I grew up in Mountville but it's as bad as/worse than Columbia anymore. I guess with Columbia on one side and Lancaster on the other it's only a matter of time before Mountville crumbles and dies too. Shame. It was a nice place to grow up 30 years ago.

I was going to keep my mouth shut on this one, but you will have no such luck to day. Born and raised a river rat(I live in washington boro now) but anyway, I still go up there because of family and what not. Onea thing I can assure you is that most of the challenges that occur in columbia are not from the true columbians, it is from the ppl that find there wat there off the busses and stuff. it doesnt help that we they have landlords that will let all kinds of riff raff move in either. Columbia is always gonna have that reputation, but for the most part, it is not the true columbia people. Its out of towners. Dont get me wrong, there is a bad bunch everywhere you go.

Excuse me litlmo, but you are wearing blinders. The people who cause trouble in Columbia [and have for a long time], were born and reared in Columbia. I was reared a "Washington Boro Tomotao" or river rat, also. I remember when it was safe to walk to Columbia to catch the bus to go to Lancaster. But, even then Columbia was not totally safe. You had to know where to walk and where not to walk. Columbia was like most extended towns. There were folks of all kinds and demeaner. The worst folks did not all live on "the other side of the tracks" or on "Front Street", either. Some very good people lived on the first few streets of town, in addition to "the other kind". Columbia may now be inundated with negative people, just as all other areas of the county. However, there have always been "all types" of "true Columbians" in Columbia. Columbia has not had a good reputation for over 50 years. I have no idea how you came to your conclusions.

I lived in Columbia over half my life. My one uncle was mayor, another was the hospital administrator, another was a boss at Tidy co., my aunt owned the corner store another owned the piano that once played in the opera house and when she passed it was donated to the Columbia Little Theatre.

The best years of my life were spent in Columbia and it has always and will always get a bad rap. There is NO TOWN, borough, twp whatever isolated from "bad" people. I am proud to say I came from Columbia.

WITH SARCASM---The bad people from the town are so terrible that when my 3 year old daughter was diagnosed with cancer (and I was 20) these bad, bad people got together and started a fund to help me with expenses. The bad people that lived there donated money and time, the bad people from the companies in the borough donated money, goods and time, the bad people from the fire co.'s did the same and then some. The bad people did so much they even sent us to Disney World.---END OF SARCASM. She is now a healthy, beautiful adult with 2 terrific sons living in Columbia. She would not be if not for the town of Columbia and the wonderful people, businesses and organizations.

Our world is what we make it no matter where one lives.

I hate to be the "crazy" one, but the year is 2009!!! Do people really think that if you were born in a certain town/township/boro here in Lancaster County, that it's going to stop people from committing crimes or keep your neighborhood safe from criminal activity. What about the Haines murders, was that kid a McCaskey Kid or a Manheim Twp kiddo? What about the successful metal artist who made a metal sculpture for Central Market and was found dealing kilo's of cocaine in Ephrata... The East Pete resident with a stash of guns and Marijuana...People from all races, walks of life, commit crimes every day. Unfortunately the public only see's a handful of the crimes that are reported in the paper. If the readers of LNP only had a clue of the the sheer number of people in Lancaster County actively on/in Probation/Parole/ARD/Section 17, all would be shocked. I
t's unrealistic to walk around in this day and age and think that our neighborhoods are safe from any type of crime...

Oh they know. It just makes the faithful feel better that LNP doesn't publicize it. I mean who would they blame all the ills of the City/County on if not those pesky non-whites.

Even though it happened in Mountville, it's Rick Gray's fault.

I absoloutely agree with you..................................

Excuse me?


gp80mac <-- born and raised in Columbia.

I agree. Shame so many others don't and make it hard on the good people. There are so many smiles to share, laughter to share, yet hate and crime is more important to some. A real shame and sadness to know it's on the streets.

Read it again... I dont believe it happened in Mountville... I think she was from Mountville...? Be she was in the Big city.....



hey buddy... it still might be a nice place to live... maybe she only carries when she goes to Lancaster....??

Why is this under sports?
How did it come to be known she had a gun?

I wondered the same thing. This article is really incomplete. Her mistake was to put it in her purse instead of a holster on her hip.

Okay, educate me. It's okay to carry a gun in a holster but not in a purse, etc.? Is that considered concealing it?

I should probably know this but I don't.

Not really. Main St, Lemon St, about half of Hoover St, New St, Orkney Rd, Section 8 in the back of Summit Hills, Lincoln West...yeah.

Most of my family still lives in/around Mountville, so I'm still there quite frequently and it doesn't take a genius to notice the steady decline.

Yes, in PA (everywhere except class "C" cities; that is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) it is legal to carry with your gun loaded and in plain sight. But just try it in cities such as Lancaster and York. You WILL be hassled by the police.
To carry a gun concealed, loaded or not, requires a "License To Carry Firearms" from the county you live in. Concealed includes in your car anywhere (while loaded). It is not considered concealed if it is unloade and either the bullets or gun is locked up and out of reach of the occupents. This is so you can transport the weapon to target practice or the gun shop. The PA uniform firearms code is very specific and clear on this exception for both how and why you can trasnport a weapon in your car.

Also, nowhere is the state can you point a gun in a threatening manor (only in self defence). That is considered brandishing and is ilegal.

i have never been harassed in Lancaster or York...interesting

Do you carry in plain view, meaning that your firearm in is plain sight to the public at all times and not underneath a jacket or otherwise concealed in any way?

depends on my outfit/weather. I have concealed holster (inside the waist) and paddle holster. I have permit to carry. But I was responding to whoever said they are harassed by the police in lancaster while carrying... people just like to run there mouth against the cops...for anything with no proof...just gets annoying