Well, we can hope!  | Today’s forecast according to the National Weather Service: “Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.”

“Experts: | clear communication is crucial to dispelling disinformation and combatting conspiracies.” – Route Fifty

conspiracy theories abound | “The Dangerous Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories Targeting 5G Technology, Bill Gates, and a World of Fear” – The New Yorker

“Canceled Fundraisers, Fewer Volunteers | Small Fire Departments Face Their Own Coronavirus Challenges” – Route Fifty

looks like a tight squeeze

Hit & run | “Columbia Police are investigating a hit and run accident that occurred on 04/26/20 at 9:15 a.m. in the 200 block of Perry St. – More here.

“Motor vehicle crash versus accident | a change in terminology is necessary.”

Manheim Township furloughs | An article in today’s LNP – Always Lancaster: “‘Right now, Manheim Township is bleeding money,’ Treasurer Donna DiMeo said.” The article quotes the township manager as saying: “The township has furloughed 30% of its workforce.”

Sign up to donate blood | “The LG Health Blood Donor Center has an urgent need for all blood types because many community blood drives have cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can give blood if you are:

• 16 years or older
• A minimum of 110 lbs
• In good health (no cold, sore throat or flu symptom) with no recent major surgery
• No history of hepatitis
• No tattoos or body piercing within the last 12 months

Giving blood is simple and only takes about one hour! The blood donation site in Columbia is the Marine Corps League of Lancaster Detachment # 294, 2340 Ironville Pike, Columbia, PA 17512 on May 5 and May 7. To ensure a limited number of donors in the building at the same time, donors should sign up online here. 

more money = more problems | “Just minutes after the government’s small business loan program opened its second round of funding yesterday, the online system buckled under the volume of new applications. Small banks across the country reported problems. Chris Duncan, a senior loan officer at La Salle State Bank in Illinois, said he got error messages from the Small Business Administration’s online portal all morning. An application process that’s supposed to take 10 minutes, he said, took an hour.

gobble, gobble | “Nearly 40 publicly traded companies—some with market valuations of over $250 million—have been able to access relief funding intended for small businesses, according to Morgan Stanley. The program, which aims to incentivize small businesses to keep paying their employees, ran out of money on April 16 and resumed accepting new loan applications on Monday.” – The Epoch Times