(Columbus) Ledger-Enquirer week in review

By Michael Homan

April 9, 2026 4:47 PM

Brendan Seaver, Director of Field Operations for the Columbus Clingstones, talks with the Ledger-Enquirer during media day at Synovus Park on March 31. Kelby Hutchison khutchison@ledger-enquirer.com

Meet the Clingstones’ field operations director

Brendan Seaver, Director of Field Operations for the Columbus Clingstones, is the person responsible for keeping the baseball diamond looking immaculate. The grounds crew mows the grass every game day and ensures the plate and pitching mound meet MLB standards. During bye weeks, the crew aerates and top dresses the grass — a process involving spreading compost or sand over the turf to maintain its health. Seaver stumbled into the profession by “complete accident,” first during a 2016 internship in merchandising, then again in ticketing, before eventually falling in love with the work while employed with a short-season team in Idaho Falls, Idaho. A former Division III college baseball player at North Park University in Chicago and Marion University in Wisconsin, Seaver said caring for the field offers a rewarding new perspective on the game. Now ten years into his career, he says he still feels a rush arriving at the ballpark each morning.

Reported by Kelby Hutchison, published April 3

Developer pitches $480M sports district

A Chamblee, Georgia-based developer is proposing a $480 million amateur sports and entertainment district for Columbus. EXE Sports envisions a walkable, mixed-use destination featuring multi-sport competition fields, a 1.2-mile racetrack, a waterpark, and live event venues, modeled after The Battery Atlanta and Alpharetta’s Avalon. Eric Brown, CEO of Wisemen, called it “a bold new chapter of sports tourism.” Construction is slated to begin in late 2026, with phased openings planned for 2027. The project is projected to create 2,100 jobs in its first five years, with an average salary of $82,253, according to the developer. The Development Authority of Columbus has shown “strong commitment” to the project, per Wisemen’s chief revenue officer. Officials note the plan remains conceptual at this stage.

Reported by Jordyn Paul-Slater, published April 3

Columbus finance department investigation resolved

The last of two criminal cases stemming from an investigation into the Columbus Consolidated Government Finance Department has been resolved. Finance Director Angelica Alexander, who was charged in May with misdemeanor obstruction of a law enforcement officer, agreed to deferred adjudication conditions filed Feb. 26 with the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit Office of the Solicitor General. Prosecutor Wayne Jernigan said the agreement concludes all criminal cases from the investigation. The other case involved former revenue manager Yvonne Ivey, whose two simple battery charges were dismissed in June due to a statute of limitations. Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman confirmed the investigation is now closed, and his office is no longer investigating the Columbus Finance Department.

Reported by Mark Rice, published April 7

Russell Henley debuts Pinnacle brand at the Masters

Columbus-based golfer Russell Henley will showcase a new sponsor name at the Masters this year, following the merger of Synovus and Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners. Henley has been a brand ambassador for Synovus since 2023 and signed a new three-year agreement earlier this year. This Masters appearance marks the Pinnacle brand’s first public debut under the renewed partnership. Full brand integration is expected by early 2027. Pinnacle CEO Kevin Blair praised Henley for embodying the firm’s values of character, discipline, and commitment. The partnership also includes Henley’s wife, Teil Duncan Henley, a Columbus native, artist, entrepreneur, and author who participates in client and team member events. Henley, a Macon native and University of Georgia alumnus, is currently ranked No. 12 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Reported by Mark Rice, published April 6

Columbus tracks $1.2B in infrastructure work

Columbus officials are overseeing more than $1.2 billion in infrastructure projects across the city, with Deputy City Manager Pam Hodge promising quarterly public updates via spreadsheet. Key projects include the Flood Abatement Project on the west side of Veterans Parkway, roughly 60% complete, and the I-185/Cusseta Road interchange at 79% complete, expected to finish by Spring 2027. The SR 1/US 27 widening is about 50% done, estimated for completion next summer. The Judicial Center is on schedule for 2026, with its exterior 95% finished and over 200 workers on-site daily. The schematic design for a new Muscogee County Jail is complete, and construction on the Britt David Splash Pad is set to begin this month.

Reported by Brittany McGee, published April 6

LaGrange man dies after Lee County car crash

A LaGrange man has died after a single-vehicle crash in Lee County left him critically injured. Cashton X. Canady, 25, was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Impala around 7:45 p.m. on April 3 when the vehicle left the roadway, overturned, and struck a tree on Lee Road 379, near Lee Road 2213, approximately six miles north of Smiths Station, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Canady was transported to Piedmont Columbus Regional’s hospital in midtown Columbus, where he was pronounced dead two days later. A 23-year-old passenger was also injured and taken to the hospital, though their condition was not disclosed. The cause of the crash remains unclear as troopers from the ALEA Highway Patrol Division continue to investigate.