Author: SPY

Do you know these ladies?

These ladies, who are well known to most residents of Columbia, were sitting in the Columbia Plaza parking lot Wednesday evening.

Can you name them?

If you know who they are, then you probably also know they were there to collect donations for the first night of the “Fill the Bus” campaign.

Throughout July, donations of school supplies will be accepted at Musser’s Market parking lot (in the Columbia Plaza) on Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon. The donations help Columbia Borough School District.


More information can be found HERE.

About Town June Wrap-up

Some shots from around town in June and elsewhen . . . 

Welder at the Columbia Water Company
 Pressure washing the bus stop near Third & Linden

 A ladder to a stairway to a walkway at Columbia Water Company
(Your money at work)

 Conversation

Artillery near 304 Union 

We initially thought this was the artillery piece to be substituted for our existing piece in the plaza of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, as discussed at a council meeting last year.
Columbia Spy checked the plaza and found that no substitution had been made for the existing piece.

 Seen on the side of a bomb car
Keep this number handy. We might need it.

 Goin’ fishin’

 This used to be a common sight around town.  Not so much these days.

 OK . . .

 Councillor kayaking

 Crows plotting

 Rufus T. Firefly

 Caught one

 Hawk surveying

 Bumperless

 Lost and cranky

 Cutting concrete on Central Avenue

 One squirrel’s trash is another squirrel’s . . .
Well, never mind.

Columbia Borough School District would see the highest per-student increase in Wolf's plan

Columbia Borough School District would see the highest per-student increase in Wolf’s plan: $331.
 It would receive the second highest per-student increase under the GOP plan, but less than half of what Wolf proposed: $112.
Business Manager Amy Light said Columbia didn’t count on Wolf’s increase in the 2015-16 district budget. School boards must pass their budgets by June 30, before state funding is solidified.
“We can’t submit on what we hope. We have to submit on what we are relatively certain of,” said Light. Columbia’s budget included a 2 percent tax increase.

FBI — New Jersey Man Federally Charged with Robbing 14 Banks and Two Businesses in Central Pennsylvania and elsewhere – including Columbia

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Francis Simmons, age 41, is alleged to have robbed banks and businesses located in Lewisburg, Fogelsville, Dillsburg, Allentown, Wyomissing, Tannersville, Lancaster, Columbia, Hellertown, Hanover, Pennsylvania and Marathon, New York, Swedesboro, New Jersey, Hagerstown, Maryland and Asheboro, North Carolina. The wave of robberies occurred between November 6, 2013 and November 29, 2014. Simmons was allegedly identified by witnesses and surveillance video.

The investigation involved close coordination and cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Cortland County, New York Sheriff Department, and the Police Departments of Upper Macungie Township, Carroll Township, Logan Township, New Jersey, Spring Township, Hagerstown, Maryland, Pocono Township, Lancaster City Bureau of Police, Asheboro, North Carolina, Columbia Borough, Hellertown and Hanover Borough. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daryl F. Bloom.

MORE:
https://m.fbi.gov/#https://www.fbi.gov/philadelphia/press-releases/2015/new-jersey-man-federally-charged-with-robbing-14-banks-and-two-businesses-in-central-pennsylvania-new-york-new-jersey-north-carolina-and-maryland

Synthetic marijuana plague taxes police, emergency responders in Columbia and elsewhere

“Our patrolmen encounter it at least once a shift now,” said Columbia Borough Det. Matt Leddy. “There’s been a  sharp spike in the amount of people using it.”
Sometimes users are hallucinating and it’s affecting people very differently, said Leddy.