Wednesday, August 22, 2018

(News 12 First at 5)

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – John C. Calhoun Expressway in Augusta has donned that name since the 1960s, but commissioners have debated a potential name change for about a year.

Commissioner Bill Fennoy has been the champion of the name change since the beginning.

“I don’t think that, in 2018, the city of Augusta should be honoring someone simply because they are known to be a racist,” explained Fennoy.

He’s said this same thing to commission repeatedly.

“Six times, I understand. But I wasn’t counting.”

They say third time’s the charm, and in this case it’s double that. But does it matter?

Ciara Cummings: “We have bigger fish to fry. The name change was not a priority?”

Fennoy: “Well whenever I fry fish, I put big and small fish in the same pot. Both get done at the same time.”

Now that commissioners have agreed to change the name of the roadways to Charlie Norwood Veteran’s Expressway, it's a pot that also has to be stirred by the local delegation, as well as the state of Georgia.

The city will meet with the delegation in November to present, then the delegation will give

their

presentation to state lawmakers at general assembly. That means we're looking at about seven months before any signs could come down.

“It's been a journey, but a journey I didn’t mind taking because I felt that this was something that needed to take place.”

If you're wondering how much is coming out of your pockets, the state has that part covered.

“If I didn't continue to pursue it I don’t think it would have ever happened,” Fennoy said of the passion project.

The general assembly session starts in January and continues until March. The big name change won't be official until it makes it through the chain.