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Aiken's Prime Steakhouse is located in one of the oldest buildings in the city's downtown and it was also the scene of a meeting that would ultimately lead to the demise of the $75 million economic development effort known as Project Pascalis. Here's what the Aiken Standard has learned about the meeting.

Aiken is one step closer to building a mixed-use building that could house a Savannah River National Laboratory workforce development center. The Aiken City Council voted unanimously Monday evening to approve a resolution authorizing the purchase of properties where the building would be constructed. 

Aiken will receive $3 million from the federal funding bill President Joe Biden signed into law last Saturday. The bill allocates $3 million to the city for Croft Mill sewer basin improvements, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced. 

An Aiken street that was closed last week could reopen Wednesday. South Boundary Street between Whiskey Road and York Street could reopen late Wednesday afternoon, S.C. Sen. Tom Young Jr. said Tuesday morning.

The owners of three downtown Aiken businesses likely won't get the opportunity to purchase the building in which they lease space but they could get to stay where they are for four more years. On the agenda for the 7 p.m. city council meeting are the second reading of ordinances approving leases for Flawless Glow Cosmetic Studio, a Vampire Penguin franchise and Ginger Bee Boutique, City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said Thursday afternoon. 

Filing will soon open for South Carolina's U.S. House seats, all 46 State Senate seats, all 124 State House seats and several Aiken County offices. Filling for candidates seeking to win the nomination of either the Democratic or Republican party nomination for these seats will begin at noon March 16 and continue until noon April 1. 

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was in North Augusta Tuesday for the final hours of the annual two-day Rural Summit, a conference meant to aid community leaders, economic developers and state officials in finding ways for boosting the state’s rural areas.

A lack of poll workers led to delays of over an hour at an Aiken County precinct during the Feb. 24 Republican presidential primary. There were delays at Aiken Technical College, Michael Bond, deputy director of the Aiken County election office, confirmed Thursday. 

It will at least one more meeting for the Aiken City Council to decide whether to approve or reject plans for a subdivision on the city's Northside. The Aiken City Council voted unanimously to continue consideration of an ordinance annexing and zoning five properties totaling 90.45 acres and approving a concept plan for the subdivision.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham wants to know why Laken Riley's alleged killer was allowed to enter the United States. Graham, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alexander Mayorkas Tuesday asking for information on why Venezuelan national Jose Antonio Ibarra was paroled into the United States.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley grew up less than 50 miles away from Aiken.

She made three campaign stops in Aiken County in the last three weeks while her primary opponent, former president Donald Trump, made none.

And Haley received endorsements from two prominent local officials: South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey and South Carolina Rep. Bart Blackwell.

All went for naught Saturday night.

The Aiken City Council could take another step toward building a mixed-use building downtown Monday evening. On the agenda for the council's meeting is consideration of a resolution that would approve a framework agreement with the Aiken Corporation regarding the mixed-use building in which the Savannah River National Laboratory could lease space for a workforce development center. 

Want to help decide who the President of the United States will be? Aiken County registered voters can vote to determine the state's choice for the Republican Party's nominee from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Though there are other names on the ballot, voters will be asked to choose from one of two major candidates: former president Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

What would you do if you were going to receive nearly $80 million over seven years? That's the question the Aiken City Council faced Monday evening as it began to discuss what city projects would be funded by Aiken County's fifth Capital Project Sales Tax. 

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley blasted former president Donald Trump during a campaign stop in North Augusta Wednesday afternoon. Haley accused Trump of mocking her husband's military service at a Feb. 10 rally in heavily Republican Horry County. 

A member of Aiken County's state delegation once lined up across from a man once known as the world's fastest human being in a football game. S.C. Rep. Bill Clyburn told the 124 members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Thursday morning about attempting stop "Bullet Bob" Hayes as he recognized Hayes as part of the House's commemoration of Black History Month. 

Another new development could be coming to East Aiken. The Aiken Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday evening to recommend the Aiken City Council approve an annexation and zoning request allowing Clayton Homes to build a display lot at 1740 Richland Ave. E. 

The national championship-winning USC Aiken eventing team received another honor Thursday morning. The South Carolina Senate and South Carolina House of Representatives recognized the team and approved a concurrent resolution in their honor during their sessions. 

The Aiken Corporation took a step Wednesday morning that allows the city to build a downtown mixed-use building in which the Savannah River National Laboratory could lease space. The corporation's board voted unanimously  to approve an agreement with the city that outlines the role the corporation will play in the construction of the building. 

Because of a member of Aiken County's state legislative delegation, South Carolina retirement system beneficiaries no longer have to worry about the system making "woke" investment decisions and then "going broke." S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster ceremonially signed S.C. Rep. Bill Taylor's ESG Pension Protection Act into law Wednesday morning. 

U.S. House Republican Caucus Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y, made national headlines when she asked the presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT if calling for the genocide of Jews on campus violated the school's free speech policies. Saturday evening, she took the 200 people attending the Aiken Republican Club Bronze Elephant Gala behind the scenes of the hearing.

Nikki Haley made a brief stop in North Augusta on Sunday morning before traveling to Orangeburg as part of her current bus tour ahead of the South Carolina Republican primary. She spoke with the Aiken Standard about her campaign in the Southeast, the need for the younger generation's involve…

Aiken residents who want to voice their opinion the renovations at Smith-Hazel Recreation Center and Park have an opportunity to do so Saturday. The city will hold a meeting to discuss the renovations at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Smith-Hazel, City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said. The recreation center and adjacent park are located at 416 Kershaw St. NE on a lot that was once home to the Aiken Graded School. 

Aiken County took the first step on a maintenance plan for the Aiken Winter Colony home where the Aiken County Historical Museum is located Tuesday evening. The county sought and received permission from the city of Aiken's Design Review Board to cut back three and a half inch copper flashing and to remove cooper flashing installed around the chimneys at Banksia. 

South Carolina was the fastest growing state from 2022 to 2023 according to the Census Bureau and the growth could be paying off for the city of Aiken. When the city ends its fiscal year June 30, it could have around a $1 million surplus according to information presented to the city council at the annual New Horizons retreat held Jan. 26 at the Lessie B. Price Senior and Youth Center.

Former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley said the South Carolina Republican establishment in Columbia doesn't support her — and she's OK with that. Haley addressed the endorsement imbalance between her and former President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon as she spoke at the Etherredge Center on the campus of USC Aiken.

There haven't been many candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination to visit Aiken County during the 2024 election cycle but with the state's primary 22 days away that could be changing. 

The chairman of the U.S. House subcommittee responsible for funding the Department of Energy had nothing but praise for Aiken and the Savannah River Site when he visited Thursday evening. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., spoke at The Willcox in downtown Aiken as he helped kick off Congressman Joe Wilson's reelection campaign.


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