Wesley Brown
Augusta Chronicle
Augusta, GA, United States
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Past articles by Wesley:
New Augusta Warrior Project committee aims to rebrand organization
After losing much of its administration last year to a nationwide initiative on veteran care, the Augusta Warrior Project has recruited several community leaders to help rebrand its image and better serve its clientele. → Read More
Savannah River Site board favors service projects over fines
The community-service projects should be related to the violation as determined by local regulators and enforced through settlements consistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy and America's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, according to the board. → Read More
Georgia attorney general says decision on daily fantasy sports legality 'pending'
Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens said his office is investigating whether daily fantasy sports violate state law after New York ordered two of the industry's largest companies to stop accepting bets last week. → Read More
County governments reap savings from low gas prices
A year of consistently lower gasoline prices is expected to save governments in Richmond, Columbia and Aiken counties nearly $2 million on their 2015 fuel budgets, according to the latest projections. → Read More
Thurmond Lake water release felt near Augusta
A rainy, record-breaking month has prompted increased water releases from Thurmond Lake this week, causing Savannah River levels to rise and boat ramps near Augusta to close, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Friday. → Read More
Local veteran defends VA care at Veterans Day celebration
A retired Army major who served in Afghanistan as a Special Forces medic defended the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, saying that the hospital saved his life and is committed to its patients. → Read More
Guardian ad litem appointments decline
Superior Court records show guardian ad litem appointments are down nearly 80 percent in the two counties so far this year, decreasing from 157 assignments in 2013 and 102 last year to 34 as of the end of October. → Read More
VA regional offices reduce benefits backlog
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ regional offices in Atlanta and Columbia reduced their backlog by 71 percent in 2015 through cutting average waiting times by 92 days and increasing workloads by 13,089 cases. → Read More
Fort Gordon tribute run honors fallen Marines, Navy sailors
After running nonstop for 10 days and more than 1,500 miles, hundreds of service members completed the 11th annual Tribute to the Fallen at Fort Gordon on Friday. → Read More
Environmentalist group cites wood pellet threat against Augusta-area forests
An environmentalist group reports up to 285,000 acres of wetland forest in the Augusta area is "vulnerable" to local wood-pellet manufacturers that mass cut timber to provide alternative fuel for European power plants. → Read More
Fort Gordon, SRS funds remain in revised defense spending bill
The new $607 billion National Defense Authorization Act overwhelmingly passed the House in a 370-58 bipartisan vote, all but ensuring that Congress has enough support to defeat a presidential veto in the next two weeks after the legislation is expected to pass the Senate, said Rep. Rick Allen, of Augusta. → Read More
Wet October lifts lake from drought
All three reservoir lakes in the Upper Savannah River basin left drought conditions this week after experiencing one of their wettest Octobers in recent history last month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Thursday. → Read More
Augusta 'Concerts with a Cause' to celebrate World War II veterans
The event starts at 3 p.m. and will feature music of hope, love and peace as performed by the cause's 12-person choir from Augusta's St. John United Methodist Church. It will include firsthand accounts of local veterans who fought in Europe and the Pacific. → Read More
Roster obtained by World War II project stirs memories
Henry "Ed" Murray had not seen his unit's World War II roster in 40 years, but as he slowly moved his fingers down the list last week, he immediately recognized most of the names. → Read More
Augusta Tech offers free driver's education course
Thanks to Kia and a $17,836 grant from the Georgia Driver's Education Commission, Augusta Tech will begin offering 36 hours of free classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction. → Read More
Whistleblower complaint by ex-Augusta VA doctor closed
Dr. Raymond Kostromin, was among the first to complain in 2010 about administrators at the Augusta VA failing to schedule 4,580 endoscopy referrals. → Read More
Columbia County struggles to meet growth management goals
Progress has been slow to establish stronger policies for fostering walkable communities such as Riverwood Plantation, even as the county puts the final touches on Vision 2035, the latest version of its 20-year comprehensive plan. → Read More
Fort Gordon, SRS funds caught in Obama's defense bill veto
President Obama vetoed a spending bill Thursday that included $90 million to build a new Army Cyber Command headquarters at Fort Gordon and a one-year funding extension for a Savannah River Site facility. → Read More
Cost of electric heat varies across Augusta region
Most Augusta-area residents who heat their homes with electricity can expect utility costs to go down this winter, except in Aiken and Edgefield counties, where prices will increase about 2 ½ percent to offset construction of a South Carolina nuclear power plant. → Read More
Fort Gordon contract $104 million over original estimate
The original projected cost of the contract to Akima Facilities Management, which ended last year, was $131 million, but it came in at $235.4 million. → Read More