today’s news and information gleanings from here and there!

Quote for today… “It’s a simple misunderstanding as to the technical requirements of the motor-vehicle statute.” – Attorney Chris Ferro, opining his “legal-speak” about his client, a York County judge who, according to police, “crashed his car and failed to notify police.” – The York Dispatch

• “A Columbia man is headed to trial for an alleged vicious beating of his 69-year-old mother last month outside Park City Center.” – LancasterOnLine

• Happens other places, too! This line “We want to hear our elected leaders explain how CRIZ is not a feeding trough for special interests to eat the lunch of future generations.” is telling. – NewsLanc.com

(graphic source: LIPNews)

• Last Sunday, the above column appeared in the Sunday News. It is, says the columnist, her “Last Hurrah” and her “last piece.” We read Ms. Petersen’s columns regularly and often disagreed with her stances. In this goodbye column, though, we agree wholeheartedly when she says she “prays that readers will demand that their local press become the tenacious bulldogs that get the answers to their most pressing questions.” She adds, “Good journalish should make polite society just a little bit uncomfortable, because good journalism isn’t polite. Good journalism isn’t an arm of any administration or political party.” Well done, Ms. Petersen, well done.

• There’s a LEGAL NOTICE in today’s Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era and at the District’s Website stating the Columbia Borough School District’s 2014-2015 Budget is available for review. This is the notice: At the regular meeting of the Board of School Directors the administration is authorized to make public the 2014-2015 Preliminary Proposed Budget in the amount of $22,460,311 for public comment. This preliminary budget includes the intention to submit exceptions to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. This budget will be funded by estimated revenues of $21,656,933 with the remainder appropriated from available fund balance (estimated to be $803,378) for certain expenditures and for budget reserves, if needed. The revenues include tax revenues based on 30.51 mills which is an increase of 3.14 mills over the 2013-2014 millage rate. This is a 11.5% increase, which exceeds the published allowable adjusted index of 3.1%. This Preliminary Proposed Budget will be voted on for submission to the Pennsylvania Department of Education on Thursday, February 13, 2014. Changes may be made to this document prior to that date based on any additional information related to the State budget or other factors. Note: Approximately 44% of District revenue comes from the State. This budget development is based on historical estimates. Because of all the estimated data used, it is anticipated that this budget will change significantly between this Preliminary Proposed Budget and the Final Adopted Budget version in June 2014.

• Click here to download the proposed budget or go to the School District’s Website.

• “Lebanon County Court official charged with failing to file state reports” – Reading Eagle

• Extreme cold to continue. Despite the biting cold, consider yourself lucky to have heat and electricity … but “This Cold Weather is Harsh, Especially on Your Budget” – FoxBusiness

Andrew Nicholas – Monmouth Univerity basketball Website

• Former Eastern hoops star, Andrew Nicholas | how’s he doing playing college basketball?