Commercial Truck Insurance in Augusta, GA

Published: Oct. 22, 2024 at 12:56 PM PDT|

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - It looks like hockey will be returning to Augusta.

The Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority entered a new agreement Tuesday with the Oak View Group, which will take control over the yet-to-be-built downtown arena and Bell Auditorium, operating under a new contract.

It won’t be the first time for Augusta to have hockey. In the late 1990s, the Augusta Lynx Minor League Hockey team hit the ice in the James Brown Arena, which is being torn down to make way for a new one.

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Under that contract, Oak View will be fully responsible for bringing a hockey team here and making sure it remains successful.

The company has gone as far as to donate $10 million toward that.

And that pays for the entire thing, so this won’t cost taxpayers a dime.

A feasibility study shows the venture will be very successful.

“Through this contract, we will maximize the potential of our new Arena, ensure profitability for the Authority, fund capital improvements and maintenance, and ultimately, set up this Board – and the Augusta Entertainment Complex – as a whole, for success long after we are all gone,” said Cedric Johnson, Chairman of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority. “We look forward to this continued partnership as we work in tandem to Build Augusta’s Future!”

The study shows that ice hockey will benefit the city with 45 more days of active business, which means more money for local restaurants and hotels.

They say it will bring jobs to the area, increase spending downtown by 60% and tax revenue by 40%.

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Leaders say it was not a quick decision.

“The coliseum authority wanted us to make sure it was right for Augusta,” said Michael Harvey, vice president of Nations Group. “That there was no risk, that they weren’t buying something they didn’t have to pay for. With the contract negotiations market analysis it is good for Augusta.”

The contract extension is for 10 years with a 10-year option.

The new 10,500-seat arena is expected to open in 2027 and include suites, loge boxes, a private club lounge and a connection to Bell Auditorium.

Located in downtown Augusta, the Bell Auditorium is a 2,700-seat theater that reopened on May 31 after being offline for a year to undergo expansion and refurbishments.

“We’ve been a long-standing partner through our management of the Augusta Entertainment Complex and are honored that the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority has entrusted Oak View Group to manage operations of the new Augusta arena,” said Peter Luukko, co-chairman of the company.

Oak View Group has provided management services at Bell Auditorium and James Brown Arena since 2008.

Leaders say it’s a win-win for bringing new life to the city.

“I think it’s going to bring a lot of excitement that hasn’t been seen downtown honestly,” says Harvey.

This is all still in the early stages, which means leaders are still figuring out the logistics of bringing a team here.

That also means the new plans of Oak View to take over responsibility for the success of the property won’t go into effect until the new arena is finished.

That’s slated for early 2027 and outside demolition is around the corner in November.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WFXG) - Augusta Utilities released an update to the city's boil water advisory Thursday, confirming that the Municipal Building and Blythe Recreation Center are no longer serving as water distribution sites.

The advisory is being issued out of an abundance of caution, as systemwide low pressures leave the potential of a health hazard due to microbial contamination.

Potable water sites include Diamond Lakes on Windsor Spring Road, McBean Community Center on Hephzibah-McBean Road, Blythe City Hall on Church Street, Warren Baptist on Washington Road, Aquatic Center on Damascus Road, Southgate Plaza on Gordon Highway and The Depot on Reynolds Street. Residents can bring a container to these locations to fill up.

The city will hand out bottled water at The Depot, Diamond Lakes and Southgate Plaza.

The city of Augusta has created a database for residents to check if their street remains under a boil water advisory alert.

As of 11 a.m. on Tuesday Oct. 1, all streets in Augusta-Richmond County have been required to boil their water. Click here to access the database in regards to your street.

To properly boil tap water for use, customers should heat the water until bubbles come quickly from the bottom of the container, continue heating for a minute once the water boils, then allow it to cool.

The advisory is in effect until Augusta Utilities has done the appropriate testing. Once the advisory is lifted, you should flush all faucets for a minimum of two minutes before using for drinking or food preparation.

Copyright 2024 WFXG. All rights reserved.

AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. (WFXG) – A fire has destroyed a tire shop in Aiken County.

The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. at McKinney Tire Service on York Street, sending thick, black smoke into the sky.

Three workers were in the shop at the time, and one was injured. That worker was taken to the hospital, but the extent of his injuries are unknown at this time.

Fire officials at the scene said they were removing walls and the roof of the building to get foam on to the tires that were burning inside.

The cause of the fire is not known at this time. Stay with WFXG FOX54 for the latest information.

HURRICANE HELENE: Latest updates on the storm — 24/7

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - If you haven’t been out of your house since Hurricane Helene hit the CSRA last Friday, here’s what you should know.

The roads are largely driveable in Augusta.

It’s not normal by any stretch of the imagination.

There’s still lots of debris, trees are toppled all over the place, and you still may not have power or water service at your house.

But you can easily get out and find supplies, as long as you have a car.

Don’t worry about gas; there’s plenty of it now.

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There are still some roadway obstructions deep inside older neighborhoods, but major thoroughfares are mostly clear – especially those that double as state highways.

There are still a lot of traffic lights out, so officials remind drivers to treat them as four-way stops. The Georgia Department of Transportation is on the ground Thursday in Richmond and Columbia counties installing four-way stop signs at its intersections, and it’s delivering about 100 repaired signal heads to Augusta.

Electricity is still out for a lot of homes, but it’s back on along major traffic corridors, so there are plenty of businesses open now.

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That includes probably at least half the gas stations.

And speaking of gas stations, you won’t see the hourslong lines that were common as recently as Monday, when one of our reporters had to wait for four hours.

Today, you’re mostly able to drive right up to a pump without a wait at all.

There are no traffic jams around grocery stores and no blocks-long lines of cars at Costco. And there are no lines of people waiting to get into supermarkets.

Stores are well-supplied with plenty of items – including ice.

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Your biggest obstacle may be the 7 p.m. curfew imposed by Mayor Garnett Johnson. So if you go out, you should get your business done by then.

If you’re on foot, watch out for traffic, and be aware that most of the aid locations are ideally set up for drive-thru service.

But if you normally get around by bus, you’re out of luck there. While most drivers feel fine on the roadways, Augusta Transit administrators don’t feel like the roads are ready for buses yet.

While some restaurants are open again, others aren’t. That’s partly because the city is requiring a new inspection and permit before they can reopen.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.