It’s April Fools’ Day, and don’t worry, we’re not trying to pull any pranks on you. While we’ve seen our share of fake headlines in Columbia over the years, these ones seemed stranger than fiction — except they were real stories that took place in Columbia + SC.
Rudolph captured from the State House
During the 1953 holiday season, someone tried to steal Christmas from the State House — a few years before the Grinch stole Christmas in Dr. Seuss’ book. A statue of the red-nosed reindeer was taken, leaving Santa without a guide for his sleigh, though we haven’t seen any reports indicating that Santa didn’t find his way to Columbia that year.
Bart Simpson backs elementary school name
In 1994, students in Greenwood were able to pick the name of a newly built school, and they landed on Springfield Elementary, a tribute to the popular cartoon “The Simpsons.” Bart Simpson commented by telling concerned parents to relax and stated, “At least they didn’t call it Beavis & Butthead Elementary.”
Columbia Fire Department visits woman over TikTok video
When a local TikToker made a video about the Columbia Fire Department, the last thing she expected was a visit from the crew. Lori Murray jokingly complained about a fire engine using its horn, speculating its drivers were trying to get home for dinner. The firefighters explained that they were just trying to alert another car that a cell phone was on its exterior, but they gave Murray the chance to see how the engine’s horn really works.
Lizard man emerges from South Carolina swamp
Bishopville is no stranger to rumors of a lizard man, but in 2015 a woman reported a sighting, and she was actually able to snap a photo. It’s debatable whether this is concrete proof or a hoax, but the headlines were very real.
Columbia woman finds snake behind her toilet
A ball python may have slithered out of one local woman’s nightmares and found a home behind her toilet. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department was surprised by the large snake, but they were able to safely remove it.
1 monkey recovered safely, 42 others remain on the run from South Carolina lab
When 43 monkeys escaped from a medical facility in Yemassee, only one was recovered according to initial reports. The primates were able to break out when an employee failed to lock the facility correctly, and they climbed trees and jumped fences. Fortunately, they were all recaptured, but it took a couple of months.
