Omar King Augusta Chronicle Thursday 20240222

This program is intended for a print and paired audience and is brought to you by the Georgia Radio Reading Service, GARS. Welcome to our reading of the Augusta Chronicle. I'm Omar King for the Georgia Radio Reading Service. Today is Thursday, February 22nd, 2024. Our first article comes to us from the Augusta Chronicle. From the environment section, Difference Makers, Augusta shopkeeper carefully chooses products with an eye on sustainability by Erica Van Buren from the Augusta Chronicle published on February 22nd, 2024. Editor's note, Difference Makers is a series of profiles that highlight Augusta area people dedicated to living and working toward a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way of living. Field Botanicals is more than a retail store. It's a business dedicated to offering customers products made in a sustainable way with clean ingredients, says owner Jennifer Tinsley. A lot of people who come here are seeking something, said Tinsley. They're not just browsing. They're seeking cleaner ingredients, Tinsley said when it came to naming the store. She kept her customers in mind. It's a family name, but I don't use it in that manner, said Tinsley. I decided to go with a generic name so people can envision what they want, whether it's a field of flowers or nature's bounty. Field Botanicals, located in downtown Augusta at 215A 12th Street, carries an array of beauty products from independent brands. I launched three of my own products and opened the store in October 2018, said Tinsley. We launched our products Smell My Bod and Smell My Feet in American Eagle Outfitters and Urban Outfitters, but we've since refocused on the store because that quickly became my joy. Tinsley answered the following questions about her work. Answers have been edited for content and length. Question. What inspired you to open a sustainable beauty product store? Answer. Working in retail gives me a lot of joy. I consider myself a wellness junkie. I've always been interested in health and wellness. I've been a vegan for about 15 years. In spite of my ultra-healthy lifestyle, I broke out with eczema. Trying to find a holistic approach, I became more aware of the products in my bathroom cabinet. I was exercising and eating all the right things, and I thought more about the things that I was putting on my body. I decided to start making my own skincare products. Question. How do you decide which products or brands to carry in your store? Answer. The makeup brand that we fully carry is Elate Beauty. They are a Canadian brand, and they are certified B Corporation. It's a voluntary designation that companies can take to meet standards that they set for themselves on ethics and sustainability, social justice, and fair wages for their employees. A lot of sustainable brands seek it out because it gives brands credibility. Question. What are some other sustainable brands that you carry in the store? Answer. We carry Upcircle Beauty Products. They're an English brand that upcycles ingredients from the food and beverage industry. They have a scrub that's made from coffee grounds. They take fruit pits, olive skins, and they upcycle those ingredients. We also carry Meow Meow Tweet, Three Ships Beauty, which are all certified B Corporation brands. There are a lot of good brands that aren't necessarily certified B Corporation, but they're plastic-free. I also look at the ingredients and weigh them against the Environmental Working Group Database. Question. Before you allow a product to be sold in your store, do you check the ingredients of the product? Answer. We rank sustainability as a priority. We just got rid of a brand. I won't say the brand, it doesn't matter, but they met all the ingredients standards. They're cruelty-free and vegan, but their packaging wasn't recyclable. I reached out to them and had a discussion about it, and they weren't going to change their packaging. We don't want to carry a brand that's not aiming at sustainability. We have enough plastic that can't be recycled in the world. Question. Why is being eco-friendly important to you? Answer. It's part of my value system, personally. Being vegan, I'm aware of the impact that the livestock industry has on greenhouse gases. We try to do things that reduce waste. This concludes the reading of our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle. From the Environment section, Difference Makers, Augusta shopkeeper carefully chooses products with an eye on sustainability by Erica Van Buren from the Augusta Chronicle, published on February 22nd, 2024. Our second article comes to us from the Elections section. Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley packs crowd in North Augusta. Here's what she promised by Joe Hoschkiss from the Augusta Chronicle, published on February 21st, 2024. Because of the crucial February 24th presidential primary in her battleground home state, Nikki Haley distanced herself in the North Augusta campaign stop Wednesday from challengers in both parties by age, policy, decisions, and mental fitness. Admitting to voting twice for her current opponent, Donald Trump, the two-term South Carolina governor also derided his unbridled personality that often stirs trouble and chaos and follows him. He's obsessed with himself, Haley said, and we need someone who's going to be obsessed with the American people. Calling Trump, 77, and President Joe Biden, 81, the two most disliked politicians in America, considered too old for office by many Americans, Haley, 52, laid out planks in her campaign platform stressing fiscal responsibility, stronger borders, and more youthful vigor. Citing America's $34 trillion debt, Haley urged voters to put an accountant in the White House, referring to her prior bookkeeping career to help assure a federal budget is turned in on time, which has happened only four times in the past 40 years. She also pledged to track the estimated $100 billion in fraudulently obtained COVID relief dollars that Haley said were provided through the Trump administration's rushed, poorly vetted support program. On America's recent illegal border crossings, Haley called for a defunding of the sanctuary cities and the stationing of an additional 25,000 Border Patrol and Immigration Control and Enforcement agents to just let them do their job on the America's border with Mexico. Lax border security has also contributed to a surge in U.S. fentanyl overdoses, and don't think for a second China doesn't know what it's doing when they send it over, Haley said. Fentanyl overdoses are the number one causes of death among people ages 18 to 45, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The North Augusta visit came on the heels of the Haley campaign's upstate swing through the cities of Camden, Greer, and Clemson. Born in Bamberg, South Carolina, about 60 miles from Augusta, Haley served two terms as South Carolina's governor from 2011 to 2017. From January 2017 to December 2018, she served as a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under then-President Donald Trump. She now faces Trump as the only other major Republican candidate for president. A recent exclusive Suffolk University U.S. Today poll found Trump leading Haley in South Carolina by close to 2-1 among likely Republican primary voters. The story of this poll is the depth of the strength shown by Trump. Said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, Trump holds double-digit leads among men and women, in every age group, and among high school and college graduates. This concludes the reading of our second article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle from the Elections section. Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley packs crowds in North Augusta. Here is what she promised, by Joe Hotchkiss, Augusta Chronicle, published February 21st, 2024. Our third article from our February 22nd, 2024 reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the Bulldogs Extra section. Why oddmakers are high on Georgia football QB Carson Beck for the Heisman Trophy, written by Mark Weiser of the Athens-Banner Herald, published February 22nd, 2024. Carson Beck's first season as the starting quarterback for Georgia football produced an unbeaten regular season for a team coming off back-to-back national championships. His decision to return in 2024 rather than enter the NFL draft is viewed as a big boost for the Bulldogs. Sportsbooks are bullish on Beck. Caesars list him as the Heisman Trophy betting favorite for 2024 at plus 800, just ahead of five other quarterbacks as of Tuesday. Texas' Quinn Ewers at plus 850, Oregon's Dylan Gabriel at plus 900, and three players at plus 1200 in Alabama's Jalen Milrow, LSU's Garrett Neusenmaier, and Ohio State's Will Howard. Obviously, Georgia is going to be your 2024 favorite to win the national championship, said Joe Feasel, the college football league trader at Caesars. Obviously a strong team, a strong coach. Easily this last year, if the SEC title game doesn't go the way it does, Georgia, I could see winning that. I don't think Michigan would have the answers for Georgia. That is kind of correlated in that aspect. Carson Beck getting that extra year to grow and being on such a talented team. Obviously they lose some pieces with Ladd McConkie and Brock Bowers, but they have some good talent coming in and they just replaced a good tight end as well. Georgia added Stanford tight end Benjamin Urozyk. Feasel said the Bulldogs have a tougher schedule, but has the look of a team that could be dominant again. BetMGM expects to release its Heisman odds in the next couple of weeks, but trading manager Seamus McGee said yours is more likely to be the favorite than Beck, who threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, close behind. Beck's going to be near the top, McGee said. He's going to be the quarterback on the best team in the country. You can't be wrong on that guy. FanDuel lists Beck's and yours as their favorite at plus 750. DraftKing also has them at the top at plus 900. Caesars put out its first 2024 Heisman odds before the national championship game last season. The odds can change slightly even at this time of the year. Mirro rose from a plus 1,400 and Gabriel from a plus 1,000 last week at Caesars. In this era, there's just so much going on, McGee said. Even transfers to a bigger school, their Heisman odds can get shorter. Chip Kelly going to Ohio State could potentially be a big impact for guys playing for Ohio State. We don't like to leave ourselves open to too much with something like this. We're not going to take a ton of action on it right now, so there's not really a big hurry to get it up. Spring practice showings and injuries can cause changes. We don't see a lot of action until we get into the summer, late summer, what the expectation of all these teams is going to be, Fiesel said. A lot can change during the course of the season, as we see every year with the Heisman trophy. The last preseason Heisman favorite to win the award for college football's top player was Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield in 2017, Fiesel said, and that happened before the Supreme Court ruling on sports betting that opened the door for it to become rampant nationally. In 2021, Heisman winner Bryce Young from Alabama was the second favorite. Last season, Jaden Daniels won despite being outside the upper tier when the season began. It's subjective, Fiesel said. It's an interesting kind of market to book. USC's Caleb Williams was the preseason favorite last year at plus 375 after winning in 2022, but didn't finish in the top 10. Beck is the favorite for now at what's 8-1, but his odds to win it are only 11%. Favorites don't usually win it, but it doesn't tell the full story, Fiesel said. If you're at 11% chance of winning, you're already an underdog. The Georgia running backs have won the last three Heismans and seven of the last eight. Georgia running back Trevor Etienne, a Florida transfer, is listed at plus 5,000, ahead of the likes of former Oconee County quarterback Max Johnson, now at North Carolina, plus 6,000 odds, former UGA commitment Dylan Raiola, plus 7,500, who signed with Nebraska and Kentucky's Brock Vandegrift, who's plus 10,000. The Georgia transfer from Prince Avenue Christian. If Carson Beck isn't the reason Georgia is dominant in 2024, Etienne definitely could make a case, Fiesel said. Georgia is the favorite at MGM and the Caesars, both plus 350, to win the national championship. They've had an insane recruiting class the last few years, McGee said. Ohio State, the question was, who's going to be the quarterback? It looks like it's probably going to be Will Howard right now. Is that enough to make them more favorite than Georgia? Not in our opinion. Even Bama's odds, Bama could be a little longer with some of their outgoings right now. If you make them too long, you're going to get smashed. Ohio State, which has bolstered its roster through the transfer portal and added Kelly as an offensive coordinator, has moved from plus 500 to plus 450 to plus 400 at Caesars. They're one of our biggest bet teams outside of Colorado going into this next year, Fiesel said. We're not going to see, really, the action ramp up until summer. Ohio State is at plus 500 at MGM, followed by Texas at plus 750 and Alabama at plus 800. A top player for teams contending for the national title often emerge as Heisman finalists, but this is the first year of the 12-team playoff. I think it's going to be a little bit more wide open, Fiesel said. This concludes the third article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle from the Bulldogs Extra section, Why Oddmakers are High on Georgia football quarterback Carson Beck for the Heisman Trophy. By Mark Wieser from the Athens Banner Herald, published February 22nd, 2024. The fourth article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the Business section, Best Pizza in Columbia County, A New but Familiar Challenger is About to Enter the Arena by Joe Hoskice of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 22nd, 2024. The article opens with a picture of Magdy Faltis, co-owner of Two Boys Pizza and Grill as they prepare to move the popular restaurant from Washington Road to Evans in Columbia County. He's seen in a blue shirt. Behind him is a mural of a man holding a pizza with a nice long red beard. Columbia County's population will soon increase by two boys, and two familiar restaurants have merged. The owners of Two Boys Pizza and Grill recently announced that they're moving the family-owned casual restaurant to the village at Fury's Ferry Shopping Center in Evans. The restaurant that was there, called Simply Local, merged in late 2023 with its sister restaurant, Kuchina 503, less than a mile down the road at 502 and 503 Fury's Ferry. Both restaurants are owned by Chef Edward Mendoza. The Two Boys restaurant temporarily closed earlier this month at 3026 Washington Road. It opened in July 2021 in the former 24-hour Denny's. The restaurant features Greek and Italian dishes, but has been building a regional reputation for its pizza, which has been described in recent Google reviews as heavenly and perfectly cooked. The Columbia County recently granted Two Boys its alcohol license for the new establishment at the corner of Fury's Ferry and Evans to Lox Road. Local opened December 2021 with a menu described as tavern comfort food using locally sourced ingredients. This concludes the reading of our fourth article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle from the business section, Best Pizza in Columbia County, A New But Familiar Challenger is About to Enter the Arena, written by Joe Hotchkiss of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 22nd, 2024. Our fifth article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the crime section, Women Steal More Than $15,000 Worth of Perfume from Ultas in Richmond, Columbia Counties. By Alexandra Koch of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 21st, 2024. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office is searching for two women accused of stealing more than $15,000 in perfume from the Ulta in Columbia County. Just after 2 p.m. Saturday, the two women loaded more than $15,000 worth of perfume into bags at Ulta and left the store without paying, according to a news release from the Sheriff's Office. The same two suspects also hit the Augusta Ulta store before going to the Ulta in Columbia County, according to the release. The pair are most likely in the Sumter, South Carolina area, according to the Sheriff's Office. This concludes the fifth article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle from the crime section, Women Steal More Than $15,000 Worth of Perfume from Ultas in Richmond, Columbia Counties. By Alexandra Koch of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 21st, 2024. The sixth article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the crime section, Richmond County Sheriff's Office Searching for Missing 11-Year-Old Girl. By Alexandra Koch of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 21st, 2024. An 11-year-old Augusta girl went missing Tuesday night near Maryland Avenue. Lakeland Rose Bryan, 11, is 5'2", weighs 160 pounds and has blonde hair and brown eyes, according to a news release from the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. Bryan was last seen at 7 p.m. Tuesday walking on the 1900 block of Maryland Avenue toward Highland Park, according to the release. She was last seen wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, according to the release. Anyone with information about Bryan's whereabouts should contact RCSO Dispatch at 706-821-1080. This concludes the reading of our sixth article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle from the crime section, Richmond County Sheriff's Office Searching for Missing 11-Year-Old Girl. By Alexandra Koch of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 21st, 2024. The seventh article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the crime section, Discipline Against Troubled Augusta Club Postponed After Officials Fail to Give Owner Notice. Alexandra Koch of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 21st, 2024. Augusta commissioners on Tuesday were legally unable to decide on disciplinary action against a local nightclub, the scene of a recent shooting after failing to provide the business owner with proper notice. After a lengthy discussion about violent crime at Club Rain on Gordon Highway, the city's attorney stepped in to confirm that officials had not given owner Voselius Allen notice of a meeting held last week and only notified him on Friday of Tuesday's meeting. Attorneys said the city is required to provide notice to business owners in such circumstances. Commissioners began considering revoking or suspending the club's alcohol license following an alleged December shooting and a fatal shooting in January. Allen noted, though, that the establishment does not serve alcohol. On January 20th, 22-year-old Creshawn Bunnell Martin of Augusta was shot at Club Rain on the 1800 block of Gordon Highway, according to previous reporting. He was taken to Wellstar MCG, where he was pronounced dead. In an email sent Monday to the Chronicle by the Sheriff's Office, the Records Division said there was a case number from the December 16th shooting, but said as of right now, there is not a report available. At Tuesday's meeting, a Sheriff's Office representative made note of the incident report. He said the report noted that the shooting happened just after 3 a.m. and the deputy was working special duty at the club at the time. The representative said the deputy noticed everyone running outside of the club to their vehicle, saying someone was shot inside. Allen told commissioners there have yet to be arrests in either of the shootings and argued with Richmond County Sheriff's officials over facts surrounding both cases. He said he has done everything he could to deter crime, placing numerous cameras, hiring three special duty Sheriff's Office deputies, and hiring an additional seven armed security guards. I feel like it's an attack on me right now, Allen said during the meeting. Club Rain is designed to be a sobering upspot for club goers to go get food and rehydrate before driving home, according to Allen, who declined to speak with an Augusta Chronicle reporter after the meeting. Since the club does not supply alcohol, the probationary period would just mean increased monitoring by the city and frequent checks by the Sheriff's Office. Commissioners are set to decide on potential disciplinary action at a meeting on March 3rd. This concludes the reading of our seventh article from the February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle from the Crime Section, Discipline Against Troubled Augusta Club Postponed After Officials Fail to Give Owner Notice, by Alexandra Koch of the Augusta Chronicle published February 21st, 2024. Article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the Crime Section. Main shootings in Aitkin County leave four men in critical condition, by Alexandra Koch from the Augusta Chronicle published February 20th, 2024. Aitkin County Sheriff's Office is investigating a rash of shootings this week that landed five men in the hospital. The most recent shooting occurred at about 11.20 p.m. Monday at a gas station on the 1200 block of Edgefield Highway, according to a news release. A 911 caller reported shots fired when deputies arrived. They found a man near the gas pumps with gunshot injuries to arms and chest, according to the release. Deputies also found a car at the intersection of Edgefield Highway and Croft Mill Road after being involved in a crash with another vehicle, according to the release. A witness said the car was involved in the shooting and sped away, hitting a man, according to the release. One man riding in the car ran from the crash, leaving the male driver, who was injured in the crash and shot in the leg, according to the release. The man who ran from the crash was later found with a gunshot wound to the chest. The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, according to the release. Aitkin County's EMS transported a total of four men to an area hospital with critical injuries. This is one of the four shooting calls we have responded to over the past three days, said Sheriff Michael Hunt. These acts of violence are not random and are the result of alleged gangs retaliating against each other. Investigators are still working on the following shootings this week, according to the release. Saturday, shots fired with no reported injuries on the 200 block of Celeste Avenue. Sunday, one injured in a shooting on the 200 block of Diamond Street. Sunday, shots fired with no reported injuries on the 500 block of Blackstone Camp Road. To stem this violence, we hope that anyone with information on these perpetrators, we want them to come forward to assist our community in putting a stop to these few individuals, Hunt said. No suspects have been identified in any of the cases, according to the Sheriff's Office. Anyone with information about the shootings is encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Office at 803-648-6811. Individuals who seek to remain anonymous can send information online at www.AitkinCountySheriff.net. This concludes the reading of our 8th article from the Augusta Chronicle, February 22nd, from the Crime Section. Gang shootings in Aitkin County leave four men in critical condition, by Alexandra Koch of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 20th, 2024. The 9th article of our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the Augusta Eats and Restaurant Reviews. New North Augusta restaurant can help you conquer your fear of French food, by Joe Hotchkiss of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 20th, 2024. French food can intimidate American restaurant goers, but at Bistro 55 in North Augusta, the legendary quality of French cuisine doesn't require formal wear. The idea of a bistro is your neighborhood restaurant, co-owner Lilo Benz said, it becomes very entertaining and very familiar for people, but that is what we have here. When he and his wife moved to Augusta in 2016, the Benzes sought a restaurant that served continental cuisine reminiscent of Benz native France. They found it at Divino Restaurant Italiano at 465 Railroad Avenue in North Augusta's Hammons Ferry development next to SRP Park. Owners Marion and Andrea Petruzzi moved from Florence, Italy to North Augusta to establish the restaurant in 2016. After Divino's veteran chef, Leonardo Occorsi, died of a heart attack in 2022, the Petruzzis decided to close the restaurant in 2023. That gave Benz an idea. We never thought about opening a restaurant, he said, that's not what my background is, but my brother-in-law was in the restaurant business. Maurice Cohen, a French native who had been a restaurateur in Los Angeles area, moved across the country to help transform an Italian restaurant into an icon of French life, the bistro. Many Americans associate French food with small portions artistically plated and drizzled with balsamic glaze. Now more French restaurants offer traditional specialties, retaining the flavor of a hot cuisine, but without the starched napkin formal setting. In the article is a picture of a meal from Bistro 55 of a pavé de boeuf. It is served with potatoes au gratin and steamed asparagus in a black pepper cognac sauce, and this was submitted by the Bistro 55. The article continues, people are getting tired of the big fancy restaurant and a bunch of people in France want the old, old bistro that's been there 100 years, Cohen said. Now everywhere you go is Bistro, Bistro, Bistro. Davino's classic lasagna is still on the dinner menu in tribute to the Petruzzis. Most of the rest is French, with meat regionally sourced by Chateau Farms near Reidsville in South Georgia. Bistro 55's pavé de boeuf is a rump steak carefully trimmed of fat and served with potatoes au gratin and steamed asparagus in a black pepper cognac sauce. Soleil Meuniere, a favorite of legendary TV chef Julia Chow, is a filet of soleil served in lemon butter with the boiled potatoes and green beans. Wild rice and green beans accompany Bistro's canard au lait grange, a roasted half duck and tangy orange sauce. Bistro 55 isn't the only restaurant in the area with escargot, but there are few places better to give the appetizer a try. The baked in shell snails in garlic butter was a provincial food favorite in France before becoming one of the country's unlikely culinary symbols. Bistro also features new menu items each week, ranging from entrees such as cassalette or beef baronon to new desserts. The restaurant's newest is a bread pudding, not too soggy and not too sweet, cooked in the style of past generations of chefs who would mix their remaining bits of bread into rebaked desserts. But quality meals can get you so far. Hostess Paulette Eatery, also French, helps create a welcoming environment for guests that Cohen joked might lead to changing the restaurant's name to Chez Paulette. That's what you want in a restaurant. You don't want to go to a restaurant and see people at the door who don't smile, don't say hi. Right away, your experience is going to be bad, Cohen said. Even if you have the best food in the world, something is going to stay with you. But when you come in and people are nice, they welcome you. You feel good. All of a sudden, the food is better. The drinks are better. Hotel 55 is open for dinner Mondays through Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays for brunch and lunch. This concludes the reading of our ninth article from the February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle. From the Restaurant Reviews section, Augusta Eats, New North Augusta Restaurant Can Help You Conquer Your Fear of French Food by Joe Hotchkiss from the Augusta Chronicle, published February 20, 2024. Our tenth article from the February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the Restaurant Reviews section, Augusta Eats, Customers Are Getting Heart Attacks and Liking Them at Deering Restaurant by Joe Hotchkiss of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 13, 2024. The new owners of a McDuffie County restaurant would like to give you a heart attack, or at least sell you one. The Heart Attack Egg Bacon and Cheese Sausage Links and Sausage Patties on a Biscuit or Toast is a cornerstone of the new breakfast menu at Deep South Cheese and Grill in Deering. The new breakfast started in January with the restaurant's new owner, Brittany and Andrew Brown. They were among the loyal customers of the former owner, Gino Doucette. The Quebec native and retired military officer from the Royal Canadian Air Force opened Deep South in 2018, featuring authentic Canadian poutine, gravy covered with french fries and cheese curds. Making fresh gravy and harvesting fresh cheese curds throughout each workday was a labor of love. When Doucette turned to another Canadian labor of love, his sawmill, Deep South, temporarily closed. But it didn't last long. This is very important to the local people, Brittany Brown said. We didn't want to see it go, and we heard a lot of people say they didn't want to let it go. So we decided to take on the venture. She's a health professional at Webstar MCG Health's ophthalmology department. Her husband runs a landscaping business. Under Doucette's guidance for the first week last November, the Browns became restaurant owners, learning the secrets of preparing exceptional poutine. We haven't deviated from that. We want to keep it going as is, just the way he had it, she said. The only difference is the breakfast. We decided to give it a go to see how it went, she said. On one recent Saturday morning, Deep South set a record for breakfast, as diners kept the place full for much of the morning. Some days we might have had a handful of people, and some days we don't get much traffic at all, she said, but February 10th, Deep South was slammed. In a town with just a few hundred people, that's a notable accomplishment. Quarterback in the Kitchen is an employee with more than a decade of experience from Huddle House. A smoothly flowing kitchen helps assure successfully producing Deep South's high-demand items, such as the Deep South Burger, two ground steak patties stuffed with cheese curds and lettuce, tomato and onion, topped with sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. Deep South Cheese and Grill is at 4591 Augusta Highway in Deering, in the middle of the town across from the City Hall. It is hard to miss. This concludes the reading of our 10th article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle, The Augusta Eats, from the Restaurant Review section, Customers are Getting Heart Attacks and Liking Them at Deering Restaurant, by Joe Hoskes, published February 13th, 2024. The 11th article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the Health and Fitness section, The Doctor Will See You Now, Free Health Screenings Coming to this Augusta Neighborhood, by Joe Hoskes, of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 16th, 2024. The Augusta Alumna Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated is partnering with the Richmond County School System and the non-profit Medical Associates Plus Community Health Center to sponsor a community health and wellness expo to foster health promotion and prevention awareness to the community, which includes physical, mental and social well-being, the chapter said in a statement. Together, the Augusta Alumna and Medical Associate Plus aims to promote community well-being and foster a culture of holistic health, Chapter President Lorelia Hardy said. The partnership reflects our commitment to empowering individuals with valuable resources for a healthier future. All are invited. The expo will feature health screenings and wellness sessions in which people can learn about prevention and treatment of chronic and common illnesses, physical and mental health care agencies and other social services organizations, the chapter said. The event will also play host to local vendors, food trucks, prize giveaways and a voter registration location. The expo will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the gymnasium of A.R. Johnson's Health Sciences and Engineering Magnet School at 1324 Laney Walker Boulevard. For more information about the expo, call 706-922-1862. This concludes the reading of our 11th article from the Augusta Chronicle. In the health fitness section, a doctor will see you now. Free health screenings coming to this Augusta neighborhood by Joe Hoschkis of the Augusta Chronicle published February 16, 2024. The 12th article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the entertainment section. Grammy-winning artist Jason Isbell to play solo show in the Augusta area this summer published February 20, 2024 by Caitlin Strohpage of the Augusta Chronicle. Jason Isbell is coming to the Augusta area this summer. Southeastern Records, Isbell's recording label, announced Tuesday that he would be performing a solo show at the Columbia County Performing Arts Center in Evans on June 7. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time, according to the Southeastern Records, which also announced a record solo show on June 10 in Auburn, Alabama. The only other Georgia dates on Isbell's current show schedule is a four-day stint in March at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, where his full band will be performing. This concludes the reading of our 12th article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle from the entertainment section. Grammy-winning artist Jason Isbell to play solo show in the Augusta area this summer by Caitlin Strohpage of the Augusta Chronicle published February 20, 2024. The 13th article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the columns section. Loran Smith, A Road Trip Through Georgia Brings Back Memories of the Movie Star Suzanne Hayward by Loran Smith, a columnist, published February 16, 2024. Helen Robertsontown. The two communities are seldom linked as one, however, they are next door geographically. With spring right around the corner, I enjoyed taking a drive up this way recently, following the Chattahoochee a few miles south of Helen on Georgia 75 all the way past Robertsontown to Hiawassee. This state route runs from the intersection of US 129 and Georgia State Route 11 in Cleveland to the North Carolina line, a distance of 33.4 miles. This is one of my favorite stretches of the Chattahoochee. The river seems always to be poking along and invoking refreshing thoughts, makes one appreciate nature's influence in the history of these hills. The towns of Helen and Robertsontown are officially a mile apart, but if you drive from one of the other, you can't really tell where one ends and the other begins. While I am not sure of the location, somewhere in this vicinity, some filming of the movie I'd Climb the Highest Mountain by 20th Century Fox took place. Starring in the movie was Susan Hayward, who was born Edith Mariner in Brooklyn. With Georgia connections prominent in her life, that makes one wonder if Georgia was always on her mind. Before filming the movie, she was one of the Hollywood stars who greeted the Georgia football team when the Bulldogs played UCLA in the Rose Bowl January 1st, 1943. She was on her way to becoming one of Hollywood's biggest attractions, eventually winning an Academy Award for Best Actress in I Want to Live. In this movie, she played a death row inmate, which became a critical and commercial success, according to the internet. Many of her roles had her co-starring with such Hollywood icons as Ronald Reagan, Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Kurt Douglas, Clark Gable, and Tyrone Power. She auditioned for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in The Gone with the Wind, but did not get the part. Her second husband was Eaton Chalkley, a former federal agent who was also a successful businessman who dealt primarily in real estate, including a farm near Carrollton, which became their family home. Their final years were blissful except for both dying young. He was 56 when he passed and she was 57. Both are buried in the cemetery of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Carrollton, across the road from the ranch they lived. She considered Carrollton her adopted home. I thought about the movie I'd Climb the Highest Mountain while driving through white country. It may have been the first Technicolor movie I saw. While I don't remember much about the movie, I do recall that a young boy drowned in what must have been the Chattahoochee and that his father professed to be an atheist. One can imagine the controversy that would bring about in real life in a place like White County. I was duly impressed with how beautiful Susan Hayward was back then. What can you take from all this? That our state has an interesting history and there are many times when we ignore Georgia's history and the beauty even when it is right under our nose. It is overwhelming that Georgia is such a diverse state with enchanting beauty from the mountains of the North Georgia to the marshes on the coast. There are a few blights here and there, but for the most part, you gain inspiration by taking a drive through the countryside and reading the historical markers that abound in the small towns. Over the years, I can recall a couple of times when I was driving a back road and had the good fortune to hear Ray Charles singing Georgia on my mind as I glorified in being immersed in the Georgia landscape. While I accentuate the positive, I do have a bone to pick with the unsightly billboards and roadside trash in some locales, which is why I always enjoy visiting this area of Georgia where the natural beauty still prevails. This concludes the reading of our thirteenth article from the Augusta Chronicle of our February 22nd reading. From the column section, Lauren Smith, A Road Trip Through Georgia Brings Back Memories of Movie Star Susan Hayward. By Lauren Smith, Published February 16, 2024. The fourteenth article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the column section. By Lauren Smith, There Are No Greater Ambassadors for UGA Than Ugas, Published February 2, 2024. In the late 1950s, when I became connected to the University of Georgia, Uga had already become one of the premier personalities on the campus. The patriarch had it all. He was as handsome as a bulldog could be. You didn't have to be a dog lover to admire and seek company with this winsome canine. He had the best of the tender loving care from doting caretakers in Cecilia or Sonny Saylor, along with the most fortuitous circumstances of all. He would be promoted by the legendary sage, colorful, and multifaceted Dan Maygill. A dynasty had taken root and would grow into what we have today, college football's number one mascot. Promos of college football by the network showcased Uga as a staple of game day action. Little girls want to hug him, big girls too, and the guys think it is cool to get experience to get a photo op with UGA's English Bulldog. It has been my good fortune to know all the Ugas from Hood's old Dan to Boom. I have been present with the Saylors when Uga was dressed for a Saturday game. I have finished with several of them on Sonny's boat, Silver Bridges, when he caught a nice mess of a fish. Then I watched Sonny, who was an excellent fisherman, expertly clean those beautiful rainbow trout and bass at his backyard sink on Dutch Island for the Saylor matriarch, Cecilia. She was every bit of a cooking icon as Sonny was a fishing expert. Fried or sautéed, you dine on fish at Cecilia's table and you immediately have visions of an encore on your mind. The right seasoning, the perfect pinch of this, the resonating dish of that, she had the right touch. Managing the Ugas and caring for them became the Saylor tradition. It continues today with Charles, the Saylor's only son and his wife Wendy, following in the footsteps of Sonny and Cecilia. Through the years, there has been changing of the guard when a new Uga was crowned between the hedges. Uga X, known as Q, retired after the 2022 season as the winningest mascot of the Uga dynasty and Georgia tradition. Damn good dog. Now that Q's time has passed, he will see his remains interred in the Uga Cemetery at Sanford Stadium, West End, like his forebears, where the Saylor family will continue to place flowers and memorial each home game Saturday before the Varsity Bulldogs take the field. Boom, his son, the 11th solid white English Bulldog to serve as Georgia's mascot, will carry on the Uga UGA tradition. Boom officially became the Georgia's mascot in ceremonies before the G-Day game last spring. There is so much that athletic success can do for a community. Winning big in football lately has been resonating and other sports are seeking to join the parade, all of which is a reminder that visitors to these parts depart with impressions that cause them to become something of a town crier when they return to their home bases. Fans of other colleges who know Georgia from television and print media are fascinated about the hedges, but the thing that they are so impressed with is that the mascots are buried inside the stadium. When visitors come to a campus, I host them on a tour. I always make sure to take them to the son of the tree that owns itself, the president's home on Prince Avenue, the Chapel Bill, the Hurdy Field, and the Uga Cemetery. When they get on to the cemetery, the photo ops take a while. When they finish at this landmark, they go over to the hedges for more. The Red Sox annually make big money on tours of Fenway Park, a $1 million or more. If Georgia were to host tours of Sanford Stadium, that might become an interesting profit center. If Boom were to be on hand for photo ops and to host press conferences, I am sure it would be an over-the-top experience. While that is not logistically possible, the point is that Ugas are the greatest of ambassadors by just being themselves, and when you have all-American caretakers giving them royal treatment, friends and admirers across the landscape are rewarded with millions of opportunities for selfies. This concludes the reading of our 13th article from the February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle, There Are No Greater Ambassadors for UGA Than Ugas, by Lauren Smith, the columnist, published February 2nd, 2024. Our 14th article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the Bulldogs Extra section, How Georgia Football All-American Malachi Starks Plans to Take His Game to the Next Level, by Mark Weiser, via the Athens Banner-Herald, published February 21st, 2024. Malachi Starks snagged an interception in his college debut and started every game from there in a freshman season that ended with a national championship. All the safety did in year two with Georgia football has become a consensus first team all-American, so what does Starks have in mind for the year three with the Bulldogs in 2024? As far as my game, I want to take it to the next level, whether that be anything and everything really, Starks said, vision, tackling, playing the ball, whatever the case may be, I want to take it to the next level. Starks said during the Orange Bowl practices that then-safeties coach Will Muschamp would more often show him films of his mistakes than what he did well to sharpen his game. Now Starks will be working with new co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Treverius Robinson, who was hired from Alabama. Starks was the only player not already in his third college season to make the AP All-American first team defense last season. He could become the first Georgia two-time All-American safety since John Little in 1985 and 1986, and the first Bulldog defensive player to be a two-time All-American since outside linebacker Jarvis Jones in 2011 and 2012. So where can Starks get better? Coach Kirby Smart was axed on the eve of Georgia's 63-3 demolition of Florida State to end the 2023 season. I think bigger, stronger in the weight room, Smart said of the player listed as 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds. He's dealt with some shoulder injuries and some dings, going to be really important for him to maintain his weight and stay up. He's a really good athlete. He's got the ability to play man-to-man. He could probably play corner if we axed him to because he's a track kid in high school that had great track numbers. Starks won a 4A long jump title down the road from UGA at Jefferson High School and ran a 10.55 in the 100-meter dash. The local star is one of the most prominent faces of the program. He visited with kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Athens, Joel E. Simlow Clubhouse earlier this month for some donut decorating and took questions from middle schoolers, posed for photos and signed autographs. It was part of the NIL deal with Duncan. More opportunities are coming, Starks way, after he snagged five interceptions with 120 tackles over two seasons for a defense that has led the SEC and ranked fifth nationally each of the last two seasons in points allowed. Great ball skills, Smart said, but he also has size, so we wanted to maintain the 200 pounds and continue to fill weak side B gap. He does a good job of that. He's a really good football player. Starks said he wants to go deeper with his knowledge of the game. Kamari Lassiter, who started at cornerback the last two seasons, is now preparing for the NFL Draft, said Starks, is already very detailed in his preparation. He's so refined already at a pretty young age, Lassiter said, I mean, now the only thing Malachi has left to do is just start working more into a leadership role, you know, to take over and become a big time leader. He's already in the works of doing that. I feel in order to be comfortable and be content with his college years, he should be definitely be able to take the next big time leader role. I know that's what he's going to do because he's a big time player, said Starks. I tend to lead by example. I speak up when I have to. Now he's expecting to be more vocal for a secondary that lost starters Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith. He's now one of the older guys in the group. That's crazy, he said, because I just got here. This concludes the reading of our 14th article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle from the Bulldog Extra section, how Georgia football All-American Malachi Starks plans to take his game to the next level by Mark Weiser of the Athens Banner Herald published February 21st, 2024. The 15th article from our February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle comes to us from the business section. Here's what a Columbia County businessman wants to build across from the Amazon facility by Joe Hotchkiss of the Augusta Chronicle published February 16th, 2024. Few Augusta area entrepreneurs know the value of a business's location better than Deep Patel. The 22-year-old CEO of family-owned fuel stop chain GasRoyal is asking Columbia County to rezone two rural acres on Appling Harlem Road from the agricultural to commercial. The land where he wants to build a convenience store with fuel pumps is across the road from the county's massive Amazon and club car facilities, where an estimated 5,000 employees, some of whom might want coffee or gas, drive in and out. The property with 200 feet fronting Appling Harlem Road is surrounded on the other three sides by single underdeveloped parcels, saying the proposed store wouldn't encroach on the occupied residential property. Patel is asking the county to reduce the required buffer around his business from 100 feet to 50 feet. Recent traffic counts on the stretch of road in front of the Amazon and club car have been rising. They recorded 7,119 vehicles in 2020 and 7,855 in 2021. With tenant space still available in White Oak Business Park, traffic is almost certainly expected to rise. When Patel looked for a Columbia County location as a GasRoyal, he put one near where Old Evans Road meets Washington Road at the end of the Bobby Jones Expressway. More than 10,000 vehicles pass by this business daily, which also draws traffic from a neighboring business, Harvard Wine and Beverage. The Appling and Harlem land has been owned by John and Linda Smith since at least 1976, according to the county property records. The Columbia County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider Patel's request at its meeting March 7. This concludes the reading of our 15th article from the February 22nd reading of the Augusta Chronicle from the business section. Here's what a Columbia County businessman wants to build across from the Amazon facility by Joe Hotchkiss of the Augusta Chronicle, published February 16, 2024. That concludes our reading of the Augusta Chronicle. This has been Omar King for the Georgia Radio Reading Service. Thank you for listening to GARS.