🌱 1 Dead In Park Apartments Shooting + $11K Columbia Water Bill

Hello again, Columbia! Important update: You all, as readers, have made the Columbia Daily so successful that it is my honor to announce the next stage of the newsletter. Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Columbia Daily. Although I have loved getting to know this community, we want to pass the torch to someone truly local to write about Columbia long term. So if you’re interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

First, today's weather:

Some sun, then turning cloudy. High: 70 Low: 57.

Here are the top three stories today in Columbia:

1. One man is dead after a shooting outside the Park Apartments in Columbia on Saturday evening. According to the Richland County Sheriff's Department, an unresponsive man was found at 1601 Longcreek Drive and pronounced dead on the scene. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact CrimeStoppers. (WIS10)
2. An Elgin couple was shocked to receive a water bill of $11,000 — 50 times higher than their previous bill of $223 — for the month of December. According to homeowner Jim Haggard, the City of Columbia is "basically dodging any responsibility whatsoever" by providing inconsistent responses on the source of the bill spike. Columbia Water is reportedly conducting an investigation and has put a hold on required payments until the issue is resolved. (WLTX.com)
3. Five years after a man was stabbed to death in Columbia, an Elgin resident was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to life in prison. According to police, 48-year-old Matthew Scott Young stabbed 28-year-old Abdias O. Pacius during an altercation outside of a home on Heritage Village Lane. (The State)

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Today in Columbia:

• WWE RAW - Colonial Life Arena (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Warm temperatures and a Wednesday rain shower are headed to Columbia this week. Read on for the full weekly weather forecast. (Columbia Patch)
• Congrats to the Columbia College Koalas for winning the 2022 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women's Indoor Track & Field championship on Friday! This is the Koalas' second indoor title in a row and fourth overall in the five-year history of the championship series. (Instagram)
• Discover your next dream home! Find the latest five property listings in Columbia. (Columbia Patch)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Dan Casarella

About me: Dan Casarella is a writer, podcast producer, and small business development specialist who formerly worked in late-night television. He’s produced many talk segments, including with President Joe Biden, Kobe Bryant, and Chadwick Boseman. Dan studied Media Studies and Production at Temple University. He also enjoys running, painting, and the highs and lows of Philadelphia’s sports teams.