State adds budget information and teacher salaries to school rankings site

Columbia Borough School District has the second lowest average teacher salary: $55,377.

MORE:
http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/state-adds-budget-information-and-teacher-salaries-to-school-rankings/article_78ed16e0-9cb6-11e4-b3ea-17b0925afedf.html

Beware ‘the blob’ that small government forms

Don't believe in the blob? Consider that Pennsylvania has 500 school districts (about one for every 25,000 people) and levies the 10th-highest state and local taxes in the U.S., according to the Tax Foundation. Compare that to Florida, No. 31 in state and local taxes, with only 67 school districts (one per 280,000 people).

The blob created by the mass of educational bureaucracy in the 16 school districts in Lancaster County alone — 16 superintendents, 144 school board members and hundreds of administrators — leads to public institutions that are collectively bigger, costlier, fractured and more resistant to reform. 

MORE:
http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/columnists/beware-the-blob-that-small-government-forms/article_f6e46838-9b57-11e4-adf6-47b0485b9f16.html

Hempfield superintendent hire not so super on transparency

The Hempfield School Board's hiring of Chris Adams was probably the right move. Too bad it was not done in a transparent way aimed at building trust and cooperation among parents and residents.

MORE:
http://lancasteronline.com/hempfield-superintendent-hire-not-so-super-on-transparency/article_ff352e38-9c46-11e4-b91d-4bedba4a434f.html

Artist and teacher Dorothy Cooper's collection will be for sale at Garth Gallery Friday and Saturday

Dorothy Cooper's collection will be for sale in an exhibit at Garth Gallery, 22 S. 2nd St., Columbia, from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, with a wine-and-cheese reception for the artist on Friday. Proceeds from the sale will benefit an art scholarship at Columbia High School.

MORE:
http://lancasteronline.com/features/artist-and-teacher-dorothy-cooper-s-collection-will-be-for/article_b5bcd57a-9c15-11e4-96b2-87692a039387.html

Gas pipeline explodes at Ross Barnett Reservoir in Mississippi

We might want to rethink that pipeline project planned to go through Lancaster County.

http://rt.com/news/222595-blast-pipeline-reservoir-mississippi/

Vehicle accident at Chiques

Emergency crews responded to a vehicle accident on Route 441 near Chiques Rock at about 5 p.m. today.
(Submitted photos)

What I Saw - Tuesday, January 13, 2015

 Park school crossing guard protected against the cold

 Screens backlit by the sun at the Turkey Hill Experience 

 The National Guard hasn't taken our artillery piece yet from its position on the plaza near the Veterans Memorial Bridge.  That possibility was discussed at a borough council meeting last July.

Sunset as seen from Central Avenue