Columbia school board drafts 5.7% tax hike

LANCASTERONLINE
Columbia School District officials approved a preliminary budget Thursday that would raise property taxes by 5.7 percent.

The school board blamed underfunding of special education as a major cause for the tax hike and appealed to Columbia residents to write to Harrisburg to ask for fairer funding structures.

To fund the $22,375,000 budget, residents in Columbia will need to pay a millage rate of 27.37 mills, an increase of 1.37 mills or $137 for a home valued at $100,000.

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http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/851921_Columbia-school-board-drafts-5-7--tax-hike.html

Columbia prepares for Sunday festivities, parade

LANCASTERONLINE
The Columbia United Veterans Council is inviting the public to its Memorial Day celebration at Columbia's Locust Street Park on Sunday, May 26, at 1 p.m., followed by a parade at 2:30 p.m.

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http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/851768_Columbia-prepares-for-Sunday-festivities--parade.html

Police nab suspect

LANCASTERONLINE
Police identified a suspect in the stabbings as Zachary Groft, 22, of the 500 block of Cherry Street, Columbia, Police Detective Matthew Leddy said.

They arrested him at his home without incident a short time after the fight, police said.

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http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/851657_Police-nab-suspect-in-two-stabbings-in-Columbia.html

Arrest made in double stabbing

WPMT FOX 43
An arrest has been made after two men were stabbed early Monday morning along the 100 block of South 5th Street in Columbia Borough. Zachary Groft, 22, of Columbia was taken into custody and charged with two counts of aggravated

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http://fox43.com/2013/05/20/fight-leads-to-double-stabbing-in-columbia/

Two taken to hospital after stabbing in Columbia

LANCASTERONLINE
Police are investigating a stabbing in Columbia Borough Monday morning, according to a county dispatch supervisor.

Two injured people were taken to Lancaster General Hospital after the 2:12 a.m. incident in the 100 block of South Fifth Street.

No other information was immediately available.

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/851657_Two-taken-to-hospital-after-stabbing-in-Columbia.html

Klawitter is interim Columbia chief exec

LANCASTERONLINE
Former Columbia superintendent Kenneth Klawitter will return to the school district in July as acting superintendent for the coming school year.

Klawitter will replace Superintendent Barry Clippinger, who announced his retirement in September. Despite having nine months to find a permanent replacement, the board Thursday unanimously approved the appointment of Klawitter to serve as acting superintendent in an "emergency capacity" from July 1, 2013, until June 30, 2014.

"The board was unable to fill the position with a permanent candidate at this time," board President Tom Strickler said in an email. "There was no specific cause or reason, issues happened during the process that caused delays."

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http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/851243_Klawitter-is-interim-Columbia-chief-exec.html

Outgoing Columbia wrestling coach honored for heroism

LANCASTERONLINE
Columbia High School assistant wrestling coach Russell Rupp was caught by surprise on Thursday when State Senator Mike Brubaker called him to the floor to receive an award for heroism.

On June 11, 2012, Rupp aided 11 victims after a car crash that left one woman dead in Cumberland County's Penn Township.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/851203_Outgoing-Columbia-wrestling-coach-honored-for-heroism.html