today’s news, opinion 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… “”God has called them all home. For those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on and make our country worthy of their memory.” – President Barack Obama, during vigil in Newport, CT last evening.

• Columbia Borough School District Website message to Crimson Tide family

• Scammers strike – “A Denver woman thought she’d hit the jackpot, but it turned out she got scammed, state police said.” – LancasterOnLine

• “Connecticut school shooting: ‘Incredible acts of heroism’ by teachers and staff may have saved lives” – Harrisburg Patriot-News

• “Where We Know What to Do, We Have to be Better at Doing It: For the many states and communities that have already adopted programs, including emergency preparedness and violence prevention plans, to address school and community violence, the challenge is fully implementing these programs through practice and effective communication.” – 2007 Report to the President on the Virginia Tech Tragedy

• “Does your child’s school teach ‘violent intruder defense strategies’?”– Mother Jones

• “Holy cow, they did a lot of things right.” – “The Nation Heads Back to School With New Worries About Safety” – The New York Times

• “It really puts you in the Christmas spirit, meal organizer Helen Bechtold said, ‘when you see all of the happy faces’ of the folks you’re inviting in for a meal. ‘It’s really what the Christmas spirit is about,’ said Bechtold, who’s working with a dinner in Columbia. She and others are organizing Christmas Day meals to brighten the holiday for many in their communities who might not otherwise have a place to go. The meals are for ‘anyone who may be alone at this time of year or in need of a warm meal and fellowship,’ as one description states. In Columbia, at Vigilant Fire Hall, 10th and Mifflin streets, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The meal is for seniors who don’t want to be alone on Christmas, Bechtold and other organizers said. Transportation can be arranged in the Columbia area, and the community is being asked for donations of Christmas presents, gift cards, fruit baskets and ‘anything a senior would enjoy for a present to take home to put under their tree,’ organizers said. For details, call Bechtold at 397-2267 or Sis Luzador at 682-0128.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• “racist, misogynistic and homophobic” – “Knights of Columbus involvement in mentoring program draws fire from school board member” – Harrisburg Patriot-News

• “a deadline a minute” – “Investigative journalism will be the backbone of PA Media Group” – Harrisburg Patrikot-News