Three sheriffs’ vehicles and several officers, including a K-9 officer, were seen in the area of South 3rd & Cherry Streets Tuesday morning (8/22/23), shortly before noon. No further information is available at this time. [Submitted photos]
Hermansader’s “State Capitol Art Display of Pennsylvania Landmarks” is on display in the East Wing of the Pennsylvania State Capitol and is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday until Aug. 31.
Beginning next week, motorists coming in and out of Lancaster County using two bridges in Columbia can expect lots of construction work on the bridges over the next four years.
On Aug. 28, crews from Chester County-based contractor J.D. Eckman will begin preparing the Wrights Ferry Bridge to handle the extra traffic coming from the nearby Veterans Memorial Bridge that will be closed for two years in 2025 for a massive restoration project.
Work on the 51-year-old Wrights Ferry Bridge, which carries Route 30 over the Susquehanna River, will last 14 months, according to the state Department of Transportation. The bridge connects Columbia to Hellam Township in York County.
While two lanes of traffic will remain open during the 1.5-mile median barrier project that includes protecting the Route 30 bridge against cracks, traffic will be shifted away from the median to the right lane and shoulder.
Once work is completed on the Wrights Ferry Bridge, PennDOT can begin working to extend the life of the 94-year-old Veterans Memorial Bridge as part of a $79 million restoration project.
Former Columbia Borough School District Superintendent Tom Strickler will also begin his first school year as the district’s chief finance and operations officer, replacing Dan Forry, who took a job as chief finance officer at Penn Manor School District.
[The following is excerpted from an article by Gayle Johnson for LNP/LancasterOnline.]
When: Borough Council meeting, Aug. 8.
• What happened: Residents received no new information about a barrage of gunfire that left more than 20 shell casings from rifles and pistols near the Columbia Market House at 2:50 p.m. Aug. 5. No one was injured.
• Quotable: “I’d like to have known about what went on with the shooting,” resident Frank Doutrich said. “There was nothing given to the public.”
• Response: “I’m not going to make any comment about ongoing police investigations,” Mayor Leo Lutz said. “If you read the newspaper or watch the news, there’s some kind of major incident (always) going on. It’s happening across the United States, across Pennsylvania and across Lancaster County.”
• More: Police Chief Jack Brommer declined to speak at the meeting.
• Background: Bullets hit three cars and four residences near Third and Cherry streets. Witnesses told police they saw two men wearing dark clothing open fire on another person walking in the area. The targeted individual escaped unharmed.
• More: Chris Vera, who manages the Market House, thanked area police departments for their quick actions. “Their response time was amazing,” he told council members. “They did a good job making sure the crime scene was secured.”
• Details: Lutz urged citizens to come forward with more information. “We are willing to meet with anybody, anywhere,” he said. “People are afraid to talk. We need to hear from our residents what’s going on.”