In today's Digest:
🗳️ Advance voting is open for the Johnson-Kendrick mayoral runoff
🏠 $4.82M in HUD money cleared the Center of Hope shelter project
🏥 Georgia Cancer Center installed a new Gamma Knife for brain tumors
⚡ A Riverside Park light pole shocked a toddler and his father
🏊 Henry Brigham Pool is still closed for major mechanical repairs
Catfish and Hushpuppies on Currytown Road
Out on Currytown Road in North Augusta, Old McDonald Fish Camp is a family-run seafood spot that Jerry Bass and his family opened in 1977. What started with 95 seats now serves fish camp dinners in a country setting.
The fun is making a little outing of it: pond views, kids feeding goats, chickens, ducks, peacocks and fish, then channel catfish with the all-you-can-eat grits and hushpuppy bar.
Read more here.
🗳️ Runoff Week Opens in Mayor's Race
The Gist: Commissioner Jordan Johnson endorsed Steven Kendrick as advance voting opened in the Augusta-Richmond County mayoral runoff. Kendrick faces current Mayor Garnett Johnson after the May primary, when Johnson led with 42.8% of the vote, or 16,313 votes, and Kendrick finished with 35.5%, or 13,531 votes.
Why It Matters: The runoff decides who leads Augusta through big near-term fights over growth, infrastructure, public safety and the next city budget.
What's Next: Advance voting runs through Friday, June 12. The runoff election is Tuesday, June 16.
Read more here.
🏥 Cancer Center Adds New Gamma Knife
The Gist: Georgia Cancer Center installed the Esprit, the latest-generation Gamma Knife, on Tuesday for brain cancer treatment. The equipment uses a built-in CT scanner and a soft mask-like frame instead of a rigid frame screwed into the skull, and doctors said it can help treat larger tumors more safely over several days.
Why It Matters: For local cancer patients, the upgrade means more precise treatment options in Augusta with the potential for shorter hospital stays, fewer side effects and faster recovery.
Read more here.
🏊 Henry Brigham Pool Still Closed
The Gist: Augusta Recreation and Parks says Henry Brigham Pool remains closed while crews work on the sand filters, dehumidifier, boiler and boiler enclosure. Director Tameka Williams said the department is working with vendors, but no reopening date has been set.
Why It Matters: The closure takes a public pool offline just as summer heat is building, which matters for families, swim programs and residents who rely on city recreation facilities.
What's Next: The city said updates will be posted through Augusta Recreation and Parks facility access and maintenance updates once repair timelines are confirmed.
Read more here.
🎵 African American Music Month Program | Wallace Branch Library | Augusta | Thursday, June 11, 10:30am to 11:30am | More
Children can handle instruments while learning their role in African American music.
🧪 Unearth STEAM: Dinosaur Toothpaste Demo | Diamond Lakes Library | Hephzibah | Thursday, June 11, 2:00pm to 3:00pm | More
A foamy chemistry demonstration built around kid-friendly dinosaur science.
🎬 Family Movie | Wallace Branch Library | Augusta | Saturday, June 13, 11:00am to 1:00pm | More
A free second-Saturday movie screening open to all ages.
🧱 LEGO Club | Friedman Branch Library | Augusta | Saturday, June 13, 1:00pm to 2:00pm | More
Kids build with LEGO bricks and practice creative problem solving.
🦜 Feathered Friends Forever | Jeff Maxwell Branch Library | Augusta | Tuesday, June 16, 10:30am to 11:30am | More
Meet outreach parrots and learn about rescue work and bird behavior.
🍔 Food Truck Friday | Gateway Park | Grovetown | Friday, June 12, 6:00pm to 9:00pm | More
Food trucks and live music set up at Gateway Park for an evening hangout.
⚽ Cheer on USA in the World Cup at Top Dawg Tavern | Top Dawg Tavern - Augusta | Augusta | Friday, June 12, 3:00pm to 6:00pm | More
Watch the USA match on tavern screens with game-day food and drink specials.
🎤 James Brown Family Historical Tour | Augusta Museum of History | Augusta | Saturday, June 13, 11:00am to 12:45pm | More
Narrated bus tour of James Brown sites, with museum admission included.
🎞️ Ferris Bueller's Day Off at the Miller | Miller Theater | Augusta | Sunday, June 14, doors 1:00pm, show 2:00pm | More
Free reserved-ticket screening in the historic downtown theater.
🎨 The Painting Circle | Jeff Maxwell Branch Library | Augusta | Monday, June 15, 10:30am to 11:30am | More
Adult watercolor meetup for painting, conversation, and a low-pressure creative hour.
If you want to read any of our previous issues, check them out HERE on our website.
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