Don’t miss these awesome opportunities to ring in the New Year in the Capital City!

Famously Hot New Year 2013

• Famously Hot New Year is South Carolina’s biggest New Year’s Eve party! This year, it’s being held in downtown Columbia, on Main Street near the Capitol grounds.

• FHNY will be a great party, with food, drinks, live music, fireworks, a midnight countdown—everything you’d expect from a terrific New Year’s Eve bash.

• A free concert featuring The Wallflowers, Atlantic Starr, and DJ Biz Markie will take place right in front of the Statehouse. This is a diverse lineup of acts that will appeal to many different musical tastes.
  • You know The Wallflowers from hits like “One Headlight” and “6th Avenue Heartache.” Their fall, 2012 hit is “Reboot the Mission.” Fronting the band is Jakob Dylan, son of Bob Dylan.
  • You know Atlantic Starr from hits like “Always” and “Secret Lovers.”
  • You know DJ Biz Markie from his hit “Just a Friend.” Biz will be deejaying at FHNY.
  • Local talent includes the Reggie Sullivan Band and Terrence Young.

• General Admission is FREE. Upgraded tickets for additional amenities like an indoor party area, open bar, and hors d’oeuvres are available.

• Those who want to purchase an upgraded ticket should do so before December 16, when prices go up!

• All attendees, even those who plan to take advantage of free general admission, should register in advance at FamouslyHotNewYear.com for faster entry.

• Thousands of people will be there to celebrate! It will be a magical atmosphere and the best place to ring in 2013!

• Check out the website for more information and register! FamouslyHotNewYear.com.
• Gates open at 6 PM, entertainment begins at 8 PM.

For more information - www.famouslyhotnewyear.com | http://www.facebook.com/FamouslyHotNewYear | @FHNY2013

___________

WOW! New Year’s Eve Carnival 2012

The City of Columbia Parks and Recreation Department invites you and your family to the WOW! New Year’s Eve Carnival 2012 on Monday, Dec. 31 from 5 – 9 PM. This event will be held in Finlay Park, 930 Laurel St. This is a family-friendly event with amusement rides, carnival games, vendors, entertainment and a special fireworks show at 9 PM.

For more information call Kim Mitchell at 803.545.3100.

Information Regarding the Cyber Attack at SC Department of Revenue

On Friday, October 26, it was reported that an attacker nabbed a South Carolina Department of Revenue database, which contained 387,000 credit card numbers and 3.6 million social security numbers. The department stated that all but 16,000 credit cards were encrypted. Residents who filed a tax return from 1998 until now are being urged to call the department to check if they have been affected.

Here are steps you and your employees can take to have your credit monitored. State residents have until January 31, 2013 to sign up for the free monitoring:

• Call the SC Department of Revenue at (866) 578-5422 where you can enroll in a consumer protection service. The hours of operation are Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Eastern, Saturday and Sunday 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM Eastern.
• Go to www.protectmyID.com/scdor and enter the code SCDOR123
• Call the SC Department of Consumer Affairs Department at (800) 922-1594 and request a freeze on your credit records

http://www.sctax.org/security.htm

Senator Lindsey Graham Visits Columbia Chamber with Message of National Security Warning

As a part of a two-day statewide base tour, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham visited the Columbia Chamber today (May 30, 2012) for a press conference warning of the severe negative impact the looming budget sequestration will have on our national security.

Graham was joined by Congressman Joe Wilson of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, and meet with local media before holding a roundtable discussion with local military and community leaders. Graham spoke on how the budget will affect the men and women serving our nation in uniform, and South Carolina’s defense infrastructure.

After the luncheon, Graham traveled to Fort Jackson for meetings with the Army base’s leadership. Leading military officials including Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta have warned that sequestration will decimate our Armed Forces. He noted that if the military sustained $1 trillion in cuts over the next decade, “we would have the smallest ground forces since 1940, the smallest number of ships since 1915, and the smallest Air Force in history.”

Graham’s statewide tour includes stops in Greenville, Beaufort, Charleston, Sumter and Eastover as he continues to raise awareness of the devastating effects these cuts will have on our national security and economy. The stop here in Columbia was hosted by the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Check out more photos from the event here.

Columbia Chamber Supports MetLife’s Fresh Fest in Columbia

Looking for a way to get involved in Columbia’s health and wellness causes in the community? The S.C. Fresh Fest is great way to do just that. On Saturday, June 2, the Columbia Chamber will attend the MetLife-sponsored event Fresh Fest. Fresh Fest is a “run, play, and enjoy” environment at the S.C. State Farmer’s Market featuring food, children’s activities, and both a 10K and 5K run for charity.  One hundred percent of the profits of Fresh Fest will be donated to causes that focus on the health and wellness of Columbia’s youth, families and overall community.

The festival is a part of a greater program called Active Carolina, which is also aimed toward taking action against unhealthy habits in the community. “In today’s fast paced society, it’s more important than ever to bring communities together for the common good to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others” said Tim Goldman, event director for the Active Carolina Organization. As a part of this organization, Fresh Fest makes a call to action to the Columbia community to stand up for health and wellness awareness in a fun and friendly environment.

Other sponsors for the event include the Special Olympics S.C., Famously Hot Columbia S.C., the American Diabetes Associationand many more. The Farmer’s Market is located at 3483 Charleston Hwy. in West Columbia, where the gates will open at 7 a.m. For more information, go toSCFreshFest.com. You can also email questions to SCFreshFest@gmail.com or call Tim Goldman at (803)-546-0116.

Graduation Imperative Launch | May 8

Want to increase a region’s economic vitality, then increase the number of people in that region who hold college degrees, whether they are 2-year, 4- year, graduate or professional degrees.

Join the public launch of The Graduation Imperative, an effort to increase our region’s college degree attainment, at 10 a.m. May 8 of the steps of the S.C. Statehouse in Columbia.

The Graduation Imperative is a collaborative initiative of the Navigating from Good to Great Foundation, the Central Carolina Community Foundation, COR, and the S.C. Higher Education Foundation in partnership with the region’s colleges and universities.

In South Carolina, nearly 34% of the state’s 2.4 million working-age adults hold at least a 2-year degree. The national rate is 38%.  By 2018 more than 60% of the jobs nationwide are estimated to require at least a two year degree.

Twenty-four percent of the state’s working age population holds bachelor’s degrees against a national average of 28%.  Just by moving to the national average by 2030, South Carolina could see an annual gain of $6.9 billion in personal income, $7.8 billion in gross state product and 44,514 permanent jobs.

Join the effort to improve our region and South Carolina’s college degree attainment rate.