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… “To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist.“ – Schumann

• March borough council “Meeting of the Whole” is scheduled for Monday at 6:00 pm – You will have to go to the meeting to find out what is on the agenda and what’s happening and proposed. Updated postings of  minutes and agendas from previous meetings appear to be at least two months in arrears at the borough Website at this time. – Columbia Borough Website

• “Conoy Township’s zoning hearing board granted a needed zoning variance for a proposed soybean processing plant Thursday, moving the land review process for the $59 million facility along Route 441 to the county level.” – LancasterOnLine

• “A Columbia man in a stolen vehicle led officers on a chase in Lancaster and Berks counties overnight Wednesday, police said. East Cocalico Township police at about 10:45 p.m. spotted a Suzuki XL7 being driven with the taillights off at North 6th and Maple streets in Denver Borough, Cpl. Terry Arment said. The officer followed and saw a male passenger jump out of the sport utility vehicle and flee on foot at Spruce and North 7th streets. – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• No more “pink slime” at Giant & Weis: “Giant Food Stores and Weis Markets have announced they will join a growing list of grocery chains that will no longer sell ground beef containing … ‘pink slime.’” – WHTM Channel 27
  

• “A two-alarm blaze Thursday night damaged the new Donegal High School under construction on Koser Road in East Donegal Township. Crews called to the school at 7:50 p.m. reported heavy smoke and flames on the roof of the building. – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• Months of speculation and discord came to a head Wednesday night as Southern Regional police Chief John Fiorill publicly stated that Pequea Township Supervisor Jay Reynolds was the individual responsible for recent accusations of police misconduct. Fiorill, before a crowd of about 150 people at a Pequea Township meeting, stoically delivered his monthly police report from the podium. – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• New “ABC Lancaster Auto Auction sells 170 cars on first day” in operation – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/NewEra

• “A pair of cross-dressing firefighters came to the rescue after a truck exploded during a parade in central Minnesota over the weekend.” (Video, too.) – New York Daily News

• “Deficiencies in the Army’s payroll system have left many active-duty military members waiting months for paychecks and could hamper the Defense Department’s ability to achieve audit readiness in coming years. – Government Executive