Columbia Spy

DAN NEPHIN | LNP Staff Writer

After two speeding vehicles crashed into the Susquehanna River last week in Manor Township, leading to the drowning death of a Columbia woman who was a passenger in one of the vehicles, the three survivors were helped by a person who told police they asked him not to call police and walked away, according to police.

On Monday, Manor Township police charged Mikaail Fahim Cotton, 23, of Lancaster city with leaving the scene of the July 30 crash that killed Saige Zink, 20. Police also charged him with driving under suspension-DUI related and failure to give information after a crash.

Cotton was not in custody as of Monday afternoon, according to online court records.

According to police, Cotton was driving a blue Chrysler sedan on Charlestown Road in Manor Township when he both drove through a stop sign, crossed Water Street – also known as Route 441 – travelled over railroad tracks and into the river.

A white BMW SUV with a male and female in it also crashed into the water around the same time — about 2:25 a.m.

According to charging documents, after a person identified only by initials helped get Cotton and the other two out of the water, they asked him not to call 911 and began walking north on Water Street.

“No calls to 911 were identified as being from the drivers of either of the vehicles involved,” police said in charging documents.

The person identified by initials called 911 and gave a description of the three, who were subsequently recorded on various surveillance cameras. Cotton was also seen driving near Millersville Road and Millersville Pike, about 7 miles away, about nine to 10 minutes before the 911 call reporting the crash was made, according to police.

Another person also only identified by initials told police that three people he described as “muddy” approached him in Columbia and asked to use his phone so they could call someone for a ride to Lancaster.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/lancaster-city-man-charged-with-leaving-scene-of-crash-that-killed-columbia-woman/article_a5af4123-6d85-4e0b-a300-f8c5565498f0.html

Funk Wesley R, Funk Laura B. conveyed property on South Second Street to C&P Property Holdings LLC for $1,280,000.

Carroll Thomas, Carroll Rachel, Knighton Rachel conveyed 543 Chestnut St. to Hoffman Ronald L. Jr., Hoffman Traci Lynn for $525,000.

Swingler William M, Kline Kim conveyed 1265 Cloverton Drive to Eric McNeil for $291,500.

The estate of Krow Brandi L, Lefever Brandi Lee, Lefever Brandi Krow, Krow Suzanne M. conveyed 271 S. Fourth St. Rear to Krow Brandi L, Lefever Brandi Lee, Lefever Brandi Krow for $1.

Kemp Natasha L, Drayton Natasha L. conveyed 632 S. 12th St. to Natasha L. Kemp for $1.

Michael S. Ventura conveyed 1220 Ironville Pike to Robinson Wyatt Z, Bolyer Mariah S. for $305,000.

David N. Kinsey conveyed 450 Manor St. to Diamond Crockett for $240,000.

Hedgepeth Stephen K, Hedgepeth Julie Rutt conveyed 544 N. Third St. to McGinnis Madison, McGinnis Luke for $160,000.

Anton Rizk conveyed 600 Franklin St. to Clark Christopher Lee, Burkett Elizabeth N. for $325,000.

See the rest of the photos here: https://columbiapa-17512.blogspot.com/2026/08/about-town-august-2-2026.html?m=1

https://www-abc27-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.abc27.com/local-news/columbia-boroughs-new-police-chief-talks-challenges-she-faces-after-recent-homicides/amp/?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17856075355007&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc27.com%2Flocal-news%2Fcolumbia-boroughs-new-police-chief-talks-challenges-she-faces-after-recent-homicides%2F

The Maranatha Church is hosting a free outreach event, offering clothing, food, prayer, and fellowship to anyone in need. The event will take place Saturday, August 1, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Locust Street Park gazebo.

“There’s been too much going on in our community,” a church member shared, “and we just want to share God with the community.” Attendees can expect:

• Free clothing for individuals and families
• Free chips and light refreshments
• Free Bibles for anyone interested
• Free prayer and one-on-one encouragement
• Live music from local musicians throughout the afternoon

Church members say the event is being held to offer a word of hope to anyone who needs it.

The event is open to the community.

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

Workers installed a 9/11 Memorial Trail sign at the Veterans Memorial Bridge plaza Friday morning. 

The 9/11 National Memorial Trail is a long-distance, multi-use route designed to connect the three official national 9/11 memorial sites: the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon Memorial in the Washington, D.C., area. The alliance has been working to develop and promote the trail as a way to link the three sites and honor those affected by the September 11, 2001 attacks.

At its June 9 meeting, Columbia Borough Council formalized an agreement with the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance, a nonprofit organization, allowing the group to install and maintain wayfinding signs for the trail in Columbia.

The alliance covers all costs associated with installing and maintaining the signage, meaning the arrangement comes at no expense to the borough.

More information is available at the 9/11 Trail website HERE.

KATHY WOODS EMBLETON | OPINION

We have, for all intents and purposes, stopped the Borough sale of McGinness to Saadia Holding. At the July 14th Borough Council meeting, Councilman Ethan Byers made a motion to remove data centers as a permitted use from the light business district, where McGinness is located. The vote was 4-3 in favor. After that, the zoning change was heard by the Columbia Borough Planning Commission, where it was recommended that the change be made by a vote of 4-0. Both Eric Kauffman and Heather Zink spoke to the Commission and urged them to vote no. Next, the zoning change will be reviewed by the Lancaster County Planning Commission, of which Heather is a member. It’s important to note that the County Planning Commission cannot block the change; they can only make a recommendation. The hope of the three Council members who voted no on the zoning change is to flip one Council vote when it comes back to Council after advertising the change and holding a hearing on it.

What the Saadia data center proposal for McGinness obtained by LNP through a right to know request shows is what Council most likely would have approved on May 26th except for the technicality that Saadia would not make payment in full within 60 days as required by PA law. It’s clear why Saadia insisted on a nondisclosure agreement; they didn’t want the public to know that a data center the size of three Walmart super centers would be built in our tiny 2 square mile town. It completely refutes the claim by one Council member that the proposed data center was comparable to the little telephone company switching center on N Second Street.

Our fight isn’t over. By PA law, Columbia can’t completely ban data centers through zoning. Council is in the process of writing a data center ordinance to protect the community in the event that a data center developer attempts to purchase property in the industrial zones. Currently, only two properties would be in play, Colonial Metals, which at 7 acres is much too small for a hyperscale data center, and ASC, which is currently not for sale. We need to insist that Council write and approve a data center ordinance which protects the people of Columbia and not a potential developer.

If any Columbia residents are interested in joining the fight against data centers in our town, either by making phone calls or knocking on doors, please message me directly.

According to a LancasterOnline article by reporter Dan Nephin, new details have emerged in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Wilfredo Garcia. Police are now charging two additional people in connection with the July 18 incident, in which Garcia was shot in the head.

According to charging documents made public Friday, investigators allege that after the shooting, two individuals removed firearms and related items from the home and attempted to dispose of them.

Jose Manuel Lopez III, 16, of Columbia, has been identified by police as the person who fired the fatal shot. Lopez reportedly told investigators he picked up a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun, was aware it was loaded, and pointed it at Garcia when it discharged.

Lopez faces charges of third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, three counts of reckless endangerment, and a firearms violation. He is currently being held without bail at the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center. A preliminary hearing has tentatively been set for Aug. 11.

Bryant Alexis Ramos, 18, of West Hempfield Township, faces charges including tampering with evidence, hindering apprehension or prosecution, conspiracy, and illegal possession of a firearm. Investigators say that following the shooting, Ramos and another individual, identified in court records only by initials, took a shoebox containing the Smith & Wesson used in the shooting and a second firearm, and various gun parts and tools out of the residence. Court documents state the pair later discarded the weapons in separate locations: the Smith & Wesson near Lititz and the second gun in York County. Both firearms have since been recovered by police.

Ramos and the second individual reportedly gave statements to Lancaster County detectives during interviews conducted on July 23.

Xxavior G. Michener, 19, of Columbia, has been charged with carrying a firearm without a license after telling police he was the owner of the weapon used in the shooting. Michener resides at the Wagon Werks Apartments in the 900 block of Plane Street, the same complex where the shooting took place.

During his own interview with detectives on July 23, Michener said he had removed the Smith & Wesson from his waistband and placed it on a bed inside the Plane Street apartment.

As of Friday, neither Ramos nor Michener appeared in the Lancaster County Prison database, indicating neither was in custody at that time.

The investigation is ongoing.

According to reporting by Dan Nephin in a LNP/LancasterOnline article, a 21-year-old West Hempfield Township man is facing charges after authorities say he stabbed two different people on consecutive days and then sexually assaulted a woman just hours after the second attack.

Jared Trent Gower, who lives in the 4500 block of Klinesville Road, was taken into custody in the early hours of July 18. He now faces charges including rape, kidnapping, and several related counts, based on court paperwork made public Friday. He remains in custody at Lancaster County Prison.

Court documents describe how the alleged victim told investigators she had been socializing earlier in the day with a group that included Gower and a friend of hers. Later, while she was inside a locked portable toilet near Locust Street Park, she said Gower pulled her out, claiming her friend had asked him to come get her.

From there, police say Gower forced the woman into his vehicle and drove to a parking lot nearby, where he pushed her into the back seat and assaulted her. During the assault, he allegedly wrapped his hands around her throat and told her he had killed her friend by stabbing him. According to the documents, Gower let her go only after stopping to roll cigarettes.

Investigators questioned Gower about both the assault and a stabbing that had occurred around midnight between July 17 and 18, conducting the interview at roughly 5 a.m. that morning.

According to a separate set of charging documents, Gower and another individual, who has not been publicly identified, arrived at a residence on the 100 block of Bethel Street around 11:30 p.m. on July 17. A woman inside the home said she stepped away to the kitchen to prepare food after the two arrived, and returned to the living room after hearing noise to find Gower attacking a man who had been asleep on the floor.

She intervened, and Gower ran from the scene. When questioned by police, Gower reportedly acknowledged stabbing the man multiple times, telling investigators he had intended to kill him.

Charging documents do not detail exactly how Gower was eventually located, though a police department social media post credited Columbia officers, working with several other area law enforcement agencies, with arresting him on an outstanding warrant tied to yet another stabbing — this one reported in West Hempfield Township on July 16.

West Hempfield Township police say Gower stabbed a 60-year-old man around 11:30 p.m. that night at the same Klinesville Road address before running off ahead of officers’ arrival. Authorities had reportedly been called to that property earlier the same day and had told Gower to leave.

Gower remains held at Lancaster County Prison with bail set at $500,000 on charges stemming from both stabbing incidents.

https://www.wgal.com/article/pa-deadly-crash-susquehanna-river-saige-zink-lancaster/73317337?fbclid=Iwb21leATZiABjbGNrBNmH_WV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHgfLS3rFshaWiu-Eb2DIV9_r-IPalxci-xqKpuemG8XT6Eb-2bMGXbo9RgSr_aem_FxIIHdXbPt3ujEocukpG-w