About Town – August 6, 2023

Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Week Day 4 wrapped on Friday. These photos at South 5th Street are from earlier in the week. By the end of the week, a second floor had been added.

Emergency personnel effected a rescue last Sunday when they transported a patient down a precarious set of steps at 4th & Walnut.

Sidewalk wisdom

“We must do what is right, not what is easy”

Bullet hole on the windshield of a parked car near the intersection of South 3rd & Cherry, which was hit during the Saturday afternoon “shots fired” incident there. Alarmingly, a second incident was reported early Sunday morning. Today, many Columbians are on edge, afraid to sit out, wondering what can be done about the problem. There’s still no public statement from the mayor.

Four police departments responded to the Saturday afternoon incident.

A moving graffiti gallery down at the tracks rolls by daily

Strangely enough, State Representative Brett Miller voted against a bipartisan bill that would create a database of hazardous material being transported through the state on railways.

Trains carrying who-knows-what often speed through Columbia.

Up close and personal with a moving train near 2nd & Mill

(There’s no barricade or warning lights there.)

Sunday, August 13

Ice cream at Columbia River Park on Saturday

Meanwhile, at Rail Mechanical

Old style means of transportation, just add horse

Time for a new sign?

An orca-shaped plane flying over

A bag of flags at the Used Flag Deposit at the Elks

Even a hearse needs maintenance sometimes.

They don’t seem as bad this year.

A look down Walnut Street, from 3rd

This sight will be a thing of the past when it becomes one-way.

More work is being done on that fancy door at the Columbia School of Music.

Walk in love today!

Civil War Trail sign on the first block of North 3rd

Until next week . . .

More information on shots fired incident

COLUMBIA BOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT:

SHOTS FIRED Aug 5th, 2023 On Saturday, August 5, 2023 at approximately 2:50 p.m., Columbia Police were dispatched to the area of Third and Cherry Streets in Columbia for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, responding officers found a large amount of spent shell casings on the sidewalk and street and spoke with several witnesses. The preliminary investigation showed that two individuals fired numerous shots in the direction of a third individual who was walking in the area. Multiple residences and vehicles were struck by the gunfire. The individual that is believed to have been targeted fled on foot and escaped injury. 

 Investigating officers are reviewing footage from several cameras located in the area, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to this shooting is encouraged to contact Columbia Police Detective Matt Leddy or the on-duty patrol supervisor at 717-684-7735. 

Location Third and Cherry Streets Columbia, PA 17512 

Date Aug 5, 2023 

Incident Type Aggravated Assault 

Reference ID CB-23-04134 

Case Status Current Case 

Type Criminal

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/cases/shots-fired-0?fbclid=IwAR0y9Dx93tmt7ndVR9OpZgS14JjPMgN9df2veyJ6dGINylBCxsLjcau-jbQ

SHOTS FIRED!

Four police departments responded to the scene of a shots fired incident at 3rd & Cherry Street that reportedly occurred shortly before 3 pm today (8/5/23). Police on scene checked nearby homes and parked cars for bullet holes. Columbia Borough, West Hempfield, Manor Township, and Susquehanna Regional responded.

More details will follow.

[Photos of shell casings and yellow markers shown above were submitted by Josh Stoutzenberger.]

Restaurant Inspections – Columbia Borough – August 4, 2023

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 866-366-3723, uses a risk-based inspection reporting process for restaurants and other food handlers.

Level Up Pizza, 237 Locust St., Columbia, July 26. Pass. Raw shell eggs stored above lasagna in the reach-in cooler. Raw shell eggs stored above cooked pizza dough in the reach-in cooler. Frozen raw beef thawing above onions in the reach-in cooler; repeat violation of June 16, 2022. The scoop for ice stored on top of the ice maker, an area that is not cleaned and sanitized; repeat violation of Jan. 20, 2023. Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food (cooked beef) prepared in the food facility and held for more than 24 hours in the reach-in cooler is not being date-marked; repeat violation of June 16, 2022, and June 23, 2022. Commercially processed, refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food (deli ham) in the reach-in cooler held more than 24 hours and is not being marked with the date it was opened; repeat violation of June 16, 2022, June 23, 2022. Pots and pans stored beneath hand-wash sink plumbing. Working containers of cleaners beneath the front counter stored on a shelf with to-go boats and plates; repeat violation of June 16, 2022, June 23, 2022.

Taco to Go, 114 N. Third St., Columbia, July 26. Pass. No violations.

Columbia Borough to hold public hearing on Thursday, August 3

Photo: Sincerely Media


Columbia Borough will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2023, as part of their regular monthly Council Workshop Meeting. The hearing will be held at Columbia Borough, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512, beginning at approximately 7:00 PM.

The Borough Engineer intends to present the most recent plans for street improvements along Walnut Street, from Front Street to 3rd Street. The presentation will cover the proposed project, traffic patterns during construction, proposed traffic patterns, and historic sites and provide time for public questions.

The Borough invites affected residents, property owners, and other stakeholders to attend this meeting to identify further needs that should be addressed and to comment on the proposed project.