Columbia Spy

LANCASTERONLINE | Staff

The last of three men who took part in a 2024 Columbia shooting sparked by a dispute over a missing cellphone has been sentenced to prison.

Lancaster County Judge Todd Brown sentenced Isaiah Jose Diaz, 22, of Columbia, to 2½ to six years in state prison on May 28 for two counts of aggravated assault, conspiracy and related offenses. 

Diaz pleaded guilty to the charges on Feb. 12.

According to Columbia police, on Nov. 1, 2024, Diaz, Caelan Natrell Brown, 20, of Columbia, and J’vian Mendez-Gonzalez, 20, of Lancaster, tracked two men to a house on the 400 block of Avenue K after a fight at a smoke shop. Mendez-Gonzalez shot at the house.

Brown dropped his cellphone during the fight and Brown, Mendez-Gonzalez and Diaz mistakenly believed one of the men they were fighting took the phone.

Several people were inside the residence when the shooting happened, but no one was injured.

Diaz told police he supplied the guns and hid them in his apartment’s ceiling after the shooting, according to charging documents.

Brown pleaded guilty last August and was sentenced to two to five years in state prison. 

Mendez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to his role in the shooting in January and he pleaded guilty in several other cases including kidnapping, for forcing a woman to get in his car after an argument in August 2024 in Lancaster city, and a May 2024 simple assault in Lancaster city. 

Mendez-Gonzalez was sentenced to a total of three to eight years in state prison for all the cases.

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

Columbia Borough Council has put the sale of  former McGinness property on hold while officials look at drafting new regulations governing data centers, following community backlash. About 30 people attended the meeting, some of whom commented on the issue.

Council voted 7-0 at Tuesday’s meeting to table a second round of bids for the property, two weeks after unanimously rejecting the only offer received — a $6.35 million proposal from Saadia Holding LLC — during a contentious four-and-a-half hour meeting May 26. Council rejected the bid on procedural grounds, citing Saadia’s failure to guarantee payment within the required 60-day window. Council Vice President Heather Zink confirmed this week that Saadia’s proposal had included a data center. 

Tabling the issue will allow council to work on a zoning ordinance amendment that would establish clearer rules for data centers in the light business zone covering the property.  The amendment will be submitted to the Lancaster County Planning Commission following council’s June 23 meeting. One of the proposals being considered is a conditional-use requirement that would compel any developer seeking to build a data center in the zone to first obtain approval through a public hearing.

The borough’s total investment in the property now stands at $3.99 million, including $1.18 million from a state loan. The remaining roughly 17 acres of the original 58-acre parcel are designated to become a nature preserve.

Under state law, the borough may sell the property only through public auction, sealed bid, or transfer to a redevelopment authority. According to Evan Gabel, borough solicitor, if there are two rounds of no bids received, council would then be allowed to negotiate directly with prospective buyers.

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

Columbia Mayor Leo Lutz officially proclaimed June 2026 as Pride Month in the Borough, after reading a formal proclamation at the June 9th Columbia Borough Council meeting. 

The proclamation recognizes Pride Month as an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions of LGBTQIA+ individuals at the local, national, and international level. It also notes that Columbia is strengthened by the diversity of its residents, and that LGBTQIA+ residents and visitors should feel “valued, safe, empowered and supported” by their peers, educators, and community leaders.

The proclamation stresses the importance of protecting LGBTQIA+ youth by stating that young people must be free to live “without fear, and live free from reprisal, discrimination or bullying.”

The proclamation reads:

“Whereas; this nation was founded upon the principles that every person is created equal, that each has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that each shall be accorded the full recognition and protection of law; and

Whereas; Pride Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the impact of LGBTQIA+ individuals locally, nationally, and internationally; and

Whereas; our community is strengthened by the rich diversity of our residents, and LGBTOIA+ residents and visitors should feel valued, safe, empowered and supported by their peers, educators, and community leaders; and

Whereas; it is essential that our LGBTQIA+ youth be accorded the freedom to be themselves without fear, and live free from reprisal, discrimination or bullying; and

Now Therefore, I Leo S. Lutz, Mayor of the Borough of Columbia, Pennsylvania proclaim June, 2026 as Pride Month in the Borough.

Proclaimed this 9th Day of June, 2026″

CHRIS REBER | LNP Staff Writer

Columbia Borough Council will decide Tuesday night if it wants to again seek bids for the sale of McGinness Innovation Park, two weeks after rejecting a widely unpopular proposal that included a data center.

The agenda for the 7 p.m. meeting at Borough Hall, 308 Locust St., includes a possible vote on authorizing borough staff to advertise the property for sale for the second time this year.

It would come two weeks after council rejected Saadia Holding LLC’s lone, $6.35 million bid for the property at a meeting packed by residents concerned that the buyer was considering a data center.

Council Vice President Heather Zink told LNP | LancasterOnline on Monday that Saadia’s submitted proposal called for a data center. But because the property is only 41 acres, she said it wouldn’t approach the size of the largest data centers being built across the country, known as hyperscale data centers.

Council rejected the bid in part because of a state law requirement that the borough receive full payment within 60 days of awarding the bid. Saadia wanted to wait until site plans got approval.

Zink said she expects the second request for proposals to be similar to the first, requiring a minimum bid of $6.2 million, and a detailed proposal on the developer’s plans, but it will ultimately be up to the full council.

Under state law, if council puts the property out for bid two times and neither one draws an acceptable offer, it can negotiate directly with buyers, she said.

“We have been marching toward the same goal since we purchased the property in August of ‘21, and that is to expand the tax base and create jobs for people in our community,” she said.

The meeting packet is HERE.

Units from several departments responded to a call for “BUILDING-HIGH OCCUPANCY-1A” on Locust Street shortly after 3 o’clock this afternoon. The fire reportedly originated at 410 Locust, apartment 3, and was quickly contained.

Motter Garrison Reese, Selbert Megan conveyed 1260 Cloverton Drive to Musser Brian, Kinne Christina Adair for $462,000.

Abel Kim E, Abel Tanya J. conveyed 630 Lancaster Ave. to Abel Kim Edward, Abel Tanya Jo, Abel Revocable Trust for $1.

Negron Evelyn, Negron Jeffrey conveyed 1057 Locust St. to Kenneth Diehl Jr. for $295,000.

This week’s photos of Columbia 

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images. 

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

“Night lights” at the VFW

Columbia’s in a patriotic mood for its 300th.

It would be nice if the bulb(s) could be replaced to light up this clock for the 300th. It’s been fading slowly over the past few months.

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Event space on Locust 

Buy/Sell Records

Flag deposit  boxes:

At the Elks

A new one at the Legion 

And at the VFW

(Photo previously posted)

It didn’t make it across the street.

Cactus flowers . . . 

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 No way his legs are that long.

Peerless just installed this vent hood to vent God knows what.

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Bridge light in the wild

Still there

Why is Iron Eagle back at the former McGinness site yet again?

Missing hero banner

Still there

Mom and the kids at the boat ramp

Looks like she’s had enough already. 

The (totally unnecessary) Walnut Street project…

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Ostriches do it one way. Geese do it like this. 

This must be the hot seat.

The bulletin board is getting full.

New awning(s) at Borough Hall?

A few quick clips from the parade

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According to the agenda for the June 9, 2026 Columbia Borough Council meeting, council will “Authorize staff to readvertise for bid proposal of McGinness Property.”

 The “Invitation to Bid and Request for Proposals” is contained in the meeting packet HERE.

The newly restored 1917 American LaFrance fire truck (shown above), once used by Columbia’s Vigilant Fire Company, will be featured in the June 6 Lancaster County Firefighters Parade. 

The parade is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. and will follow the route shown below.