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… ““I know there’s a media machine in this country that wants to blame guns every time something happens. We have a mental health system in this country that has completely and totally collapsed. We have no national database of these lunatics … We have a completely cracked mentally ill system that’s got these monsters walking the streets.” – Wayne LaPierre, National Rifle Association chief executive officer.

• Santa Claus is “bringing a dusting of snow Monday to get people in the Christmas mood; more snow to possibly provide a white Christmas Eve and Christmas morning; a sunny Christmas afternoon for people wanting to walk off brunch; then rain, snow, sleet, ice and even sun to round out the week.” – Harrisburg Patriot-News

• East Hempfield to drop out of LIMC: Discussion that others might follow – “The members of the LIMC are the city of Lancaster; the boroughs of Columbia, East Petersburg, Millersville and Mountville; and the townships of East Hempfield, East Lampeter, Lancaster, Manheim, Manor, West Hempfield and West Lampeter.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• “Volunteers save Susquehanna Township thousands of dollars by helping police, residents” – Harrisburg Patriot-News

• Make a point: “The long-term impact of the invasion and subsequent war was profound. First, the Soviets never recovered from the public relations and financial losses, which significantly contributed to the fall of the Soviet empire in 1991.” Today in History! revisits the former Soviet Union’s folly into Afghanistan … a horrible harbinger ignored by the United States.

• “Navy Seaman Christopher D. Markel recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. A 2009 graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School, he is the son of Christine and John F. Markel of Columbia.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• Jenna Hess of Washington Boro was named to the dean’s list for the fall quarter at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga. – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• The following local students received degrees from York College on Dec. 19: Andrew Graham of Mountville, a bachelor of science in sport management, cum laude and Bethany Herr of Marietta, a bachelor of science in secondary education/math, magna cum laude. – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• LEGAL NOTICE, published in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era, December 24, 2012: “The regularly scheduled meeting of the West Hempfield Township Zoning Hearing Board will be held on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 7:30 PM in the West Hempfield Township Municipal Building located at 3401 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, PA to hear the following cases: 1. Case 1161 – Thomas G. Ziegler, 164 Manor Church Road, Columbia, PA for a Special Exception to Section 705.2. A for expansion of a non-conforming use; a variance to Section 705.2. A to exceed 25% expansion; a variance of 40 feet to Section 502.4.B for north side yard setback and a variance of 22 feet for south side yard setback to construct a pole building for storage on property located at 220 North Donnerville Road, zoned I-2.2. Case 1162 – Columbia Animal Hospital, 4081 Columbia Avenue, Columbia, PA for a variance to Section 708.8 to replace and expand an existing, non-conforming, free-standing sign on this property, zoned Rural Residential. Daryl S. Peck, Secretary West Hempfield Township Zoning Hearing Board.”