Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
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As officials continue to investigate the cause of the wildfire that claimed 300 acres of woodlands near Canoe Creek State Park on Nov. 8, the question of how it spread so fast is no mystery. Dry conditions coupled with a steady wind created the perfect environment for the fire to thrive. While wildfires are not a new occurrence this time of year with spring and fall being considered peak seasons for them, their frequency and scope has been on the rise. Rising Danger The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)...
Charges filed against a Delaware man in the 2022 traffic death of a Williamsburg teen were dismissed in Bedford County Court last month. Jeffery D. Miles, 38, was initially charged with felony counts of homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault by vehicle, along with misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person after a vehicle he was driving was involved in a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by Karisma Bethany Dell, 17, of Williamsburg, on Feb. 26, 2022. According to Bedford State Police, Miles was...
Being a volunteer firefighter takes a level of commitment that goes beyond showing up on the scene of an incident. While having an adequate amount of manpower to fight a fire is vital, it’s the things the public doesn’t see, the hours of training done on their own time and dime that takes these volunteers to another level of dedication to public service. Nationwide, fire houses are facing a shortage of volunteers, and while local numbers vary by station houses, they are not as strong as the chiefs of the Cove’s respective fire companies would...
An afternoon fire in Freedom Township on Sunday, Nov. 26, brought a response from 10 fire departments and closed a portion of Dunnings Highway for several hours while firefighters battled the blaze. The initial call about the fire at 160 Benton Rd. indicated entrapment. Freedom Township Fire Chief Ron Henry said police officers from Greenfield and Freedom townships were able to remove the entrapped individual before firefighters arrived on scene. Henry said fire crews were on scene within...
With the holiday season here, tree lighting events and Christmas parties will be held throughout the Cove region. On Friday, Nov. 4, the McKee Playground will be hosting a community tree lighting ceremony at the McKee Community Center at 6:30 p.m. Following the tree lighting, guests will be treated to refreshments and Christmas carol singing. Jodie Dellinger, whose family has been a driving force in the success of McKee Playground for more than half a century, said this is the first year they have held a tree lighting event and is excited to...
The Drug and Alcohol Partnership held its annual Recognition Awards Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 16, at The U.S. Hotel in Hollidaysburg. The awards dinner celebrates the work of community partners in their efforts to combat drug and alcohol abuse. Freedom Township Police Chief Nathan Claycomb presented the Top Gun Award to Patrolman Dan Eastep of the Greenfield Township Police Department, Patrolman Bryan Ketner of the Hollidaysburg Police Department, and Officer Matt Jenkins of the Altoona Police...
Claysburg-Kimmel School District voters went to the polls on Nov. 7 to elect a school board and a day later that same board appointed a member to fill the unexpired spot of a member who resigned the previous night. Board members Roger Knisley, Heidi Kennedy, and Joseph Musselman were reelected to the board in uncontested races and then voted on the appointment of Danny Potter to fill the remainder of Craig Burkett’s term. Burkett resigned at the board’s October meeting due to his upcoming marriage and relocating out of the district. Potter, a 1...
Roaring Spring Borough Council approved a tentative 2024 budget with no tax increase but a significant jump in its contribution to the fire department at its Monday, Nov. 13, meeting. Earlier this year the Friendship Volunteer Fire Company asked council to include a 1-mill tax increase in its 2024 budget, citing rising costs, dwindling public contributions, and equipment that will soon need to be replaced. Fire company officials told council that they needed a steadier, more reliable stream of revenue to meet recurring costs like fuel,...
The Spring Cove School Board will have a decidedly different makeup with four new members set to take a seat at the table and two current members departing. Unofficial results from last Tuesday’s general election show first-time candidate Gretchen Stern-Bettwy, who cross-filed, the leading vote getter with 2,386. Stern-Bettwy joins Republicans Andrea Moses, Misti Fisher, and Kevin Smith as newly elected school directors with Troy Wright the only incumbent to retain his seat. Current board members Brian Gahagan and Samantha Snowberger came up s...
After North Main Street in Roaring Spring Borough was reopened after a summer of reconstruction, borough officials began receiving complaints about the ride quality of the new road, mainly several dips along the road. Taking citizen concerns seriously, borough engineer Shawn Ritchey of Keller Engineers, Borough Manager Lisa Peel, and Maintenance Supervisor Wyatt Simington drove the road to investigate the complaints. According to Ritchey, the trio concluded that there is a dip in the joint on the northbound side, a dip in the lane adjacent to...
A Martinsburg man was in federal court last month and rendered guilty pleas to seven charges related to the trafficking of firearms including selling “ghost guns” and “hit kits” with no identifying serial numbers. Harry Miller, 47, was arrested in April and charged with dealing and manufacturing firearms without a license, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon, conspiracy to deal and manufacture firearms without a license and engaging in business as a firearms manufacturer or dealer without paying the required special tax. At the...
A New Enterprise man who was jailed in Bedford County after police said he pointed a gun at a man and threatened to shoot him is behind bars after allegedly threatening to shoot another man and pointing a gun at him. According to the charges filed before Bedford Magisterial District Judge Brian Baker, on Aug. 23, James Weaver, 19, was sitting in his truck in Bedford County when he pointed a rifle at a man. According to police, the victim said he and another man walked over to Weaver’s truck to talk when Weaver threatened the victim after he kep...
The Claysburg woman convicted last month of first-degree murder in the 2018 shooting death of her husband has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Bedford County President Judge Travis Livengood handed the life sentence to Nancy Focht, 76, on Oct. 27. Focht was found guilty after a three-day trial last month after a jury rejected her claims of self-defense after suffering years of abuse at the hands of her husband, David Focht Sr. Nancy Focht was arrested in January 2019 after a lengthy police investigation into...
As Chief of the Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company, Randy Acker is accustomed to having his days interrupted by the whistle. Throughout his decades-long career in the fire service, Acker has been called away from his home and work countless times to protect the lives and property of his community. When you do anything for as long as Acker has, the days and years tend to blend together and while each call is important, you have to develop an emotional detachment, a kind of self-preservation to...
The fire that destroyed a Martinsburg business last week started when a man working with a blow torch suffered a fatal heart attack. According to Blair County Coroner Patty Ross, Rodney Walters, 52, was using the torch while installing a natural gas boiler at Bobcat when a sudden cardiac event took his life. Ross said it is likely the torch fell from his hands and started the fire and that Walters had passed away before the fire started. North Woodbury Township Police Chief Lance Morris said a...
On Nov. 7, Blair County voters will decide who sits in the three seats at the commissioner’s table with four candidates vying for a chair. Two incumbents, Republican Amy Webster, and Democrat Laura Burke are joined on the ballot by Republican Dave Kessling and Democrat Carol Taylor. Webster and Burke were both elected in 2019 and are seeking second terms while Kessling and Taylor are newcomers. With three seats, the Board of Commissioners is represented by both major parties with one being the minority. Because of the history of the b...
When Cove-area voters head to the polls on Nov. 7, those who live in the Spring Cove School District will choose from a mixture of incumbents and newcomers to fill five seats. Of the eight candidates on the ballot, Brian Gahagan, Troy Wright, and Samantha Snowberger are current sitting board members while Misti Fisher, Gretchen Stern Bettwy, Andrea Moses, Kevin Smith, and former district Superintendent Rodney Green are seeking to become new members. Gahagan, Snowberger, and Green cross-filed in May’s primary and garnered enough Democratic votes...
Earlier this year the Friendship Volunteer Fire Company asked the Roaring Spring Borough Council to include a 1-mill tax increase in its 2024 budget to help fund the fire department. Citing increased costs, dwindling contributions, and equipment that will need to be replaced soon, the fire company said it needs a steadier and more reliable stream of funding to help keep the doors to the fire hall open. The idea of a millage increase was first presented to council at its April meeting when Friendship Chief James Musselman, who also holds a seat...
A Hopewell man is behind bars after leading North Woodbury Township Police on a chase through Martinsburg on his motorcycle. According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 6, while at the North Woodbury Township police station, an officer heard the sound of a “loud” motorcycle later determined to be driven by Tyson Miller, 28, traveling north on Curryville Rd. toward Martinsburg. Police attempted to follow Miller and observed him pulling out from Highland Street in Martinsburg onto East Allegheny Street with a passenger on the back of the mot...
The Claysburg-Kimmel School Board is down a member following the resignation of 10-year school director Craig Burket at its Oct. 11 meeting. Burket said he was honored to serve on the board and said his resignation is due to moving out of the district. Burket said a change in his personal life with his upcoming marriage has changed the direction of his life and that he considers having served on the board as an honor and privilege. “I’d like to thank my constituents who voted for me, who trusted my judgment,” he said. Burket said his desir...
A Claysburg man died from injuries suffered in a two-vehicle crash in Freedom Township on Wednesday morning, Oct. 4. According to Hollidaysburg State Police, Dennis A. Maurer was killed when a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze driven by a 79-year-old woman pulled out in front of his motorcycle on Dunnings Highway at approximately 11 a.m. According to police reports, Maurer was traveling north on his 1996 Suzuki Intruder motorcycle when the woman’s vehicle attempted to turn left from Everett Rd., onto Dunnings Highway and pulled into the path of the m...
Every year the boards and administrations at public schools across Pennsylvania agonize over the budget. The numbers start high, and as they start doing the math, weighing the cost of programs against the expected funds from the two main sources of revenue which is the state’s contribution and local property tax, cuts are made resulting in the loss of programs, staff, or entire curriculums. While a school district’s budget is complex and the process of balancing it along with endless debates, it boils down to its simplest form: a school can off...
North Woodbury Township police are investigating the cause of an accident that sent two people to the hospital after their horse-drawn buggy was hit from behind on Cove Mountain Road near Auction Road. According to police reports, on Sept. 26, at approximately 2:40 p.m., the buggy, carrying one adult male and one juvenile male was traveling west on Cove Mountain Road, North Woodbury Township, toward Martinsburg when it was struck from behind by a Coca-Cola box truck just before Auction Road....
The historic Sarah Furnace property at the intersection of Dunnings Highway and Quarry Road in Sproul is about to spring to life after nearly eight years of serving as a deteriorating symbol to the past from its lonely spot on the side of the road. The once vibrant 21-room mansion and surrounding buildings, the few remaining links to the area’s iron ore days ,faced an uncertain future as the changing climates of each season began to take its toll and the once grand showcase started slowly eroding into history. Hope for a rebirth came when S...
This year marks the 83rd National Newspaper week. Since 1940, the first week in October has been set aside to shine a spotlight on community newspapers and remind readers why they play an important role in their lives. This year’s theme of “In Print and Digital. For You,” acknowledges the evolution of how we consume our news and where we can turn to for reliable local coverage. The rise of social media has made it easy for anyone with a computer and an opinion to create digital platforms and pass them off as news, often overshadowing reput...
A Claysburg woman was found guilty of her husband’s murder in Bedford County court almost five years to the day she shot and killed him at their Kimmel Township home. Nancy Focht, 75, was found guilty of first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence on Sept. 15 for the Sept. 11, 2018, shooting death of her husband, David Focht Sr. Focht was arrested in January 2019 after a lengthy police investigation into David Focht’s shooting. There was never any question that Nancy Focht pulled the trigger on the gun that killed her husband, but...
Two area schools were part of what officials called a “state-wide” bomb threat hoax on Wednesday, Sept. 20. According to Pennsylvania State Police, districts across the state, including Claysburg-Kimmel, and Spring Cove, received a bomb threat email prompting police response. Other area schools, including Hollidaysburg, Altoona, and Belwood-Antis also received the threat. Claysburg-Kimmel posted a message to their social media account that although the bomb threat had been identified as a hoax, it elected to evacuate all its buildings so law en...
Sunday, Oct. 8 kicks off Fire Prevention Week across the country with fire departments reaching out to their respective communities to educate on the importance of fire safety. Fire Prevention Week began in 1922 when the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sponsored its first public observance, and in 1925 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it a national observance. Now in its 101st year, Fire Prevention Week is the longest-running public health observance in the country. Locally,...
The public comment portion of school board meetings gives citizens the chance to bring issues to the board’s attention, and at its Sept. 13 meeting, the Claysburg-Kimmel School Board learned of a concern about district students enrolling in other schools to play sports. Claysburg resident Chris Burket told the board that there are multiple families in the district who are sending one of their kids to a neighboring school district while a sibling attends Claysburg. “Most of these instances are because of extra-curricular activities,” Burke...
Municipal water authorities have a laundry list of contaminates they are required to test for regularly to ensure the water supply meets the Safe Drinking Water Standards set by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and Martinsburg Borough’s water supply is below the limits for all contaminants, including the recently discovered polyfluorinated substance (PFAS), and is safe to drink, according to Martinsburg Municipal Authority Engineer Larry Lennon Jr., of Lennon Smith Souleret Engineers. While the discovery of PFAS h...
Aug. 2, 1975, began like any summer day in Williamsburg. With morning temperatures in the high 60s, residents were bracing for a day that was expected to reach 95 degrees by mid-afternoon. What they did not know was that one part of town was about to get much hotter. At around 4 p.m. the quiet of a dog day in summer was shattered by the sound of blaring sirens. The smell of fresh cut grass was overwhelmed by the eye-watering fumes of burning wood while cars driving slowly down High Street were f...
An Altoona couple was arrested on Friday, Sept. 8 after police said they caused a drunken disturbance at the Roaring Spring Athletic Field where Central High School was slated to take on Tyrone in a game that was postponed due to lightning. According to Roaring Spring police, officers were called to the field at approximately 6:20 p.m. to assist Spring Cove police officers with a reported intoxicated male and a female, later identified as Ryan Dionis, 43, and Nicole Merritts, 49, both of Altoona, who were causing a scene and swearing....
At its Monday, Sept. 11 meeting, Roaring Spring Borough Council learned that a supply issue will delay the completion of the Five-Points project by at least five months. According to Borough Manager Lisa Peel, the borough's engineers were informed that delivery of the mast arms for the new traffic signals at the Five-Points intersection will be delayed until Jan. 5, extending the project's completion date into the spring depending on the weather. The delay is not expected to affect the...
A recent ruling by a Commonwealth Court that West Chester Borough labeling storm water fees as a tax could cost the state’s municipalities hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue from tax-exempt bodies has no immediate impact on Cove-area municipalities. The municipalities of the Cove do not charge a stormwater fee to residents although they all have stormwater systems. Williamsburg Borough Manager Joe Lansberry said the borough’s size doesn’t lend itself to charging stormwater fees. “We are small enough that we don’t have to,” Lans...
It has been a long hot summer that drew thousands of visitors to Morrisons Cove Memorial Park. Whether cooling off at the pool, enjoying weekend skating, bowling on the new lanes at the bowling alley, or a picnic in one of the pavilions, the park once again proved to be a favorite recreation destination. To close out the summer season, the park hosted Community Appreciation Day on Sunday, Sept. 3, with free swimming, free skating, discount food at the pool as well as food specials at the Johnson...
A Roaring Spring man is facing charges in Bedford County for conspiring with three other people to steal thousands of dollars from Pennsylvania skills machines at a Queen business. Zacheriah J. Hammel, 23, was arraigned by Bedford Magisterial District Judge Kevin R. Diehl on felony counts of theft unlawful taking and conspiracy as well as misdemeanor counts of corruption of minors and criminal mischief for his alleged role in breaking into the machines at Wright Milling Co. on two separate days in December 2021. According to Bedford State...
A Claysburg man wanted by police on felony assault, strangulation, and firearms charges is still on the run after escaping capture following an Aug. 21 incident in Greenfield Township when, according to police, he brutally assaulted a woman. Greenfield Township police are now asking for the public's help locating William P. Dibert, 26, of Claysburg. According to police, on the morning of Aug. 21 officers responded to a call about an assault at a Greenfield Township home. Police said when they...
Nearly three years after shutting its classroom doors in Williamsburg, Blair County Head Start is back in a new location, with a new executive director, but with the same goals that define the Head Start program nationwide. "It is so wonderful to be back in Williamsburg," said Jennifer Neely, who assumed the role of executive director in March. "We always had great enrollment here and the community always supported Head Start." Presidential beginnings Head Start was established nationally in...
The Claysburg-Kimmel School District canceled all student practices and extracurricular activities Monday afternoon, Aug. 21, while local and state law enforcement conducted a manhunt for William P. Dibert, 26, of Saxton. According to police, Dibert allegedly assaulted a woman Monday morning before fleeing. Police searched the area along Ski Gap Road, Greenfield Township, while the state police conducted an aerial search of the area but were unable to locate Dibert. Greenfield Township police filed felony charges of aggravated assault,...
With most area students returning to the classroom this week, motorists are being advised to be alert for stopped school buses and to come to a complete stop when children are getting on and off the bus. Pennsylvania state law mandates that motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and the stop arms extended. Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped. When traveling alongside a school bus, motorists must stop until...
Korb Freeman is a man who doesn't like to waste time. The 24-year-old Roaring Spring man works full-time at Shirley's Cookies in Claysburg, and while that is how he makes his living, it's the free work he does between shifts that he is most proud of. Freeman says he is a passionate supporter of law enforcement and wanted to do something to show local police how much he appreciates them and contribute in some way to help them stay ready for the next call. "When I was growing up, I always had...
Members of the Freedom Township and Freindship Volunteer Fire Companies traveled to Lewistown last weekend to join approximately 3,500 firefighters from 27 counties at the 131st Central District Volunteer Fireman's Association Convention hosted by Brooklyn Hose Company 3. During the three-day event, firefighters held meetings, awards ceremonies and a parade to cap off the weekend. Freedom Township won awards for Best Appearing Tanker, and Best Appearing Color Guard. Friendship received first...
When the Claysburg-Kimmel School District eliminated a music teacher position at the end of last school year, the hope was that no music programs would be affected, however, parents were recently notified that jazz band will no longer be offered due to scheduling conflicts. According to parents who spoke to the board at its Aug. 9 meeting, Maureen Lightner, who was approved as Music Director at the meeting, sent a letter to parents informing them of the decision to eliminate the program. The decision to eliminate the program appears to have...
The Five-Points and Main Street projects are "75-80 percent" complete, according to Roaring Spring Borough Council President Rodney Green. Green said the work, which began in the spring, has gone smoothly and that there have been no major issues during the summer-long detours throughout the borough. The aesthetic work and new curbs are done on the Five-Points and the project will be complete once new light poles and traffic signals are put in. Borough Manager Lisa Peel said the traffic lights...
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warns that summers are getting hotter and extreme heat is increasing every year. The lowest high temperature for July was 75 degrees with daytime temperatures in the 80s in all but two days, according to the National Weather Service. Citing climate change as the reason, the CDC reports that extreme weather is expected to get worse in the coming decades, posing a risk to public health in the form of heat-related illnesses, which they say is increasing yearly. According to the CDC, more than 600 Americans...
It has been a busy summer in the Borough of Roaring Spring with three construction projects taking place simultaneously. The Five-Points and Main Street projects will be more aesthetically pleasing when completed than the underground work replacing waterlines throughout the borough, but they are all part of the borough's efforts to upgrade the town both visually and functionally. The $2.6 million water line project, which includes the replacement of lead joints with PVC pipe, is going as...
A closed bridge and a bad decision by a truck driver led to thousands of dollars in damage to Royer Cemetery near Williamsburg on the morning of Wednesday, July 12. According to Jeff Gunnett, who, along with his family and other volunteers takes care of the cemetery, the driver of the tractor trailer reportedly owned by HMD Trucking of Chicago Ridge IL, entered Royer Mountain Road, from the Hollidaysburg side and either didn't see or ignored the warning signs that Royer Bridge was closed for rep...
The Sarah Furnace property at the intersection of Dunnings Highway and Quarry Road in Sproul will be seeing life again after Sheetz announced its intention to renovate the house and surrounding buildings on the property. Since around 2016, the nearly 200-year-old buildings, including a 21-room mansion and a barn that once housed 54 mules that transported iron ore from Ore Hill to Sproul have been sitting dormant while the elements began to take its toll. The Sarah Furnace property was built...
Very few things test a person’s character more than money. A found wallet is a temptation at any age, but during Cove Carnival week, there were several examples where the next generation of Cove leaders proved that honesty is the rule. Memorial Park Director Chuck Gojmerac said there were three instances of young people finding something of value and turning it in. “One was a wallet, one was a bank card, and one was a phone,” Gojmerac said. “These are things that some people would keep or try to do something with.” Gojmerac said the kids’ not...
When Martinsburg Borough Police Chief Kerry Hoover turned his cruiser onto Market Street to lead the Agriculture Parade, he knew there would be a crowd, but was taken aback by what he saw. As Hoover and his passenger, Mayor Richard Brantner Jr., slowly made their way to the town square to turn right on Allegheny Street before hitting the home stretch on South Walnut Street to the park, Hoover said he didn't see any breaks in the line of people, some three rows deep. No daylight between the crowd...
