Former Columbia superintendent, now at Etown, talks about juggling two roles | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Tom Strickler [Columbia Spy file photo]

 

ASHLEY STALNECKER | Staff Writer

Elizabethtown Area School District’s new superintendent, Tom Strickler, is taking a different approach to the role than his predecessors took.

Strickler, who has a deep background in finance, will continue to direct his expertise there and leave the art of overseeing district curriculum to newly installed Director of Curriculum Megan Moffett.

Typically, he said, a superintendent will rise through the ranks from teacher to principal to top administrator having developed the expertise to focus on continuously developing curriculum.

Strickler is the first to admit that’s something he can’t do.

The board’s decision to appoint its chief financial officer as superintendent, without filling the CFO role, has drawn skepticism from some community members who worry it will be difficult to adequately serve the 3,400-student district in both areas.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/elizabethtown-area-superintendent-talks-juggling-two-roles-plans-to-refocus-on-student-success/article_8fd63184-c0c8-4f20-b34f-b42837be56a6.html

Researcher seeks photos and information on organ formerly housed in Columbia church

Recent photo of the organ in its new home [Provided]

John Robinson of Harrisburg is seeking photos and information about an organ that was once housed at the former First English Lutheran Church at 5th & Chestnut (now the District Administration Center). In particular, he is hoping to find photos of the First English nave, the organ console, and any visible pipes.

According to Robinson, the church’s organ did not stay in Columbia after the congregation’s building changed hands. In 2005, the instrument was given to Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in San Antonio, Texas. There, it was reconfigured to fit its new home by Parkey Organbuilders of Braselton, Georgia. More than two decades later, the organ is reportedly still in regular use, played each week during services.

Robinson is helping the Organ Historical Society update its national database, which tracks the history and current status of organs across the United States.

Anyone with photographs or memories of the church and its organ is encouraged to reach out to Robinson directly at jkrsmr@comcast.net.

Extradition of man accused of leaving scene of fatal crash into Susquehanna River may take months: DA | Local News | lancasteronline.com

Mikaail Fahim Cotton

MARK SCOLFORO | Breaking News Reporter

It’s expected to take about three months for authorities to return a man to Lancaster County to face charges that he left the scene of a fatal crash in which two vehicles ended up in the Susquehanna River, Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said Wednesday.

Mikaail Fahim Cotton, 24, was arrested in New York City a week ago, found in a Bronx housing development with a stolen firearm and illegal drugs, according to Manor Township police.

Cotton is also accused of driving on a suspended license and failing to provide information after the July 30 crash in Manor Township that killed his passenger, Saige Zink.

“We are in the process of obtaining the necessary paperwork to extradite him back to Pennsylvania,” Adams said in an email Wednesday. “This paperwork and the approval process will take approximately 90 days.”
MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/extradition-of-man-accused-of-leaving-scene-of-fatal-crash-into-susquehanna-river-may-take/article_332d10fa-23ae-473c-902a-78b79130f872.html

Lancaster County officials seek more local control over data centers | WITF

https://www.witf.org/2026/08/13/as-data-centers-expand-lancaster-county-officials-call-for-a-pause-and-more-local-control/?fbclid=Iwb21leATsa-BjbGNrBOxr3HBkb2YBZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEeA0LhUZ1wOWqDgJGR3zMMjIA7HOyMiWTl5EbNyO3j1Gdb0mPoQZTev7DidLc_aem_4FCNk_OyCeF-BkCYPDnGqg