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… “I think building new infrastructure over the long term probably is the wrong way to go and I think you can’t balance your books on new development.” – Karen Weibel, Lititz Borough Council president.

• Market House is open today.

• at yesterday’s “curbside chat” – “American cities have for too long used a “Ponzi scheme” development style that’s led to costly and inefficient sprawl focused on cars instead of people, according to an engineer and land planner.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• Best schools: Maryland for the fifth year in a row – The Baltimore Sun

• Flu: worst in years – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era
  

• Driver identified: “A 57-year-old Lititz man was critically injured Wednesday when he was struck by a tractor-trailer on westbound Route 30 in West Hempfield Township.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• A reader asked whether the meeting schedule for the Columbia Borough School District Board of Education had been advertised in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era (the newspaper of general circulation). Columbia news, views & reviews has not seen a published notice. The above schedule of meetings appears at the Columbia Borough School Website after navigating through the site. Dear reader, in answer to your question … according to the Website, there might be a meeting tonight.

• Public Meetings: ‘‘The right of the public to be present at all meetings of certain defined public bodies (i.e., ‘agencies’) and to witness the deliberation, policy formulation, and decision making of agencies is ‘vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process.’ In addition to guaranteeing this right, the Sunshine Act also requires the advertising and public notice of agency meetings and provides for reasonable public comment during board, council, or authority meetings. It also provides for limited exceptions and establishes penalties for violations of the act.’” – “Effective school board meetings allow the public to watch how the school board works and to comment and provide input into the decision-making process. The law requires that school boards provide time during official meetings for district residents to comment on matters before the board takes action.”

• POLICE LOG: “COLUMBIA: Stacey Lynn Leonard, 34, of the 400 block of Cherry Street, Columbia, kicked in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment door in the 400 block of Locust Street on Tuesday at around 12:30 a.m., borough police said in a criminal complaint. She punched a woman in the face, causing a laceration. Police charged Leonard with burglary, simple assault, defiant trespass and public drunkenness. – RAPHO TWP.: Robert L. Anderson, 45, of 36 Circle Drive, Columbia, has been charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and public drunkenness after a disturbance Dec. 25 in the area of Habecker Road and Boxwood Boulevard. – MANHEIM TWP.: Amanda L. Danner, 19, and Amber L. Lewis, 21, both of Cedar Street, Columbia, were charged with taking $150 worth of items Friday at Walmart, 2030 Fruitville Pike. – MANHEIM TWP.: Harold S. Lesher, 41, of North 4th Street, Columbia, was charged with taking $134 worth of items Friday at Walmart, 2030 Fruitville Pike. – MARIETTA: Jeremy C. Ritchie, 32, of 539 E. Hazel Ave., Marietta, was charged after he allegedly head-butted and punched a woman in the face during a domestic dispute Sunday at his home. He was committed to county prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era

• Timely crisis communications to citizens – “The Pennsylvania College of Technology issued an email alert Wednesday night after an individual was shot to death close to campus.” – Harrisburg Patriot-News