Recycling, rankings + voting in Richland County
Perhaps one of the spookiest realities about October in Columbia is experiencing all four seasons in a single month. We had 90+-degree days. We had tropical storms. We had a frost warning. But today, we’ll have the ideal, Southern-style Halloween forecast: 79º + partly cloudy.

Before we begin November, we’re here to catch you up on the 5 must-know stories from the past month (#protip: read now for icebreakers in case you have to take the passing-out-candy shift tonight at the Halloween party with a stranger). In October, our readers got hyped about voting, recycling + weird photos ft. the ghosts of Columbia-past.

Your guide to the 2018 election in Richland County: Ready. Set. Vote. [3,178 website views]

Election Day 2018 is coming up next week on Tuesday, Nov. 6, and with several key positions in the state up for grabs in S.C. this year, it makes sense that Columbia was the most interested in our extensive voting guide this October. We’re asking that Cola share your “I voted” sticker selfies (and why you’re voting this year) with the hashtag #COLAvotes on social media. Four voters will receive a $25 gift card for exercising their civic duty. ✅

Creep it real + let your voice be heard this year.

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7 weird photos of Columbia’s past [2,793 website views]

What does a statue of Nipper the dog have in common with an ad for a lost Rudolph? Both things are weird, took place in Columbia, and we have photographic evidence. Columbia looked a lot different before wifi + smartphones, so we found some strange photos of Columbia’s past to share with you in honor of spooky szn.

Were you shocked, surprised or straight up spooked by these pics?

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Columbia’s Dirty Dozen: 12 things to never recycle in Richland County. ♻ [5,731 website views]

Most neighborhoods in Columbia have recycling programs, but there are a lot of recycling rules + nuances in Richland County that you might not be aware of. We put together a list of 12 things never to recycle – including plastic bags, metal + certain types of glass.

Check out these rules when it’s time to recycle old Halloween decorations.

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@tastyasfit launches plant-based meal prep company on Millwood Ave. [1,299 likes + 87 comments]

Local food + health Instagrammer/blogger @tastyasfit launched a plant-based meal prep service on Millwood Ave. that is officially in business this month – serving up delish-looking meals like pesto zucchini noodles + cashew cheese nachos (just to name a few). The prepped meals are available for pick-up or delivery on Tuesday nights.

Turns out y’all want to fill your Fall with easy + healthy meals as much as we do.

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#Ranked – S.C. is projected to have the 4th-worst shortage of nurses in the nation by 2030. [25 likes, 99 shares + 34 comments]

RegisteredNursing.org ranked S.C. fourth in the nation on a list of the largest projected shortage of nurses by 2030. S.C. nurses earn ~$63,630 on average – which is ~$10,000 less than the national average. Over the next 12 years, the state will need 10,000+ nurses to make up for the many nurses who don’t stay in the state after receiving their nursing degree in S.C. (Did we mention Lexington Medical Center is hiring?)

What the Oct. 31 night shift looks like for S.C. nurses. ⬇

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Stay safe + spooky out there tonight, Columbia. If you’re in need of a last minute costume, check out our roundup of Columbia-inspired Halloween costumes.

November will bring some chilly weather, lots great food + tons of events to keep us busy throughout the holiday season. Take a look at our November PlanAhead and get ready to get your gobble on, y’all.

–Beth + Shayla, COLAtoday Fall intern