A new high school in Columbia County is set to open its doors when school starts on Monday. Count on WJBF News Channel 6’s Fraendy Clervaud as he takes a look at the new Grovetown High School.

They are the priority projects for the next phase of the special purpose local option sales tax, or S.P.L.O.S.T. Voters approved continuing the tax in june, but the city will not start collecting the money until fall of 2010. To avoid waiting, city leaders are recommending going out on bonds for some of the top priority projects.

Thursday morning, officials from Knology held a groundbreaking ceremony in Augusta, which means about 100 jobs are up for grabs. Count on WJBF News Channel 6’s Fraendy Clervaud for more.

Augusta is planning a major redevelopment of the city’s historic inner city neighborhoods. Along with the new trade center, the revitalization project will use money from a dollar a night hotel room fee as a source of funding. The trade center will be a tourist draw, but will the inner city be? WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

Augusta’s next splost is a done deal, but at what cost? Voters overwhelmingly approved extending the one-cent sales tax, with more than 70 percent of the vote, but turnout was terrible…less than 10,000 voters took part. It cost more than $83,000 to hold this referendum, so on a per-vote basis, this was an expensive election.

In Richmond County, the results are in…many cast their ballots Tuesday on the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or S.P.L.O.S.T. There was a really low turnout…but a big price tag for area projects…$184 million worth of sales tax money at stake. WJBF News channel 6’s Barclay Bishop has more.

Augusta voters head to the polls to decide on extending the one-cent sales tax. Turnout has been slow, but many of those coming out are voting in support of the $184 million package, at least at Julian Smith Casino. WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

Tuesday is the day that the decision will be made by Richmond County voters on whether to continue the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or S.P.L.O.S.T. Let us know in our web poll if you think it will pass or not.

Augusta voters head to the polls, Tuesday, to decide whether to continue the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or S.P.L.O.S.T. Voters are looking at a more than $180 million package. Supporters are confident it will pass. WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has more.

Advance voting is underway and the numbers are picking up, as ballots are cast in Augusta’s sales tax election. That shows the interest is growing, but also reflects that two additional voting sites are now open. It’s more convenient for voters, but is it worth the cost? WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

Last year, Augusta decided to give the Medical College of Georgia $10 million to buy Gilbert Manor, and tear down the buildings. The plan is to pay that money back using sales tax dollars, but those dollars depend on voters saying ‘yes’, later this month. It’s a gamble that may not pay off, and could end up costing property owners. WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

The TEE Center is not a distraction for those pushing for passage of the next phase of the sales tax. The sales tax referendum is now two weeks away, and a citizens group is out making a pitch for the $184 Million package.

It’s been stalled for a month and has bitterly divided Augusta Commissioners, but city leaders have ended some of their disagreements and directed City Administrator Fred Russell to get progress moving on a trade center. WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

Five Augusta Commissioners skipped a called meeting to talk about the proposed Trade, Exhibit, and Events Center (TEE) Center. So what does that mean? Count on WJBF News Channel 6’s Fraendy Clervaud for the story.

It was supposed to be a chance to re-energize discussion about the proposed Trade, Exhibit and Events (or TEE) Center. The multi-million dollar venture has been taking hits from some Augusta, Georgia Commissioners, as of late. A special called meeting was planned for Thursday, but some Commissioners argued they couldn’t be there because of previous engagements or appointments.