Plus, a tailgate-ready Cockaboose is for sale
 
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Today’s Forecast

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

👻 A ghost story written by you

Happy Halloween, Soda Citizens — come read a ghost story that was written by you.
Third Eye Man
Beware — this is where the Third Eye Man lives. | Photo by COLAtoday
Last week in our COLAween COLAweekend edition, we asked readers “Where would you film a scary movie in Columbia? Imagine a horror movie set in the Soda City. Where would the final characters end up or meet their unfortunate demise?”

Here’s what some of you said:

“State Museum” — Sharon D.

“Olympia and Granby Mill” — Lilly C.

“USC Catacombs with scenes on the Horseshoe near McKissick late at night” — Dean G.

“The abandoned, underground mall under the arcade on Main Street” — Mandy M.

“Cayce Rock Quarry, Elmwood Cemetery, or Old State Road” — Chloe J.

“The Beltline campus of Midlands Tech is currently being renovated. It’s always been a dark, industrial, claustrophobic area, and now it’s littered with debris and power tools!” — Barbara A.

Image from iOS (5)

A view from the second floor of the Arcade Mall in downtown Columbia. | Photo by Colatoday

We decided to have some fun with your submissions and write up a short fictional story, using your entries. So, without further ado...

Emma was a young woman who got lost one chilling night in the heart of Columbia. She accidentally found herself inside the SC State Museum at night, and her footsteps echoed through the eerie silence on the fourth floor.

With her phone as her only source of light, she navigated past eerie artifacts that seemed to watch her every move. The feeling of being pursued grew stronger with every passing moment. Panic set in, and when she turned, she thought she may have seen a man getting into the elevator.

“I just need to find my way out of here,” she whispered to herself, clutching her phone even tighter.

Emma stumbled into her car and drove fast down Old State Road. When she hit about 50 mph, she believed she saw something in her peripheral vision and screamed when she saw red eyes keeping up with her car.

Suddenly, Emma slammed on breaks and realized she was by herself, but couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being followed...
Where will Emma meet her demise?
 
Events
Tuesday, Oct. 31
  • YLS Early Birds | Tuesday, Oct. 31 | 7:45-8:45 a.m. | Knowledge Perk, 1527 Gervais St., Columbia | Free | Forge valuable connections with fellow young leaders from diverse backgrounds and industries.
  • Not-so-Spooky Halloween Stroll | Tuesday, Oct. 31 | 2-5 p.m. | Richland Library Main, 1431 Assembly St., Columbia | Free | Dress your family in their costumes and head downtown to celebrate Halloween with a trick-or-treat stroll through the library and to participating businesses and organizations in the Main Street District.
  • Halloween Music Bingo | Tuesday, Oct. 31 | 7-10 p.m. | Tin Roof, 1022 Senate St., Columbia | Free | Get your costumes ready and play Halloween music bingo at Tin Roof.
Wednesday, Nov. 1
  • Cooking with Richland Library: Pumpkin Spice Scones | Wednesday, Nov. 1 | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Richland Library Southeast, Southeast Social Meeting Lab 1 7421 Garners Ferry Rd., Columbia | Learn how to make pumpkin spice scones from scratch and no prior baking experience is required.
Thursday, Nov. 2
  • Ribbon Cutting: Speech-Language Pathology Associates of South Carolina, LLC | Thursday, Nov. 2 | 2 p.m. | Speech-Language Pathology Associates of, LLC - 3710 Landmark Dr., Ste. 108, Columbia | Free | Attend this ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of Speech-Language Pathology Associates of South Carolina, LLC.
  • Read to a Dog | Thursday, Nov. 2 | Times vary | Richland Library Cooper, Columbia | Free | Practice your reading skills with Juliet and Django, the Therapy Dogs.
Friday, Nov. 3
  • Pitchy Woman | Friday, Nov. 3 | Times vary | femme x Columbia, 1501 Richland St., Columbia | Free | Practice your elevator speech, present a new concept you are testing, and get feedback.
  • Fall Back Festival | Friday, Nov. 3 | 5:30-9:30 p.m. | Corner of State and Meeting Streets, Columbia | This free event perfectly celebrates the fall season with live music, art, food, and drinks.
Calendar events here
Click here to have your event featured.
Development

Development

LS3P designs for the future of public safety in the Midlands
Presented by a COLAtoday Partner
LS3P New
Most recently, LS3P brought a new look to SLED’s forensic facility — keep reading to learn about their latest public safety design. | Photo provided by LS3P
Did you know? LS3P’s Columbia office is one of their 12 offices in the Southeast focusing on creating vital civic facilities for local communities.
    LS3P’s civic experience in the Midlands (with public safety + security at the forefront) includes projects for state agencies, city government, and county seats that serve the community on multiple levels.

    Their latest design is the new secure 42,400-sqft 911 Center for Richland County, which will add capacity to serve our growing communities, include upgraded technologies, and provide an empathetic work environment for the dispatchers who perform vital services under stressful conditions.

    “This new 911 center is a critically important facility for our community,” says Richland County Administrator, Leonardo Brown.

    As an essential facility, the center is designed with built-in redundancies to support emergency systems and remain operational amid power outages or miscellaneous system failures.
    Rendering ➡️ reality
    News Notes
    Announced
    • Rock icon John Mellencamp — known for hits like “Jack and Diane” and “Pink Houses” — will perform in Township Auditorium on April 20 as part of his “Live And In Person” tour. Tickets are available to the public on Friday, ranging from $49.50 to $149.50. This is his only currently scheduled SC performance. (The State)
    Real Estate
    • New listing — a tailgate-ready Cockaboose located steps from the Williams-Brice Stadium gate is for sale. It’s fully renovated with stylish features, including white shaker cabinets, Quartz countertops, bar area, luxury vinyl flooring, and more. Contact Candy Limehouse at Keller Williams Palmetto for details.
    Weather
    • Temperatures will transition from near-record highs over the weekend to the first widespread freeze. A cold front will bring a quick temperature drop this evening. Morning lows in the 30s and daytime highs struggling to reach the 50s are expected. (WLTX)
    Watch
    Seasonal
    • The 38th Annual Vista Lights event will be held on Thursday, Nov. 16, from 6-10 p.m. in The Vista. Sponsored by Prisma Health, the holiday celebration includes tree lighting, live performances, Santa Claus, and dining and shopping opportunities. Gervais, Park, and Lincoln Streets will be closed for the event.
    Open
    • Burlington, an off-price retailer, opened a new store in Lexington, offering clothing, accessories, personal care products, electronics, and more. Located next to Hobby Lobby, this will be the second Burlington in the area, in addition to the Bush River Road store. (The State)
    Beauty
    • Looking for an unbelievably close shave? Try Meridian Trimmers, engineered to empower individuals of all genders to achieve flawless grooming. Get 15% off a one-time purchase with code “6AM.”*
     
    Seasonal

    🎃 Last-minute Cola costume ideas

    Dress up as one of these 8 Columbia-based celebrities for Halloween
    Halloween for Cola
    Don’t forget about these local celebs — City editors Sam and David. Take a look at some of their iconic looks that can be easily replicated for the kiddos. | From left to right: City Editor David as Dracula + City Editor Sam as Elmo.
    Happy Halloween, Cola. If you need a last-minute costume, show some pride in place by dressing up as one of these local celebrities or characters.

    Chaz Bear
    • Known for: This Columbia native is known for his band Toro y Moi + collabs with Travis Scott.
    • Costume: Throw on your hippest ‘fit, with his recent Nike collection and add an instrument.
    Dawn Staley
    • Known for: Olympic champion, WNBA legend, and USC women’s basketball coach.
    • Costume: Choose an era of Dawn Staley to dress as with a gold medal, a vintage Charlotte Sting jersey, or grab a clipboard + some glasses for a champion coach look.
    Dustin Johnson:
    • Known for: This Irmo native is the 2020 Masters champion and former World No. 1.
    • Costume: Put on a green jacket and pull out a driver.
    Mayor Rickenmann
    • Known for: The Mayor of Columbia
    • Costume: Get dressed in a button-up, suit jacket, and tie. Pro tip: Carry around a red ribbon and a pair of scissors.
    4 more local costume ideas
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    The Wrap
     
    Samantha Robertson in a white shirt and grey vest

    Today’s edition by:
    Sam
    From the editor
    Happy Halloween, Cola. I truly enjoyed putting together the spine-chilling story based on your perfect submission and ideas + local legends. One of the places no one mentioned was the Adluh Flour Mill. Have you ever heard the ghost story of Jerome Busbee? If you’re up for one more local story, check it out.
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