Make sure you're signed up for the next Augusta Digest Dinner Club!
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If you have no idea what the event I’m talking about is:
We pair tables of 6 strangers together at a great local restaurant as a way to meet new people in the city specifically tailored to your vibe.
How it works:
Take a short personality quiz
Get matched with 5 compatible guests
We pick the restaurant, handle the details, and provide conversation starters
You just show up.
NEXT DATE: Tuesday, November 3rd at 6:30 PM
If you've been craving conversations with substance (the kind that remind you why community matters) then this is for you. If you want to reserve your limited spot (or read about it more), just click below:
In today's Digest:
🏠 Augusta's zoning rewrite could restrict Masters-week home rentals.
💊 Six local programs will split $510,013 in opioid settlement money.
🎨 Arts in the Heart is asking Augusta for $85,160 in emergency aid.
🛒 Trader Joe's is headed to 716 North Belair Road in Evans.
🚒 Augusta firefighters received a $305,405 grant for health screenings.
🦪 Oysters at the Original Rhinehart's on Washington Road
At 3051 Washington Road, Rhinehart's Oyster Bar serves oysters and seafood at its original Augusta spot. Craig and Amy Bailey started the business in 1983 and named Rhinehart's for Aunt Nancy's maiden name.
Its weathered siding, unpaved parking lot, and patio keep the place casual. Raw oysters are the mainstay, and the fried shrimp basket comes with fries.
Read more here.
🎨 Got a Tattoo You Are Ready to Cover Up?
Most people know someone with a tattoo that made sense at the time. At Mr. Tattoo in Augusta, cover-ups are on the shop menu right next to custom, black and grey, traditional and Japanese-inspired work.
You do not have to design the idea or pick an artist on your own. Fill out the consultation form on the booking page, upload a file if you have one, and the shop connects you with the artist who fits your project. The team includes six tattoo artists and a professional body piercer.
Would you rather talk first? Call the shop at 706-723-9969.
Thank you to our local sponsors who help make this publication possible!
🏠 Masters-week rentals face new zoning limits
The Gist: Augusta's proposed zoning rewrite would treat even one rental of fewer than 30 days as a short-term rental. It would bar those rentals in most residential neighborhoods and require permits in the areas where they remain allowed.
Why It Matters: The proposal could change how homeowners rent during Masters week. Hosts would also owe the city's 8% hotel-motel tax, even if they rent for 14 days or fewer.
What's Next: The planning director expects the short-term rental rules to be finalized for a second presentation to commissioners in November.
Read more here.
💊 Six Augusta programs get $510,013 for opioid response
The Gist: Richmond County commissioners approved $510,013 from the opioid settlement fund for six treatment, prevention and recovery programs. Hope House will receive $65,000 for a counselor serving pregnant and postpartum women and supplies for newborns.
Why It Matters: Richmond County recorded 65 provisional overdose deaths in 2025, down from 92 in 2024, but its overdose death rate remains about twice the state rate.
What's Next: Recipients must sign agreements, report spending and outcomes quarterly, and return unused funds.
Read more here.
🎨 Arts in the Heart seeks $85,160 from Augusta
The Gist: Greater Augusta Arts Council director Denise Tucker asked commissioners for $85,160 in emergency aid after the festival moved to the Augusta Exchange Club Fairgrounds. She said the move, lost city funding and severe weather left the event with extra costs and lower paid attendance.
Why It Matters: Tucker said the shortfall threatens the Arts Council's work beyond the annual festival. Arts in the Heart has had three locations in three years.
What's Next: Tucker asked commissioners to put the request on an upcoming meeting agenda.
Read more here.
🛒 Trader Joe's planned for North Belair Road in Evans
The Gist: A source involved in the deal told WRDW that Trader Joe's is coming to 716 North Belair Road. Columbia County records show its Development Authority owns the site, a little over three acres valued at more than $1.1 million.
Why It Matters: Evans shoppers would get a local Trader Joe's, though the store is not expected to be finished until 2027 or 2028.
Read more here.
🚒 Augusta wins $305,405 for firefighter health
The Gist: The Augusta Fire Department received a $305,405 federal grant for annual confidential mental health check-ins and screenings designed to flag signs of more than 50 cancers. Firefighters with concerning results can get follow-up care.
Why It Matters: Fire Chief Antonio Burden said firefighters regularly work around carcinogens, making early detection and ongoing care a priority for the department.
Read more here.
Thank you to our local sponsors who help make this publication possible!
🎃 40th Annual Jack O'Lantern Jubilee | Downtown North Augusta | North Augusta | Fri, Oct 23, 5-9pm | More
The free kickoff brings food trucks, TrueNorth Church Band, and Tauren Wells.
🏕️ Halloween Family Camping | Phinizy Swamp Nature Park | Augusta | Sat, Oct 24, 1pm through Sun, Oct 25, noon | More
Camp, roast s'mores, enter a costume contest, and hike. $75 per family.
🖼️ Artrageous! Family Sunday: Boo Bash! | Morris Museum of Art | Augusta | Sun, Oct 25, 2-4pm | More
Kids can trick-or-treat, decorate pumpkins, and hear stories. Admission is free.
🦆 Spookduckular | Phinizy Swamp Nature Park | Augusta | Tue, Oct 27, 10-11:30am | More
Children 5 and under make crafts, play games, and wear costumes. Register ahead.
🎬 Dugout Theater Movie Night: Hocus Pocus | SRP Park | North Augusta | Thu, Oct 29, gates 5:45pm; movie 6:45pm | More
Watch Hocus Pocus on the field, with concourse trick-or-treating before the movie.
🩰 Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights | Miller Theater | Augusta | Fri, Oct 23, 7pm | More
Grand Kyiv Ballet dances Tchaikovsky's score in illuminated costumes.
💃 The Pink Party | Ballroom In Motion | Augusta | Sat, Oct 24, 8-11pm | More
Ballroom dancing and a silent auction benefit CSRA breast cancer patients and caregivers.
🧶 Knitting Class | Nancy Carson Library | North Augusta | Mon, Oct 26, 10:30am-noon | More
Bring size 4 yarn and US 8 needles; beginners are welcome.
🎻 Candlelight: 90s Hip Hop on Strings | Sacred Heart Cultural Center | Augusta | Wed, Oct 28, 6:30pm | More
Listeso String Quartet plays 90s hip-hop by candlelight, from Outkast to Missy Elliott.
👻 The Ghost Ball | Modjeska Augusta | Augusta | Thu, Oct 29, doors 8pm; categories 10pm | More
Wear a costume to this 21+ mini ball; categories begin at 10pm.
If you want to read any of our previous issues, check them out HERE on our website.
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