Catch up on Columbia: A new grocer, a hospital verdict and a graduation speaker fight

Three stories are drawing readers in Columbia today, from a redevelopment on Devine Street to a controversy brewing at SC State. Here’s a quick look at what’s making news on April 29, 2026.

Here are key takeaways:

• New grocer for Devine Street: Sprouts Farmers Market will anchor the Devine Crossing development at 3818 Devine St., the former site of the longtime Piggly Wiggly known as the “Social Pig.” Cason Development says the store is expected to open in 2027 and will be the first Sprouts in the Columbia area.

• Prisma Health found negligent: A Richland County jury found Prisma Health Richland Hospital liable in a medical malpractice case involving the late Jack Mills, an 88-year-old Columbia businessman who broke his hip in a 2022 fall at the hospital. The jury awarded $315,000, capped at $300,000 under state law because the hospital is a charitable entity.

• Backlash over SC State speaker: South Carolina State University is facing pushback over plans to have Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, a Republican candidate for governor, deliver the May 8 commencement address. An online petition opposing the choice had collected more than 2,600 signatures by Tuesday afternoon, with students and an alum lawmaker calling the invitation tone-deaf.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.