today’s news and information gleanings from here and there! 

• Today’s Weather! 
• Today in History!
• Traffic Cam Rts. 30 & 441
• The Official Time! – Population Clock (U.S. and World)

Quote for today… “Every spring is the only spring – a perpetual astonishment.“ – Ellis Peters

• “Columbia Borough officials decided Monday that two representatives from council will meet with Columbia Historic Market House vendors this evening to discuss recent market matters.” – MyColumbiaNews

• LEGAL NOTICE, published in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era, March 13, 2012: “ Zoning Hearing Board of the Borough of Columbia will meet on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at 7:00 P.M., in the Municipal Building at 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA, to consider the following application(s) and/or appeal(s): River View Place Associates is requesting special exception(s) and/or variance(s) to construct self-storage units on the properties located at 243 South Front Street, 319 South Front Street, 109 Perry Street in a Riverfront Commercial (RC) zoned district. If you are a person with a disability wishing to attend this meeting and require an accommodation to participate in the meeting, please contact the Columbia Borough Office at 684-2467 to discuss how the Borough may accommodate your needs. Norman B. Meiskey, III, Asst.ZoningOfficer.”

• “Kimberly Carol Johnson of Marietta was named to the president’s list of distinguished students for the fall semester at Roanoke College. She is the daughter of Carol and Ralph Johnson.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• According to the editorial in today’s Lancaster Intelligencer Journal, Shell Games: “The shell game is a good analogy for Gov. Tom Corbett’s education budget although, as you will read, it’s not all his fault. The governor hiked state funding by $338.1 million, or 3.7 percent. Given the state of Pennsylvania’s economy, it looked like he managed to do more for education than anyone thought possible.But a closer look reveals that most of the money — $319 million of the $338.1 million — is designated to cover mandated increases in teacher retirement costs. That leaves a paltry $19 million increase for instructional purposes to be split among 500 school districts. … For example: Columbia’s post-pension increase of $14,588 would not cover the cost of a full-time teacher’s aide for the year.” The editorial references this Department of Education document “Investing in Pennsylvania’s Students” – the proposed education funding report by district.

•  Pinterest continues to capture more women viewers – York Daily Record

• “Indiana bill on resisting police wins approval – The Indiana Senate has approved a bill laying out when residents might be legally justified in using force against police officers.” – WLKY-TV (Louisville, KY)

• It’s OK to say anything on Facebook … NOT! “How spies used Facebook to steal Nato chiefs’ details” – The Telegraph (London)

• ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 13 — John Denner, York, Pa., Paul Kelley, Wrightsville, Pa., and David Melrose, Mount Eden, New Zealand, have developed a patent (8,127,955) for a “container structure for removal of vacuum pressure. … A container has a longitudinal axis, and comprises an upper portion including an opening into the container, a sidewall portion extending from the upper portion to a lower portion, the lower portion including a base, and a pressure panel located in the lower portion substantially transversely to the longitudinal axis, the pressure panel being movable substantially along the longitudinal axis between an initial position and an inverted position to compensate for a change of pressure induced within the container. The pressure panel comprises an initiator portion and a control portion, the initiator portion adapted to move in response to the change of pressure prior to the control portion.” – United States Patent and Trademark Office