jordyn paul-slater

Legacy family construction group sells assets to form new company in Columbus This acquisition forms a large, multi-family owned construction company with properties throughout the Southeastern US.

A legacy family construction company in Columbus has sold its assets in a merger with another family-owned construction group. Read about their new company in my article. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines...

‘We’re being ignored.’ Columbus residents fight against 143-acre development “We know progress is coming out here, but we don’t want to be run over by people that just want to make money,” a resident said.

A few weeks ago, Columbus residents filled a recreation center meeting room to oppose a new multi-use development on Macon Rd. This story is more than NIMBY residents; it warns of the tension progress can cause -- especially without proper infrastructure.

www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/politic...

Columbus native Amy Sherald cancels art show, citing ‘culture of censorship’ “It’s clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role,” she said.

Columbus native Amy Sherald canceled her art exhibition at the Smithsonian, citing concerns of "culture of censorship." www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/nation-...

124-year-old Columbus depot restored in $5 million multiuse project. See inside “If we were to come in and gut everything and put modern glass windows on here, it wouldn’t have the same look. It wouldn’t have the same feel,” the developer said.

Ken Henson finished his latest project, turning a 124 train depot into apartment and office spaces. We got to take a tour and learn about the revamping of this cool piece of Columbus history.

Thank you to Ken and his team for being so kind to us. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/a...

‘It’s make or break.’ Columbus foodie influencers have big impact on restaurants “You can’t have one without the other,” one influencer said. “But I just would hope that, as our foodie communities grow, that they understand the impact they have.”

It's no secret that the foodie social media community is popular in Columbus, GA. But, how much power do they have over local restaurants? I took a look into the relationship between food influencers and business owners in a long story for the Ledger. www.ledger-enquirer.com/living/food-...

Major Columbus employer reportedly in merger talks after takeover interest More than 1,000 Chattahoochee Valley residents work for this company.

One of Columbus's major employers, Synovus Bank, is in talks of a potential merger with its competitors after some parties expressed interest. Read about it in my newest for the Ledger. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines...

Italian food favorite in Columbus is closing this week. What we know “Due to multiple determining factors, it has become impossible for us to keep the business going,” the closure announcement says.

Trevioli Italian Kitchen is closing in two days. I reported about the announcement in my newest for the Ledger. www.ledger-enquirer.com/living/food-.... #colga #readlocal

‘It snowballed.’ New cookie shop in Columbus goes viral. Meet the owner “It’s overwhelming,” the owner said, “We did not anticipate any of this, so it’s definitely a blessing.”

The Cookie Co., a new cookie bakery in Old Town, has taken the online foodie community by storm. I met up with the owner, Laura Parsons, to learn more about her story. www.ledger-enquirer.com/living/food-...

Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce hires new CEO. And he’s returning ‘home’ “We want to make sure that all of our Columbus residents, all of our neighbors, have that access to these quality jobs,” he said.

The Columbus Chamber announced a new CEO, Jansen Tidmore. He starts his tenure at the Chamber in July. Read about him here. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines...

How two Phenix City sisters, ages 10 and 8, published their first book “Trust your gut because your gut is usually right,” one of the authors said. “If you still need help, go to your parents.”

Two sisters, one aged 10 and the other aged 8, from Phenix City have put out their debut book. I got to interview them and their mom all about the process. These girls are just too adorable. Check it out now. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/a...

New economic development group launches in Columbus. Meet the president and CEO “I want to engage with people. I want your ideas,” the group’s leader said.

Here is some business news for you. A new economic development organization, ChooseColumbus, was launched. They are not affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce, Columbus 2025 or the Development Authority, but they are close partners. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines....

‘Grit and perseverance.’ Columbus native to share her journey on TEDx stage “With my talk, I’m speaking to girls just like me, from Columbus, who want to know what’s the next step they should take,” she said.

Columbus’s Dr. Raquel Hammonds will take the TEDx stage in Buckhead in June. She has an incredible story of perseverance that I think everyone should read. She shared the cliff notes with me for a story with the Ledger. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines....

Columbus entrepreneurs expand thrift store into new vibe. See inside “We’re creating the Little Five Points of Columbus,” a co-owner said.

Two Columbus entrepreneurs are bringing the Little Five Points experience to Columbus through a new thrift store. Their grand opening is tomorrow at 11 am. Find out more here! www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines...

Spiderweb closure causes uncertain future for popular Columbus hot dog joint “Ninety-five percent of my lunch is over,” the owner said. “I lost 95% of my business.”

The spiderweb intersection closure has brought a tough time to local businesses owners’ doorsteps. Meet Ronald Carthar, the owner of Morris Rd. Hotdogs & BBQ, who says he lost 95% of his business due to the road closures. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines...

How a $10K donation is transforming postpartum care in Columbus. Meet the founder “Everything that we’ve created is to help put that focus back on the mom, because everything is about the baby at that point,” she said.

A small business founder is revolutionizing postpartum recovery right here in Columbus. Meet Brittnee Wheeler. I spoke with her in my newest for the Ledger.
ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines... #readlocal #colga

Iconic Columbus restaurant plans reopening ‘for thousands of people asking.’ For fans of meat-and-threes and Southern homestyle cooking, this is good news for you.

Royal Cafe is set to re-open. There is little information publicly available, but I reported on the news we have here for the Ledger www.ledger-enquirer.com/living/food-.... #readlocal #colga

‘Blessed.’ How a Columbus pizza chef went from critical condition to world champ “For me to win just is great because I’ve been traveling around, trying to hone these skills and really pouring in passion and love to this craft,” he said.

I now can say I have met a world champion pizza chef. Leo DiCesaris, owner of Columbus’s own Cerrone’s Pizza, won the International Pizza Expo, making history as the first chef from Columbus to win this competition. Read his story in my newest for the Ledger.
www.ledger-enquirer.com/living/food-...

Columbus CBD shops fight back against bill threatening survival “If this passes, I’m going to go back to my drug dealer,” warns a customer, as Columbus CBD shops fight against Georgia’s SB 254.

A story I’m super proud of came out today. Senate bill 254 was on the docket this past session, threatening to shutter Georgia’s hemp industry. Columbus CBD shop owners spoke to me in opposition of this bill. Read the story here. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines... #readlocal #cbd

There are many chain restaurants that Columbus is missing, so I created a poll to see which one you want to see come to Columbus next. Voting is open from now until Friday afternoon. www.ledger-enquirer.com/living/food-... #readlocal #colga

Local Columbus ramen spot transforms with new ownership and menu surprises The new restaurant will be expanding their menu to include more traditional and comfort Chinese food to the Columbus area.

Mizu Ramen bar is transforming into Red 8 Kitchen. More about the change in my story for the Ledger. www.ledger-enquirer.com/living/food-... #colga #readlocal

Curious about Columbus restaurants’ health scores? See who got an ‘A’ Find out more about the latest inspection results and what they mean for your dining choices.

It’s that time again folks. I took a look into the Muscogee county food safety database and created a list of restaurants ranked by score. See how your favorite restaurants did this past month. www.ledger-enquirer.com/living/food-... #colga

Army soldier’s Phenix City business transforms Tesla motors into classic cars. See inside “I wanted to do something new that I’ve never seen anyone do before,” the owner said.

I spoke with Eston Smith, an army lieutenant serving at Ft. Benning, whose company called Rovium converts classic cars into electric vehicles. Eston is taking orders for conversions now at his site! #colga www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines...

Screen grab from Ben Shapiro social media feed with Jon Stewart and Ezra Klein's faces emblazoned with words "Ezra Klein is Totally Right"

All the money in U.S. media right now is in telling right wing men what they want to hear.

And what right wing men want to hear most (aside from "immigrants are the cause of all your problems") is that mindless deregulation is akin to some sort of magic.

This prominent Columbus medical clinic has been sold. How the deal will affect patients The new owner is a major healthcare group, based in Florida, making its first expansion into Georgia.

I reported on the news that Columbus Clinic has been sold to Millennium Healthcare last week for the Ledger-Enquirer. Millennium told me that patients shouldn’t have any “disruptions” to their care. Read my story for more information. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines... #colga #readlocal

Liberty District redevelopment plan sparks debate. What’s next for Columbus neighborhood? As city officials and residents clash over issues like cultural preservation and gentrification, the future of this historic area hangs in the balance.

The CCG hosted 2 meetings to discuss future development plans of the Liberty District. Residents confronted city officials with hard questions about cultural preservation. Here's the story. It would mean so much if you checked out this story. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/politic...

Earlier this month, a new Hawaiian food restaurant opened in Phenix City, Alabama. I spoke with the owner to learn more about their story and journey from food truck to brick and mortar.
www.ledger-enquirer.com/living/food-...
#readlocal #colga

Winn-Dixie closing 2 local supermarkets, 1 in Columbus and 1 in Phenix City. What’s next “We will work through this process with care, and we are grateful for the support and understanding of our valued associates, customers and communities,” a company spokesperson said.

Two locations of Winn-Dixie are closing Columbus and Phenix City. I spoke with their parent company’s officials to find out what’s next for the supermarket chain. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines...
#readlocal #colga

From CPD to CBD: former Columbus police officers open second location of supplement store “We’ve always had a dream about opening up a business ourselves,” co-owner Chace Webb said.

Former CPD officers Chace Webb and Josh Duckworth are opening a second location of their CBD store Columbus Naturals in Highside Market. I spoke to them about their new store, upcoming product line and their story getting started in my newest for the Ledger. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines...

New CEO takes charge at St. Francis-Emory Healthcare in Columbus after nationwide search “It’s been an absolute honor and privilege to join an extraordinarily talented team of physicians, clinicians and support staff at St. Francis-Emory Healthcare,” the new CEO said.

Robert Parker has been announced as the new CEO of St. Francis-Emory Healthcare, "effective immediately." Read my piece for the Ledger for all you need to know. www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/busines... #readlocal #colga

Celebrate 100 years of the Liberty Theatre at this special event with star-studded guests “This is more than a gala — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime tribute to a century of culture, resilience, and storytelling,” said Oz Roberts co-chairman of the Liberty Theatre Board of Directors.

The Liberty Theatre is turning 100! Celebrate their birthday at their Centennial Gala on April 11. More info here www.ledger-enquirer.com/entertainmen... #readlocal #colga