Columbia Spy

Photos of Columbia, PA

Week ending 9/13/26

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images.

A heron with a hapless fish in its beak

Heron catches fish, drops fish, recatches fish, swallows fish, sips water.

A smaller one was nearby.

Whiskey barrels and half-barrels at Tollbooth Antiques 

Planks at Tollbooth Antiques 

Residue from a vehicle accident at North 2nd & Chestnut 

Flags on 9/11

Paving at the Wrights Ferry Mansion 

Traffic jam (?) at the bottom of Walnut 

Man pushing a dump truck

A goldfinch way up there

Repair work after hit and run at 5th & Chestnut 

Repair in progress at 5th & Chestnut 

USGS was here to check on the river 

The 400 block of Avenue G was cleaned up.

Power washing at 28 North 2nd

Demo in progress

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Emergency personnel responded to a vehicle accident involving a Subaru Outback and a Ford SUV near North 3rd & Avenue F at 5:20 p.m. Friday (9/11/26). (On the dispatch sheet, the location was listed as N. 3rd St. and Chestnut Street.)  In addition to fire units, several medical units were called. One person was seen being transported by ambulance.

[Photo: Lee Valentine]

Columbia Borough will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as part of the regular monthly council meeting. The hearing will be held at the Columbia Borough Hall, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512. The council meeting will begin at 7:00 PM.

The purpose of this hearing is to discuss needs in the community that Columbia Borough is planning to address with funds available under Lancaster County’s Fiscal Year 2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Columbia Borough Council has identified a project that they intend to submit to the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Lancaster to address one or more of the needs identified by Columbia Borough and contained in Lancaster County’s Fiscal Years 2026-2029 Consolidated Plan. Public comments or questions for consideration at the meeting will be accepted until 4:00 PM, September 18, 2026, to Jack Brommer, Borough Manager, via email at boroughmanager@columbiapa.net or phone at (717) 684-2467. The public may stream the meeting live via the Borough’s YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcCBMngwpMdb1AmgtR_MlFQ. Columbia Borough Council invites affected residents, property owners, and other stakeholders to attend this meeting to identify other needs that should be addressed and to comment on the following potential proposed project: The request is for $250,000 in CDBG funding for the rehabilitation of the Columbia Crossings building. The project includes structural repairs along with ADA improvements.

Source: Columbia Borough

A pickup truck fled the scene after colliding with a bollard and a “Do Not Enter” sign at the clock plaza at Fifth and Chestnut Wednesday evening.

The crash occurred around 7:50 p.m. Witnesses told police a gray pickup was traveling east on Route 462 and attempted to drive onto the 500 block of Chestnut Street — a one-way block — as a white van was heading west on Chestnut. To avoid the van, the driver of the truck veered into and struck a bollard and a “Do Not Enter” sign marking the one-way block.

Witnesses report seeing the front end of the truck lift off the ground as it struck and ran over the obstructions. The bollard was knocked loose from its brick base, scattering and cracking several bricks.

A block away, at Sixth and Chestnut, police recovered a vehicle bumper believed to have come off the truck during the collision. Police collected the bumper as evidence.

Based on the damage at the scene, the truck likely sustained front-end damage, as well as damage to the right (passenger) side.

Firefighters from several companies responded Wednesday afternoon to a reported fire at a two-story dwelling on the 700 block of Walnut Street.

According to dispatch, the call came in around 4:03 p.m. Arriving units initially reported nothing showing from the outside of the dwelling, but crews located a small gas-fed fire behind the kitchen oven. Crews had water on the fire within a few minutes of arrival.

No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.

Emergency crews responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of North 2nd and Chestnut Street Wednesday afternoon. 

According to Lancaster County dispatch, the incident was logged as a “spill control” call at 2:08 p.m. Units dispatched to the scene included Traffic 80, Rescue 80, Assistant 801, Assistant 91-4, and a duty officer designated 50 LEB.

Photos from the scene show a gray Mazda with extensive front-end damage on a flatbed tow truck near the intersection. A truck involved in the accident leaked hydraulic fluid but was reportedly able to leave the scene. Workers spread absorbent powder across the fluid slick and swept up.

No injuries were reported

Celebrate the Albatwitch

A 17-year-old Columbia boy charged with fatally stabbing a man in July will have his criminal case decided in Lancaster County Court.

Joshua D. Flores, 17, waived his preliminary hearing on homicide and evidence tampering charges in the July 8 stabbing of Anthony Stoy Velazquez on Tuesday.

At a preliminary hearing, prosecutors must present sufficient evidence that a crime was committed and that the defendant probably is responsible and, therefore, that a jury or judge should hear the case in county court. The hearings are often waived.

Stoy-Velazquez, 26, was found with a single stab wound to his chest after midnight on July 8 at Third and Linden streets in the borough. A passerby saw him in the street and called the police.

Flores was arrested July 27, based in part on multiple tips, according to prosecutors.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/boy-17-to-stand-trial-in-july-fatal-stabbing-in-columbia/article_3680a0c3-7317-4c97-87b3-4cbe74881daa.html

See the meeting packet HERE.

Judy Martin conveyed property on a public road to RGSS LLC for $205,000.

Judy Martin conveyed property on a public road to RGSS LLC for $205,000.

Gloria G. Mathiot conveyed 566 Walnut St. to Alliancy Christianie Denis for $200,000.

Nies Bruce R, Nies Kathleen L. conveyed 555 Walnut St. to Highmount Properties LLC for $100,000.

Timothy P. Mertz conveyed 222 Maple St. to Lions Homes LLC for $160,000.