Damage from the 2015 can still be seen at the canal in Riverfront Park. | Photo by City of Columbia Water
The City of Columbia Water has securedaround $100 million in funding from several sources to repair 60 feet of the Columbia canal, which wasdamaged in the historic 2015 flood that dropped 20 inches of rain during a five-day period.
Assistant City Manager for Columbia Water Clint Shealy said that Columbia can “unleash the design team” once the environmental review permits are complete.
While work is currently in the permitting stage —which is expected to be complete this month — bidding for the repair process will begin early next year. Expectations are that all repairs will be complete by 2025.
Repairs will come in several steps and include funding from a variety of sources to complete the project. Here’s what Soda Citizens can expect with repairs to the system that serves 200,000 customers from the Columbia Canal treatment plant:
Scope of the work
Step onewill be repairing the embankment along the walking trail at the Riverfront Park and behind the SC State Museum.
$42 million in funding is provided through FEMA
Step two will be repairing the historic headgates to full operation, and upgrading + returning the hydroelectric plant to operational status.
$8 million to repair the headgateswill come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Step three is to complete an alternative intake on the Broad River to ensure water supply resilience.
$45 million will be required to complete the alternative intake with 75% coming from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) + 25% coming from ratepayers.
Riverfront Park is one of the Soda City’s most popular destinations known for its picturesque location at the confluence of the Broad and Saluda Rivers and its walking trails. Read more about the history of Columbia’s drinking water.
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Rolo Tomassi| Tues., Sept. 13 | 6-11 p.m. | New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St. | $18 | English band Rolo Tomassi brings their brand of heavy metal to West Columbia with support from Cryptodira, The Callous Daoboys, and Bathe. 🎶
Wednesday
Sewing Machine 101 Workshop | Wed., Sept. 14 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | NoMa Warehouse, 2222 Sumter St. | $40 | Learn the fundamentals of how to set up your machine, how to use all the knobs and buttons, and create an easy-to-make tote bag in the process. 🪡
The Music Man | Thurs., Sept. 15-Sat., Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 18, 3 p.m. | Town Theatre, 1012 Sumter St. | $25 | When a con man tries to swindle an entire town out of its money to start a boys’ band, it leads to an old-fashioned love story. 🎭 *
Friday
PARK(ing) Day 2022 | Fri., Sept. 16 | 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | 1600 Main Street Block | Free | PARK(ing) Day is an annual open-source global event where citizens, artists, and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into PARK(ing) spaces – temporary public spaces. 🅿️
Saturday
Jubilee: Festival of Black History and Culture | Sat., Sept. 17 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site, 1403 Richland St. | Free | This event is a free outdoor festival that brings musicians, artisans, dancers, and storytellers together to celebrate South Carolina’s Black history and culture.
Lakeside Litter Sweep Cleanup Event on Lake Murray | Sat., Sept. 17 | 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Murray | Free | Registered volunteers will receive a t-shirt, a sandwich lunch, a thank you gift, and entry for larger prizes from local businesses.
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*
Prisma Health primary care providers are here to answer the healthcare questions that matter most to *you*. | Photo provided by Prisma Health
It’s easy to see how primary care providersput the “primary” in care. From being the first point of contact to treating common illnesses to directing preventive health strategies, the physicians who are at the frontlines of your health frequently provide much of the medical care needed by you and your family.
In this month’s installment of Prisma Health On Call, we’re connecting readers to Prisma Health primary care providers who are here, on call, ready to answer your healthcare questions. From the most detailed to the most broad questions, this is your chance to tap into the expertise of the providers who answer these questions everyday.
Think: ❓ I’m young and healthy, why do I need a primary care provider? ❓ What can I do to heal from a cold faster? ❓ Why is it harder for women to lose weight? ❓ Is it safe to take any supplement sold on drugstore shelves? ❓ How do I know which colon cancer screening is right for me?
What are your healthcare questions? Submit your questions below, and we’ll share the physicians’ answers in the next few weeks.*
What healthcare questions do you have for Prisma Health primary care providers?
A new Take 5 Oil Changeis anticipated to open on Mon., Sept. 19 at 1846 S. Lake Dr. in the Red Bank area of Lexington County. The ground-up building from Cypress Development includes a 1,500 sqft building with three drive-in bays, and six overhead doors. 🧰
Ranked
No. 1. That’s where UofSC’s international business programranks according toU.S. News & World Report. This is the 24th consecutive year that the program has been ranked as the top international business program and the fourth year in a row that the University is ranked No. 1 for first-year experience. 🔝
No. 5. That’s the ranking Bob Jones University earned on U.S. News & World Report’s recent list of “Best Value Regional University in the South.” It also debuted at at No. 8 in the “Least Debt among Regional Universities in the South” category, making it the only university in the Carolinas within that category’s top 10. Congrats, Bruins. *
Biz
Great Southern Homes, a Columbia-based homebuilder that is one of the largest in the Southeast, has agreed to expand operations nationwide and become a publicly traded company. Great Southern will merge with Diamondhead Holdings Corp. and will become United Homes Group once the deal is finalized. 🏠 (The Post and Courier)
Concert
The Koger Center for the Artsfree outdoor performance series begins Thurs., Sept. 15 on the plaza stage with jazz faculty performing a tribute to Aretha Franklin. The concert will begin at 6 p.m. following a talk at 5 p.m. by associate dean Birgitta Johnson. 🎺
Plan Ahead
The SC Green Industry Association will hold its 19th annual Fall Field Day on Wed., Sept. 21 at Modern Turf, 5740 Peach Orchard Rd. in Dalzell. The event for Midlands landscape professionals features educational presentations, hands-on courses, and networking opportunities with exhibitors. Registration begins on-site at 8 a.m. 🌿
Pets
All pet adoptions from Columbia Animal Servicesare free beginning Fri., Sept. 16 through Mon. the 21. For more information visit Columbia Animal Services at 127 Humane Ln. or reach them via phone at (803) 776-PETS.
Community
Goodwill Industries of the Upstate/Midlands and the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding to join the Combined Arms initiative. Combined Arms creates a network for organizations to more easily identify and make available services for Veterans and their families.
Regional
Enoree River Winery, located in Newberry, kicked off its “Unpack the Porch” series last week running through Nov. 20. The free music series features 12 weeks of afternoon concerts and the chance to try its variety of wines.
Giveaway
Enter to win our “$1K Staycation Giveaway” in partnership with AllSouth Federal Credit Union, which will give one lucky winner the makings to play tourist for a weekend here in Cola with their choice of hotel stay, entertainment, good eats + more (total giveaway value: $1,000). Enternow through Fri., Sept. 16 over on our Instagram. 🎉 *
Home
Whether it’s upkeep, upgrades, or additions, home expenses are inevitably going to come up. Explore short term financing options(think: home equity loans or HELOCs) with rates as low as 4.75% APR. 🏡 *
Real Estate
Local commercial real estate firm Wilson Kibler is growing and on the move. The company is moving its Columbia office in mid-Sept. to the second floor of 1545 Sumter St. (one block from Main St.). Optus Bank’s drive through + branch will remain on the ground level. Bonus: The ±2,600-sqft lower level retail or office space is available for lease.*
Learn
Want to be the Soda Citizen at the dinner party who always knowswhat’s going on in the world?This newsletter compiles the day’s most important + most interesting stories (condensed to 90-second reads) and delivers it straight to your inbox to make you the smartest person at the party. Cheers. 🥂 *
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Oktoberfest returns to Steel Hands Brewery in Cayce, SC with a new Festbier on tap. | Photo by Steel Hands Brewery
Oktoberfest begins Sat., Sept. 17 and if you can’t travel to Munich, Germany to the home of the festival, you’re in luck, several local breweries and bars are hosting events celebrating the annual fest of beer and Bavarian culture.
Editor’s pick: In my mind, the annual Greek Festival is synonymous with the beginning of fall. Every morning I check the 10-day forecast to see if there are in 70-degree days on the horizon. We’re not quite there yet, but the evenings for the Greek Fest this week look like they’ll be cool enough to enjoy a hot Gyro.
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