Plus, Bar None sets earlier closing time.
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Your futuristic predictions

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This Sora AI generated image imagines Columbia in 2101. | Image via Sora
We asked, and you answered — what will Columbia look like in the 22nd century? From high-speed trains to booming industries, here’s what readers had to say about Soda City’s future.

A city on the rise

Many of you believe Columbia will be one of the best places to live in the US, thanks to thriving industries like healthcare and manufacturing — two sectors that were the top predictions, making up a combined 62% of responses. We credit the new Regional Training Center launched way back in 2025.

Getting from A to B

Forget sitting in traffic flowing through podcasts — 51% of readers think Columbians in 2101 will commute by high-speed trains, while 20% predict personal flying drones. One reader believes Columbia will be “pedestrian-friendly” by then, meaning more walkable neighborhoods and fewer car headaches. Here’s the plan.
More visions

Events

Friday, Jan. 31

Flight Adventure Park Irmo Relaunch Celebration | Through Saturday, Feb. 1 | Times vary | Flight Adventure Park Irmo | $20 | Experience a refreshed, immersive space and aviation-themed interior, including the park’s new inflatable Lunar Park and Lunar Court.

Joe Gatto: Let’s Get Into It Tour | 7-9 p.m. | Koger Center for the Arts | $36+ | This comedian is best known from the hit TV shows “Impractical Jokers” and “The Misery Index.”

Winter Sidewalk Sale | Through Saturday, Feb. 1 | The Devine District | Free | Shop ‘til you drop as local merchants offer the best post-holiday deals to make room for spring inventory.

Saturday, Feb. 1

12th Annual Pig and Oyster Roast | 12-4 p.m. | City Roots Farm | $65 | Enjoy roasted pork, tasty sides, and clusters of fresh SC coastal oysters all day long.

Gamecocks Men’s Basketball vs. Texas A&M Aggies | 8:30 p.m. | Colonial Life Arena | $25 | Cheer on the Gamecocks as they look for their first conference victory.

Sunday, Feb. 2

Chili Cook Off | 1-4 p.m. | Gardener’s Outpost | $15 | Come hungry to the annual fundraiser + show off your famous recipe.
Workin' for the weekend
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The Messina Group

History

Travel back in time with the SC Lottery

Presented by South Carolina Education Lottery
Three people playing the very first Lottery scratch-offs.
The Lottery’s first Scratch-Offs were sold on Jan. 7, 2002. | Photo the SC Education Lottery
Did you know? The South Carolina Education Lottery has been around for 23 years — aka, they’ve been old enough to buy a lottery ticket for five years now. After it was established in June 2001, the first four lottery tickets were bought and scratched on Jan. 7, 2002 at 6 a.m.

Since its start, South Carolina students have always won. How? All Lottery game proceeds are used to support local education. Think: Scholarships and grants, K-12 programs, and county libraries.

Winning numbers

Let’s throw it back to a few Lottery milestones and millionaires:
  • $259.9 million. How much Columbia native Solomon Jackson, Jr. won in a Powerball jackpot on Aug. 19, 2009.
  • 100. The number of millionaires the Lottery created between Jan. 2002 and Sept. 2013.
  • $5 billion. How much the Lottery transferred to support education by June 2018.
  • 132. How many days South Carolina’s first Mega Millions jackpot winner waited before coming forward to claim a $1.5 billion jackpot.
Play to win for local education

News Notes

Biz

Late-nite Five Points staple Bar None will now close at 2 a.m., instead of 4 a.m., due to rising liquor liability insurance costs. Owner Marty Dreesen said insurer pullouts and SC’s $1 million policy requirement left the longtime bar with no choice. The neighborhood spot has been an after-midnight staple since 1994.

Watch

SCETV will host a screening of the pilot episode of “Food for Thought” on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m. at its Columbia studio on George Rogers Boulevard. The show explores SC’s food scene, featuring local growers, producers, and events. A discussion with producer Keith Bogart and other guests will follow.

Festival

Bierkeller Columbia’s Fasching celebration returns Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22, bringing German Mardi Gras traditions to the riverfront brewery. Expect bier, Bavarian food, music, and costumes. Friday features Ladies Night, while Saturday’s Costume Garten Party includes contests, kids’ activities, and vendors.

Concert

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. for the sixth annual Live on Lincoln concert in The Vista. The Sunday, April 13 event — part of Artista Vista weekend — features a Blue Marlin-catered dinner and live performances on Lincoln Street. Seating is limited, and tickets are expected to sell quickly.

Community

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Columbia received a $40,000 gift from Combined Insurance to launch a multi-year $100,000 partnership supporting in-hospital programs for families with children in medical care. A ribbon-cutting and check presentation will be held on Monday, Feb. 3 at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Midlands to commemorate the partnership.

Sports

Is USC a better program than Clemson now? Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the Gamecocks with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.

Biz

NP Strategy — a strategic communications firm providing crisis, media, and public relations assistance — is growing in the Carolinas. They recently hired award-winning journalist and communications professional Lynnsey Gardner Baker in Columbia + dynamic communications and media strategist Maya Ward in Charlotte. Meet the new hires.*

Shop

Save time (and your hands) with these kitchen hacks: this jar opener is great for arthritic joints, while this chicken shredder does the hard shredding work for you.*

Try This

🍑 Support local farmers

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City Scape is the perfect spot to sip + earn a stamp. | Photo by City Scape Winery
Did you know the SC Department of Agriculture has a passport program where you can earn stamps for visiting SC farms open to agritourism? Hit the road to visit ~20 farms in the Upstate (or ~70 statewide) + each farm you explore earns you a stamp, and those stamps can be redeemed for fun prizes.

Here’s where to get started close to home:
See the full list of participating farms across the state + plan your road trips accordingly.

Asked

How well do you know SC’s farms?

See what you E-I-E-I-know based on the 2022 Census of Agriculture data, which was released in Feb. 2024.
Take our pop quiz

The Buy

An organic face scrub and mask with over 10,000 five-star reviews. It’s crafted with manuka honey, orange peel, cehami, and aloe vera to hydrate, brighten, moisturize, and smooth for clearer and more youthful skin.
More worth The Buy

The Wrap

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That lead photo is a little crazy; the State House is even lifted off the ground. But think about this — in 1920 there were 3,452 farms in Richland County, covering thousands of acres. Hence the “Rich"land. Sometimes the future is really hard to picture — who knows, maybe we’ll have AI-powered scarecrows.

Send us a scoop, question, or feedback

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