💰 Google deal puts $40M a year toward tax relief

In today's Digest:

• 💰 Columbia County expects $40 million a year from Google for seven years

• ✈️ Augusta Regional Airport has closed 350 parking spaces for about three months

• 🏥 A proposed Aiken health merger would serve about 100,000 patients at 24 sites

🦞 Crawfish Étouffée in Surrey Center Since 1984

At 425 Highland Avenue in Surrey Center, French Market Grille has brought Cajun and Creole cooking to Augusta since 1984. The menu runs from crawfish étouffée and gumbo to shrimp po'boys and the Crab Chop a la Charles.

The New Orleans-inspired room is festive without feeling fussy. The Crab Chop has been an Augusta institution for three decades, while the frozen peanut butter pie has earned its own loyal following.

Read more here.

🎨 Repainting Your Whole House? Ask These Four Questions Before You Hire Anyone

If you are repainting your entire home, you probably want every room to feel clean, finished, and cohesive without personally managing repairs, materials, crews, and cleanup.

That is the kind of project Anson Fain and That 1 Painter Greater Augusta focus on: full interior and exterior repaints for homeowners who want a high-end finish and one team to handle the job from start to finish.

Before comparing estimates, ask what surface repairs are included, which exact paint will be used, how your floors and furniture will be protected, and what warranty covers the finished work.

Anson says paint alone can range from about $15 to $120 a gallon, and a full-home repaint may use 30 gallons or more, which is why two quotes for the “same” house can be thousands apart.

He usually walks through the home before quoting so he can inspect the walls, identify the prep work, recommend materials, and give you a real scope, price, and timeline.

After more than 20 years of Army service, Anson and his wife Jaime chose Augusta to put down roots, and their local team now serves homeowners across the CSRA.

If you are buying a home here, they can even coordinate with your realtor to have the painting completed before you arrive and the furniture goes in.

If a full interior or exterior repaint is already on your list, schedule an in-person estimate so you know exactly what the house needs and what it will take to get the finish you want.

Thank you to our local sponsors who help make this publication possible!

📈 Stop Guessing Why Customers Aren’t Finding Your Business

Posting more won’t solve much when you don’t know why people aren’t noticing, remembering, or referring your business.

If you’re consistently showing up but still not attracting enough customers, Coach ShanitaT’s free From Invisible to In Demand workshop is designed to help you find what’s missing.

She’ll walk business owners through her Visibility Blueprint, simple strategies for generating more referrals and opportunities, and the reasons a strong business can remain overlooked.

Instead of leaving with another collection of disconnected marketing tips, you’ll create an action plan for increasing your visibility over the next 30 days.

Shanita has spent five years helping entrepreneurs strengthen their visibility, influence, and business-development relationships through coaching, events, grants, and community partnerships.

The workshop is built for entrepreneurs, startups, and small-business owners who want to become better known without spending thousands of dollars on advertising.

Join the waitlist now to be notified when the next workshop opens.

Thank you to our local sponsors who help make this publication possible!

📚 Let a Real Bookseller Find Your Next Great Read

Finding your next great book shouldn’t require 40 minutes of scrolling through titles chosen by an algorithm.

The better shortcut is telling someone what you loved, what you couldn’t finish, and what kind of story you’re in the mood for now.

At The Book Tavern, the staff reads widely enough to turn those clues into recommendations you probably wouldn’t find on your own.

You can browse their current staff picks online, then order your choice or use the list as inspiration before visiting the store.

If you’d rather be surprised, walk in with the name of the last book you couldn’t put down and ask what should come next.

The shelves at 978 Broad Street include new, used, and rare books, so the answer may be a new release, an overlooked classic, or something you’ve never heard of.

It works just as well when you need a thoughtful gift but only know a few things about the person receiving it.

Start with the books The Book Tavern’s own readers are recommending right now.

Thank you to our local sponsors who help make this publication possible!

If you want to read any of our previous issues, check them out HERE on our website.

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