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Spring Hill Father Badly Injured After Rescuing Children From House Fire

Issue #537

August 26, 2025

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

☀️ Columbia’s Weather - Mostly sunny skies w/ High of 81, low of 50

📰 Spring Hill Father Badly Injured After Rescuing Children From House Fire

🎭 Free Outdoor Shakespeare Returns to Columbia’s Riverwalk Arts Festival

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details!

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Spring Hill Father Badly Injured After Rescuing Children From House Fire

A Spring Hill father is in critical condition after a house fire broke out early Monday morning on Charles Lane.

Fire crews were dispatched just after 4 a.m. to find flames spreading quickly from the home’s back deck into the main structure. The fire created intense heat and heavy smoke, making visibility nearly impossible for those inside.

Investigators believe it was the sound of smoke alarms that alerted the family in time to escape. Before firefighters arrived, the father managed to get his young son and daughter out of the house, despite suffering severe burns and heat exposure himself.

Paramedics transported him to the hospital in critical condition, while the mother and children were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. Two family members also sustained burns, according to fire officials.

Neighbors reported seeing the father outside the home, covered in soot, still focused on ensuring the safety of his children and pets. His actions likely prevented further tragedy.

In the aftermath, the family lost much of their home, but community members have already stepped in to help. Neighbors are caring for the family’s two dogs and have collected clothing, toys, blankets, and other necessities to support them during recovery.

At one point as firefighters were battling the blaze, part of the ceiling collapsed inside the home, forcing them to continue their efforts from outside. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no further details have been released.

Free Outdoor Shakespeare Returns to Columbia’s Riverwalk Arts Festival

For the second year in a row, Watershed Public Theatre will open their season of performances at Columbia's Riverwalk Arts Festival with another Shakespeare classic.

This year's play will be Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy often cited as being the mother of all "rom-coms." While much ado has been made about the weather, the end-of-summer timing of this play lends a chance for some beautiful Tennessee evenings. The festivities take place on September 11-13 and 18-20, 2025, at Riverwalk Park, 102 Riverside Drive, Columbia. The Riverwalk Arts Festival offers free admission, as well as food trucks, face-painting, and other local art and attractions. Donations are encouraged to support the continuation of the festival and more fun, creative events presented by Watershed Public Theatre.

Shakespeare in the Park is the kind of tradition that threads together many different eras and places all over the world. Small towns and big cities both celebrate the works of Shakespeare; in any capacity, these outdoor productions are always the result of a lot of hard work. Watershed's season opener is in good hands with director Evan Hernandez. Much Ado About Nothing will be the first full-length play he's directed, but Evan has plenty of experience to draw from, in particular, his days as a set-builder and crew member for New York City's Public Theatre, the producer of the quintessential Shakespeare in the Park. Those live productions in Central Park have an imposing scale. Live theatre can be unpredictable anywhere it takes place, but Watershed's director has a grasp of Shakespeare that is watertight. 

"I find Shakespeare natural to perform, natural to edit," Hernandez says, "it's timeless and classic for a reason." Being 425 years old must not be a bad thing. Hernandez is sure that it's something anyone at any age can relate to. "I've performed Shakespeare in a room full of eight-year-olds hanging on every word. You could hear a pin drop."

The relationships in Much Ado About Nothing glow with an enduring relatability. Especially the flirty feud between Benedick (Alex White) and Beatrice (Reid Gregory), the type of chemistry that fuels any rom-com. The original play is set in 16th-century Italy, but Director Hernandez has set his production in New England just after World War I. Evan and his wife, Assistant Director Maggie Hernandez, find the era very unique and appealing. America was on its way into a bit of a renaissance, characterized by new styles of fashion, music, dance and technology. 

The rest of the cast includes Shaelyn Taylor, William Meyer, Austin Jeffrey Smith, JR Knowles, RJ Comer, Ava Sin, Melody Alvarado, Evan Taylor Williams, Luke McGuire, Jenna Goldsmith and Brett Lemmers. Much Ado About Nothing, as part of Columbia's Riverwalk Arts Festival, will take place on September 11th, 12th & 13th, as well as September 18th, 19th & 20th. The event opens at 6:00 pm each night, with pre-show entertainment at 6:30 pm, and the play beginning at 7:30 pm. It is free admission with open seating; attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets. Watershed Public Theatre is proud to be a conduit of community, local talent, and timeless art.

Upcoming Local Events

🗓 Have an event to add? Send us the Details!

Tuesday, August 26th

Wednesday, August 27th

Thursday, August 28th

Friday, August 29th

Saturday, August 30th

Sunday, August 31st

📌 Mark Your Calendars…

Aug 28 - Sept 1: Maury County Fair & Expo 
Sept 5-14: Nashville Fair 
Sept 9-13: Americana Fest (Nashville)
Sept 16: Breakfast with the Mayors
Sept 27 - 28: Pilgrimage Music & Heritage Festival

👇 Click the Links to Learn About our Local Business Sponsors! 👇

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Tuesday, August 26th

Open Mic Night, The Rebel Bar & Grill, 4:45 PM - 7:45 PM
Songwriters Open Mic, Whiskey Alley, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Justen Harden, Puckett’s, 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Wednesday, August 27th

Austin Byrd, Puckett’s, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Vet2Vet Open Mic Night, McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Thursday, August 28th

Oliver Pigott, Puckett’s, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Todd Ciprian, Tito’s Spring Hill, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
The Grove, Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30 - 9:00 PM

Friday, August 29th

TBA, The Spot, 5:00 - 8:00 PM
The Nature Project, Buck & Board, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Open Mic Night, Grinder’s Switch Winery, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Muletown Songwriters Series, The Mulehouse, 7:30 PM
Tom & Robert, McCreary’s Irish Pub, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Late Bloomers, Puckett’s, 7:30 - 9:00 PM
The Velvet Troubadors, Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30 - 9:00 PM
5x5, Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8:00 - 11:00 PM

Saturday, August 30th

Ben Daniel, Amber Falls Winery, 3:00 - 7:00 PM
Kamber, Buck & Board, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Shannon & The Harpeth River Boys, McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Summer Series, The Bourbon Gospel, 7:30 PM
The Deltaz, Puckett’s, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Resurrection - A Journey Tribute, The Mulehouse, 8:00 PM
Power Play, The Boondox, 8:00 PM 
Downsouth Band, Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8:00 - 11:00 PM

Sunday, August 31st

Don Phillips, Amber Falls Winery, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Jacob Frish, Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 4:00 - 7:00 PM
Jay Hoppus, Puckett’s, 6:00 - 7:30 PM

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