Red Cross distributing free smoke alarms today

Volunteers will be canvassing Columbia neighborhoods this morning (Friday, May 19) to distribute free smoke alarms to residents. The American Red Cross and local emergency services are taking part in the effort. The alarms feature a 10-year lithium battery. Any resident may request a smoke alarm.

More charges against Edward Knee for allegedly pocketing Laurel Hill money

 Columbia Borough Police have filed additional charges against former Laurel Hill Memorial Gardens Family Service Counselor Edward Knee.  The additional charges: 4 counts of Forgery, and 5 counts of Theft by Unlawful Taking.

MORE: 

http://fox43.com/2017/05/18/more-charges-against-edward-knee-for-allegedly-pocketing-cemetery-memorial-money/

Fourth Friday Happenings May 26

The Fourth Friday Passport program continues this Fourth Friday! Purchase a passport for $5 and enjoy discounts and giveaways at each participating location. The program will run until August's Fourth Friday. Passports can be purchased at the Visitor Center, Geltz Gotz Goodeze, Mustard Seed Creations, Keagy's Produce, Rebellious Rose Wax Co, and Half Nuts Popcorn. Enter your passport at the end of the summer for a chance to win a gift basket filled with items from each venue. Passport specials are good also during the businesses regular hours as well. For more information people may call 717-684-5249 or email svcc@parivertowns.com. 

Half Nuts Popcorn (450 South Front Street, Wrightsville PA 17368, (717) 515-2290, www.halfnutspopcorn.com) will offer free bags of fresh popped popcorn for Fourth Friday! Their Fourth Friday Flavor for May will be grape!

The Columbia Creative Factory (247 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512, (717) 324-0096, https://www.facebook.com/ArtsatHinkles/) will have drawings up in the windows for the bike rack contest for people to vote on their favorite design. Ballots are at the door.  The winning design will be made out of metal and installed down at The Columbia Crossing.

Through the Fire (452 Locust Street, Columbia PA 17512, (765) 532-0301, www.ttfglass.com) is hosting an international post card exhibit with a reception during May's Fourth Friday. Visitors are invited to carefully turn the cards to view the origin, cancellation, postmark and stamp on each.

Columbia Crossing (41 Walnut Street, Columbia, PA 17512, (717) 449-5607, http://www.susquehannaheritage.org/explore-2/columbia-crossing-river-trails-center/) will be open for extended hours during Fourth Fridays during the summer. On May 26^th, enjoy live music by the river provided by Jefery Woodall.

Specials and raffles are always happening for Fourth Friday at Geltz Gotz Goodeze (430 Locust Street, Columbia PA 17512, (717) 318-1233).

Music in the Park series starts this Friday

Today at the Libraries

Family First to offer free HIV testing

Family First Health in Columbia will be celebrating National HIV Testing Day on Wednesday, June 28th from 10am to 2pm. Please drop by for your free HIV test and get some freebies as well. It only takes 10 minutes to know your status!

Movies Under the Stars kicks off this Friday

Columbia Borough buys blighted Bigler property

According to deeds recorded in LNP:

Samuel L. Bigler and Cynthia L. Bigler conveyed property on Locust Street to Columbia Borough for $51,711.

Police investigating 'suspicious' death of Columbia woman at Pequea Township campground

Amanda Place

The Southern Regional Police Department is investigating a suspicious death which occurred on 5/8/17 at the Outdoor World Campground, 2111 Millersville Rd. in Pequea Twp. The victim in the incident - Amanda Place, 34 years of age, from Columbia PA was staying with friends at a campsite within the campground. She was by herself for several hours and upon the return of her friends she was found unresponsive. Her friends placed her in a private vehicle and began to drive her to the hospital, however after several miles stopped and called for an ambulance. Arriving emergency response personnel found the victim unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. There were no obvious signs of injury to the victim and nothing unusual was found at the campsite. The official cause of death is pending toxicology results.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of the victim prior to her death or any information relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the Southern Regional Police Department 717-872-0352. 
Anonymous tips may be left at www.slcrpd.org

Source:
Southern Lancaster County Regional Police Department

About Town

This hawk was minding his business atop a telephone pole on Maple.

 But some neighborhood birds didn't want him around.

 They buzzed and strafed him until . . .

 Outta here!

 Mark your calendar.

 Vote - the deadline is looming.

 More entries here on the 200 block of Locust

 Changing attire

 Sticker shock

 Quite a bargain

 Sign, sign . . .

 "Old school" printing

 Water-weighted petals

 On the prowl in Avenue G

 Violators will be intimidated.

 Some mice hanging around on South Third

 Big bad yellowjacket

 Vacant lot vacant a lot

 You don't see many of these nowadays.

Frying pan in a tree.

Some things in life can never be understood.

 Gallifreyan symbol on the Watch & Clock Museum frieze

 mew

 Coming up

 Open carry

Columbia in the rain

Nursing home is honored - then cited for violations

Susquehanna Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 745 Old Chickies Hill Rd, Columbia, received recognition from the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce on April 30 for 40 years of service to the community. About a week later, however, the Department of Health conducted an inspection and cited the facility for “deficient practices that caused concern for the health and safety of the residents," according to an ABC27 report. Inspections over the past six months found concerns about failure to investigate and report abuse, neglect, and misappropriation of resident funds, failure to provide a sanitary environment, allowing strong odors of urine to persist, and failure to follow physicians' orders. The Department will release a full report in the near future.

The facility was previously known as Heatherbank Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

ELANCO moves teachers - Is Columbia next?

According to an LNP article, Eastern Lancaster County School District plans to shuffle 31 teachers to different grades and between schools:

"One by one, 31 teachers were called into meetings and told they were either switching grades or moving to another school for the 2017-18 school year."

Readers' comments following the article were less than favorable towards the action, for which many blame ELANCO Superintendent Robert Hollister.

Currently, ELANCO and Columbia are operating under a shared services agreement. A commenter asks if teachers could even be switched between the two districts:

"Now that Elanco and Columbia are quasi-merged regarding administration, just how long until teachers are switched between these two school districts? Elanco school district already seems to have a large turnover of teaching staff."

Columbia School District combats hunger with "School Breakfast Week"

This week, which also happens to be the first week of Keystone Exams, has been denoted School Breakfast Week at Columbia High School. It will feature special guests, giveaways and a new coffee bar — serving the traditional breakfast, but with a coffee option — outside the gymnasium.

MORE:

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/columbia-high-school-combats-teenage-hunger-with-school-breakfast-week/article_e1dcf15a-3a27-11e7-9841-1f6f699c8731.html

Two appointed to Planning Commission

Barbara Fisher (center) and Charity Kadwill were sworn in to the Columbia Borough Planning Commission by Mayor Leo Lutz at Monday's Borough Council meeting.

Nurses Week: May 6-12, 2017

Don't forget to thank a nurse this week! It's a very emotional and challenging profession that touches all concerned on a personal level.

Law enforcement convoy crosses Veterans Memorial Bridge on the way to Washington

Columbia Spy caught a few quick pics of a convoy headed west across the Veterans Memorial Bridge this afternoon. The procession consisted of law enforcement vehicles from various departments on their way to a week-long observance in Washington, D.C. for National Police week.

National Police Week (NPW), held May 11 – 17 each year in Washington, D.C., honors the service and sacrifice of U.S. law enforcement officers. On May 11 and 12, surviving families and co-workers begin arriving in Washington, D.C. for the events.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed Public Law 87-726 designating May 15 as Peace Officers' Memorial Day, and the week in which May 15 falls as National Police Week. The law was amended by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Public Law 103-322, signed by President Bill Clinton, directing that the flag of the United States be displayed at half-staff on all government buildings on May 15 each year. While the actual dates change from year to year, National Police Week is always the calendar week, beginning on Sunday, which includes May 15.

Biggie the Cat at the Library today