🌱 North Main Prayer Vigil + EdVenture Museum Snowville Returns!

Up and at 'em, Columbia! Here's everything you need to know to get this Monday started off right.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and cold. High: 44 Low: 27.

Here are the top three stories today in Columbia:

1. With violent crime on the rise in Columbia's North Main community, residents gathered together Friday evening for a prayer vigil. The event honored the lives of those who lost their lives to shootings and other violent crimes, while also giving people the opportunity to pray for change in the community. (WLTX.com)
2. Looking for some indoor, hands-on winter fun for the whole family? EdVenture Children’s Museum’s Snowville, free with regular admission to the museum, has reopened for the season through Feb. 27. Kids of all ages can enjoy "snowy" activities like an indoor skating rink and vacuum snowball cannons. (ColaDaily.com)
3. A 13-mile stretch of I-26, running through the Midlands toward Columbia, was shut down on Sunday morning amid a winter storm. Much of South Carolina faced freezing rain and strong winds, forcing all eastbound lanes from mile marker 63 to 76 to close. All lanes were reopened later in the day. (The State)

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Today in Columbia:

• Restaurant Week South Carolina - Columbia, Various Restaurants (All Day)

From my notebook:

• The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has updated its quarantine guidelines for school staff exposed to COVID-19 without symptoms. (Abccolumbia.com)
• Looking for a new home in the Columbia area? Check out the five latest listings. (Columbia Patch)
• Police are currently investigating a fire at a West Columbia Amazon facility. Officials have reported that the incident happened in the early morning, and no one was injured. (ColaDaily.com)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Monday. I'll see you around!

— 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.