Plus, Soda City as an ice cream.
 
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Today’s Forecast

66º | Heavy thunderstorms | 90% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:30 a.m. | Sunset 5:32 p.m.

 
Entertainment

Scooter cannnnnnonballlllll

Cola’s 2023 Scooter Cannonball cross country rider

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John Furr — aka JohnnyPow — stands with his gear on a recent trail ride in Utah. | Photo via John Furr
Local man John Furr — aka Rider #272 JohnnyPow — shipped his 2010 Vespa GTS 300 scooter to San Clemente, CA last week. On Sunday, he loaded the scooter up and took off on an eight-day journey across the southern US that ends at Hilton Head Island on June 25.

The Scooter Cannonball competition takes place every two years where riders pilot 24-horsepower scooters along America’s back roads. Some are paved, some are not, but the heat-scorched exhausting journey is not for the faint of heart.

Riders plan ahead to build a winning strategy to avoid breakdowns, accurately plan for fuel, and make sure they don’t take a wrong turn at Albuquerque while exploring America’s back roads.

How do you win?

Riders are given points for stopping at checkpoints and win bonuses for scenic photo opportunities taken along the way. Winning requires eight perfect days of riding made possible through perfect planning + focused execution. In 2021, 185 riders registered and only 42 finished all 10 days (4,500 miles) of riding.

Watching the weather

The weather looks to play a huge factor in the race. Right now, the riders are hunched over handlebars, cruising through sunny skies and temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, but it’s looks like they’ll run into some southeastern storms. In 2021, riders faced crashes, broken bones, heavy rains, downed trees, and plenty of potholes.

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JohnnyPow has a plan to win the Scooter Cannonball as a rookie contestant. | Screenshot via Scooter Cannonball

Tracking the riders

We’re tracking John’s journey. On Monday, he skipped a checkpoint and cut a corner to make it quicker to a bonus checkpoint.

Follow along via the live tracker as John shares photos and videos on the way. The closest he’ll come to Columbia is on day eight when the riders follow a path along the Savannah River to their final destination.
 
Events
Tuesday, June 20
  • Columbia Fireflies vs. Fredericksburg Nationals | Tuesday, June 20 | 7:05 p.m. | Segra Park, 1640 Freed St., Columbia | $5-$7 | Miller Lite $2 Tuesday ($2 hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas & 12oz Miller Lite) // Kids Club Takeover Night*
  • Nom Nom Namaste | Tuesday, June 20 | 12-1 p.m. | Good Life Cafe, 1218 Taylor St., Columbia | $10 | Learn from yoga instructor, Carol Caulk, and get complimentary juice with a grab-and-go lunch.
  • 2023 Miss SC/Miss SC Teen Preliminary Night 1 | Tuesday, June 20 | 7 p.m. | The Township Auditorium, 1703 Taylor St., Columbia | $50.50 | The delegates vying for the titles of Miss South Carolina and Miss South Carolina Teen exemplify all that is best in today’s modern woman.
Wednesday, June 21
  • Make Music Day 2023 | Wednesday, June 21 | 12-8 p.m. | Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St., Columbia | Free | Make Music Day is a free celebration of music around the world.
Thursday, June 22
  • Modern Shag Night | Thursday, June 22 | 8:30-11 p.m. | Bill’s Music Shop, 710 Meeting St., West Columbia | $5 | Learn this Southern staple dance and mingle with other Shag dancers.
Friday, June 23
Saturday, June 24
  • Author appearance and booksigning | Saturday, June 24 | 1-3 p.m. | All Good Books, 734 Harden St., Columbia | Free | Resilience expert Sandra E. Johnson, LMSW, will detail how people can use guided journaling to significantly improve their emotional and physical resilience.
  • West Columbia’s Meeting Street Artisan Market | Sat., June 24 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Interactive Art Park, 425 Meeting Street, West Columbia | Free | Enjoy a boutique shopping experience, park, play, eat + explore at the Meeting Street Artisan Market every Saturday.*
  • Pride Market | Saturday, June 24 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | NoMa Warehouse, 2222 Sumter St., Columbia | Free | Shop 20+ local vendors from the LBGTQ+ community and the full-time vendors at NoMa Warehouse.
Calendar events here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Announced

Earn prizes for referring friends

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Are you ready to be rewarded for spreading the word about the newsletter? | Graphic by 6AM City
We’re excited to announce that our referral program has been revamped. Yes, you can be rewarded for spreading the word about the newsletter.

How does it work? You can find the referral section near The Wrap in the newsletter. One referral is equal to one point. You’ll receive the point when your friends confirm they want to be signed up for the newsletter. It’s a tiered reward system — as you earn more points, you unlock bigger and more rewards. Look forward to receiving exclusive products you won’t find in our online store such as hats, mugs, blankets, a paid-for night out on the town, and more.

To celebrate our referral program, we’re hosting a giveaway until Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The top referrer will receive $500, and one additional person who refers at least one friend will automatically be entered for another $100 giveaway.

As part of our new and improved referral program, we’re offering all newsletter subscribers an additional 15% discount to our online store (Six & Main), just use coupon code REFTDY23 at checkout. The offer is good until Monday, July 24, 2023.

Questions? Send us an email here.

See giveaway terms & conditions.
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News Notes
Opening
  • Little Bee Bun Mee is set to open on Tuesday, July 11 at 904 Knox Abbott Dr., sharing a space with Duke’s Pad Thai. The new Vietnamese sandwich shop features an open dining experience, allowing diners to choose either cuisine all in one building.
Coming Soon
  • Calling Captian Glenn. The Spirit of Lake Murray, a yacht that offered pleasure cruises for over a decade, is being relaunched after four years. Under new ownership, the yacht is undergoing extensive refurbishment with plans to resume cruises in July. (The State)
Development
  • Columbia’s Cottontown neighborhood is on the brink of a new 250-unit luxury apartment complex, pending final approval. Construction plans are being prepared and approval is expected within the next six months, offering potential business opportunities + neighborhood improvements. (WLTX)
Kids
  • Little Loggerheads Swim School in West Columbia will join the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson on June 22 to promote drowning prevention. With over 60 participants, the school aims to highlight the life-saving impact of swimming skills.
Trending
  • Colt from Sparta Lawn Care has garnered millions of views on Tik Tok (so far) when his back went out while he was fertilizing a yard. Featured on a recent episode of “On Patrol Live,” a Richland County police officer helped him off the turf in a hilarious turn of events.
Weather
  • Get your raincoats and Bean Boots ready, rain is in the forecast for at least the next 13 days. Keep an eye out for weather alerts and potential flash flooding events.
Travel
  • Wanna save 40-90% on flights? Sign up for Going — a free travel membership — and you can browse deals immediately (like a $300+ round trip to Barcelona).*
Number
  • 2.5 million. That’s how many locally-made, medical-grade gloves Nephron Nitrile plans to produce each year. Learn more about the 400,000-sqft. facility.*
 
Eat

🍦 Scoop, there it is

Get a taste of Columbia as a flavor of ice cream

Five ice cream cones and lots of sprinkles.
If the ice cream is strawberry, that means it counts as a serving of fruit — right? Asking for a friend. | Photo via Unsplash
Recently, we asked you to come up with a unique ice cream flavor that describes Columbia and utilizes one to three locally sourced ingredients. After reading all of your responses, it’s safe to say that our mouths are watering. Here were some of our favorites:

Cottle Strawberry Farm ice cream topped with dark chocolate covered pecans from The Peanut Man and diced fresh strawberries. Called “Summer Strawberry Indulgence.” - Becky R.

A sweet tea flavored ice cream topped with sliced strawberries from Cottle Strawberry Farm and fresh basil from the Columbia Farmers Market. Called “Soda City Sunrise.” - Jackson L.

Peach ice cream topped with a hummingbird cupcake from Lita’s Treats. Called “Peach Perfect.” - Lisa L.

A USC women’s basketball-themed ice cream featuring coffee ice cream using coffee from Oliver Gospel Roastery and topped with caramel popcorn bits from Carolina Kernels. Called “Natty Crunch.” - Madelyn S.

Steel Hands Brewing Pecan Brown Ale flavored ice cream with Bell’s Honey, pecan butter toffee from Soda City Candy, and Colombia Tolima coffee from Loveland Coffee. Called “Pregame Puh-KAHN Coffee Toffee.” - Laura R.

Vanilla bean in a ginger cookie bowl that’s topped with diced peaches from McLeod Farms, toasted pecans from Golden Kernel Pecan Company, and drizzled with a syrup made from Cavalier Cream Pecan Praline from Gorget Distillery. Called “Peachy Pecan Rum-ble.” - Kim P.

The only thing we need now is a local ice cream shop to make one of these flavors a reality. Sweet Cream Co., Scoopy Doo Gelato Shop, The Baked Bearwe’re looking at you.
Submit your Columbia-inspired flavor
 
The Wrap
 
David Stringer wearing a dark button-down shirt

Today’s edition by:
David

From the editor
A few years ago, my back went out while I was planting sunflowers in the yard, so the viral video from On Patrol Live hit a little too close to home for me. I could have used a helping hand from Richland County police that afternoon.
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