(Featured photo: Aquinas Senior Clark Jackson scores one of his two touchdowns against Jefferson County in Augusta on Aug. 18, 2023. Mike Adams/Augusta Good News The story about Aquinas’ last home game its old stadium was one of the top stories of the year.)
What a year 2023 was for Augusta Good News!
Early on, I spent a lot of time explaining the concept of highlighting positive news in the community.
I remember getting a confused look from one person who said something to the effect of “you mean you can find that much to write about?”
Finding the stories wasn’t the problem; getting all of them covered was. There were more than we could handle.
And the concept has caught on. People regularly tell me they love the idea and the stories.
In 2023, Augusta Good News published more than 760 articles focusing on a variety of subjects in the Augusta area, and there are plenty of other stories to tell in 2024.
I thought I’d highlight some of the top stories from the year.
In January, we started 2023 with a story about Trey McLaughlin, a winner of the Greater Augusta Arts Council’s Artist of the Year, who is a songwriter, arranger and conductor, leading groups around the area such as Paine College’s choir, where he attended rehearsals as a kid with his mom who worked at the university.
In February, the top story focused on Michael Wolff who recently won Destination Augusta’s award for his tourism efforts. He conducts an array of tours highlighting Augusta’s rich history and added a few new ones in the fall. He plans to add some additional ones in 2024.
In March, a film crew closed off part of Walton Way to create a hurricane for a film called “Five Star Murder.” That story with photos and video was the top story for the entire year. And it was a fun one to cover.
April saw another movie-related story being circulated as Claude Harris Jr. retold his story about being featured in the movie “Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret.”
Ron Baxley Jr.’s story about a comic book and gaming store’s move from Gordon Highway to Belair Road has been popular all year and not just in May. Now known as ABX, the Augusta Book Exchange changed its business model as it switched counties.
June’s top story was written through tears. It was the obituary I wrote to honor longtime columnist Don Rhodes, who wrote multiple pieces for Augusta Good News before his death. His last column about Tina Turner paid tribute to her life and was written only a couple of days before he passed away.
July had two stories that ran neck in neck for the top spot, and if you guessed they were both were about movies, you’d be correct. The first focused on “The Hill” that was filmed in Augusta, and the second was a follow up to March’s most-read story about ‘Five Star Murder.”
August also saw two stories with a lot of reader interest. Ron Baxley Jr.’s wrote a feature on Liam Hewitt, a local Elvis tribute artist, and Mike Adams and I covered Aquinas High School’s last football game in its longtime stadium.
I’m getting the hint – write more stories about movies, and I have one coming the first week of January. But in September, Warren Ostergard announced that he planned to build a studio in Augusta. Ostergard has filmed several projects in the area including “Agent Game” and “The Hill.”
October highlighted another bittersweet story. Russell Joel Brown, a beloved performer, announced he was moving to New York City and showcased his last area concert.
In November, everyone wanted to know about holiday events. Other popular stories focused on the Rosa T. Beard Debutante Club, Enopion Theatre’s new home and my column on the new magazine Inspiring: Women of Augusta.
December saw another virtual tie with stories on the Eisenhower Army Medical Center’s command sergeant major and a family participating in Columbia County’s Light Fight making the list.
Other big news for Augusta Good News in December was a story sharing partnership with the Atlanta Journal Constitution for the Atlanta newspaper’s Everyday Heroes project.
As 2024 rolls around, we already have great stories planned and are looking forward to more Augusta Good News.
Happy 2024.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
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