COLUMBIA SPY

This week's photos of Columbia (Click/tap on photos to see larger, sharper images.) Sunflower, above And below Waterways Conservation Officer on the job Big wheel at Tollbooth Project at Columbia River Park by Girl Scout Troop 70620 Getting more water for core drilling All in a row The former airfield - Corn is growing there, and so is Columbia's debt. The view from 12th & Franklin Fifth Street Community Fun Day coming July 29, 2023 Something's happening in the field at 4th & Manor. Stay tuned. A side you don't see too often Peeking through Columbia Organ Works The sign inside says Columbia Organ Leathers. A look at the pipes Big house Little house Laurel Hill This goose played sentinel, while others ate dinner. There's dinner - thousands of mayflies. Bob Warfel sent these 3 photos of Sunday morning at River Park. This banner was covered. More wildfire smoke drifted down from Canada this week. Several planes flew low into Harrisburg. Was it due to visibilit...

  Artemis. 1 year old cat last seen at home 100 block of S. 2nd St. She is very sweet, is up to date on shots and is fixed. Has extra toes on front paws. If seen or found please contact, text or call, 717-341-4704. Larry and Glenda

Getting real-time information on those materials is nearly impossible because in a post-9/11 environment, railroads aren't required to share that information. Reporters for LNP | LancasterOnline and WITF sought detailed information about train cargo from 12 central Pennsylvania counties . Only three of those counties said they had lists of specific chemicals being carried by trains. None had real-time information. That secrecy means emergency responders might not know what hazardous materials they're dealing with until they reach the scene, and that there is no single, consistent way to find the information at the scene — all of which could slow response time or put them in danger. Lancaster County responded with a commodity list from 2021, the most recent available, that detailed 28 most common hazardous materials running through the county on rail. The county also later provided the Hazardous Rail Transit  (HART) Plan for Lancaster County, which addresses railroad transportat...

  Bob Smith (right) and Bob Warfel hang a Hometown Hero banner on Walnut Street Friday morning.  Bob Smith and Bob Warfel resumed hanging Hometown Hero banners at locations around town on Friday morning (7/21/23). The project was on hiatus since May 15 due to other obligations.  More banners will be hung on Manor Street Friday afternoon, bringing the total to 415. Currently, there are 115 additional banners to be hung, according to Smith, who spearheads the project.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 866-366-3723, uses a risk-based inspection reporting process for restaurants and other food handlers. The Golden Whisk Bakery , 245 Locust St., Columbia, July 12. Pass. New food facility in operation more than 90 days and has not employed a certified food employee as required. Food facility has an employee that has taken food safety training program; however, the food safety program was not an ANSI/CFP-accredited certified food manager program. Old food residue in the hand-wash sink in the front service area, indicating uses other than hand-washing. The hand-wash sink in the back food preparation area was blocked by a table, chair and cooling cart, and not accessible at all times for employee use. A child’s toys; one under the drying rack in the food preparation area and one in the receiving area. The back receiving doors located in the rear of the food facility has a gap and does not protect against the entry of insects and rodents. Several...

Tom Strickler  [Columbia Spy file photo] At its June 13 workshop meeting, the Elizabethtown Area School District Board of Education unanimously approved hiring Tom Strickler as its new Chief Finance and Operations Officer. Strickler replaces Dan Forry, who accepted a similar position with the Penn Manor School District. The Board hired Strickler following an extensive search process that involved a series of interviews. The interview team consisted of district administration, support staff, and school board members. Strickler’s professional experience includes being the superintendent of schools from 2018-2020 for the Columbia Borough School District. At Columbia, Strickler directed daily operations and long-range planning; hired staff and worked with school board members to secure additional resources; and managed fiscal operations, supervised school principals and district staff, administered curriculum for K-12 students, and ensured compliance with and faithful execution of all ...

  Columbia Borough officials recently discontinued livestreaming meetings in favor of recording them and posting them on the borough's YouTube channel the next day. The July 11, 2023 meeting, held a week ago, has not been posted. Columbia Spy has posted an audio recording of the meeting, above. At the meeting, Pastor Wayne Scott (shown above) of Ashley Tabernacle Church of God gently chided Columbia Borough officials about their focus on the downtown at the expense of other aspects of the community:  "While we're building up downtown - we love what you're doing - don't forget the poor. Don't  forget the rest of the community." His comments, which were made during a discussion of a block party to be held on South 5th Street, start at 31:45 on the recording.