Center’s Tobacco Cessation Program and services by calling (706) 721-0456 or emailing stoptobacco@augusta.edu.
