Water levels in parts of the Savannah River are so low now, sandbars and a once-hidden wall are showing. A few neighborhoods are also a muddy mess, but the Savannah Riverkeeper Tonya Bonitatibus says other parts of the river are fine. "The channel is still 10 to 13 feet in most places, we've run the river successfully most of the navigable parts here and there's still plenty of water," said Bonitatibus. Still the Army Corps of Engineers' current plan to build a rock dam is not putting the water ...
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U.S. Rep. Rick Allen is vowing to fight the removal of the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam and wants to maintain the pool of water in the Savannah River upstream at its higher level, which he says is required by federal legislation. After touring the lock and dam Friday, the Augusta Republican came away impressed. “I believe it would cost more money to tear that thing down than it would to fix it,” he said. Allen also said he believes that when the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Natio...
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By Pierce Legeion | February 4, 2019 at 1:10 PM EST - Updated February 6 at 12:25 PM Congressman Rick Allen was in Augusta Monday to tour the Cyber Academy of Excellence. The academy prepares Richmond County middle and high school students for jobs in cybersecurity. 160 students worked toward technical certificates and earned college credits through a partnership with Augusta Technical College. Allen said the Academy is vital with the cyber boom in the CSRA. “One of the things I realized when I...
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WASHINGTON DC (WTOC) -With the government now open, Georgia’s representative Rick Allen offers up a message for farmers who may still be concerned after dealing with effects from the shutdown. “Well you know last week, the President asked Secretary Perdue to open up all the FSA offices, so they are working with our farmers making their plans for the planting season,” said Representative Allen. “That was required and they should be in process. Now of course the government reopened on Friday, so ...
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House Agriculture Committee ranking member Michael Conaway, R-Texas, has announced the names of the Republican members of the House Agriculture Committee for the 116th Congress. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, has left the House Agriculture Committee in addition to four other re-elected Republicans. The others are former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio and Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. In a statement released by his office, Lu...
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Just over a week ago, the U.S. House of Representatives convened to officially mark the start of the first legislative session of the 116th Congress – and I am deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunity to continue representing the great people of Georgia’s 12th District in the People’s House. We have many pressing issues before Congress, and I am hopeful that we can build upon some of the significant accomplishments we’ve made over the past two years working hand in hand with the Senate an...
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Some of my earliest memories are from working on my family’s Hereford cattle farm in the heart of Columbia County. Early mornings, long days, labor intensive work, and the priceless memory of raising my first calf, Cookie, at such a young age will always serve as lessons to be carried with me for a lifetime. Little did I know at the time, but working on my family farm instilled in me the knowledge of why passing a 5-year farm bill is so critical to our great nation. Upon my election to Congress ...
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When Robin and I were 25, we took our hard-earned savings and started our own construction business. I’m sure my wife, Robin, would agree that it was tough growing a business while we raised our young family, but with a lot of hard work, we were able to follow our dream and successfully grow our own construction company. Under our old tax system, however, many small businesses had barriers to growth; the tax code was complex, burdensome and oftentimes a roadblock to success. It is hard enough to...
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In this column, U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R-Evans, explains his support for school choice and his intention to work with new Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to expand the option. By Rep. Rick Allen At the heart of our American values is the belief that each of us, no matter our circumstances, can pursue our own success and happiness through hard work. That’s how a small-town farm boy, the son of two educators, wound up a businessman in Augusta and later a congressman. The value of education canno...
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AUGUSTA (WJBF) — President Donald Trump is hoping to increase defense spending by $54 billion next year. If Congress approves his proposed budget, Fort Gordon would see a dramatic impact from the nearly 10% hike. Fort Gordon is already booming, in fact, the post has grown 20% since 2012. As other military bases around the country are dwindling in size, Fort Gordon is expected to grow by 3% every year. With talk of $54 billion extra in funding for the Department of Defense, there is a lot of buzz...
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