Mr. Andy Cheek

COMMISSIONER ANDY CHEEK SAYS COUNTY STAFF MEMBERS COMPARED LOCAL AND NATIONAL PAY SCALES FOR SEVERAL POSITIONS...AND FOUND RICHMOND COUNTY IS UNDER-PAYING ITS EMPLOYEES.NOW THEY WANT TO GIVE RAISES TO GET THOSE AVERAGES UP...IN DO SO THEY HOPE TO ATTRACT MORE QUALIFIED JOB CANDIDATES IN THE FUTURE.THOSE RAISES COULD RANGE FROM 350-DOLLARS FOR SOME POSITIONS UP TO 18-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR OTHERS.COMMISSIONERS WILL WRESTLE WITH THIS ISSUE TOMORROW.5917 - D\BI-NEW ELLENTON tpc **** NEW PAGE 12 *** ((--DANI/TIGHT--)) S-R-S FIGURES STRONGLY IN THE HISTORY OF ONE GEORGIA-CAROLINA TOWN...BUT WHAT'S IN ITS NAME?

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FINDING OUT ALL THIS WEEK... WITH A SERIES OF STORIES ABOUT HOW THE NAMES OF OUR LOCAL TOWNS. ((--TAKE MAP--)) 26 ACTION NEWS ANCHOR BROOK BORDEN HAS ALREADY EXPLAINED BEECH ISLAND..HARLEM...AND TONIGHT SHE JOINS US LIVE FROM NEW ELLENTON. ((--BROOK /FULL--)) THE PEOPLE OF NEW ELLENTON RECENTLY CELEBRATED THEIR GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY.50 YEAR AGO... APRIL... NEW ELLENTON WAS FOUNDED.BUT WITH THE NEW... RESIDENTS HAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE OLD.AND IT DEFINITELY WASN'T THEIR CHOICE TO BID ADIEU TO THEIR BELOVED TOWN.SO DO YOU KNOW HOW NEW ELLENTON GOT IT'S NAME? ((--TAKE PKG--)) 5918 - B\DT-NEW ELLENTON tpc ((--BROOK/LIVE--)) THROUGHOUT THAT STORY... BRINKS WAS READING A POEM WRITTEN BY A FORMER ELLENTON RESIDENT.AGAIN...EVERY YEAR THEY HAVE AN ELLENTON REUNION...ITS HELD THE SECOND SUNDAY IN JUNE AT SILVERBLUFF HIGH SCHOOL. ((--BROOK/BOXES--)) PEOPLE COME FROM AS FAR AWAY AS ????JUST TO SEE THEIR OLD NEIGHBORS AGAIN.DANIELLE...ANY IDEA HOW ELLENTON GOT ITS NAME? ((--/BOXES--)) adlib response ((--BROOK/FULL--)) BRINKS TELLS US... adlib answer 5928 - ---TEASE 1

tpc ((--TAKE SOT--)) ((--MECH SOT--)) 5737 - MTM-MCG VENDORS tpc ((MECH/VSHOT)) YOU WALK UP TO A VENDING MACHINE..INSERT YOUR MONEY..AND..OUT COMES FOOD..OR A SOFT DRINK..BUT, WHAT IF THAT PRODUCT IS OUTDATED..BY WEEKS..OR EVEN MONTHS. ((--TAKE VO--)) I GOT AN E-MAIL FROM SOMEONE WHO EITHER WORKS AT M-C-G..OR ATTENDS THE MEDICAL COLLEGE.THEY TELL ME..ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS..THEY'VE GOTTEN DRINKS FROM THE VENDING MACHINES.. .. THAT HAVE BEEN AS MUCH AS **THREE-MONTHS** OUT OF DATE.I SPOKE WITH JUSTIN PITTMAN... HE'S THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AUXILIARY SERVICES AT M-C-G..HE TELLS ME..OF COURSE..THEY DON'T WANT ANYONE TO GET AN OUTDATED PRODUCT. ((-3458-TAKE SOT--)) i would ask anybody that if they did have an outdated product--that they would call us and let us know and we'll be glad to refund them their money and give them another product and that'll help us to look into the situation to see what we can do to change it. ((--MECH/CONT VO--)) YOU KNOW..NOT EVERYONE CHECKS THE DATE ON THINGS THEY BUY OUT OF A VENDING MACHINE..BEFORE EATING OR DRINKING IT..SO, IS THIS A HEALTH CONCERN?HEALTH EXPERTS TELL ME..IT DEPENDS ON THE PRODUCT..

For instance, Commissioner Andy Cheek began complaining well over a year ago that the third level of the canal needed to be cleaned out.He cited serious concerns about drainage.
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Hundreds of people have water in their homes," Cheek said."This ain't rocket science."

In August 2007, Cheek won approval from the commission to spend some of that unspent money to clean up the third level of the canal."The bottom line on all this is we have money to clean up the third level," he said."It's stagnant.

By Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek

Cheek avoids meetings after arrest
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After having his mug shot plastered across the top of the Tuesday edition of The Augusta Chronicle Metro section, Commissioner Andy Cheek was conspicuously missing from the day's scheduled committee meetings.
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Mr. Cheek says his absence wasn't about saving face after wrecking his car and being charged with driving under the influence Sunday night.On medication for some head injuries he received from the accident, he said he decided it was best to stay home and recover off the road.

We suspect it gave his pride a little time to heal, too,

"I've lived, especially the last four years, knowing if I messed up ... it would be front-page news," Mr. Cheek said.

Well, he came close.

After spending a little time by himself in an isolated holding cell at the Richmond County Detention Center, he now says he's going to spend more time in town, devote more time to his career and focus on new projects.

"The bottom line is, I'm not going to have anything to drink for a long time," Mr. Cheek said.

Rumors that he might lose his job as a manager at Savannah River Site are apparently unfounded.After reporting to his superiors and filling out some paperwork at the plant, he is expected to continue his work there.It's also unlikely he'll be forced out of his elected position.

Nonetheless, during Wednesday's Augusta Commission meeting, political watchdogs can expect him to offer an apology for any embarrassment he has caused.

Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek, who had publicly supported Kendrick's nomination all week, did not vote for the nomination.
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Commissioners Richard Colclough, Betty Beard, Cheek and Mays abstained, while Williams voted against the nomination.
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"I think that we have a person that has both historical knowledge and a heart for the city of Augusta," Cheek said.
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While Cheek previously said that he was considering a run for the permanent mayor's position, he, like Williams, has had a change of heart.

"I'm going to stay focused on my career at Savannah River Site and let everybody else fight it out," Cheek said.

Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek's idea to turn the downtown street into a tourist-attracting waterway is perhaps the most audacious public works pipe dream to come down the, uh, pipe, since I advocated the construction of a Seattle-style space needle along the riverfront in the late 1990s.Posted by Damon Cline on September 02, 2007 - 5:44 PM

Commissioner Andy Cheek made the motion.As News 12 first reported, Cheek has missed over 15 city meetings so far this year.

Cheek said he missed the meetings because he's not able to get off work at SRS.But he told us his bid to change the meeting times to the evenings was not a selfish move.

He says he wants to put Augusta's Commission in line with other cities' meetings.

"We're the only local government in the CSRA that meets at this time of the day.I think it's more tradition than makes sense," Cheek said."It's a part-time position.Many of us have jobs that are on the commission.Plus all the citizens that attend the meeting for zoning or other issues have their business day interrupted."

The three commissioners who voted for changing the meeting times were Don Grantham, Andy Cheek, and Jimmy Smith.

NEW (OLD) REALTORS IN TOWN: Area real estate agents Drew and Christine May, formerly of Augusta Home Buyers Connection (and, before that, Re/Max), have joined the national Exit Realty Corp. franchise network to create the Exit Realty Leading Edge brokerage on North Belair Road.
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CHEEK CREEK, PART III: Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek tried to persuade fellow commissioners last week to approve a utility survey that would have advanced his plan to turn Ellis Street into part of the Augusta Canal.
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In case you've missed it, Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek has a vision to turn the oft-overlooked alleyway into a tributary of the Augusta Canal in the attempt to create a tourist draw similar to San Antonio's Paseo del Rio, a riverwalk park/boat ride built around the San Antonio River.
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Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek's idea to turn the downtown street into a tourist-attracting waterway is perhaps the most audacious public works pipe dream to come down the, uh, pipe, since I advocated the construction of a Seattle-style space needle along the riverfront in the late 1990s.

Accompanying Mayor Young are: · Augusta City Council Commissioners Andy Cheek and Marion