Reflecting on 2025 and Looking Ahead to an Exciting New Year As we wrap up an incredible year in Columbia Borough, we at ColumbiaPA.Online want to take a moment to celebrate the milestones of 2025 and share what’s coming in 2026. Our mission has always been to keep the community informed, connected, and inspired—and this…
Columbia Borough Chaos: The Walnut Street Saga Continues Columbia, PA — Remember that wild story you read on ColumbiaPA.online a few days ago about a man turning Walnut Street into his own personal shooting range? Well, buckle up, because here’s the sequel nobody asked for. Police have now confirmed that Christopher Colon‑Martinez, 31, the star…
In Loving Memory of Dustin Rodkey A Tribute to a Life That Touched So Many ***DONATE TO HELP WITH HIS FINAL EXPENSES AT Fundraiser by Madisson Rodkey : A loving farewell to my dad Dustin Rodkey*** There are people whose presence leaves a mark so deep that even after they’re gone, the world still feels…
Breaking News: Pedro Vega-Rivera Finally Runs Out of Places to Hide Columbus, OH / Columbia, PA — December 19, 2025 After weeks of playing hide‑and‑seek with law enforcement, Pedro Luis Vega‑Rivera, 31, of Columbia, PA, has been captured in Columbus, Ohio. The manhunt is over, and frankly, everyone’s exhausted — except Pedro, who apparently thought…
Fear and Silence After Columbia Dream Center Break-In: A Community on Edge By Staff Reporter Columbia, PA — In the quiet hours of a recent morning, the Columbia Dream Center — a homeless shelter and church-run outreach hub — became the focus of a terrifying ordeal. Around 2 a.m., witnesses say a man broke into…
Lancaster County’s Toys for Tots Faces Heartbreaking Shortage — Santa Needs Your Help Picture this: a child wakes up on Christmas morning, hoping for a gift that shows someone cares. But this year, for hundreds of kids in Lancaster County, that hope is fading fast. The local Toys for Tots program is facing a critical…
Editorial: Columbia Borough’s Finance Turmoil Demands Real Accountability—and a Clear Plan to Fix It Columbia Borough’s finance office has become synonymous with churn. Since late 2020, the borough has lost accountants and finance managers in rapid succession, with the most recent resignation announced at the December 2025 council meeting. Each departure arrives with scant public…
Columbia Man Gets a Decade to Think About His Life Choices After Selling Enough Fentanyl to Wipe Out a Small Country In a plot twist that sounds like the opening scene of a bad Netflix crime drama, a Columbia man was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months to 10 years in state prison for…
Chaos on Walnut Street: Columbia Borough Shaken by Midnight Gunfire Columbia Borough, PA — December 9, 2025 The quiet of a winter night was shattered in Columbia Borough when a barrage of gunfire erupted on Walnut Street, leaving residents terrified and police scrambling to secure the scene. What began as a routine patrol quickly escalated…
Teacher’s Arrest in Child Exploitation Case Sparks Outrage and Calls for Stronger Safeguards Lancaster, PA — The arrest of David Sean Burkhart, a longtime Manheim Township High School teacher and former girls’ basketball coach, has ignited outrage across Lancaster County. Burkhart, 45, is accused of sending nude photos to what he believed was a 14‑year‑old…
Electric Bills Are Going Up in Columbia, PA – Here’s What You Need to Know (and How to Get Help) Starting December 1, 2025, electric rates across Pennsylvania—including Columbia—have gone up. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved seasonal adjustments that hit just as winter heating season begins. For most households, electricity costs can make…
Warmth for the Holidays: LIHEAP Applications Open in Lancaster County The holiday season should be filled with joy, family, and the comfort of a warm home. Yet for many in Lancaster County, heating costs can make winter feel more like a burden than a blessing. That’s why the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is…
Always Lancaster: A “Gift” That Looks More Like a Power Grab A response to ColumbiaSpy.com’s cheerleading of the LNP transfer ColumbiaSpy.com recently applauded the announcement that veteran journalist David Greene will lead Always Lancaster, a nonprofit taking ownership of LNP | LancasterOnline. Pennon’s decision to hand over the paper as a “gift” is being spun…
Columbia Police Chief Jack Broomer to Retire in May; Holly Arndt Poised to Make History COLUMBIA, PA — Police Chief Jack Broomer, who also serves as interim Borough Manager, will retire from the department in May before transitioning into the full‑time Borough Manager role. His departure sets the stage for a historic moment in Columbia…
