Fourth body in two weeks pulled from Susquehanna River

Another body has been pulled out of the Susquehanna River, the fourth one to be found in just over two weeks.

Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said he was notified late Saturday morning that a body had been pulled from the river.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/845612_Fourth-body-in-two-weeks-pulled-from-Susquehanna-River.html

Wrightsville Presbyterian Church celebrates 185 years

LANCASTERONLINE
To some in the Columbia/Wrightsville area, it's known as the church whose old building got hit by a Confederate cannonball 150 years ago, at the height of the Civil War.
But Pastor Christine Blackford wants Wrightsville Presbyterian Church to be known better as "a congregation that wants to respond to people who are in need."
And the many who have been and continue to be blessed by the church's outreach on both sides of the Susquehanna River surely agree.
The Wrightsville church, which draws a third or so of its congregants from the Lancaster County side of the river, celebrates its 185th anniversary this weekend.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/845477_Wrightsville-Presbyterian-Church-celebrates-185-years.html

Gruesome death in Columbia PA

GO HERE:
http://paoddities.blogspot.com/search/label/Lancaster%20County?m=0

Columbians seek to boost town's quality of life

LANCASTERONLINE
More than 80 residents of Columbia borough gathered Tuesday for the first in a series of town hall meetings aimed at improving the quality of life in the borough.

Police Chief Jack Brommer told the group — which included residents, members of council, and local business owners — that the meeting stemmed from daily conversations he and Mayor Leo Lutz have about issues voiced by residents.

The concerns include a lack of cleanliness, especially dog waste; visual code violations, such as trash left piled up outside homes; and personal behavior, such as truancy and disorderly conduct.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/844874_Columbians-seek-to-boost-town-s-quality-of-life.html

Senator Mike Brubaker wants to silence whistleblowers

HARRISBURG, Pa.
State Senator Mike Brubaker, who represents Pennsylvania's 36th district, wants to crack down on people who secretly videotape farms.

Animal rights activists call it the "Ag-Gag" bill. They say the real goal of this legislation is to silence whistleblowers.

MORE HERE:
http://www.abc27.com/story/22134899/lawmaker-crack-down-on-undercover-farm-videos

Community First Funds gets $15 million in tax credits for economic development projects

The $15 million in tax credits awarded to the Lancaster-based Community First Fund promises to spur economic development in Lancaster city and Columbia borough in the near future, and offer help throughout the county in the long term, officials said Tuesday.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/844156_Community-First-Funds-gets--15-million-in-tax-credits-for-economic-development-projects.html

Is this the new town dump?

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated in "Earth Week."  I was hoping, however, that someone would have attended to the mess at the end of Wright Street, between Kleen-Rite and the Columbia Organ Works.  The area looks as though it's becoming the town dump, with several dozen old tires scattered around, as well as tree trimmings, a used Christmas tree, a pile of broken concrete, and miscellaneous paper trash.  Several tires are also lying in the Shawnee Creek, and a few are lined up along Wright Street.