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Georgia awarded $50 million in HUD neighborhood improvement funding
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The refurbishment of Georgia’s neighborhoods continued Wednesday when the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded more than $50 million in federal grants statewide, including more than $20 million to metro Atlanta, to renovate or finish homes in depressed communities.
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City tax collections up, mayor says
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Augusta Chronicle
The city of Augusta announced today that the July sales tax collection revenue is ahead 0.33 percent of last year’s amounts and is 2.40 percent ahead of budgeted revenue projections.
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Streetlamp additions to improve visibility
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Augusta Chronicle
New and reinforced streetlights are arriving in Augusta to better illuminate downtown and its environs.
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Task force proposal is rejected
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Augusta Chronicle
An Augusta Commission committee said no Monday to spending $226,052 to form a task force to deal with neighborhood issues without some assurance it would work.
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Some say taxes not spent well
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Augusta Chronicle
Most Augustans would agree you get what you pay for -- except when it comes to property taxes.
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Augusta plans changes on 15th Street
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Augusta Chronicle
More than two years after a Medical College of Georgia student was killed crossing 15th Street, Augusta is getting ready to make changes that will make it safer to cross the thoroughfare.
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More tests done for bad Augusta water
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta officials on Monday widened their scrutiny of water quality in downtown areas identified in an Augusta Chronicle analysis as having elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria.
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Mason calls for talks on housing complaints
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Augusta Chronicle
Mayor Pro Tem Alvin Mason has called for the Augusta Commission to meet with the Augusta Housing Authority to address complaints about subsidized housing.
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Downtown improvements to start soon
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Augusta Chronicle
Several downtown improvement projects are slated to get under way in the coming months.
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Plan for natural gas goes forward
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Augusta Chronicle
A city proposal for using compressed natural gas to fuel garbage trucks was taken off the back burner Monday when an Augusta Commission committee approved it unanimously.
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Richmond County firefighters must pass new test
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Augusta Chronicle
Prospective Augusta firefighters must pass a new physical test during the hiring process, and veterans will shape up or eventually be shipped out.
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Health care costs on rise for Augusta
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Augusta Chronicle
City of Augusta employee health insurance costs are projected to rise a staggering $6.9 million next year, and the prognosis for maintaining the same coverage they had this year is grim.
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Augusta seeks solutions for rising health care costs
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta employees can expect to pay more for health insurance next year and get less coverage.
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Augusta Democrats trash idea of reducing pickups
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta voters concerned about pungent odors made it clear Tuesday that garbage collection should remain twice a week.
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Augusta Commission rolls back taxes
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Augusta Chronicle
A tax digest that grew by $51.3 million prompted Augusta commissioners to roll back taxes by 0.1 percent Tuesday.
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Augusta strives to be more handicap-accessible
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Augusta Chronicle
City officials are taking notes on simple ways to make the city more accessible to people with disabilities.
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Mayor offers nuisance property idea
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Augusta Chronicle
If at first Augusta does not succeed, it's try, try again for a nuisance properties ordinance.
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Augusta revitalization project interests musician
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Augusta Chronicle
The house on Pine Street is a mess -- a hole in the porch ceiling, siding boards exposed by peeling paint, vines overtaking one side, broken glass and plywood-covered windows.
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Copenhaver addresses concerns in Harrisburg
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Augusta Chronicle
Mayor Deke Copenhaver faced a group of Augusta's most vocal critics -- the Harrisburg-West End Neighborhood Association -- on Thursday in a meeting that didn't turn hostile.
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Vote demands $94,000 for developers' errors
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Augusta Chronicle
Two nonprofit housing developers responsible for more than $94,000 in errors caught during an audit of Augusta Housing and Community Development must repay the money, the Augusta Commission voted Thursday.
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Update: More candidates qualify
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Augusta Chronicle
Former city commissioner Marion Williams to run again, Copenhaver, too.
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Councilman Alveno Ross accepts Richmond County chief appraiser job
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Macon Telegraph
Macon City Councilman Alveno Ross said Friday he has accepted an offer by the Richmond County Board of Assessors to become its new chief appraiser.
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Augusta master plan targets sites
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Augusta Chronicle
From Lake Olmstead to Tobacco Road, Augusta's new master plan targets about 10 sites around the city for dramatic change.
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Augusta tax board chooses appraiser
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta's board of tax assessors on Tuesday named Alveno Ross, a sitting Macon, Ga., city councilman, as its top pick for chief appraiser, a position vacant since the November resignation of Calvin Hicks.
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Master plan meeting set for Thursday
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Augusta Chronicle
A key point of the new plan involves efforts to curb sprawl by encouraging better use of vacant or blighted areas closer to downtown that already have infrastructure to accommodate growth.
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Committee seeks water department probe
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Augusta Chronicle
Instead of asking for a grand jury review, an Augusta subcommittee will decide how to investigate alleged mismanagement at Augusta Utilities' Highland Avenue Water Treatment Plant.
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More funds needed for Hyde Park detention pond
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Augusta Chronicle
A plan to build a 20-acre pond at the site of Augusta's Hyde Park neighborhood needs additional funding sources besides a $10 million loan to move forward, several Augusta commissioners said Monday.
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HUD says Augusta must pay back home grants
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Augusta Chronicle
The city of Augusta must once again pony up to the federal government over alleged misuse of affordable housing grants.
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Davis considers, Gilyard plans challenge to Copenhaver
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Augusta Chronicle
Harrisburg Neighborhood Association President Lori Davis is thinking about running for mayor, but former mayoral candidate William "Gil" Gilyard has made up his mind to challenge Mayor Deke Copenhaver this fall.
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Moody's credit rating helps city sell bonds
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Augusta Chronicle
Thanks to an upgraded credit rating from Moody's Investors Service, the city of Augusta sold $8 million in taxable revenue bonds Thursday with a 3.1 percent interest rate, about 2 percent lower than expected.
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Bowles wants to privatize golf course
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Augusta Chronicle
Contrary to a subcommittee’s recommendation, Commissioner Joe Bowles said he’ll offer a motion to privatize Augusta Municipal Golf Course at today’s commission meeting.
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Commission vote seeks new Patch manager
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Augusta Chronicle
A new business plan drafted by Recreation Director Tom Beck wasn't enough to keep six commissioners from voting to shop around for a private company to manage the Augusta Municipal Golf Course
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Downtown authority picks section of Riverwalk for renovation
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Augusta Chronicle
A year after discussing its involvement in renovating the Riverwalk along the Savannah River, the Downtown Development Authority of Augusta identified its first project.
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Augusta Commission retreat has cohesive atmosphere
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Augusta Chronicle
Many of the issues were the same, but the atmosphere at a Wednesday commission retreat was entirely different.
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Plan proposed to cut losses at The Patch
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Augusta Chronicle
The free rounds, ultra-cheap prices and ragged greens sometimes associated with Augusta Municipal Golf Course would be a thing of the past under a plan approved by a city subcommittee Tuesday.
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Panel votes to eliminate water production chief
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Augusta Chronicle
The top post at Augusta Utilities' troubled water production department is being eliminated under a plan proposed Monday by Executive Director Tom Wiedmeier.
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Hyde Park residents might be relocated
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Augusta Chronicle
Residents of Augusta's beleaguered Hyde Park community could be relocated within two years under the newest plan to transform the neighborhood into a stormwater retention pond.
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Commission candidate gets endorsement
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Augusta Chronicle
Calling him a "chip off the old block," Commissioner Jimmy Smith named Hephzibah insurance agent Doug Lively as his chosen successor for the District 8 commission post.
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Bus route losing riders to end
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Augusta Chronicle
A bus route that Augusta Public Transit says is little used and losing money is slated to end.
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Cagle addresses Augusta leaders
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Augusta Chronicle
Taxes, transportation and water were at the top of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle's agenda Thursday as he gave area business and civic leaders an update from Atlanta.
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Bridge could be named for former mayor Hamilton
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Augusta Chronicle
Commissioner Don Grantham wants to name a new bridge to honor an important former mayor, he says.
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Augusta gets grant for beautification
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Augusta Chronicle
The city of Augusta will receive a $50,000 GATEway Grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation that will be used to beautify the right-of-way at Doug Barnard Parkway and Lock and Dam Road in front of the city's Messerly Wastewater Treatment Plant.
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Augusta Commission to examine personnel board's actions after two plant workers reinstated
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta commissioners are taking a hard look at the personnel board that reinstated two water treatment operators last week.
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Master plan urges city to reuse vacant sites
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Augusta Chronicle
Planning a sustainable future for Augusta's outlying areas presents challenges that are vastly different from those of downtown.
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X-Mart settlement saved cash, backers say
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Augusta Chronicle
It was an arduous fight lasting eight years that the city of Augusta undertook to keep a south Augusta adult video store closed.
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Augusta industries tout economic contributions
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Augusta Chronicle
Mayor Deke Copenhaver's first economic summit highlighted areas important to Augusta's economy: Fort Gordon, Plant Vogtle, Savannah River Site and the medical industry.
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Mayor hosting economic summit Wednesday
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver is conducting the economic summit to tout the positives of investment and jobs in the four areas.
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Augusta community center faces budget ax
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Augusta Chronicle
An Augusta community center faces the city budget ax this afternoon.
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X-Mart set to reopen after 8-year fight
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Augusta Chronicle
An eight-year fight to keep an adult video and novelty store out of Augusta has ended.
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Forum addresses Augusta Municipal Golf Course
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Augusta Chronicle
About 70 concerned residents came together Thursday for one purpose: save Augusta Municipal Golf Course.
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Oversight panel begins redevelopment project
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Augusta Chronicle
The panel charged with general oversight of an $8 million-plus redevelopment project in the Laney-Walker and Bethlehem neighborhoods set sail Thursday, although several board members questioned their precise roles in the project.
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Proposal requiring use of local vendors rejected by Augusta Commission committee
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta Commissioner Don Grantham's plan to increase the preference given to local vendors by Augusta's procurement department failed to win approval from a committee Monday.
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Mason will not seek Augusta mayor post
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta City Commissoner Alvin Mason, the city's mayor pro tem, said today he will seek his commission seat again, not mayor or other post.
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Augusta Commission OKs $8 million in revenue bonds to fund revitalization projects
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Augusta Chronicle
The Augusta Commission authorized on Tuesday the issue of $8 million in revenue bonds to finance a variety of revitalization projects in the city's blighted Laney-Walker and Bethlehem neighborhoods.
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Augusta's new judicial center past halfway point
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta government's largest and most expensive building project stands a little more than halfway complete on James Brown Boulevard, on time and under budget.
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Augusta counts on accurate census numbers
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Augusta Chronicle
If motorists find a little less traffic congestion on Washington Road before year's end, it won't be by accident.
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Augusta alters records request policy
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Augusta Chronicle
A barrier blamed for blocking the public's access to information about Augusta's government operations has come down.
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Builder sues city over bid dispute
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Augusta Chronicle
Another businessman who reached his boiling point over the city's purchasing practices is suing Augusta's government.
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Senator urges vote on Augusta baseball stadium
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Augusta Chronicle
Sen. Hardie Davis asked Wednesday for Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver to promise voters a say in any use of government funding for a baseball stadium, but the mayor wouldn't make that guarantee.
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Powell wins passage on landfill amendment
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Augusta Chronicle
Garbage haulers wouldn't be required to fuel their trucks with methane in order to get contracts with the landfill that generates it, according to an amendment Sen. J.B. Powell won passage of in the Senate today.
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Developer to bid if golf gardens land goes to auction
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Augusta Chronicle
After some tweaking by the governor's office, a bill expected to clear the state House and Senate today will see the property -- 16 acres of prime riverfront real estate -- put up for bid rather than sold or deeded to the city.
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Augusta commission members to discuss fire department hiring today
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta Commissioner Joe Jackson says he wants to take on a "good 'ol boy" system of hiring at the fire department, but two other commissioners have other ideas for improvement.
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Augusta's waste-handling strategy stays ahead of times
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Augusta Chronicle
On a spring day in the past, the city of Augusta stepped into the future. Sort of.
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Grovetown issues water restriction
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Augusta Chronicle
Grovetown officials imposed a drought-level outdoor watering restriction on residents because of construction on the city's water system.
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Leaders opposed to plan for fuel
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta's commissioners and legislators appear to be at odds over the city's plan to require garbage haulers to use compressed natural gas to fuel their vehicles.
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Landfill gas would fuel city vehicles under plan
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Augusta Chronicle
Waste hauled from city doorsteps might soon be fueling the garbage trucks that collect it, if a $20 million plan to convert landfill methane to compressed natural gas succeeds.
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Augusta gets state loan for sewer lines
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta-Richmond County was awarded a $23,530,950 low-interest loan today that will finance the extension of sewer lines from the Messerly Water Pollution Control plant to a trunk line along Butler Creek.
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City committee advances redevelopment plan
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Augusta Chronicle
A massive redevelopment project encompassing more than 1,000 acres on Augusta's east side inched along Monday.
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Committee recommends skate park site go to ASU
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Augusta Chronicle
The Augusta Municipal Golf Course isn't the only property Augusta State University is looking at along Damascus Road.
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Augusta employees rack up hefty overtime bill
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Augusta Chronicle
The city of Augusta paid its employees nearly $3 million in overtime last year, and no one blinked an eye.
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Augusta mayor, others take readiness test
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Augusta Chronicle
Mayor Deke Copenhaver and several other Augusta leaders agreed to be tested today to "set an example" for the city becoming a certified Georgia Work Ready Community.
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Vendor takes over Saturday market operation
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Augusta Chronicle
After eight years under the control of the Downtown Development Authority of Augusta, the Saturday Market on the River will be run by one of its vendors, Brooke Buxton, who is affiliated with New Life Natural Foods.
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ASU master plan includes 'the Patch'
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta State University President William Bloodworth further detailed on Wednesday his university's plans for growth, which have lately involved talk of the Augusta Municipal Golf Course.
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Harrisburg businesses get tax break
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Augusta Chronicle
The designation of a Harrisburg-West End Enterprise Zone was approved by the Augusta Commission on Tuesday.
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Change could speed public's path to Richmond County government files
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Augusta Chronicle
Getting access to public documents could become less cumbersome under a new policy being drafted by Augusta's city attorney.
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Buying 'Patch' is cheap ASU option
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Augusta Chronicle
The Augusta Municipal Golf Course isn't for sale, but purchasing it "is an option" among several presented to Augusta State University master planners detailing how the university will double enrollment in 20 years.
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Augusta State eyes public golf course for expansion
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Augusta Chronicle
Augusta State University has money and needs land to expand. But a proposal being floated for Augusta to sell its city-owned golf course to the university system is getting only mixed reactions from area officials.
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