Commercial Truck Insurance in Columbia, SC

A congratulations are in order for two of Columbia's lovebirds.

After more than a decade of trying to birth a Toco toucan, the bird team at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden welcomed its newest inhabitant this summer.

Parents Ramsay and Dora have been at the zoo since 2018 and 2019, respectively, and were introduced six months after Dora's arrival. For the past five years, Riverbanks' zookeepers have been hoping for a third toucan to join the flock.

“I always hoped this day would come, but honestly didn’t think it would," bird keeper Amy Gooding said. "I screamed for joy when I found out we had a fertile egg, and now to see this little guy hopping around … it’s why I got into this field.”

Riverbanks, an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo, has been nationally recognized for its efforts to protect and rear toucans and other birds since 1978, according to the zoo.

According to a 2006 article, toucans have difficulty breeding in captivity. Riverbanks has not had a hatchling toucan birth in a decade, according to the zoo.

The yet-to-be-named hatchling is learning to fly and eat at the zoo's Bird Conservation Center, and its gender will soon be identified through a feather test. The hatchling will be on view for guests in the springtime.

Parents Ramsay and Dora are in a "backstage habitat" where zookeepers are hoping their success will continue with another birth. Staff have even "added more private nesting areas to create an atmosphere to spark more breeding opportunities," the zoo reported.

Keepers are also replicating the nesting habitat of Ramses and Dora for the zoo's other pair of adult toucans to try and recreate the magic.

As part of its mission, the 50-year-old Riverbanks Zoo has a core mission to conservation. In addition to its decades-long toucan breeding program, Riverbanks has been recognized for its efforts to breed Golden lion tamarins and black howler monkey's in captivity.

There’s a new place to grab a sandwich — and perhaps sprinkle it with a bit of hot sauce — in northeast Columbia.

Firehouse Subs, which has locations across the Midlands and nationwide, opened a new sandwich shop Monday, Oct. 28 at 10136 Two Notch Road. The sandwich shop is located in the Sparkleberry Square shopping center, and is just a couple doors down from a Kroger grocery store.

The new Firehouse Subs was opened by uncle-and-nephew duo Larry Chandler and Jody Chandler, who operate nearly 40 Firehouse locations across the Carolinas.

“We are thrilled to be bring our hearty and flavorful subs and community commitment to a new area of Columbia,” Larry Chandler said in a statement. “We can’t wait to welcome new and loyal guests, while supporting local first responders through the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.”

There are dozens of Firehouse Subs locations across South Carolina, including several in the Columbia and Lexington areas. The company is known for its hot sandwiches with names that are a nod to firefighting, such as the signature Hook and Ladder, which comes with smoked turkey breast, Virginia honey ham, melted Monterey Jack cheese, mayo, deli mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a kosher dill pickle on the side.

The company also recently rekindled its popular hot sauce bar, offering customers a host of spicy sauces they can add to their sandwiches when they are in the restaurant.

The Sparkleberry Square Firehouse Subs is in the midst of a busy commercial area in northeast Columbia. Nearby businesses include Lowe’s Home Improvement, Kroger, Publix, Ross, Kohl’s, Chick-fil-A and more. About 32,400 cars per day travel down that section of Two Notch Road, per state Department of Transportation statistics.

The new Firehouse location is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

The State

Chris Trainor is a retail reporter for The State and has been working for newspapers in South Carolina for more than 20 years, including previous stops at the (Greenwood) Index-Journal and the (Columbia) Free Times. He is the winner of numerous South Carolina Press Association awards, including honors in column writing, government beat reporting, profile writing, food writing, business beat reporting, election coverage, social media and more.

A fire at Maurice’s Piggie Park in Cayce damaged its headquarters, sparking a multi-agency investigation as the small BBQ restaurant chain plans its recovery.

CAYCE, S.C. — The West Columbia Fire Department continues investigating the cause of the fire at the Maurice's Piggie Park BBQ headquarters in Cayce.

"Shock. I mean absolute shock, and then you know sadness, because anybody who has grown up in this area, everybody recognizes the piggy park and the pig sign," Lisa Harmon said.

That's how Harmon said she felt when she saw flames coming from the buildings on the property on Saturday night.

“From our vantage point last night and how big the fire was, it was really difficult to tell whether or not the restaurant was also involved so just the general reaction was just shock,” she said.

Authorities later said the restaurant on the property was not damaged.

RELATED: West Columbia fire chief provides update on fire at Maurice's Piggy Park offices, cooking facilities

Around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, the West Columbia Fire Department responded to the area of Charleston Highway and Airport Boulevard in Cayce. Fire Chief Marquis Solomon said it took multiple agencies to extinguish this fire.

“We had large amount of resources on-scene; we had agencies from five different jurisdictions working on this incident, so it was very intense," he said. "And manpower, we were in the neighborhood of about 50 to 60 firefighters on-scene at the height of the incident.”

According to Solomon, the fire took four hours to put out, and crews were still on the scene Sunday morning checking for small hot spots.

“The restaurant was not affected. However, the administrative offices, the cook house were all contained inside that building that was that was damaged by fire last night,” Solomon said.

The restaurant shared additional news in a Facebook post on Sunday morning.

“We plan for all our restaurants to be closed Monday until further notice," the statement said. "We will be taking it day by day as we work to reopen and rebuild. For anyone who knows our family knows we won’t give up and will work endlessly to do what we need to do to continue the BBQ legacy and support our 150 employees and community we love dearly.”

RELATED: Well-known barbecue restaurant issues statement after fire at headquarters: 'Unbelievable mountain to climb ahead of us'

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

"We do have a multiple-agency investigation being conducted that's through the city of West Columbia, also SLED [South Carolina Law Enforcement Division], state fire and the ATF," Solomon said. "This is a common practice with large dollar loss incidents.”

The fire department asked anyone in the area to stay away from the actual fire scene as the fire is still under investigation.

A 3-alarm fire Saturday night caused significant damage to the Maurice’s Piggie Park complex in West Columbia, and it will affect all of the local chain’s restaurants.

The main Maurice’s barbecue restaurant in the 1600 block of Charleston Highway, which has been in that location since 1953, was not damaged by the blaze, Maurice’s officials said Sunday on Facebook. But that location, along with the seven other restaurants, will be closed starting Monday.

That’s because the fire gutted the chain’s distribution center, food prep area and administrative offices, West Columbia Fire Department Chief Marquis Solomon told The State on Sunday. The building was heavily damaged, and could be a total loss, according to Solomon.

“The BBQ pits, food preparation and processing plant facilities, and our offices are completely gone,” the Piggie Park family said in a Facebook post. “The pits have been burning here since 1992, and it breaks the heart of our family and loyal staff to see this tragedy hit us. Our BBQ pits here are where all our meats and sides are prepared, and we have an unbelievable mountain to climb ahead of us.

“... For anyone who knows our family, knows we won’t give up and will work endlessly to do what we need to do to continue the BBQ legacy and support our 150 employees and community we love dearly.”

The West Columbia Maurice’s restaurant was closed Sunday, and will be for “some time,” according to an employee who answered a phone call. But all of the other locations in the Columbia and Lexington areas were open for business. That will change beginning Monday.

Their food will soon run out, possibly before the end of business Sunday.

The restaurants rely on the distribution center for the food at their locations.

“We plan for all our restaurants to be closed Monday until further notice,” Maurice’s officials said. “We will be taking it day by day as we work to reopen and rebuild.”

The other Maurice’s locations are:

▪ Lake Murray Boulevard in Irmo

▪ Elmwood Avenue in downtown Columbia

▪ Devine Street in Columbia

▪ Clemson Road in northeast Columbia

▪ Oneil Court in northeast Columbia

▪ West Main Street in Lexington

▪ South Lake Drive in Lexington

The West Columbia Fire Department was alerted about the fire after 9 p.m., according to Solomon. Flames could be seen shooting through the building’s roof.

Solomon said it took about two hours to get the fire under control, and four hours for it to be extinguished.

No injuries were reported.

In addition to the West Columbia Fire Department, the cause of the fire and its point of origin are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and South Carolina State Fire. Foul play has not been ruled out, Solomon said.

“The iconic landmark BBQ sign is safe, and the firefighters were able to take down and give us the American flag still waving,” Maurice’s officials said on Facebook.

In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.

This story was originally published October 27, 2024, 2:19 PM.

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription

The University of South Carolina’s ambitious health district in downtown Columbia will soon include its own standalone hospital.

The specialized, $350 million facility, the first of its kind in the state, would concentrate on treating brain diseases and the nervous system. It would offer advanced neurological and neurosurgery treatments, and neurological rehabilitation for conditions like trauma, stroke and cancer. It could open as early as 2028.

USC is coordinating plans for the hospital with the state Department of Health and Human Services, and will receive $10 million in funding for preliminary architecture and engineering work. The university will also request $150 million from the state legislature to help fund the project.

The hospital will have about 115 beds that provide care for patients. It will also come complete with clinical research spaces, laboratories and provide additional clinical training sites for USC students studying medicine, physical and speech therapy, nursing, pharmacy and more.

“As USC expands its efforts to provide the highest quality medical education to South Carolina students and serve the state’s health care needs, building a single location for neurological treatment and rehabilitation is a vital next step,” President Michael D. Amiridis said in a news release. “This is a tremendous opportunity to address a critical gap in health care for brain-related conditions, not only for our state, but for the entire Southeast.”

It will fill a badly-needed gap in South Carolina health care, university spokesman Jeff Stensland said. Neurological care is limited, and many travel to seek care in Georgia or North Carolina. The new hospital would provide more localized treatment and reduce patient costs.

Stroke is the sixth-highest cause of death in South Carolina, according to the state Department of Public Health, and the state has the fourth highest rate of traumatic brain injury deaths.

“This would be the most impactful project in the history of the university, particularly for the quality of life of South Carolinians,” USC Board of Trustees Chairman Thad Westbook said in a news release. “Our citizens would be able to get the best quality of care in their backyard. This is all part of our mission in serving the people of South Carolina.”

The hospital will be part of USC’s sprawling, 16-acre health campus near the heart of the city, right next to the new School of Medicine, and would be an extension of the university’s network of brain health care and research. Officials have said that the university expects to break ground on the 308,000-square-foot, $300 million medical school there in 2025. It’s expected to be completed in 2027.

The university will maintain its ongoing partnership with Prisma Health including the statewide Brain Health Network it runs in conjunction with the Greenville-based hospital system. It’s unclear how much Prisma, which has several hospitals locally, will be involved with the new health campus in Columbia.

The State

Alexa Jurado reports on the University of South Carolina for The State. She is from the Chicago suburbs and recently graduated from Marquette University. Alexa previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin.