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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will give businesses interested in Clarks Hill Lake’s former Little River Marina site more time to submit proposals after new questions were raised during a Jan. 17 site visit.

The questions ranged from who would be responsible if environmental issues were discovered during redevelopment to broader legal issues, such as the availability of additional federal lands near the site to accommodate larger campgrounds or expanded public services.

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Got leftover cooking oil? Don’t throw it away.

Columbia County’s Water Utility and the Augusta Utilities Department want to keep it out of our landfills and sewer lines and will offer used cooking oil recycling from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. until noon Saturday.

Columbia County’s oil drop-off location is 4325 Evans to Locks Road, and the Augusta site is at 1840 Wylds Road.

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In just a half-decade, fast-growing Colum­bia County has weathered two droughts, three winter storms, four earthquakes and nine floods, according to a newly approved hazard mitigation plan that will be used to guide recovery efforts in the event of a widespread future catastrophe.

“It’s something we are required to update every five years, and five years go by very quickly,” said Pam Tucker, the emergency services director, whose office revised the 3-inch-thick document approved this week by the Georgia and federal emergency management agencies.

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A slow-moving culvert project designed to prevent flooding along Reed Creek could also jeopardize a 20-acre lake in one of Columbia County’s older subdivisions, according to residents.

“The joke is that this will turn Springlakes into Springfield,” said John Capes, the president of the Springlakes Property Owners Association.

The $814,000 project has closed off Sandalwood Drive at the back of the lake for about four months. The closure was extended last week for another 30 days to allow contractors to finish installing culverts.