Resident of Landisville Campmeeting fights to have his taxes raised

LANCASTERONLINE
A Landisville property owner believes he — and all his neighbors in a religious campmeeting group — should pay higher taxes.

Luke Hess, who owns a cottage in Landisville Campmeeting, told Hempfield school board Tuesday that the 27-acre tract along Church Street is improperly registered with the Lancaster County assessment office.

Property owners there pay a lower tax rate than they should, Hess says, "due to false information given to the county years ago."

It may be, according to board president Bill Jimenez, the first time a Hempfield resident asked the board for higher taxes.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/847711_Resident-of-Landisville-Campmeeting-fights-to-have-his-taxes-raised.html

Hempfield deals with meningitis scare

LANCASTERONLINE
Hempfield School District is notifying parents and students that a high school senior might have contracted bacterial meningitis.

The contagious disease can cause serious complications, such as brain damage, hearing loss or learning disabilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The student, whom the district declined to identify, has been hospitalized. At this time, there is no confirmation of the diagnosis.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/847695_Hempfield-deals-with-meningitis-scare.html

Connecting Columbia and Wrightsville

MERCHANDISER

One well-known historic area landmark spans the Susquehanna River between Columbia and Wrightsville. Veterans Memorial Bridge, which opened in 1930 and is now a part of Route 462, is one of six bridges that have provided a river crossing in the immediate area since the early 1800s.

With 2013 marking the 150th anniversary of the burning of the second of those bridges to prevent the Confederate advance into Lancaster County, the Columbia Market House is housing a display of photos and information about each of the crossings.

MORE HERE:
http://news.engleonline.com/AdDesk/Htmlfiles/Readers/article.epc?id=85184

Mile-long trains carrying oil from Canada to Delaware passing through Columbia

LANCASTERONLINE
Mile-long trains, sometimes two a day, carrying brand-new tankers filled with crude oil from the tar sands region of Canada have begun snaking along the Susquehanna River through Lancaster County.

The trains, usually carrying about 118 tankers of crude, are beating a path to the Delaware City Refinery in Delaware, one of the largest refineries on the East Coast. And then the empty trains head back to the oil fields on the same route, usually the next day.

The trains coming through Lancaster County follow Norfolk Southern's Port Road, which hugs the river from north of Marietta to Perryville, Md. Some trains reach the Port Road from the Royalton Branch, which also traces the river through Conoy Township.

Norfolk Southern refuses to confirm that the trains, which began running around January, travel through Lancaster County, citing security policies.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846794_Mile-long-trains-carrying-oil-from-Canada-to-Delaware-passing-through-Lancaster-County.html

Columbia man shoots himself in leg

LANCASTERONLINE
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846281_Columbia-man-shoots-himself-in-leg.html

Hempfield teen earns rank of Eagle Scout

LANCASTERONLINE
He led a group of fellow Boy Scouts, plus family and friends, in building information kiosks along the Susquehanna River to help boaters and outdoor enthusiasts.

For his efforts, 17-year-old Darian Erb of Boy Scout Troop 267, of Silver Spring, has earned the highest honor in scouting, the rank of Eagle Scout.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846143_Hempfield-teen-earns-rank-of-Eagle-Scout.html

TMI scrutiny stepped up after flood safety failure

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant is under heightened scrutiny by federal regulators because of a problem involving protections against flooding.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday seals in the conduits that hold electrical cables in the plant's air intake tunnel were not adequate to maintain the plant's external flood barrier. As a result, the NRC said severe flooding could have threatened plant safety equipment.

MORE HERE:
http://www.abc27.com/story/22126408/tmi-scrutiny-stepped-up-after-flood-safety-failure