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… ““And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.” – Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels

• “Police, firefighters and a hazardous materials team are responding to a large oil spill from a tractor trailer along Route 30 that may have caused a wreck. Motorists reported that cars were sliding all over the road because of the substance leaking from the back of a tractor trailer, according to a county dispatcher. The 10:59 a.m. spill was reportedly between Harrisburg Pike and Route 741 along Route 30 West.” – LancasterOnLine

• “A Marietta woman has been charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy. Christine Noelle Starry, 40, of 313 Rivermoor Drive, had intercourse with the boy, Susquehanna Regional police Lt. Stephen Englert said. With help from Columbia Borough police, Susquehanna Regional police took Starry into custody this morning. She was charged with statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of a minor before District Judge William Reuter and released on $25,000 unsecured bail, Englert said.” – LancasterOnLine

• Supreme Court ruling says it is OK to violate US service men and women by lying about service awards:“The Supreme Court upheld lower court rulings that also found Stolen Valor unconstitutional.” – The Hill and“The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a federal law that made it a crime to lie about having received military medals. The Stolen Valor Act of 2005 makes it a crime to falsely claim to have been awarded military honors and decorations. It imposes increased penalties for lying about certain awards, including the Medal of Honor.” – Washington Post

• The  Columbia Public Library’s newsletter for July and a monthly calendar of events.

• The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era‘s entertainment section in today’s paper lists an excellent array of Independence Day events in Lancaster County.

• LEGAL NOTICE, published in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era, June 29, 2012. – “Notice is hereby given that the Council of the Borough of Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania will consider for passage on Monday, July 9, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, Pennsylvania an ordinance titled and summarized  as: an Ordinance of the Borough of Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania amending the Code of the Borough of Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, requiring pawnbrokers, antique dealers, and second-hand dealers to obtain annual licenses for the operation of the business, defining relevant terms, establishing the authority of the license officer, establishing standards and requirements for the issuance of licenses, establishing duties of licensees, establishing an appeal procedure, authorizing the enforcement of the Ordinance, establishing fines and penalties for the violation of the Ordinance, establishing an initial application deadline, providing for the repeal of inconsistent ordinances, providing for the severability of the ordinance, and providing that the ordinance shall take effect as provided by Pennsylvania Law. A complete copy of the ordinance may be inspected at the Municipal Building, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA during regular business hours and the Lancaster Law Library, located at 50 North Duke Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Columbia Borough By: Norman B. Meiskey, III”

• Columbia’s Bike Auction will be held at the Columbia Market House on Saturday; the auction begins at 10:oo am. The Market House is open today and tomorrow … and the Market House will be open 9am – 3pm on June 30th for the Antique Art and Craft Show.

• NOW FOUND … “Searchers from Lancaster and York counties were looking Thursday night for an elderly woman who walked away from Longwood Manor in Maytown.” – LancasterOnLine

• Great idea, but practically any teenager can do this for free! But … it’s the government way, spend money! “Springettsbury Township Manager John Holman shared at the Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday that the township recently spent $2,000 on ‘social media development.’ Holman was questioned by board member Julie Landis during the meeting when she saw an invoice for the charges. ‘So we’re developing a Facebook page?’ Landis questioned. Holman said the $2,000 was spent to develop a Facebook and Pinterest page for the township in an attempt to ‘get more information out to the public’ and allow comments. Holman added that social media development has been a goal for the township recently. There is no charge to open Facebook or Pinterest pages, but it does cost money to advertise on the websites. – York Daily Record

• One of the three Lancaster County men facing charges in Maryland, after police say they had marijuana and a stolen gun in their vehicle, is a Columbia resident. “Police in Ocean City stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation Friday at 10:30 p.m., they said in a news release.” – MyColumbiaNews

• POLICE LOG: “COLUMBIA: Samantha A. Schreiber, 23, of Columbia, was charged after she allegedly hindered the apprehension of a person to whom police were trying to serve a warrant Sunday on Union Street. – COLUMBIA: Blanca R. Miranda-Rivera, 66, of Columbia, was charged after she allegedly threw a glass bottle that broke against a vehicle and then yelled obscenities at the owner of the vehicle June 22 in the 400 block of Locust Street. – MANHEIM TWP.: Edgar Maldonado, 24, of North Fourth Street, Columbia, was cited with taking $49 worth of DVDs at Walmart, 2030 Fruitville Pike, Wednesday.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• Letters to the editors in today’s Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• From The Scribbler column in today’s Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era: “Ron Smith also won 7 medals: Ron Mable says another Lancastrian won seven gold medals in high school, if one counts relays and not only individual events. The May 15 Scribbler column noted that McCaskey High School alumnus Barney Ewell won seven statewide medals in the mid-1930s. That’s more than any other Pennsylvania high school student, according to the website rodfrisco.com. But Ronnie Smith, a 1966 graduate of Columbia High School, won the high hurdles four years in a row. He won the 100-yard dash in 1965 and 1966. He also helped win the mile relay in 1965. That’s seven gold medals, according to Mable, who was Smith’s coach. Mable adds that Smith actually might have won an eighth gold medal, but his relay team was disqualified in 1966.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• Soccer’s the sport – “The 2012 U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships kicked off Thursday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium. More than 10,000 supporters cheered on 260 boys’ and girls’ teams as they paraded around the baseball field. The teams represent 14 states from Maine through Virginia.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• A sign of economic recovery? Nearly six pages of Sheriff Sale notices appear in today’s Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• At three in the morning? “A Mountville man was seriously injured when he and a city woman were stabbed in Lancaster city Thursday morning, police said. City police at 3:19 a.m. responded to the area of Christian and Farnum streets for a reported stabbing, police said.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era