More signs of activity at the former Colonial Metals building

We reported previously that California Metal-X (CMX) plans to reopen the former Colonial Metals operation at the North 2nd Street building this coming May. Signs of activity at the building on Wednesday afternoon seemed to confirm that news.
The letters on the side of the building have been removed.
This is how the building appeared previously. 

CMX’s name now appears on the entrance door.

And that familiar low-key roar emanates from the building (along with the recording of bird calls).

Police seek man charged in parking garage incident that left Columbia man critical

Ryan Scott Seals


*****ORIGINAL INFORMATION POSTED 2/12/2019***** On Sunday February 10, 2019 at approximately 0131 hrs. Officers from Lancaster Bureau of Police Platoon B responded to the area of Penn Square Parking Garage at 20 E. King St. for a report of an injured person. Responding Officers located a 25 year old male resident of Columbia Borough on the ground. The male was unconscious and unresponsive. Officers saw that the male was bleeding from a head injury. The male was taken to the hospital for treatment. Officers spoke with people that were in the area as well as people that had contacted 911. Officers were told that there had been some type of fight or altercation inside the garage. Police received information that the victim had been involved in the altercation and that as a result of that incident, the victim was possibly pushed or fell from a height of approximately (25) feet onto the ground below. Detectives are conducting additional follow-up investigations. They are also reviewing surveillance video from multiple sources in the area. The victim in this incident is in critical, but stable, condition.  Detectives have developed information indicating that there were a number of people in the area when the incident occurred and that there are individuals who likely have information about this incident, as well as what led up to the altercation. Detectives are seeking information from those witnesses. As of the time of this release, no one has been taken into custody and no charges have been filed.  (***On 2/15/2019 we published portions of surveillance video in an attempt to identify those involved***) *****NEW INFORMATION POSTED 2/26/2019***** Through follow up investigations and interviews, Det. Eric McCrady was able to identify several people that had been involved in the fight with the victim inside the parking garage. It was found that one of the combatants had struck or shoved the victim over the side of a wall and was responsible for the victim’s fall and resulting injuries.  The suspect that struck or shoved the victim over the wall was identified as Ryan Seals M/28. Det. McCrady consulted with the Lancaster County District Attorney’s office about the case. Charges were approved against Seals. Det. McCrady filed a Criminal Complaint against Seals before MDJ Richardson charging Seals with Aggravated Assault. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Ryan Seals.  Anyone with information on this case or the current location of Ryan Seals are asked to contact Lancaster Bureau of Police Det. Eric McCrady at 717-735-3359 mccradye@lancasterpolice.comor Lancaster Crime Stoppers at (800) 322-1913, or you can anonymously Text a Tip to Crime Stoppers by using your cell phone. Text LANCS plus your message to 847411. Callers may remain anonymous and do not have to give their names. Docket No.:  MJ-02201-CR-0000046-201 Date Issued:  Friday, February 22, 2019 Warrant Type: Criminal Charges: Aggravated Assault Issuing Authority:  MDJ Richardson Holding Dept:  Lancaster Bureau of Police Source:  Lancaster Bureau of Police

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/lbop/19659/warrants/seals-ryan-scott-aggravated-assault

https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/lbop/19659/warrants/seals-ryan-scott-aggravated-assault

Man flees with 25 lottery tickets taken from Chestnut Street minit market

On 2/24/19 at approximately 10:06 pm the Columbia Borough Police Department was dispatched to the 300 Block of Chestnut Street for a retail theft.  The caller stated that a clean shaven white male with black, square frame glasses, approximately 5'10″ with a heavy build, black jacket and a black beanie cap took 25 lottery tickets without paying for them.  The clerk said she gave the male the tickets to look at them and he left out the front door and fled to the rear of the store without paying for them.  The value of the tickets was $250.00.  Anyone with information regarding this crime should contact the Columbia Borough Police Department at 717-684-7735 or text LANCS to 847411. Date:  Sunday, February 24, 2019 Reference ID:  27846-02-24-19 Case Status: Current Case Type: Criminal Case Region: Northeastern Source:  Columbia Borough Police Department

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/cases/theft-lottery-tickets

https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/cases/theft-lottery-tickets

About Town 2/24/19

This week’s photos from around and about Columbia
(Click/tap on photos for larger, clearer images)
Dressed for the weather
 LED creeping in the historic district

There it is, creeping.

 Reflections on Columbia

 Brickwork at the Market House

 Hubcaps

 Missing plate

 Shop there

 Service center

 Peeling and flaking paint.
The Codes Department needs to cite the Public Works Department.

 Scarf bombing

 Hats hangin’

 More so

 Violators will be persecuted. Henchmen do the dirty work.

 Big hole in the ground. Now what?

 New Knox in town

 OUT OF SERVICE overtakes 17 COLUMBIA for the lead.

 Why do people do this?

 Vigilant vulture

 Code violation

 Goose tracks – evidence of a wild goose chase?

 Heroes temporarily under snow

 Door to Door Service

 So ya wanna be a rural carrier?
 The bank financed the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge that was burned in the Civil War, the piers of which still remain at Columbia River Park. The Federal Government owes $170 million dollars (in today’s money) for the destruction of the bridge, but don’t count on getting it any time soon – or ever. Congressman Joe Pitts tried it in 2003.

In 2003, Rep. Joe Pitts took up the cause. By then, with interest, the claim had grown to $170 million dollars. According to the Star News, August 31, 2003, he joked that he would push Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to include payment for Columbia’s lost bridge in reparations to rebuild war-damaged bridges in Iraq “just for fun.” However, White House Office of Management and Budget spokesman Trent Duffy replied that the claim had expired and added, “The bridge might have to be counted, with bravery, as Columbia’s contribution to liberty.”

Stephen Smith, once an indentured servant, eventually earned enough to buy his freedom and then established a lumber and coal business, making him one of the wealthiest African-Americans in Columbia. Smith invested $9,000 into the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge that was burned in the Civil War. A claim was filed with the Federal Government, but the money was never repaid, as noted in the previous caption.

 Stephen Smith was ordained as a minister in the Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church on South 5th Street, shown above.

 Smith was ordained in 1831, but this church building was not built until 1872.

 And rebuilt in 1921

 Front view of the church

 The memorial plaque for Stephen Smith is in the lower left.

Just in time for Christmas – next Christmas

Edgar Allan Poe made $5 per column writing for The Columbia Spy

Edgar Allan Poe

As we posted earlier, Edgar Allan Poe wrote for the original Columbia Spy in a series of columns titled “Doings of Gotham.” In the book An Old Turnpike Road, author Jacob L. Gossler recounts that the Columbia Spy paid Poe $5 per column, each of which was a letter on the goings-on of people in New York and Philadelphia.

Of the amount, Gossler recalls:

“We thought this a moderate compensation, but it was really extravagant in comparison with, as we afterwards learned, the salary of ten dollars per week that he received for editing the Magazine, which, at the time, after the North American Review, was the most popular, and considered the highest literary authority, in this country.”

At the time of his association with the Spy, Poe already had a worldwide reputation, and his poem “The Raven” had just been published to great acclaim. The Spy‘s editors therefore thought publishing Poe’s letters would garner greater attention for the newspaper.

According to Chris Vera, president of the Columbia Historic Preservation Society, Gossler’s book is rare due to the limited printing for friends and family, although the Society has a copy in its collection.

A digital copy can be found HERE.