Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow this morning, predicting an early spring.
This marks the first time since 2020 that Phil predicted an early spring.
Groundhog predicts early spring
[LNP | LancasterOnline] Welcome to the club: Columbia senior Brie Droege eclipses rare 2,000-point plateau [video]
The door to the magical 2,000-point club swung open Thursday. Columbia senior ace Brie Droege reached the scoring plateau in the first quarter of the Crimson Tide’s 63-5 L-L League Section 4 victory over Linden Hall in Columbia.
Droege swooped in on a fast-break and banked in a layup to hit the mark. She needed 15 points for 2K and she scored 17 points — all in the first quarter — and she’s at 2,002 career points.
Droege now has two things in common with her mom, former Columbia great Marjorie (Rhoads) Droege. First, they both scored their milestone 2,000th point in the same basket inside the Tide’s storied gym. And second, they’re both in the 2K scoring club.
Marjorie, a 1997 Columbia grad, is still atop the league’s all-time scoring chart with 2,573 points. She scored her 2,000th point against Elco in her senior season.
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Restaurant Inspections – Columbia Borough – February 2, 2024
Rising Sun Nutrition, 50 Lancaster Ave., Columbia, complaint, Jan. 26. Pass. No violations.
Turkey Hill No. 68, 342 Chestnut St., Columbia, Jan. 22. Pass. Boxes of food stored directly on the floor in the walk-in freezer rather than 6 inches off the floor as required. Sausages and hot dogs were held at 118 F and 120 F, respectively, on the roller grill, rather than 135 F or above as required.
Are robins really a sign of spring?
This male robin was hanging around Columbia River Park Thursday morning.
Robins are considered a sign of spring in our area. Their arrival is often associated with the changing of seasons and the onset of warmer weather.
Many robins migrate during the winter, typically to warmer southern regions in search of food and more favorable weather conditions, but their migration patterns can be complex. Some may also stay in the area year-round if they are able to find sufficient food sources.
Sign Brad Chambers’ petitions at these times and locations
(Candidate for PA’s 41st State House District)
[LNP | LancasterOnline] Reptiles removed from Columbia home transferred to other shelters after ownership dispute [video]
The nine pythons, two lizards and a scorpion recovered from the home of a Columbia resident on Tuesday will no longer be up for adoption at the Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary’s event this Saturday after an individual put forward disputed claims of ownership.
The sanctuary recovered the reptiles from the home of Ryan Paraschos, 33, after he died unexpectedly.
Following the disputed ownership claims, Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary Director Jesse Rothacker said he consulted with Paraschos’ family and Columbia police before deciding that the best option was to transfer the animals to other shelters with experience in handling reptiles.
“Our hands are tied,” Rothacker said. “Ultimately, our main concern is the animals.”
Although Paraschos’ animals will not be present, a reptile adoption event co-sponsored by the Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary and That Fish Place – That Pet Place is still on for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 237 Centerville Road in East Hempfield Township.
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Columbia Park Rangers post 2023 outings
[LNP | LancasterOnline] Local school-based health center proposes partnership to Columbia Borough School Board
What happened: Alisa Maria Jones, president and CEO of Union Community Care, formerly Lancaster Health Center, presented to the board regarding the possibility of establishing health centers at Park Elementary and the Columbia High/Middle School Hill Campus.
Details: Union Community Care is a federally qualified health center based in Lancaster and Lebanon counties intended to provide affordable primary medical care to underserved communities, such as low-income families and immigrants. More than half of Union Community Care’s patients are on Medicaid, while at least a quarter of them are uninsured. Union Community Care currently has school-based health centers at six schools in the county, all of which are within the School District of Lancaster.
Cost: The establishment of the health centers would come at no cost to the district, Keith Ramsey, business manager, said via email after the meeting.
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PennDOT cleans bridge, but no rehab in store until at least 2027
PennDOT workers have been cleaning the Veterans Memorial Bridge for the last two days to remove salt and gravel, but the public shouldn’t expect the planned rehabilitation project any time soon. According to Columbia’s borough manager, PennDOT has delayed construction until the beginning of 2027 so the state can find money for the project, estimated at more than $230 million.
In 2018, the project was slated to begin in 2020-21 at a cost of $54-60 million, as Columbia Spy reported HERE.
Columbia Spy 