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Editor’s Pick
Get fit at Finlay
Get fit with free evening classes at Finlay Park. | Photo by COLAtoday
Beginning Monday, March 16, Finlay Park is adding another reason to stop by — free fitness classes nearly every day of the week.
Organized with Drew Wellness Center and local instructor Michaela Leung, the new Fitness at Finlay program will bring nearly 200 free health, fitness, and wellness classes to the park through Friday, October 30.
The lineup includes Functional Fitness HIIT, Zumba, Sunset Yoga, Pilates, Chair Fitness, Soul Line Dancing, and Tai Chi, with sessions at locations across the park, including the Prisma Health Fitness Court, The Stage, and the Overlook Plaza.
Most evening classes start around 6 or 6:30 p.m., with morning options like Chair Fitness and Tai Chi. Classes are free and open to the public. Just bring a water bottle and a mat, and follow the signs in the park to find your class.
Lottery-funded scholarships are creating real opportunities across South Carolina. | Photo provided by South Carolina Education Lottery
Lottery-funded scholarships are helping students like Anna Abu-Sal and Rallee Balagtas turn opportunity into impact across SC.
Anna Abu-Sal turned her love of music into a career in therapy, using music to support and heal her patients. Rallee Balagtas returned to school to pursue a new path. Both were supported by the lottery-funded LIFE Scholarship.
Together, their stories highlight how these scholarships:
“As city dwellers, you want a place to take your dogs off-leash, and they can socialize, and you can grab a beer with a friend,” said co-owner Jordan Bergeson on plans for the proposed Leisurehound Athletic Club, a new dog park + bar off North Main Street in Cottontown. Developers aim for a summer opening pending approvals. (WLTX)
Open
Jimador Real opened on Forest Drive with a soft launch, taking over the former TakoSushi space in the Lowes Foods–anchored shopping center. The new concept from the El Jimador restaurant group focuses on refined presentation and updated takes on classic Mexican dishes. (Free Times)
Closed
Taco Mundo Kitchen y Cantina closed after about a year in the Vista. The Homegrown Hospitality Group concept says it will transition to an event-focused space while exploring future partnerships. (The State)
Community
Irmo leaders have launched a fundraising campaign to build an all-inclusive playground at Rawls Creek Park. The proposed Crossbuck Play Space along Friarsgate Boulevard would feature ADA-accessible surfaces, adaptive swings, and sensory-friendly equipment designed so children of all abilities can play together.
Family
The SC State Museum will host Disability Celebration Day on Saturday, March 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring adaptive art activities, sensory-friendly experiences, and ASL-interpreted planetarium and 4D shows. The free event highlights accessibility for the ~1.1 million SC adults and nearly 250,000 children living with disabilities.
Real Estate
Columbia’s automotive past meets your next big idea. 1531 Taylor St., longtime home of Pope Davis Tire, is ready to transform into a show-stopping restaurant or hospitality spot. With high ceilings, vintage industrial vibes, and a prime downtown location, it’s a rare chance to make history your backdrop.*
Shop
Skip the regret, bloating, and hangovers when you shop this clean, women-owned cannabis brand, which offers bestsellers like THC pineapple gummies + mini THCA pre-rolls. This March, get 20% off sitewide and a free sample pack of Buzzed Gummies with code POTOFGREEN.†*
Tech
AI has completely changed the cybersecurity game. Scams are smarter, malware is faster, and phishing emails look shockingly real. Protect your devices, privacy, and identity with a leading digital protection plan from Webroot. Save 60% and get protected today.*
“Oh I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener…” If that jingle just popped into your head, there’s a reason. The brand’s famous Wienermobile is rolling into West Columbia.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, the 27-ft hot dog on wheels will park outside West Columbia City Hall for a community pop-up featuring free hot dogs (while supplies last), yard games, and photo ops with the totally tubular vehicle.
Parking will be available at City Hall and the West Columbia Community Garden.
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I made the trip to Greenville last Sunday to watch the Gamecocks in the SEC Championship, but this one wasn’t in the cards. As Dawn Staley reminded the team and fans after the game, “the last time we lost in this situation (in 2022), we won a national championship.” We’ll be tuned in at 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 15 to see where the Gamecocks land on their path to the finals in Dallas.
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