When Kamyla Gracia was in fifth grade, she opted to attend the monthlong Summer Expeditions program instead of an art camp for a chance to learn new things and spend a week taking classes at Columbia College. That was three years ago. Now, 13-year-old Gracia has attended the program every summer since and aspires to work in the medical field, either as a neurosurgeon or orthopedic doctor. Though she hasn’t nailed down a dream college destination, Gracia said the “Summer X” program has helped her...

Albert-Oakland Aquatic Center reopened Friday morning after filtration issues caused cloudy water and forced its closure the previous three days.

On Tuesday, staff identified water clarity issues in the pool at 1900 Blue Ridge Road and shortened its hours from noon to 3 p.m., offering half-price admission in response. After closing the pool Wednesday, the city posted on Facebook that it anticipated the pool to be open Thursday, but the issues persisted, Columbia’s aquatics supervisor Sydney Philpot said.

Three candidates with experience serving the city of Columbia have thrown their hats into the ring for the Fourth Ward City Council seat.

The special election, taking place Aug. 4, is to fill the vacancy left by former council member Nick Foster, who announced his resignation April 30. Foster, who will officially leave the council June 12, is moving to Atlanta, where his wife is taking a dean job at Georgia State University.

The city closed the Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center on Thursday due to a filtration system issue that has caused clarity problems and raised safety concerns, according to a Facebook post from the Parks and Recreation Department.

Thursday’s closing marked the third day in a row that the city shut the pool down.

Officials closed the pool Wednesday, citing “ongoing mechanical issues,” according to a previous Facebook post.

The city plans to install new LED lighting and resurface the backstop seating areas on all six ball fields at Cosmo Park beginning in October.

The project at the Rainbow Softball Center is expected to cost $750,000 and will be funded by the dedicated park sales tax as part of the 2021 renewal, Parks and Recreation Director Gabe Huffington said during an information session for the public Tuesday night.

The city closed Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center on Wednesday before it opened due to “ongoing mechanical issues,” the Parks and Recreation Department announced on social media.

Officials closed the pool, located at 1900 Blue Ridge Road, for the day to allow city staff time to troubleshoot and make needed repairs, the post said. The department said on Facebook the pool is expected to be open again Thursday.

Wednesday’s closure comes after the city shut the pool down Tuesday, citing the facility was experiencing “water clarity issues” late in the day. The city shortened the pool hours from noon to 3 p.m. for half-price admission.