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Health
Listening to your body could save your life
Presented by Prisma Health
Do you know your heart’s warning signs? | Photo provided by Prisma Health
When most people think of a heart attack, they picture sudden, crushing chest pain or pain radiating down the left arm. While those symptoms are well known, they’re actually more common in men.
Chest discomfort, sometimes described as feeling like “an elephant sitting on the chest”
Persistent or potentially even mild chest pain that may feel like heartburn
Abdominal pain, indigestion, or nausea
Unexplained sweating
A sudden feeling of anxiety or “impending doom”
A sense that something feels off, even if it’s hard to explain
Because these symptoms can be mild or mistaken for stress or digestive issues, many women delay seeking care. If any of these signs occur — especially together — it’s critical to call 911 and get help immediately.
Heart health isn’t one-size-fits-all
Understanding personal risk factors is an important part of prevention. Family history, physical activity, smoking, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels all play a role in heart health. Regular check-ups with a primary care provider can help track these indicators and catch concerns early.
Prisma Health offers tools to help individuals take charge of their cardiovascular health, including blood pressure and cholesterol screenings and easy access to care teams when needed.
Take the first step
Checking in on heart health doesn’t have to be complicated. Prisma Health’s free, fast Heart Health Assessment helps users understand their “heart age” and assess risk in just minutes. It’s a simple way to start listening to the body — and protecting the heart for the long term.
Live music, skyline sunsets, and Friday nights at Finlay Park. | Photo by COLAtoday
Spring-like weather is showing up in Cola, and so are free Friday concerts at Finlay Park.
The City of Columbia is launching Finlay Fridays: Live in the Park, a new weekly concert series, following the park’s reopening last fall. Concerts run from 6 to 9 each Friday evening. Here’s who’s been announced so far.
Feb. 20 | The Reggie Sullivan Band
Feb. 27 | Jon Rooks Band
March 6 | Opus and the Frequencies
March 13 | Slim Pickens (St. Pat’s in Five Points pre-party)
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Brown Bag Deli plans to open its first brick-and-mortar location on Spears Creek Church Road next to Pontiac Elementary School. The New York-style sandwich food truck has a soft opening planned in March ahead of an April grand opening. (Free Times)
Civic
Richland County Recreation Commission is developing a 10-year master plan and seeking public input to guide future parks, facilities, programs, and investments. Four public meetings are scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 17 through Wednesday, March 4, with the online survey available for those unable to attend.
Open
The Scrub Shop opened a new downtown location on Main Street. The uniform retailer serves health systems statewide and offers in-store payroll deduction for eligible Prisma Health and Lexington Medical Center employees.
Concert
Don Toliver, a Grammy-nominated rapper and songwriter, will bring his OCTANE Tour to Colonial Life Arena on Sunday, May 17. Special guests include SahBabii, SoFaygo, and CHASE B. Tickets are on sale now.
Number
$60,000 — that’s how much Chick-fil-A awarded to two Columbia nonprofits through its True Inspiration Awards program. EdVenture and the T3 Foundation each received $30,000 to expand education, meals, workforce development, and health programming.
State
A new state program, Certified SC Cafeteria, is putting locally grown foods in school lunches. More than 870 school cafeterias are participating, and their districts will be reimbursed for purchasing SC-grown vegetables, fruits, grains, and honey.
Biz
MPA Strategies announced a brand refresh to mark its 15th anniversary and named Adrienne Patrick as chief operating officer. The firm will formally rebrand as MPA Media Corporation and launch a new website later this month.
Finance
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Older Adults
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Wellness
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Real Estate
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Fact or Fiction
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Category
Cause
Throwing good shade
Different local trees you can plant around Columbia. | Photo by COLAtoday team taken at Gardener’s Outpost.
DYK that Columbia has lost more than 20% of its urban tree canopy in the last 15 years?
That’s what Beat the Heat is working to reverse. Columbia Green, along with the City of Columbia and Columbia College, is hosting a free Plant a Tree educational event on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Earlewood Park to help keep Cola covered.
The program provides free native shade trees to help improve air quality and keep our neighborhoods cooler and healthier. Available trees include everything from redbuds and serviceberries to oaks, hickories, and tulip poplars — all native and selected for long-term shade. Since launching in 2024, the program has distributed more than 1,550 trees across greater Columbia.
Womanizer’s pleasure-packed Valentine’s Day collection. Deepen intimacy through a shared experience with a sex toy that blends sleek design and clinically backed performance for a feel-good upgrade you’ll both be excited to unwrap.
Good news for fans of Sound Bites Eatery in downtown Columbia. The Sumter Street soundwich shop will remain open for business after posting it wouldn’t be renewing its lease last year. If you stop in, my favorite is the “Stop. Hammy Time” with a side of the pistachio pasta salad.
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