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Citing a declining number of deliveries over the past several years and a focus on community needs, Conemaugh Nason Medical Center in Roaring Spring has announced it will no longer offer scheduled obstetrics deliveries effective Oct. 9. In a statement released earlier this week, Nason CEO Tim Harclerode said limited community demand for the service combined with increasing operational challenges have made it difficult for the hospital to provide OB services in an effective way. Although scheduled deliveries will end, Harclerode said Nason will...
The Freedom Township Volunteer Fire Company is holding one of its biggest and most popular fundraisers this weekend when it holds its annual ox roast weekend Friday and Saturday, Aug. 26 to 27. According to Freedom Township Chief Ron Henry, the ox roast is a major fundraiser for the fire company that has grown into a weekend of activities that all ages can enjoy. “Besides the food, there is something for everyone to enjoy and we look forward to seeing out friends come out to not only support the fire company, but to socialize and simply have fu...
Storm water runoff in Roaring Spring may be causing flooding issues for some residents along New Street, according to resident Gary Thompson. Thompson came before borough council earlier this month to alert them to the issue and ask that it be investigated. “I’d like someone to look into the storm water situation,” Thompson said. “Everything on the west side of route 36 drains down into our area.” Thompson said he noticed that some of the storm water drains are starting to sink down which may be contributing to the storm water backing u...
The Central District Volunteer Firemen's Association held its annual convention last week in Nanty Glo, with Cove-area fire companies bringing home top prizes. The Central District convention brings together fire companies from 23 member counties and draws at least 2,000 firefighters for the three-day event. Friendship Volunteer Fire Co. took top honors in fire prevention for its efforts to teach fire prevention throughout the Roaring Spring community. Friendship Asst. Chief James Musselman...
Citing a declining number of deliveries over the past several years and a focus on community needs, Conemaugh Nason Medical Center in Roaring Spring has announced it will no longer offer scheduled obstetrics deliveries effective Oct. 9. In a statement released earlier this week, Nason CEO Tim Harclerode said limited community demand for the service combined with increasing operational challenges have made it difficult for the hospital to provide OB services in an effective way. Although scheduled deliveries will end, Harclerode said Nason will...
At last month's meeting of the Roaring Spring Borough Council, neighbors of an unoccupied house along East Main Street asked the council for help in dealing with a dilapidated structure that they said has attracted rodents and other wildlife. While the council agreed that something should be done about the eyesore and promised to take action, neighbors of a property in another part of town were dealing with another unoccupied house that they said is causing a dangerous situation for them and...
State Sen. Judy Ward (R-30) addressed members of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Club on Thursday, Aug. 11, and talked about some of the main issues facing the commonwealth and what Harrisburg is doing about them. Ward said the recently passed 2022-23 state budget was a bipartisan effort that will help the state stay on solid financial ground. "We were able to put our fiscal house in order in a way we haven't seen in decades. It's a win for taxpayers," she said. Ward said better...
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved the Altoona-Blair County Airport’s entry into the Alternate Essential Air Service program (AEAS) and can begin daily passenger flights to Philadelphia through Contour Airlines. The airport applied for entry into the AEAS, which differs from the Essential Air Service (EAS) by paying the subsidies directly to the eligible community. The EAS pays the subsidy to the air carrier to provide a minimal level of air service to a major hub airport with twin-engine aircraft. The approval of C...
A Claysburg man is in jail after police said he sexually assaulted a woman he lives with. Herbert L. Shank, 41, is facing felony charges of rape of an unconscious victim and sexual assault, as well as a misdemeanor count of indecent assault without consent for allegedly forcing himself on a sleeping woman. According to charges filed by Greenfield Township police, on July 21, the female victim arrived at the police station to report that Shank had sexually assaulted her the previous week. According to police, the victim said that on July 24, at...
An East Freedom man is facing charges after police said he broke into a Freedom Township home and attacked a woman. According to the charges filed by Hollidaysburg State Police, in the early morning hours of Aug. 6, Tyler A. Long, 35, entered the home of his ex-girlfriend through a back door that the victim said was locked but could be pushed open because the door doesn’t “properly lock.” Police said the victim told them that Long entered her bedroom while she was sleeping and pulled her from the bed. The victim said Long threw her again...
A Martinsburg man is behind bars after an investigation into the burglary of a North Woodbury Township business led police to a storage shed full of stolen items. According to court documents filed by Hollidaysburg State Police, on Nov. 9, 2020, police responded to a report of a burglary. The victim told troopers that someone pried open a door and entered his business and that multiple hand and power tools were missing. Troopers said the office had been ransacked with drawers dumped out and that all the computers’ wires had been cut and the h...
The Altoona-Blair County Airport held a ribbon cutting for its recently refurbished east-west runway 1230. The runway's completion comes as the airport embarks on a new era of passenger service when Contour Airlines and its 30-passenger jet is slated to become the new carrier beginning in October. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA, 13th District), whose efforts on behalf of the county's airport resulted in more than $1 million in grant money, said the refurbished runway will allow for more air traffic with...
Freedom Township police helped stop a multi-store “cash cash scam” designed to gain fraudulent refunds from Walmart. Court documents show that on the afternoon of July 23, Freedom Township police were called to the east Freedom Walmart to investigate an attempted theft when a man, later identified as Mahi Constantine, 28, of Elmhurst, New York, approached the customer service desk and demanded a refund for a transaction that did not properly go through. Police said Constantine handed the clerk a slip of paper with a bar code on it and when scan...
Last week, members of the Freedom Township Volunteer Fire Company tried out some new rescue tools with the hope of upgrading their equipment. Anthony Fleming, a representative of Genesis Rescue Tools, brought a cutter, spreader, and ram tool to the parking lot of the fire hall. Firefighters not only had the chance to see these tools, but were able to use them to practice cutting into vehicles as though they were performing a rescue on an entrapment victim. This was thanks to Clark's Auto...
A steady rain fell for most of the day on Sunday, July 31, but Ethan Potter of Claysburg wasn't worried that the event he had organized would be washed out. Potter, 19, had lined up a stable of speakers including local legislators and clergy for a pro-life rally outside the Blair County Courthouse. "As a devout Catholic, there is a folktale that if you put a statue of the Virgin Mary in your window the rain will hold off. We went from 100 percent rain to no rain," he said. The folktale seemed...
A Newry couple was jailed after police said they stole nearly $1 million from an elderly woman they were living with. David S. Dickman, 45, and Melissa M. Dickman, 44, were arrested after Blair Township police investigated a complaint from Blair Senior Services regarding the theft of money from a 72-year-old client. According to police, the Dickmans were acting as the woman’s power of attorney after the death of her husband in 2015. Police said David Dickman is the victim’s husband’s adopted son. Police allege that over the next few years...
Hollidaysburg State Police are investigating a trespassing incident at the former Appvion paper mill in Roaring Spring. According to police reports, between June 15 and June 22, multiple vehicles, including cars and all-terrain vehicles, entered a locked gated area and entered the property. Police said the lock was damaged. The Appvion property stopped paper production in March 2021, has been empty since April 2021 when the last employees finished cleanup duties at the plant. Appvion had been a major employer in Roaring Spring for more than...
Any concerns that Martinsburg's annual Ag Parade and carnival would suffer a decline in attendance were alleviated when the numbers started rolling in. The parade and carnival are traditionally held on the week of July 4, but because of a conflict in scheduling with Bartlebaugh Amusements, who provide the rides, the park elected to hold the festivities the following week. A conflict also arose in 2019 and the park board elected to hold the carnival without rides with mixed results. COVID-19 forc...
An unoccupied house along East Main Street in Roaring Spring has created a rodent problem for neighbors who say their property values are going down. Two of those neighbors attended this month's borough council meeting to ask for help in getting the property cleaned up. Denny and Ruby Albright live next door to 706 E. Main St. and said their well-kept property has been invaded by rats who have made a home in the overgrown weeds and grass from the neighboring house. To illustrate their point,...
The Altoona-Blair County Airport is about to embark on a new era of passenger service when Contour Airlines, pending U.S. Department of Transportation approval, takes over as the airport's carrier in October. Contour Airlines, headquartered in Smyrna, Tennessee, was approved by the Altoona-Blair County Airport Authority Board of Directors to enter an Essential Air Service agreement (EAS) with the airport and if approved, is expected to begin service on Oct. 1, taking over for current carrier...
East Main Street, located in front of the former Appvion paper mill in Roaring Spring, will be closed to vehicle traffic during the week as workers replace water and sewer lines. According to Roaring Spring Municipal Authority Chairman Steve Weaver, crews from Excavating Associates of Hyndman, Pa, began work on Monday, July 19, on the approximately $330,000 project. Weaver said the authority is replacing more than 1,100 feet of sewer lines and around 260 feet of water lines from the entrance of...
The Pennsylvania State Senate last week voted on 13 judicial appointments in eight counties, including Blair, moving Blair County closer to filling an empty bench on the Court of Common Pleas. The Senate voted 49-1 to appoint attorney Ilissa Zimmerman to the judicial seat left vacant by the retirement of Judge Daniel Milliron last year. The recommendation now goes to Gov. Tom Wolf for approval. Wolf’s office previously vetted judicial applicants, including Zimmerman. Other applicants for the vacant post were Fred Miller, David Consiglio, D...
Cherry Street Park in Roaring Spring has been victimized by ongoing acts of vandalism and Borough Manager Lisa Peel is asking for help to put an end to it. At the Roaring Spring Borough Council's regular monthly meeting on June 11, Peel told council that the park has been vandalized numerous times since the beginning of summer, with playground equipment being damaged and litter thrown around the park grounds. Peel said some of the swings, which are made of hard plastic and thick rubber...
Last month, Roaring Spring Borough Council eased some of the restrictions on who can access Plum Creek Mountain by allowing Taylor Township residents and one guest to register to hunt the land. While the move addressed one concern of residents opposed to council’s decision to limit use of the ground, it wasn’t enough to stop the criticism leveled toward the borough since the policy change last year. At the July 11 council meeting, Taylor Township resident John Camerer thanked council for allowing Taylor Township residents to hunt the land but s...
Pending U.S. Department of Transportation approval, a new carrier will be servicing the Altoona-Blair County Airport later this year. According to Airport Manager Tracy Plessinger, Contour Airlines of Smyrna, Tennessee, will take over passenger service from Boutique Air. Boutique has been the airport's carrier since January of 2021 with daily flights to Baltimore and Pittsburgh. According to Plessinger, the airport authority's vote to enter an Essential Air Service agreement (EAS) with Contour...
On June 24, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending nearly 50 years of abortion rights protection from the federal government by turning the issue over to each individual state. Roe v. Wade was overturned when the court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson that the constitution does not offer a right to abortion. The Jackson Women’s Health Organization had sued Mississippi State Health Inspector Thomas Dobbs, challenging the state’s law banning abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. In his written opinion, Justice Sam...
This past weekend I took my 10-year-old daughter swimming at the Hershberger Memorial Pool at Morrisons Cove Memorial Park. I’m not a swimmer but I know how to swim. A close call when I was a child made learning to swim mandatory, but also led me to avoid going in a pool unless necessary. My daughter on the other hand, loves the water, and with the thermometer creeping toward 90 degrees this past Saturday, a day at the pool seemed like the best way to cool down. The place was packed. I won’t try to guess how many people were at the pool, but...
A Claysburg man wanted on a felony warrant is behind bars while his girlfriend is facing charges for trying to hide him. According to Greenfield Township police, on June 18, Blair County Children Youth and Families was contacted by a mandated reporter that there was possibly a meth lab in operation at the Smokey Run Road residence of Amanda Little, 24, and that there were children present. The caller also reported that there were fugitives in the house. Police, along with a county caseworker, went to Little’s residence and after telling Little...
The Freedom Township Water and Sewer Authority met on Tuesday evening, June 21, and gave an update on the ongoing water project that will provide 86 public water hookups to homes along Everett Road. The cost of the water project alone is around $1.7 million with an approximately $3 million total price tag with sewage. A supply issue with the meters being installed will temporarily halt work until more come in. According to Freedom Township Water and Sewer Authority Engineer L.J. Seidel, workers have four meters remaining and need about 50 more...
Last year, in a move that caused protests from some long-time users, Roaring Spring Borough Council voted to restrict access to Plum Creek Mountain to borough residents only while prohibiting all activities other than hunting. Council cited the growing use of all-terrain vehicles and the land damage and liability that goes along with it as one of the reasons for enforcing the mountain use policy. A group of area residents, many of whom live outside the borough, protested council’s decision to close the mountain, and have repeatedly asked the b...
A ruling last week by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholding the minimum 50-year prison sentence of Deauntay Moye puts an end to the sentencing sagas of the two men who pled guilty to the January 2015 murder of 21-year-old Stephanie Waters of Roaring Spring. Since their 2016 guilty plea, Moye, who was 16 years old at the time of the killing, and James Hardwick, who was 15, have been back in court numerous times for appeals and resentencing. Moye, who lived in Woodbury, and Hardwick of Martinsburg, shot and killed Waters in a Woodbury parking...
A woman’s erratic behavior at the East Freedom Taco Bell led to a struggle with police and a short foot chase. According to Freedom Township police, at approximately 5 p.m. on June 13, officers were called to the Taco Bell for a report of a woman, later identified as Samantha A. Weyandt, 31, of Altoona walking in front of the drive-through holding up customers who were in line. Taco Bell employees told police that the woman was speaking to herself and acting “unusually.” When police arrived and began questioning Weyandt, they noted that she w...
An East Freedom man is behind bars after police said he distributed drugs at his workplace. According to charges filed by Greenfield Township police, on May 20, agents from Blair County Adult Parole and Probation requested police assistance after alleging that James B. Weir, 37, and another man were actively distributing control substances at a Claysburg manufacturer where both men were employed. According to police, both men were under the supervision of parole and probation office. Parole agents requested police assistance while they...
A Williamsburg teen who was 15 years old when he repeatedly stabbed his grandfather’s home health nurse in 2020 will spend the next 18 to 36 years in prison after rendering guilty pleas in Blair County court in November. Michael Douglas Watson, 17, was brought before Blair County President Judge Elizabeth Doyle last week to learn his fate after pleading guilty last year to attempted homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, possessing an instrument of crime, and tampering with evidence. Watson was arrested in April 2...
North Woodbury Township will be without full-time police protection for the foreseeable future after township supervisors elected to dismiss Chief Dave Rosamilia. Rosamilia, who has nearly 20 years of service in law enforcement, was hired in March 2020 as the township’s first ever police chief. Rosamilia said he is grateful for the opportunity to serve the citizens in North Woodbury Township and that public safety was his top priority. “Protecting the people of the township was the most important part of the job for me,” Rosamilia said. “Ever...
A Martinsburg man who already had his sentence reduced once for his role in the 2015 murder of a Roaring Spring woman was denied a chance for further reduction by the Pennsylvania State Superior Court. James Hardwick was 15 years old when he and Deauntay Moye, who was 16 at the time, shot and killed 21-year-old Stephanie Waters in a Woodbury parking lot. Moye and Hardwick had arranged to meet Waters’ boyfriend at the Woodbury Community Center to purchase marijuana, but Waters showed up instead. Moye shot Waters twice and Hardwick shot W...
Before Landon Weaver became a Pennsylvania State Police trooper, he was a student at Central High School in Martinsburg, graduating in 2012. Now, every time students and visitors enter the high school, they will be reminded of the sacrifice Trooper Weaver made in the line of duty. On June 1, a memorial to Trooper Weaver was dedicated and hung inside the front door of the school where "many citizens and students will see it for generations to come," according to Martinsburg Mayor Richard...
Smith Transport, a locally owned trucking company, has been sold to Heartland Express for an estimated $170 million. Founded in 1982 by Barry Smith, Roaring Spring-based Smith Transport has 850 trucks and 2,000 trailers. Smith primarily provides dry van transport and other specialized services in the eastern United States. Along with Roaring Spring, Smith also has terminals in Georgia and Indiana. In a separate, $14 million cash deal, North Liberty, Iowa, based Heartland Express also purchased S...
A Huntingdon man fleeing state parole agents was apprehended in Williamsburg following a brief chase through town. According to charges filed by Williamsburg Borough police, on March 30, police were alerted that Michael Joseph Burd, 43, was on the run and headed toward Williamsburg. Police were cautioned that Burd was “probably armed.” Williamsburg police said they spotted Burd’s vehicle driving south on Covedale Road and when police attempted to stop him, Burd allegedly led them on a pursuit that took them down East First Street to High Stree...
Three Cove communities – Claysburg, Roaring Spring and East Freedom – will come together on Saturday, June 4, for the Family Freedom Festival sponsored by the Morrisons Cove Ray VFW Camp Post 7689 Auxiliary in Roaring Spring. The first of its kind event will bring together police, firefighters, and EMTs along with food, games and safety checks. According to Donna Estright, auxiliary president, the Family Freedom Festival came about because of the VFWs’ efforts to build better communities. “We want to get people involved in their communi...
Construction on the Freedom Township water project, which will provide public water hookup to homes along Everett Road, is progressing and is slated for a September completion. The nearly $3 million project will provide 86 new public water hookups and all residences within 150 feet of the water main line will be required to hook into the system. Township officials said the tap fee is $2,250 and homeowners are responsible for having the lines from their home to the tap installed. Freedom Township Water and Sewer Authority Engineer L.J. Seidel...
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there are around 3,960 unintentional drownings, including boating-related drownings, each year. That averages out to around 11 drowning deaths per day. With summer just around the corner, the waters around Williamsburg and its surrounding areas will be welcoming boats, canoes, kayaks, and tubes as people spend a relaxing day floating down the Juniata River. But what may start as a day of fun and relaxation can end in tragedy if proper precauti...
Rising fuel costs have forced volunteer fire departments to make some changes they hope are temporary. With diesel now at over $6 a gallon, some departments have elected to not provide pool-filling services this summer. The Freedom Township Volunteer Fire Company has decided that it will not be offering pool-filling services this year due to the rising cost of fuel. “It’s not a decision we wanted to make, but with the cost of fuel we just can’t do it this year,” said Chief Ron Henry. Henry said the trucks need to be fueled no matter how hig...
There are four seats up for grabs to represent Blair County on the Republican State Committee to be filled by two men and two women. With only two male candidates running, they are assured a seat on the committee, leaving four women competing for the other two slots. Kathy Gassler of East Freedom said she is running for a seat on the committee to help ensure people make informed decisions when they vote. "I felt such an urgency to help get out the vote," she said. "I've been active with various...
A bridge in Freedom Township will be closed indefinitely until officials can fully assess the damage and plan for repairs. County Bridge No. 69, located on Everett Road near the post office, was damaged last month when an entire side crumbled into the creek while workers were running new water and sewer lines. Because the barrier on the creek side of the bridge that keeps cars from going over the edge is gone, the Blair County commissioners have elected to close the entire bridge until an...
A Taylor Township supervisor accused of sexually assaulting two female tenants of a trailer park he manages will have his case heard in Blair County Court. William Replogle, 80, appeared for a preliminary hearing on May 6 in front of Altoona Magisterial District Judge Daniel DeAntonio, who found enough evidence to send the cases to the higher court. Replogle was arrested on Feb. 18 by both Martinsburg and North Woodbury Township police after the women said Replogle propositioned them for sex in...
A Claysburg man was jailed after he was found passed out in his car and resisted police. According to charges filed by Roaring Spring Borough police, on April 26, at approximately 11 p.m., an officer found Garrett N. Weyandt, 38, sleeping in his car in the parking lot of the Roaring Spring Burger King. Officers learned that Weyandt had an active felony warrant and when they asked him to step out of the vehicle, he refused. Police said they had to reach in a partially opened window to unlock the door and physically remove Weyandt from the car. P...
A Martinsburg woman is facing charges after police said she stole more than $3,000 from her mother and had her living in squalor. According to charges filed by North Woodbury Township police, Kimberly Louise Markel, 51, used her mother’s debit card to make purchases and withdraw cash without her mother’s authorization. Police said Markel and her mother live together. On April 4, police were contacted by the property manager of Showalter Apartments in Martinsburg after the victim said that she could not locate her bank card to pay bills. Acc...
An East Freedom man accused of leading police on a chase has waived his charges to Blair County court. Scott M. Davis Sr., 44, is facing felony fleeing to elude police and misdemeanor counts of driving under a suspended license and recklessly endangering another person after police said he failed to pull over for a traffic stop and led police on a chase. According to charges filed by Freedom Township police, on April 12, an officer patrolling the Interstate 99, Roaring Spring exit, attempted to pull over a motorcycle operated by Davis after...
An East Freedom woman running to represent Blair County on the Republican State Committee said her experience in state government and knowledge of the issues the county faces makes her an ideal fit. Amanda Walker, District Manager for State Sen. Judy Ward, said she is seeking the seat because she knows the county and its needs. "I feel I have a good pulse on the county, what its interests are and what matters to people," she said. "Blair County is a conservative area, and I am a conservative...
