We blame the industry for this… It used to be that when we wrapped up our Weekend Picks on Friday, we could coast through the weekend. There was little need to check in for updates – things were pretty much done. But clearly all that’s changed.

So here’s some of what’s happened in the world of craft beer while you were off enjoying yourselves.

Good-bye Columbus (Columbus, OH) – As we reported last Thursday, Stone Brewing has announced that they’ll be bringing their new East Coast operation to Richmond, Virginia. And although Columbus, Ohio was in the running, it didn’t make the final cut, much to the disappointment of local beer activists such as the Stone2Cbus group. And now according to our friend Cheryl Harrison at Drink up Columbus, Stone has written that group and indicated that they will be brewing a special-edition, Columbus-only beer to thank them and the city for their support.

ACB Beer Week Alerts (Anywhere, USA) – In our ongoing effort to help you plan where you need to be at any given time, we’ve instituted regular beer week alerts that you should pay attention to. Baltimore Beer Week kicked off last Friday and runs through October 19. Cleveland Beer Week is also on and it runs through October 18.

Sam Remains “The Man” (Milton, DE) – Nick Benz, an 11-year vet at Dogfish Head, has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer – and we’re happy about this as long as he is. He’s been CFO at the company since 2003 – so clearly he didn’t screw that up. Another change to the Dogfish Head management team is the departure of longtime Vice President of Sales, Adam Lambert. Adam will be departing at the end of November to pursue a new opportunity with New Holland Brewing Company. And in spite of the speculation that swept the craft beer world last Friday, Sam’s not stepping away from anything -and remains “Da Man.”

Craft Beer Drinkers Becoming More Diverse (Boulder, CO) – Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewers Association, gave an interesting presentation recently at the GABF media luncheon where he relayed recent data about the increasing diversity of craft beer consumers. According to Watson, women between the ages of 21 and 34 are now consuming 15 percent of total craft volume – and he’s also beginning to see more Hispanic interest in craft beer.

New Holland Stakes a Claim In Grand Rapids (Holland, MI) – New Holland Brewing, the third largest brewery in Michigan, has announced the launch of a new brewpub, micro-distillery, and restaurant slated to open in early 2016 in Grand Rapids, Michigan’s west side. The new endeavor supports the company’s goals to reach the growing craft consumer in New Holland’s home market of West Michigan and beyond.