Columbia man sentenced to prison for selling fentanyl that led to fatal overdose

Ryan A. Wise

Ryan A. Wise, 24, of Columbia, recently pleaded guilty in Lancaster County Court to felony drug delivery resulting in death regarding a 22-year-old man who died Aug. 31, 2017, according to a news release.

MORE:

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/08/man_sentenced_to_prison_for_se.html

National Night Out – Tuesday, August 7, at Glatfelter's 6-9 p.m.

Columbia Borough will hold a National Night Out celebration at Glatfelter Memorial Park, 1249 Lancaster Avenue, from 6-9p.m. Almost 50 organizations and businesses will have exhibits including a petting zoo, a walk-in hot air balloon, free “Scoops” Ice Cream, two bouncy houses, a Civil War Encampment, kayak rides, a dunk tank, live music by the Kracker Bees, a K-9 show, a Reptile Show, WSOX Radio Station, Free hotdogs, chips and drinks, a kick-ball game and much more. Attendees are asked to bring a donation for the Elk’s Club School Supply Collection Truck.

About Town

This week’s photos from around Columbia…
A workman reconnects lines at 9th and Ironville Pike Saturday afternoon.
A broken utility pole on Ironville Pike next to this one brought down lines and a transformer Friday night/Saturday morning.
Here’s a long shot of the scene.
[Submitted photo]

 There’s a new gallery sign on the 400 block of Locust

 Down at Columbia River Park: pondering the rain garden

 Detective – possibly detecting – but not the yellow line

 A rare specimen of parrotus metallicus
Note the beak and feet.

 Painting pillars at the library

 Norfolk Southern holding up the works

 CBFD hosed the mud off the docks at River Park this week.

This is what’s left of the former Vigilant Fire Company. 
Rumor has it that it will become an animal shelter, but whoever is in charge of the project seems to be making haste slowly, like a lot of projects in town.

Here’s a “closer-up” view. 

 Visitors to this dock may have been stumped.

Black-eyed Susans at River Park

 Traffic counter on Bridge Street

Sunflower

Visitor covered in pollen

This sunflower stood about ten feet tall.

 Police responded to a person down on Bank Avenue

 Down at the Von Hess building . . .

 …tree trimming

 Down at 2nd and Chestnut

 Now OPEN

 Paving Commerce Street

 Along for the ride

Fixing the sign

 There, that’s better.

 No parking along the yellow line, if you can find it

 In the window of Burning Bridge Antiques

 Illegal turn at 5th and Chestnut 

Surveying equipment at 4th and Locust

There must be surveyors about.

 There they are, surveying – or something. 

Mystery man working at Hinkle’s

CAP’s in town.

 Staying informed
A look heavenward

 Fresh coat of paint at Royer’s

 Ridin’ in the back seat

As of this posting (Sunday, August 5), the trail is still closed due to last week’s rock slide.
 Up at the track

 Sacrilege!

 On point

 More mess on 9th

 Comin’ at ya!

Doors, closed but not locked

Chairs, completely ventilated 

Rust is all the rage this year.

A batch of balusters

 Grinding wheel – or 19th-Century exercise bike?

Terra cotta pipes

Batten down the hatch to keep your brew secure.
Wagon wheel, minus the wagon

 Blue ladder – just because

 The sign seems appropriate.

 Grave marker of Jimmy Sheckard, major league baseball who Columbia claims as its own. Columbia Spy reported on a memorial dedication to Sheckard HERE.

 Someone left this baseball there.

 Vermin undermining
Groundhogs are digging around graves at Laurel Hill. 

No sign needed – Who would enter such a dark, forbidding place anyway?

The old silk mill, now the site of the Turkey Hill Experience.
[Submitted photo]

Horn Chevrolet,  now the site of the Cycle Den
[Submitted photo]

Man charged with soliciting sex from citizen posing as 15-year-old girl, DA says suspect is from Columbia, but docket sheet lists address as Lancaster

Thomas Harry Wise

A man has been charged with an attempt to solicit sex from a citizen posing as a 15-year-old girl. The Lancaster District Attorney’s office states that the man is from Columbia, but the docket sheet (below) shows his address as Lancaster.

He was the subject of a recent Facebook video posted here: LINK

In the video, the suspect, Thomas Wise, is shown wearing a Columbia firefighter T-shirt. The Columbia Borough Fire Department offered information about the man’s past association with the fire department here: LINK

The DA report is here: LINK

Randy Howard pleads guilty, gets 5-12 years for assault on Columbia man

Randy Cornell Howard

Randy Cornell Howard, 22, of Columbia was sentenced to 5-12 years in a state correctional institution today after pleading guilty to his role in a 2017 “wolf pack” attack on a Columbia man. Sporting short dreadlocks, dark green prison-issued “scrubs” and peach-colored “Croc”-style shoes, Howard stood beside his attorney, Randall Miller, as Judge Donald Totaro detailed the terms of the plea.

Howard was convicted of aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy/aggravated assault, both first-class felonies. He was sentenced to 6-12 years and 4-8 years, respectively, plus fines and costs. The first charge carries a recommended minimum of 60-78 months, and the second, 60 months. The sentences are to be served concurrently. Under the terms of the plea agreement, his right to appeal is limited and he is ineligible for early release. In exchange for the plea, the Commonwealth will not invoke a “second-strike” mandatory sentence of 10-20 years. (At the time of the attack, Howard was on state parole for a botched robbery attempt in 2014.) Howard is prohibited from contacting the victim or the victim’s family. Assistant District Attorney Andrew Gonzalez prosecuted the case.

The charges were originally filed against Howard for his participation in a wolf pack attack on a Columbia man who was 61 years old at the time. In the early morning hours of September 3, 2017, the man was awakened by a loud and disruptive group of men on the 600 block of Walnut Street. When he approached and asked them to be quiet, they attacked him without warning, knocking him to the ground where he was repeatedly punched and kicked. He sustained potentially life-threatening injuries in the attack, including an enlarged spleen, a closed fracture of the right eye orbit, a maxillary sinus fracture, concussion, and contusions. Howard’s accomplice, Shakim McIlwain, was convicted on March 1, 2018 for his involvement in the attack. Judge Totaro oversaw the case. He was later sentenced to 4-10 years in prison.

Totaro told Howard he had viewed a video of the attack recorded by a nearby surveillance camera and found it “very troubling.” He said Howard could and should have walked away, especially considering he had been in prison before. Totaro said he didn’t understand why he didn’t do so and speculated on whether it was because he was drunk or on drugs or just “a nasty person.” Totaro verbally recapped the crime and detailed the resulting injuries suffered by the victim and asked Howard if he was remorseful. Glancing back toward the victim’s family, Howard said yes, adding that he had apologized to the victim’s wife the day after the attack. Under questioning by the judge, Howard admitted he took the plea deal to avoid a trial. Attorney Miller told the judge that his client has had no reports of misconduct and asked for credit for time served as of March 15, 2018 when he was apprehended by police after being on the run for six months.

Totaro emphasized that the plea deal was Howard’s best option; otherwise, he could have served up to 40 years if he had been convicted in a trial, in which case the sentences would have been served consecutively. Totaro reminded Howard that he had been on state parole from the 2014 offense at the time of the attack and that he could still be penalized for that, too. He told Howard, “You’re wasting your life in state prison.”