Land of the Blind

Richmond County deputy arrested

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:34:07 -0400

Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength confirmed Deputy Victor Goad, Jr. was charged with theft by extortion and violation of oath of office ...

"Video Games Live": Not your typical night at the symphony

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:03:08 -0400

Something close to a rock concert broke out at the Symphony last week, and oddly enough, nobody seemed to mind ...

Demonstrating for the soul of the nation

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:55:26 -0400

Last week, an organized prayer rally was held in Washington, D.C. to demonstrate for the soul of the nation. It was a little out of the ordinary, though, because the crowd would more likely be wearing robes than WWJD bracelets ...

Brassworks ponder during Westobou

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:27:41 -0400

The Savannah River Brassworks' concert at First Christian last Sunday gave Augusta the chance to relax a little at the end of a jam-packed arts weekend ...

Are you ready for some football? Carter isn't.

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:28:31 -0400

As a Clemson alum, I find myself being accused of getting behind an inferior brand of football ...

Late Sen. Kennedy: Greatest legislator of our time

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:07:29 -0400

I would be ungrateful and irresponsible to allow the opportunity to pass without recognizing how great a legislator Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was ...

Obama's morality platform on healthcare

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:37:10 -0400

One plank of the healthcare reform platform that President Obama is using leads us through very confusing and potentially dangerous ground.

"Stop Obama Care Rally" comes to Augusta

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:47:28 -0400

Augusta has been the site for some demonstrative political activity over the past six months. On September 3, a rally, called the "Stop Obama Care (SOC) Rally," opposed the Democratic proposals for changing the way Americans look at healthcare.

South Carolina's fight over the governor

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:06:56 -0400

Andre Bauer, South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor, gave us a dramatic and juicy press conference last week. Unfortunately, he politicked his way into an extremely unhelpful logic box.

Round two for Augusta Regional Airport

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:59:19 -0400

Earlier this year, the Augusta Aviation Commission thought it had found a new airport director in Jerry Sealy ...

Troy Davis: Innocence trumped by bureaucratic legalism

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:03:07 -0400

Last week, a major development in the Troy Davis case, a Savannah man who was sentenced to death for the murder of a policeman committed 20 years ago. The Supreme Court heard a motion to force a review of the case, which they confirmed with a 6-2 vote (Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented; Sotomayor did not participate), in light of the shakiness of the eyewitness testimony.

Nothing but ho-hum down at the Marble Palace

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:58:28 -0400

I was expecting my first Augusta Commission meetings back in town to be filled with fireworks and raging elected officials arguing with one another over the future of the downtown trade, exhibit and event center.

Paying the government no easy task

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:28:52 -0400

I, like most folks my age, still have a good deal of student loans yet to pay off. I also consolidated most of them under the Department of Education about four years ago in the days when money was basically free and I did not know what to expect from the world that would expect me to pay that money back.

Obamacare

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:37:15 -0400

The way that President Obama is selling the health care plan reminds me of Bush's presentation on Social Security in his second term.

Governors' responses offer insight

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:48:31 -0400

The two most newsworthy governors in our fair nation are the state closest to us and (almost) the state farthest from us.

Thinking of Cap and Trade on Independence Day

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:02:32 -0400

There is a lot going on this week. Most of it is pretty bad, actually. All those celebrity deaths, it looks like the situation in Iran is not going to go in a positive direction (at least in the short term), the official presidential response towards the change in leadership in Honduras seems really strange, the government seems to be pushing even harder on expanding government role in the health care industry, the White House also seems to be getting way too cozy with the media, and states are going bankrupt while the governor of our next door neighbor is looking even sillier when before all he was known for was refusing money from the federal government in an effort to promote fiscal responsibility.

Village Deli helps save animals

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:23:25 -0400

The Village Deli recently had its check presentation to five animal rescue organizations that amounted to a $15,000 donation.

Republican brand takes a bruising

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:25:48 -0400

I was sitting in a restaurant down in New Smyrna Beach, Florida last week and saw on the TV screen on the wall showing national news that Mark Sanford was missing. I thought that was pretty weird, since governors rarely go missing and Sanford normally only makes news for being a really conservative politician.

Enjoying the three-crow omelet

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:39:13 -0400

AUGUSTA, GA - Wow. In close to 20 years of writing for this newspaper, I don't think I have ever been as wrong as I was Wednesday.

Obama finally makes a good foreign policy decision

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:35:41 -0400

I heard on the news this week about the best policy decision, foreign or domestic, that the Obama Administration has made since it was elected.

Commission moves slowly ahead with Laney Walker project

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:25:31 -0400

All dressed up in white with a red rose pinned on her jacket, Commissioner Betty Beard gave a moving presentation to the Augusta Commission this afternoon.

Web poll says SPLOST will pass

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:08:01 -0400

Our Web poll says that two-thirds of respondents think SPLOST will be approved by Richmond County voters

Unemployment claims continue to rise

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:58:44 -0400

The Georgia Department of Labor says new unemployment claims in the Augusta area rose 116 percent in May, as compared to a year ago.

Downtown recycling woes

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:50:46 -0400

Going green is more of a hassle than it should be.

Voting law does not target minorities

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:05:31 -0400

Earlier this week, the State Department of Georgia got a reprimand from the Department of Justice, telling Secretary of State Karen Handel that the efforts she and her organization have pursued to clean up the voter rolls cannot be done.

Perspective on slumlord charges against Commissioner Beard

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:11:46 -0400

News Channel 12 did a piece on Betty Beard and one of her rental properties last night. The caption under her photo read "Commissioner slumlord." After talking to Rob Sherman at Licensing and Inspections and to Commissioner Beard, I believe I now have a little more understanding of the story.

Tee Center is slowly moving forward

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:54:05 -0400

After four years of stand-by and controversy, the debate over the Tee Center eventually moved forward Tuesday. Seven of the 10 commissioners voted yes to the latest proposal at the June 2 afternoon meeting.

How do you define yourself?

Sun, 31 May 2009 10:46:24 -0400

I had a class in high school called Inquiry Skills, and it was taught by a Mr. Wagner. He was one of those teachers who was in it for all the right reasons and whom you never forget after you have him.

Morris announces another extension

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:35:18 -0400

The deadline for Morris Publishing to make a $9.7 million debt payment passed yesterday. Today, Morris accounced that it has extended the deadline for payment -- again.

TEE Center deeply divides Augusta Commission

Tue, 26 May 2009 18:14:56 -0400

The deliberate absence of the five African-American commissioners at Tuesday's Augusta Commission meeting about the Trade, Exhibit and Event (TEE) Center confirms the continuing controversy over the project's budget.

Improving fuel efficiency just makes us more wasteful

Thu, 21 May 2009 19:03:31 -0400

I know plagiarism is en vogue now that Maureen Dowd of the New York Times is doing it, but I promise that even though my words, while they may sound similar to sentiments articulated by Charles Krauthammer earlier this week, were not taken from him. I argued with a friend on Tuesday about the relative value of changing the fuel economy standards, and Charles and I reached the same conclusions. Consider us Newton and Leibnitz.

Come out, come out, wherever you are

Tue, 19 May 2009 11:17:54 -0400

I looked up the definition of blog and there are a lot of different ideas as to what it is. To people who consider themselves true journalists, it is an extension of the way they usually get their point across.

Officials ignore voters at their own peril

Fri, 15 May 2009 12:51:13 -0400

It is a risky move for an elected official to ignore the explicit will of the majority of their electorate. The funding for the oft-mentioned Trade, Exhibition and Expo (TEE) Center was one of those exercises in voter expression. Recently, of course, the Augusta City Commission decided not to move forward with its construction. The explanation cited is the poor economic situation we are currently facing.

Youth leadership program doing its job

Thu, 14 May 2009 14:19:46 -0400

The Youth Leadership of Richmond County program was introduced in 2005 under the leadership of current Richmond County Tax Commissioner Steven Kendrick. The program's goal at its outset was to identify and help develop leadership skills in high school students by getting them more involved with their classmates and their community. Almost four years later, the program seems to be doing its job.

Take my bream, please!

Wed, 13 May 2009 11:52:55 -0400

A private company offered to help restock the canal with five-inch bream to a member of the first Saturday crew and to Dayton Sherrouse. At the price of 25 cents times a thousand, that was an offer any one with a private pond would have loved to accept.

Why not build lakes in other places, not just Regency Mall

Tue, 12 May 2009 14:34:41 -0400

I talked to Fred Russell today and told him what I am stating now. I never meant nor did I think when I wrote "anything Fred wants to do with the money" that he would put the $3.5 mill in his pocket. Sorry if anyone got the wrong impression.

Obama stress test and other distressing items

Sat, 09 May 2009 13:40:38 -0400

This has been a frustrating week to pay attention to the news. The past few months, really, have been frustrating; but this week a lot of stories really kind of overlapped, on top of which, Brett Favre is meeting with the Vikings' front office, so I cannot even escape media overhype by switching to sports. Then again, I am not sure why that should be surprising; that is pretty much how ESPN operates anyway. Unfortunately, because the issues are mostly the "Stress Test" and the swine flu, it is really hard to single out an individual. I will try my best, though.

Say no to the lake at Regency Mall

Tue, 05 May 2009 12:38:56 -0400

OPINION -- Other than Augusta City Administrator Fred Russell and some commissioners, I don't know of anyone who wants a lake at the Regency Mall. But on June 16, they are going to ask us to vote on it.

Voting Rights Act faces challenge

Fri, 01 May 2009 15:55:56 -0400

A strange historical legislative decision initially intended to improve equality and fairness among states might be repealed soon because of a city in Texas. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed in an effort to put an end to discrimination preventing minorities from voting, particularly in the South. One of the ways that this was enforced was, in a wonderfully ironic choice of law, to make all or parts of 16 states have different rules when it comes to relocating voting districts in a process called "preclearance."

Governor has a chance to serve justice in Troy Davis case

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:57:41 -0400

Governor Perdue can allow us a baseball stadium, but can he halt the execution of an innocent man? According to Georgia law, no, but the case of Troy Davis is compelling enough that pressure will likely be put on him to do something.

Morris gets yet more time to pay off its debts

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:13:59 -0400

Morris Publishing, which owns The Augusta Chronicle, has been granted another month to come up with $9.7 million to make an interest payment that came due earlier this year

Examining Obama actions on abortion and torture

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:35:00 -0400

Remember back in January when President Obama was first sworn in? One of the first things he did was rescind the Mexico City Policy on abortion, following a partisan pattern that started with Reagan, which ended federal funding for organizations that provided counseling on abortion as a method of family planning overseas.

A new model for financing home solar power

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:32:00 -0400

Some Americans may view Berkeley, California like that wacky, eccentric cousin at a family reunion: one of us, yes, but best ignored. Yet Berkeley's enthusiasm for thinking differently can result in bright ideas with broad appeal, such as a new program that allows homeowners to install solar panels with no up-front costs -- a really brilliant idea in tough economic times when credit is tight, and an idea that is getting noticed around the nation.

Deke hopes to break ground on new baseball stadium by fall

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:35:25 -0400

Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver and Greenjackets owner Cal Ripken announced today that Governor Sonny Purdue has given a green light to move ahead with a new baseball stadium downtown.

Tea Party rings with sound of The Beatles

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:57:05 -0400

Tax day is only good when you get money back. Even then, though, it is kind of like a backhanded compliment (I do not like the phrase left-handed compliment, because well, it is a handist phrase and quite frankly my people have suffered enough) when you realize that money should have been yours like six months ago. People opposed to the government spending reaching proportions requiring words invented by Lewis Carroll or Dr. Seuss to describe it decided that this tax day would be used as an expression of anger and frustration and disappointment.

Thoughts of Augusta and Daytona

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:43:01 -0400

On Wednesday, I found myself stuck in traffic going the opposite direction from most of the folks driving around Richmond County. I was returning to my hometown just outside of Daytona Beach, Fla. I was driving to Columbia to fly down here, so I know from the commercials that it makes me a bad Augustan for not flying out of our local airport, so sorry about that everybody. Maybe I was a bad Augustan for leaving at all.

Why is the president pushing out a CEO?

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:36:31 -0400

I have a problem with the President of the United States pushing the CEO of a corporation out of his position. I have a problem with a lot of what is going on right now, because there are no clear rules for us to follow. The government is making sweeping economic decisions that affect people in very real ways in a completely arbitrary fashion.

The latest on Spirit Creek Middle School scandal

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:39:51 -0400

Louis Svehla of the Richmond County school system released the following press release about the Spirit Creek Middle School scandal.

Morris estimates value of its debt at 10 cents on the dollar

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:02:07 -0400

Morris Publishing is reporting a huge loss for 2008, though it's mainly a loss in "goodwill." And the financial picture for The Augusta Chronicle shows it took a big hit last year.

Hooray! We are almost average!

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:59:00 -0400

Mayor Deke Copenhaver's latest glass-three-quarters-full look at Augusta highlights the fact that Augusta rose 48 spots in the latest Forbes rankings of the "Best Places for Business and Careers."

Man asks for donations of wheelchairs

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:48:59 -0400

Michael Weintraub probably needs a wheelchair these days. He's recuperating from surgery. But instead of thinking of himself, he's trying to drum up wheelchairs for other people.

Mound of poo catches up with Harlem official

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:57:44 -0400

In 2007, Metro Spirit writer Angel Cleary reported on problems at the Harlem wastewater treatment facility. The story was called" Digging deeper: A lawsuit against the City of Harlem unearths a possible EPA investigation and a whole mound of poo that may have eroded into Euchee Creek."

Perfect he may not be

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:58:57 -0400

These days it seems that everyone is nostalgic for our perfect President. The President who made brilliant decisions every time he spoke, whose actions were greeted by the citizens with joy and who is regarded by historians as flawless.

Reflections on coverage of Columbia County murder

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:02:05 -0400

The murder last week of Columbia County housewife Kay Parsons showed several interesting media dynamics in play, and the dangers (and disgrace) of "amateur journalism" via anonymous Internet postings.

Set your cruise control, Super Speeders

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:07:25 -0400

How often do you wish you could change the speed limits of the roads you drive on? If you are anything like me, the answer is every day.

Help a deserving student get into a good university

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:48:33 -0400

The college admissions process has robbed me of my humanity. Before the madness, school was a place for me to learn, grow and develop the necessary skills to insure that drug deals go smoothly. Now, it's all about college admissions boards; particularly their opinions on my various actions.

Commissioners talk about fishing with car batteries and other things

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:24:57 -0400

The administrator, the mayor, and most of the commission met in Athens on Friday and Saturday for their annual sleep-over retreat.

While cutting AIG pay why not cut pay for Senators?

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:09:22 -0400

The funny thing about governing with an electoral mandate is that you never know what will make the public change their minds. Public opinion turned sharply against AIG following the news of the disbursement of the $165 million bonuses, to the point that popular support for future industry bailouts is threatened.

Investigative work goes nowhere if no one steps up

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 08:49:07 -0400

This is to Tim Williams of Southeast Automated system in North Augusta in response to his letter about no local bidders: So you think some one in the media should look into this and bring it to the public's attention?

Stem cell debate is about deciding when life starts

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:44:24 -0400

When is a stem cell not a stem cell? When it is an abortion. This week, President Obama reversed course on the Bush Administration ban on federal funds for embryonic stem cell research. The Georgia Senate passed a bill through committee that would make such research in the Peach State, at the penalty of a fine and loss of medical license.

On behalf of the poor, an apology for existing

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:24:42 -0400

I was recently in Saint Thomas, a beautiful island in the Caribbean. As I was eating a fabulously overpriced dinner with my family, I heard a man a few tables over express his joy at the fact that, "Here you don't have to look at all those poor people."

Commissioners spend their ticket fund quickly

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:56:18 -0400

Quick. If your group has tickets to sell for a fundraiser, make your request to the Augusta Commission now -- before the money runs out.

Chronicle calling the kettle black

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:54:59 -0400

This week, The Augusta Chronicle criticized the "exclusive arrangements" between Richmond County schools and two TV stations.

Partisanship does not really mean anything

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:31:33 -0400

I love the State of the Union address, or in this case, the Address to the Joint Session of Congress. The ceremony and the importance and the just plain Americanness of it are all so much fun to watch. It also makes me laugh to see physical manifestations of partisanship in standing and applause.

I was not thinking about legalizing drugs but now that you mention it

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:02:26 -0400

I don't know how Jill thought I wanted to legalize drugs but if I had the power to do something besides what we are doing now it would be my second choice.

Maybe we could just print Confederate money

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:21:18 -0400

I will not be getting a supplemental property tax bill, after all. Earlier this week, the Governor Sonny Perdue reached a strange conclusion to a confusing payment relationship between the state and local governments, mostly out of an apparent desire to limit that confusion.

Does a child have to be killed before a club is closed?

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:37:36 -0400

OPINION -- Headline: "Child killed in crossfire between gagsters. Public demands action. Local government takes action too late."

What does the stimulus bill have for Georgia?

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:42:26 -0400

City/County Administrator Fred Russell sat in on a conference call Friday with our U.S. Representative John Barrow and others, including our Georgia Representative Hardie Davis, to get an overview of the stimulus bill.

Onions and economics

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:27:55 -0400

Certainty is an odd feeling. It is both comforting and a little bit dangerous. When I was a kid, I was sure that I did not like onions. As it turns out, I love onions. I did not want to listen to my parents, because I did not want to like them. Now, I could almost eat those sweet Vidalias like apples.

Unemployment is rising quickly in Augusta, Deke

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:24:49 -0400

Georgia's initial claims to unemployment insurance have increased 81 percent since last January.

Club Platinum license suspended

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:13:57 -0400

Sheriff Ron Strength put the ax to Club Platinum at Wednesday's Augusta Commission committee meetings.

President Obama reaches across the aisle

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:31:47 -0400

President Obama is fulfilling one of his campaign promises as he rounds out his cabinet: he is reaching across the aisle and bringing in Republicans in an effort towards bipartisanship. He kept Robert Gates at Secretary of Defense, nominated (and the Senate confirmed) Ray LaHood at Secretary of Transportation, and recently nominated Judd Gregg at Secretary of Commerce. So far, these nominees have paid all of their taxes, but who knows what we might find out?

New lake at Regency Mall will be fishing hole for crackheads

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:22:03 -0400

A 13-acre lake was suggested as part of the SPLOST workshop today. As insane as it is to ask voters to pay for it, putting it at the Regency Mall may be what causes voters to say no to the complete SPLOST plan.

Why not let church groups use the schools?

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:48:11 -0400

Which one is true or truer: I just got back from the postal complex and saw a story about a faith-based group in Cobb County, or I just got back from the post office and saw a story about a Christian group in Cobb County? Anyway, the Child Evangelist Fellowship gets to use the school for free after hours after all, just like the Boy Scouts get to, and Fulton County Schools have to pay them almost $22,000 to cover legal fees and court costs.

Brace yourself for bankruptcy at Morris Publishing

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:06:46 -0400

With Morris Publishing stumbling toward bankruptcy, the question is what will that mean for Augusta's media mogul Billy Morris.

Stimulus bill is not so stimulating

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:38:36 -0400

This week, real criticism of the stimulus package is starting to reach the surface in ways that it had not quite done coming into the inauguration, even though it passed in the House on Wednesday, without a single Republican yes vote. There is good news, though: it is only $816 billion instead of the initially proposed $825 billion. The Senate will vote as early as next week on it.

Just give us the money, Broun says

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:32:38 -0400

Congressman Paul Brown wants individual consumers to take charge of turning the economy around. This week, Broun introduced an amendment to gut President Barack Obama's stimulus plan by giving the money directly to taxpayers.

Importing ideas for Augusta from across the river

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:26:41 -0400

The Chronicle's editorial today seems to start out poking fun of our get-rich-quick schemes here in Augusta (the race track, a canal downtown, a new baseball stadium, cable-cars on Broad Street, and everyone's favorite- the Golf and Gardens) and goes on to rave about how wonderful it could be to restore the Miller Theatre.

Obama makes this exciting week for political junkies

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:22:12 -0400

This was a pretty big week, politics-wise. I don't know if you heard, but we got a new president on Tuesday. This administration will no doubt prove to be pretty exciting, for all kinds of reasons. Some of them are pretty obvious and some of them are only that way for political junkies, like how interesting it will be to have the first senator as president since JFK and how long we will have to wait for Vice President Joe Biden to say something wacky again.

Reflections on the Clint Eastwood and multiculturalism

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:32:56 -0400

Clint Eastwood's (as ever, tough but fair? - a hard outer misanthropic shell with morally superior filling) character, Walt, speaks in nothing but growls and racial slurs, even to long time friends. So when he comes upon some black guys while cruising his neighborhood in Detroit and the most famous slur of all never occurs to him, it's a chickening-out that only makes the rest of his grumping all the more unbelievable and pointless.

Should style be basis for arrests?

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:58:10 -0400

Augusta has recently considered and decided against criminalizing visible drawers.

Hey, fatties, you need to pay more for insurance!

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:18:59 -0400

Hey everybody, we're all fat. The military is turning away fatties, there are more obese than overweight (and both of those numbers are on the rise), and Southern states have a particular problem with it.

Why not give free rent at Arena to big performers?

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:54:26 -0400

This morning's Augusta Chronicle editorial praising the enthusiasm of new Coliseum Authority member Johnny Hensley is 95% on the mark. His infectious optimism is hard not to pick up, and if you heard his celebration of the recent success of Mamma Mia you would have thought that he had been crowned the Dancing Queen himself.

Are profits from cigarette, gas taxes reliable?

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:40:40 -0400

There are two major financial changes that could face Georgians in the New Year, and they serve as a sort of primer for Econ 101. Representative Ron Stephens of Savannah has proposed a tax increase of $1 on packs of cigarettes and gas prices are going up in the face of OPEC's cuts in production from earlier in the recession.

McKinney effort to run aid to Gaza makes headlines, but not much sense

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:05:11 -0400

Former Congressional representative from Atlanta and Georgia crackpot Cynthia McKinney had a run in with the Israeli Navy earlier this week. She was on board the Dignity, a 66-foot yacht that is part of the Free Gaza Movement carrying about 4 tons of medical supplies provided by the government of Cyprus.

Questions remain about Cherry Tree Crossing

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:26:36 -0400

What happened at Cherry Tree Crossing? The sheriff's department got a call that a stolen dark SUV in the neighborhood was carrying drugs and weapons. The description of the vehicle presumably didn't include a tag number.

Dealth penalty cases require honesty of potential jurors

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 06:49:02 -0400

Earlier this week, Brian Nichols was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He killed four people in a courthouse crime spree in 2005 in a rather heinous murder streak while escaping from custody while standing trial for rape. So, Mr. Nichols is an all around great guy.

We call bull!

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:29:50 -0400

In response to the full-page ad that published Saturday, Dec. 13 in the Chronicle and blog that appeared on Buzz on Biz

SPLOST wish list gets cut to $185,000,000

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:05:43 -0400

The Miller Theatre renovation and purchase of Regency Mall both ended up on Augusta City Administrator's short list of $185,000,000 in projects to go before the voters in a June election.

Commission puts Regency Mall on the wish list

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:25:58 -0400

Some Augusta commissioners will advance a plan on Wednesday to set aside $8 million to buy the old Regency Mall. They'll bring it up during the workshop on the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) hearing on Wednesday.

Transit cuts are one-two punch for workers

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:02:59 -0400

There will be a hearing on Thursday, December 18 to discuss proposed changes to Augusta Public Transit. On the table are fare increases coupled with service cuts. Nice one-two punch.

Miller Theatre may get new life with Augusta Symphony

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:09:17 -0400

Peter Knox has turned down a private offer to buy the Miller Theatre and now plans to give the theater to the Augusta Symphony.

More commission salary and travel numbers

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:59:33 -0400

More Augusta Commission travel expenses: Grantham outspends Hatney

Mike Huckabee book signing gets warm reception

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:22:07 -0400

Former Governor, presidential candidate, and current talk show host Mike Huckabee did not forget his Arkansas roots while in Aiken on Saturday when he appeared at Wal-Mart there for a signing of his new book "Do the Right Thing."

Bankruptcy for Big Three should be an option

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:34:21 -0400

I like cars. I drive one, I had posters of cars on my wall in my college dorm room, and I grew up in the shadow of a town that cars helped put on the map -- Daytona Beach, Florida. Cars are in the news a lot lately, at least, American cars are, for the distinction that people are not buying them anymore. In the interest of full disclosure, I bought a car a year ago and it was a Mazda. So I guess I am part of the problem.

Is is really populism when Palin rally attracts almost no African-Americans?

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:38:05 -0400

The estimated attendance for Saxby's rally at the James Brown Arena was 2000 (some say higher). A visual count by my friend found five African-Americans. He may have miscounted, but the number was low.

Holland travels more than Brigham, less than Beard

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:45:46 -0400

The travel expenses for Augusta Commissioner Calvin Holland show he spends more than Joe Bowles or Jerry Brigham, but less than Betty Beard.

Commissioners back away from baggy pants ordinance

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:37:44 -0400

Augusta Commissioner Corey Johnson backed away from his proposal to legislate against baggy pants today.

Commissioner Jerry Brigham shows his frugality

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:56:16 -0400

More in our series on how much Augusta Commissioners are paid in salary and how much tax money they spend on travel: