COLUMBIA SPY

As of four o'clock this afternoon, Columbia Fire Police handed over responsibility for traffic control on the 200 block of Locust Street to Flagger Force personnel. Fire police had been on duty since last night, directing traffic away from the area of 208-210 Locust, which had once again shown signs of movement when bricks fell from the facade onto the sidewalk. Flagger Force will be on duty there at least until this coming Monday. The cost will be relayed to the property owner.

The owner of an old Columbia building deemed a collapse risk has given the borough a plan to stabilize and repair the building. Jeff Helm, the borough's zoning and codes inspector, said Friday afternoon that stabilization work could begin as soon as Monday. The owner hired Heisey Mechanical Ltd, of Columbia, to essentially brace the building so the brick facade can be removed and a new front wall built, he said. MORE: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/plan-submitted-to-stabilize-repair-unsound-columbia-building/article_c3258438-3d3b-11e5-ad90-5f24b0872650.html

Developer Bill Roberts had previously proposed renovating a Columbia fire house for the call center, with the financial backing of Columbia Borough, which offered to spend $835,000 to support the venture. MORE: http://m.lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/state-call-center-with-jobs-coming-to-liberty-place-in/article_91c07f54-3c89-11e5-8714-0fc1fd808e7a.html?mode=jqm

The building at 208-210 showed more signs of impending collapse as borough officials, police and fire police responded there this afternoon.  A neighbor called the borough office at about 3 p.m. to report that several bricks had fallen from the right side of the front wall.  A structural engineer hired by the building's owner, Samuel Bigler, was called to inspect the property. The 200 block of Locust Street was shut down and traffic was rerouted around the area.   Fire police will reportedly be on duty at the scene for the next 24 hours. (MORE TO FOLLOW AS IT DEVELOPS)

On the scene now

In Columbia, at the western edge of Lancaster County, there were more police calls than residents last year. MORE: http://m.lancasteronline.com/news/local/where-are-rates-of-police-calls-highest-lowest-in-lancaster/article_a1c1e244-3b85-11e5-b160-235c1be4e260.html?mode=jqm