🌱 U of SC Desegregation Statues + Why Are City Pipes Breaking?

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:

Plenty of sunshine. High: 61 Low: 30.

Here are the top 3 stories today in Columbia:

1. The University of South Carolina has announced plans to install three statues to commemorate the Black students who permanently desegregated the school in 1963. The Board of Trustees voted yesterday (Feb. 18) to commission the statues honoring Robert G. Anderson, Henrie Monteith Treadwell, and James L. Solomon Jr. They will be unveiled in 2023, just in time for the 60th anniversary of desegregation. (ABC Columbia)
2. Pipes are breaking all over Columbia, and it's more than the usual wave of winter leaks. According to Columbia's Assistant City Manager Clint Shealy, between 75 and 100 main line water breaks currently need repairs across the city. Wide temperature swings are taking their toll, causing expansion and contraction of the city's old pipes and exacerbating the tendency of pipe breakage during the winter. Beyond that, though, the water department is more than 200 people short, with roughly one-third of its jobs remaining vacant. (The State)
3. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control says it's shifting its testing strategy to at-home rapid antigen testing on March 1. Officials believe this will let people immediately isolate themselves if they’re sick and will prevent possible spread in testing lines. The DHEC says it will no longer report daily case counts as of March 15. (Abccolumbia.com)

Today in Columbia:

• Track and Field At Dorman Distance Carnival (Scrimmage) (9:00 AM)
• Volunteer With Camp Cole At Columbia Opportunity Resource (9:00 AM)
• Doggy Day Out February Orientation At City of Columbia Animal Services (10:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• The South Carolina State Fair is bringing back fair food. The Spring Drive-Through Fair Food is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 19 to 24. (Facebook)
• Experience Columbia SC shared a photo of the ballpark to celebrate baseball season starting back up soon. Check it out on Instagram. (Instagram)
• Individual game tickets for the Columbia Fireflies 2022 regular season, including opening weekend and July 4, are going on sale at 10 a.m. next Thursday! All the details are on Facebook. (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday off right! See you tomorrow for your next 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.