Columbia Spy

MERCHANDISER

One well-known historic area landmark spans the Susquehanna River between Columbia and Wrightsville. Veterans Memorial Bridge, which opened in 1930 and is now a part of Route 462, is one of six bridges that have provided a river crossing in the immediate area since the early 1800s.

With 2013 marking the 150th anniversary of the burning of the second of those bridges to prevent the Confederate advance into Lancaster County, the Columbia Market House is housing a display of photos and information about each of the crossings.

MORE HERE:
http://news.engleonline.com/AdDesk/Htmlfiles/Readers/article.epc?id=85184

LANCASTERONLINE
Mile-long trains, sometimes two a day, carrying brand-new tankers filled with crude oil from the tar sands region of Canada have begun snaking along the Susquehanna River through Lancaster County.

The trains, usually carrying about 118 tankers of crude, are beating a path to the Delaware City Refinery in Delaware, one of the largest refineries on the East Coast. And then the empty trains head back to the oil fields on the same route, usually the next day.

The trains coming through Lancaster County follow Norfolk Southern's Port Road, which hugs the river from north of Marietta to Perryville, Md. Some trains reach the Port Road from the Royalton Branch, which also traces the river through Conoy Township.

Norfolk Southern refuses to confirm that the trains, which began running around January, travel through Lancaster County, citing security policies.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846794_Mile-long-trains-carrying-oil-from-Canada-to-Delaware-passing-through-Lancaster-County.html

LANCASTERONLINE
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846281_Columbia-man-shoots-himself-in-leg.html

LANCASTERONLINE
He led a group of fellow Boy Scouts, plus family and friends, in building information kiosks along the Susquehanna River to help boaters and outdoor enthusiasts.

For his efforts, 17-year-old Darian Erb of Boy Scout Troop 267, of Silver Spring, has earned the highest honor in scouting, the rank of Eagle Scout.

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846143_Hempfield-teen-earns-rank-of-Eagle-Scout.html

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (AP) – The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant is under heightened scrutiny by federal regulators because of a problem involving protections against flooding.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday seals in the conduits that hold electrical cables in the plant's air intake tunnel were not adequate to maintain the plant's external flood barrier. As a result, the NRC said severe flooding could have threatened plant safety equipment.

MORE HERE:
http://www.abc27.com/story/22126408/tmi-scrutiny-stepped-up-after-flood-safety-failure

Columbia Historic Preservation Society, 19-21 N. Second St., Columbia, will present “Flames Across the Susquehanna,” a 150th anniversary Civil War exhibit that explores life before and after the burning of the bridge. The exhibit will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

Old Home Week and Columbia's founding 225 years ago will also be on exhibit for 2013. Visitors may also view the 1,000-square-foot HO train display on the second level.

Admission is free. More information is available by calling 684-2894.

LANCASTERONLINE
Club Good Times in Columbia has appealed the borough zoning board's rejection of its request to feature fully nude dancing at its 425 Union St. business.

Allen Shollenberger, the attorney representing the club, said it is a zoning issue and that the board's Feb. 27 decision was a “clear error of law.”

The board, he said, did not consider any evidence supporting the club's case, specifically that there are no sites within the borough for adult-use businesses, as required by law. The ruling, Shellenberger said, was “popular, not legal.”

MORE HERE:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/846119_Club-goes-to-court-over-nude-dancing.html

Sunday, May 5:
As in weeks past, Jim Cox and the Chiques Rock Outfitters Crew continued stocking braziers with firewood to prepare for the 150th anniversary of the burning of the Civil War-era bridge that once spanned the Susquehanna between Columbia and Wrightsville.  The braziers sit atop the piers that supported the bridge.

One man hauled up the wood as the other loaded the brazier.

Here’s an example of what a fully loaded brazier looks like.

 Members of 45th Pennsylvania Company K occupied Locust Street Park on Saturday.  The group of re-enactors was selling donated goods to raise funds for insurance and other operating costs.