Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Which genre authors are coming to Columbia’s Creatures, Crimes & Creativity?

Coming up: Vendor Members Group & the Markets of CRAFTS GALORE! on the Columbia Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Tuesday September 1st Patch AM
Tuesday September 1st Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Coffee in hand, Columbia? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️

Before we get to what's happening, a big thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Columbia PatchAM possible. Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

In today's newsletter:

  • Which genre authors are coming to Columbia's Creatures, Crimes & Creativity?
  • Kehlani just locked in a new Merriweather date for Columbia fans
  • Kehlani's Merriweather show isn't canceled—but here's the new Columbia date

Also on today's calendar: Vendor Members Group & the Markets of CRAFTS GALORE! and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What is the 1 way to guarantee winning a small fortune at the casino? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Tuesday: Hot and humid; a p.m. t-storm, with a high of 94 and low of 72 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Wednesday: Hot; a stray p.m. t-storm, temps: high: 91, low: 72.
  • Thursday: Very hot with a thunderstorm, with a high of 97 and low of 71 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. 30 Spectacular Writing Conferences and Workshops in September 2026 (blogspot.com) — Writers in and around Columbia can look ahead to mid-September, when the Creatures, Crimes & Creativity conference brings mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, and horror authors and fans together in town. It's one of dozens of national workshops and retreats listed for September 2026, offering chances to pitch agents, hone craft, and network with other writers across many genres.
   

2. DIVA'S DAILY DIRT: New Music Drops & Kehlani Sets New DMV Date (92q.com) — Kehlani has officially rescheduled her Merriweather Post Pavilion show in Columbia for September 6 after health issues forced a postponement, and tickets from the original date will still be honored. DMV fans now have a firm new date, with Durand Bernarr joining the lineup, alongside plenty of other big music releases making waves this week.
   

3. Kehlani Reschedules Two Crash World Tour Shows After Hospitalization (yardbarker.com) — Kehlani has moved her Columbia Crash World Tour stop at Merriweather Post Pavilion to September 6 after a brief hospitalization for severe throat pain. Original tickets will be honored, and fans are urged to double-check official tour and venue pages for any last-minute updates as the North American leg continues through the fall.
   

4. Maryland community pushes for answers about plastic recycling plant (prismreports.org) — Neighbors in Columbia's Cedar Creek and River Hill communities are pressing for more transparency about emissions from W.R. Grace's nearby plastic recycling pilot plant, located just a few hundred feet from homes. Residents describe foul odors, limited public information, and concerns about experimental chemical processes, while state regulators say the facility meets existing permit requirements despite not requiring a full environmental impact review.
   

5. As back-to-school inflation rises, pushpins come to shove. And teachers absorb the cost (san.com) — A Columbia first-grade teacher at a Howard County public school is spending around $2,000 of her own money to turn a bare classroom into a welcoming space for local students. She describes stretching every dollar, relying on wishlists, and feeling inflation and tariffs in the rising cost of basic supplies, even as her reimbursement covers only a fraction of what Columbia educators actually spend.
   

📸 Around Columbia

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Columbia

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Columbia Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • People are parking in front of the Giant in the Hickory Ridge Village Center which is designated for online shoppers picking up their order.
    Sometimes the entire parking lane is filled with empty cars and it makes it difficult for customers to find a place to park while waiting for their… (Nextdoor Clemens Crossing)
  • Under Armour, Inc. posted a job opening for Assistant Store Manager, FT in Columbia. Apply here.
  • Finish Line, Inc. posted a job opening for Finish Line Macy's Store Associate - Mall in Columbia, Columbia, MD in Columbia. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Columbia here.

Ok Columbia! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: By starting with a large fortune. (Thank you Kourtney Z. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Columbia