About Town — March 22, 2026

This week’s photos of Columbia

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images.

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY

Progress at the Von Hess project on Bank Avenue 

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Wrightsville 41 was in town. 

A view from the Union Street boat ramp

Don’t poke the bear.

Mural 

It’s hard to see, but the back of the truck reads STATE GAME WARDEN. Directly above, it says OPERATION GAME THIEF, along with some contact information. 

Evening clouds 

Daytime clouds 

Company truck on South 9th 

There’s the surveyor, next to the former McGinness property. There’s also a project in progress across the street from him, as well as one further up the street, on the next block. 

Quisp is still around?

Old model

(Photo from the previous week)

Do not fill the observation well.

This company hasn’t been in town in decades. 

Neenah Foundry makes Controlled Pressure Release Manhole Covers, but this doesn’t appear to be one of them, nor would it need to be for a sewer.

Personnel were at Columbia River Park on Friday to remove oil containment booms near the Columbia Water Company and the Lancaster Water Company. The booms were placed a few weeks ago, in response to an oil spill at J&K Salvage in York County in late February. Amanda Hancher, Senior Press Officer @EPA Mid-Atlantic Region, who was on-scene, provided a link to the following information:

“Local, state, and federal emergency response personnel have formed a Unified Command in response to a building fire and associated oil spill that occurred at J&K Salvage in Spring Garden Township, Pa., on February 25, 2026.

Unified Command comprises of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), York County Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT), York Area United Fire and Rescue, York Regional Emergency Management, and Spring Garden Township.

Just before 2 pm on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, emergency responders were dispatched to a commercial fire in Spring Garden Township on the property of the salvage yard located at 1173 Kings Mill Road. Responders extinguished the fire at approximately 4 pm. The fire melted several dozen containers holding thousands of gallons of various oils and damaged several containers of unknown substances. The released oils seeped into the soil and a nearby unnamed tributary that leads to the Codorus Creek, creating the potential for migration beyond the immediate site. 

A local response consisting of firefighters, HAZMAT technicians, and PA DEP representatives responded to the fire that afternoon and in the days that followed, with EPA arriving and establishing Unified Command to jointly manage the incident. Containment, mitigation, and hazardous material removal continues at the site, as well as air and water monitoring and sampling for responder and public health.”

Additional information is HERE.

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CHS grad who won Latin Grammy returns home to join New Holland Band in spring concert

LAURA KNOWLES | For LNP | LancasterOnline

For musician Jim McFalls, performing with the New Holland Band in  its annual spring concert feels like a reunion.

McFalls and Fred Hughes, now director of the New Holland Band, were both teens when they began playing in the band — McFalls on trombone, and Hughes on the tuba.

Later, they joined the U.S. Army Band and toured the world with the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, both encouraged by their time performing in the New Holland Band, the second-oldest community concert band in the nation. 

He’ll soon get a chance to play with the New Holland Band once again.

McFalls will be a featured trombone soloist at the New Holland Band’s Spring Concert, set for 3 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at Good Shepherd Chapel at Lancaster Bible College. The band will perform a selection of classic, Broadway, pops and Americana music.

Since his time in the New Holland Band, McFalls — a Columbia High School graduate — has gone on to win a Latin Grammy and perform with musicians from Dave Liebman to Mumford & Sons.

MORE: HERE

Restaurant Inspections — Columbia Borough — March 20, 2026

Emma’s Coffee Corner, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, March 14. Pass. Observed raw shell eggs stored above coffee drinks in the two-door cooler.

Griddles Street Social, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, March 14. Pass. Food Facility is offering for sale foods (cake pops by Caroline’s Cupcakes) prepared in an unapproved private home. Tomato sauce observed in the walk-in cooler is spoiled, moldy and adulterated. Tomato sauce (Jan. 30), and queso (cheese) (Feb. 17), refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature-control-for-safety food in the walk-in cooler, were date-marked by the facility but were beyond the seven-day use- or sell-by date and require discarding. Observed old food residue on the slicer blade and inner rim of the slicer.

JK Simply Cake, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, change of owner, March 14. Pass. Prepackaged oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate chip cookies are not labeled properly with the ingredient statement. Prepackaged oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate chip cookies are not labeled to clearly indicate any “Big 9” allergen ingredients and/or the allergen warning statement.

Market House Soft Pretzels, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, change of owner, March 14. Pass. Food employee observed preparing food while not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets, hats or beard covers.

Turkey Hill Experience, 301 Linden St., Columbia, complaint, March 13. Pass. No violations.

Columbia Pizza And Italian Restaurant, 429 Locust St., Columbia, regular/complaint, March 12. Pass. Observed boxes of food stored directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler, rather than 6 inches off of the floor as required. Cigarettes, cigarette butts and ashtray found on chair in the food preparation area during the inspection. Black mold observed on the stand used for storing food in the walk-in cooler. Observed static dust on the fan guards of the walk-in cooler.

St. John Neumann School For Children And Families, 401 Locust St., Columbia, March 12. Pass. Chili was held at 122 F, in the hot-holding cabinet, rather than 135 F or above as required. Paper towel dispenser empty at the hand-wash sink in the kitchen. Commercially processed, refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature-control-for-safety food (turkey bacon), located in the reach-in cooler and held more than 24 hours, is not being marked with the date it was opened. Digital temperature measuring device for the hot-holding cabinet is difficult to read due to some elements of the numbers missing. Observed deeply scored cutting boards (portable green cutting boards) not resurfaced or discarded as required.

Hype Brew, mobile food facility Type 3, 336 Locust St., Columbia, opening, March 11. Pass. The service window is open, unscreened and does not protect against the entry of insects.