Sunday, August 24, 2025

About Town - August 24, 2025

 This week's photos of Columbia 

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images. 

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

It was Stu Huggens' turn to perform downtown. 

Vintage baseball games were held at Janson Park on Saturday. 










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Rumor has it that Columbia might be getting a used tire outlet. 

Here's Jesse the Computer Guy's contact info.

One of two cherubs at the former Masonic center on Locust Street. 

Here's the other one.

Here's a $79 angel with a cracked jaw at the Re-Uzit Shop, possibly from a brawl. (This is Columbia, after all.)

More progress at the innovation park site

This device sets the height of the blades/shovels on the excavation equipment, according to a worker on site. 


There's also a chipper on site.


These are the remains of the trees that were taken down.

So are these mulch piles.



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This is the side of a trailer whose driver stopped on the highway for several minutes to check for directions while blocking traffic.

A spider web that caught some morning raindrops. 

A "redder than red" hibiscus 

Artist's supplies for a work-in-progress at the State Theatre Vintage Emporium 

The finished mural by @anndope


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This might work. 

Rivertowne Trolley shuttled passengers from St. Paul's to Columbia Crossing for a funeral reception.  

There's Waldo!

A "flower bed" full of old cardboard and cigarette butts—
What could go wrong?

A new park bench?

A new trash truck in town 

It has separate compartments for trash and recycling.

All the information and rules and regulations you could ever need for an enjoyable day at Columbia River Park . . .



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Just visiting 

Either he's back, or he never left.

Renovations on the 200 block of Cherry

New creatures in Avenue H 


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That green cap on South 4th is for sale.

The Habitat for Humanity Linden Street Build project is behind schedule. According to a release from Lancaster Lebanon Habitat for Humanity, here's why:

"If you've been following along with our current construction projects, you've probably read about the more than 1,000 tons (!) of rock we've removed during the excavation phase of our Linden Street Build. The extended excavation process, along with heavy rain in July, set our construction schedule back and has forced us to shift some upcoming volunteer plans for the site, including, most notably, our Women Build Lancaster week.

Last week we announced the postponement of our Women Build Lancaster event (which was originally scheduled for September) at our Linden Street Build in Columbia. It has been rescheduled for November 4-8. The Women Build Lancaster event will still be held at our Linden Street Build, located across from the Turkey Hill Experience, but the new November dates will allow us to set the foundation, have the houses framed and start on siding and exterior work for Women Build Lancaster as we originally intended."


Garage sale at the market house

The heart of our community 

The driver of this rig was attempting to turn from Locust Street onto Bank Avenue. 
He made it . . . eventually. 

Get vaccinated at CVS.

Open-door policy at the Haitian Maranatha Church

A heron that's way out there

Church on the 400 block of Locust 

That's what it's all about. 

The bridge inspectors were back this week.




Todd Stahl took this great shot, as well as the following four . . .





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That watchdog is still on the roof at Beauty in the Beast Grooming. 

Coming in September 

Sunflowers in decline

A bunny with bright ears

Lotsa flags

A few views of the former Cookman Church




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Friday, August 22, 2025

Restaurant Inspections - Columbia Borough - August 22, 2025

 


Coffee & Cream, 101 N. Front St., Columbia, Aug. 14. Pass. Observed an accumulation of grease on the fume hood.

Rising Sun Nutrition, 50 Lancaster Ave., Columbia, Aug. 14. Pass. Food facility does not have available sanitizer test strips or test kit to determine appropriate sanitizer concentration for quaternary ammonia.


Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Democrat Brad Chambers announces early second bid at state House | Politics | lancasteronline.com

Brad Chambers

JAXON WHITE | LNP State Capitol Reporter

Democrat Brad Chambers on Wednesday announced that he'll mount a second bid for the state House next year, likely setting up a rematch against GOP state Rep. Brett Miller for the 41st District.

Chambers, a 34-year-old Columbia resident, ran unsuccessfully against Miller last year in what was the most competitive state House campaign in Lancaster County.

"I want to show people that things are moving in a different direction in Lancaster County," Chambers said. "And if you want to be part of that, you should get involved with my campaign and support me for the 41st."

Chambers, a labor administrator, said if he wins the seat, he'd use the position to advocate for improved access to affordable housing, increasing education funding and implementing universal health care coverage.

Last year, Chambers leaned heavily into canvassing efforts to spread the word about his candidacy. According to Chambers, he knocked on more than 26,000 doors.

He also had the backing of the state's top Democrats, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, state House Speaker Joanna McClinton and House Majority Leader Matt Bradford.

But come November — in an election where Republicans down the ballot nationwide benefited from President Donald Trump's name at the top of the ticket — Miller won with 56% of the vote, while Chambers obtained 44%.

The 41st District covers East and West Hempfield townships, Columbia and Mountville boroughs and a portion of northeast Manor Township.
MORE:
https://lancasteronline.com/news/politics/democrat-brad-chambers-announces-early-second-bid-at-state-house/article_3c131dbc-cca5-4fbf-b071-74d47cc87b08.html 

Columbia Borough School District rolls out back-to-school headquarters online | Community News | lancasteronline.com


K. Scott Kreider / LNP Correspondent
When: Columbia Borough school board meeting, Aug. 14.

What happened: Superintendent Ashley Rizzo unveiled a back-to-school headquarters online, which has a wealth of information on registration, calendars, logistics, meals and much more for new and returning students.

Where to find it: The back-to-school headquarters can be found under the "About Us" tab on the district's landing page.

More: Rizzo encouraged families to use this centralized resource, as well as a new "Rooms" communications platform that has new features like multi-language automated translation.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/columbia-borough-school-district-rolls-out-back-to-school-headquarters-online/article_d58c3b5a-83b1-4ce0-a059-edb42c582237.html 

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Columbia man convicted in Lancaster County carjacking shot man to death in Pittsburgh: police | Local News | lancasteronline.com


LANCASTERONLINE | Staff
A Columbia man who was convicted in June for his role in a 2023 armed carjacking in the borough is also charged with shooting a man to death during a drug robbery in Pittsburgh three years ago.

Sammie Edward Lane Jr. waived his preliminary hearing on homicide and related charges on Aug. 1 in Pittsburgh Municipal Court in the death of Tayrod Ford. 

Lane had been scheduled for sentencing on Monday in Lancaster County Court, according to his docket here in the carjacking case. He was convicted June 13 of robbery, simple assault and related charges.

In that case, according to prosecutors, Lane, 37, Destiny Delgado-Diaz, and Alexander Ethan Delgado-Diaz, lured a man to Columbia on Dec. 31, 2023, began strangling him, threatened him with a handgun, and stole his Dodge Durango SUV and items he had in the vehicle.

Destiny Delgado-Diaz, 23, of Columbia, is serving a 27-month to 10-year state prison sentence after she pleaded guilty on May 1 to robbery and related charges.

Alexander Ethan Delgado-Diaz, 25, of Columbia, is awaiting resolution of his case. A status conference is scheduled for Oct. 2.

According to charging documents filed by Pittsburgh police, on Aug. 14, 2022, Lane and another man, Kevin Rivera, of Wilkinsburg, planned to rob Ford of drugs. During the robbery, Rivera shot Ford once in the shoulder and Ford told the men to take whatever they wanted and begged for his life.

Lane then shot Ford once in the head and the men fled, charging documents said. 

The documents said Sadie Watson, of Pittsburgh, told police that Lane said he wanted to kill someone. She is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and evidence tampering; police said she, Rivera and Lane discussed robbing Ford via text, then deleted the messages.

The day after Ford's death, Lane took a bus to Harrisburg, police said. 

Pittsburgh detectives interviewed Lane at Lancaster County Prison, where he was being held in the carjacking case, on March 3 and filed charges on March 6. He is being held at Allegheny County Jail without bail.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/columbia-man-convicted-in-lancaster-county-carjacking-shot-man-to-death-in-pittsburgh-police/article_7da5bc01-8844-49c7-99ca-294e3d9d2a34.html 

Monday, August 18, 2025

Will the feds subsidize repairs to the Columbia-Wrightsville bridge?

Deeds Recorded - Columbia Borough - August 18, 2025


Jackson Thomas J. III, Jackson Lauren conveyed 622 S. 12th St. to Koontz Rick, Moser Karissa for $187,000.

Amir George conveyed 247 N. Second St. to Zook Property Holdings LLC for $187,500.

Jeretta M. Sadler conveyed 1242 Staman Lane to Wardecker Matthew, Wardecker Alyssa for $203,000.