What Made Herald Headlines in 2018?

Editor’s Note

This feature is a continuation of the Herald’s review of news and community events during 2018.

This story covers July through December 2018. A review of the events of January through June was published in the Dec. 27, 2018, edition of the Herald.

The Herald owners and staff wish all subscribers, readers and advertisers a happy and prosperous new year.

July 2018

Two eighth grade students at Spring Cove Middle School, Cayden Wright and Parker Gregg, took first place honors in the Inventions and Innovations category at the Technology Student Association national competition in Atlanta, for their invention, “Air Alert,” a device that monitors carbon monoxide levels in a vehicle and shuts the car off when CO levels get dangerously high.

Martinsburg veterinarian Dr. Joseph R. Itle, was named honoree, and former Martinsburg Borough Manager Randy Stoltz, parade marshal, of the annual agricultural parade held in Martinsburg on July 3.

Green Leaf Medical LLC., of Gaithersburg, Md., filed an application for a permit to grow medical marijuana at the former Seton plant in Saxton. The building has remained empty since 2011.

Peggy Miller of Claysburg, who lost two daughters to drug addiction, is working to get part of the HIPPA law changed so families can have access to information that could help save a family member suffering from addiction.

Esther Baker, a 58-year Herald correspondent, passed away on July 3 at the age of 93. Baker wrote about community life in Waterside. Herald Publisher Emeritus David Snyder said Baker’s passing was like “closing the door on an era.”

Hometown Bank of Pennsylvania announced it will open a branch office in the former M&T Bank building in Martinsburg. Beth Manges, president and CEO of Hometown Bank of Pennsylvania said officials are looking at a September opening.

Roaring Spring Borough Council, at its July 9 meeting, reminded residents that there is an ordinance prohibiting blowing grass clippings onto borough streets. Grass can accumulate in the storm drains causing clogs, and wet grass can cause a hazard to motorists.

At its July 16 meeting, the Spring Cove School Board announced the districts new website is up and running. http://www.springcovesd.org. Superintendent Dr. Betsy Baker said the new website costs less than half of what the district was paying for the previous site.

Martinsburg Borough kicked off a history hike on July 20. The 2.4 mile walk, part of the Pennsylvania WalkWorks initiative, promotes physical activity while walking historical routes.

It was announced that former Bedford County District Attorney William Higgins will be officially disbarred from practicing law as of Aug. 9. Higgins pled guilty to 31 charges stemming from abusing his office to gain sexual favors from female drug dealers. In a plea agreement with the State’s Attorney General’s Office, Higgins will serve no jail time but will lose his pension and forfeit his law license.

Northern Bedford County schools were vandalized on July 18. According to police, three white males, believed to be between 16 and 20 years old, vandalized buildings, signs and vehicles by spray painting multiple windows, doors, walls, signs and vehicles.

The Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company announced that it sold approximately 4,000 ox roast sandwiches during its annual sale at the Morrisons Cove Memorial Park on July 20 and 21.

A Roaring Spring couple were arrested and jailed on felony charges of endangering the welfare of a child after police were called to their home for a report of two young children playing near an open window. Shane L. Ross, 26, and Courtney O’Hear, 24, were arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Andrew Blattenberger, Martinsburg, and committed to Blair County Prison in lieu of 10 percent of $35,000 bail.

Dragon’s Den Pizza, Roaring Spring. was broken into on July 30. Entry was made by prying open a door in the back of the building. The thief made off with a cash register and a security camera.

Gardner Memorial Theater at Old Bedford Village was destroyed by fire on July 16. The Bedford County Players continued their season by performing at the Visitor Center.

August

Former Williamsburg Community High School teacher Nikki Varney, who pled guilty to institutional sexual assault, was classified as a Tier 1 offender and was ordered to register her address and employment status with state police for the next 15 years.

Bold 322, the restaurant at the Altoona-Blair County Airport, abruptly shut its doors, with no immediate reason given for the closure.

Students attending the Claysburg Education Foundation’s “Stem and Arts 2018 Program” toured the Altoona-Blair County Airport on Aug. 2. The students viewed several hangars at the airport.

At its Aug. 13 meeting, Roaring Spring Borough Council reminded residents of an ordinance that requires the removal of yard sale signs within 24 hours of the event.

The Freedom Township Volunteer Fire Department hosted the 126th annual Central District Volunteer Fireman’s Association Convention from Aug. 16 to thru 18. The event featured a parade down Dunnings Highway.

The Freedom Township Volunteer Fire Department dedicated a firefighter memorial statue honoring deceased members of the department. More than 200 people gathered on the lawn across from the fire hall to take part in the dedication on Aug. 16.

The Churchview Road bridge over Beaver Creek in South Woodbury Township was officially renamed the “PFC/POW William G. Koontz Memorial Bridge on Aug. 17. Koontz, a northern Bedford County native, was held captive on the Chinese border during the Korean War for 838 days.

A record 15.9 inches of rain fell on the area through August, marking one of the wettest summers on record in Pennsylvania.

The Blair County Drug Task Force conducted a raid throughout the county on Aug. 27, netting 72 suspects, including five from the Cove.

Waterside Farm in Woodbury, Bedford County, was named a Pennsylvania Dairy of Distinction by Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding at the Penn State College of Agricultural Science’s Ag Progress Days on Aug. 14.

Conemaugh Nason Medical Center, Roaring Spring, began construction of a new cardiac catheterization lab. The 2,400-square-foot lab will be located in the former Occupational Health space at the front of the hospital. Occupational health has been relocated to the outpatient entrance of the hospital.

Central High School and Northern Bedford High School played each other in football for the first time since 1972. The game was played at Panther Community Stadium, Loysburg.

The Martinsburg Community Library provided free backpacks filled with school supplies to elementary students. They had 50 backpacks to give away to library card holders.

The Herald reported on a Morrisons Cove connection when President Donald J. Trump awarded the medal of honor posthumously to U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. John A. Chapman at the White House on Aug. 22. Tech Sgt. Chapman’s widow, Valerie Nessel, is the daughter of Cove native Rita (Lehman) Novak. Novak grew up in Martinsburg and is a 1962 graduate of Central High School. She raised her family in Windber. Tech Sgt. Chapman died at the age of 36 in Afghanistan. The U.S. Air Force sergeant was honored for his actions on March 4, 2002, at the Battle of Roberts Ridge on Takur Ghar mountain.

After rescuing a teammate who had been stranded in enemy territory following a helicopter crash, the sergeant was killed by enemy gunfire while engaging al-Qaeda insurgents to protect his fellow soldiers.

September

Judging from the number of visitors who stopped by the Martinsburg Borough building on Friday, Aug. 31, to wish her well, it is clear that Betty Burns made quite an impression in her more than 26 years as secretary of the Martinsburg Borough Police Department. Police officers and community members stopped by the open house to honor Burns, who has retired after 26-1/2 years of service to the department. Burns began her career with the police department in 1992 as a way to help put her daughter through college.

Northern Bedford and Southern Huntingdon played an unusual Thursday night game Aug. 30 in Orbisonia. On a night usually reserved for a nationally televised college or NFL games, the Panthers and Rockets may have provided more entertainment than teams at the higher level could have. Those in attendance were treated to just under 800 yards of total offense and a winner wasn’t determined until the last 10 seconds of the game. Southern was dominant in many respects during the first half of the game, but Northern did just enough, two plays worth, to keep things very interesting and within a touchdown of the home team. In the end, the Rockets prevailed, 33-28.

The Morrisons Cove area felt the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon during a three-day stretch from Sept. 8 to Sept. 10. According to accuweather.com, the area received just over 5 inches of rain during that span – 5.02. Combine that total with rain figures from Sept. 6 and Sept. 7, and the area received 5.88 inches of rain. Accuweather.com said September’s average for rainfall is 3.46. Williamsburg was among the hardest hit areas. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a flood warning continued Sept. 11 for the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata at Williamsburg. At 4 a.m. Tuesday, the stage was 15.4 feet and falling. The flood stage is 12.0 feet.

At its regular monthly meeting on Sept. 17, the Spring Cove School Board voted 6-3 not to collect half of the one-percent Real Estate Transfer Tax, leaving the full amount to the municipalities. Spring Cove had notified the six municipalities within its district, Martinsburg Borough, Roaring Spring Borough, Huston Township, North Woodbury Township, Freedom Township and Taylor Township, that it would be voting on whether to collect its share of the transfer tax. Municipal officials said that the change would have left the municipalities scrambling to make up the lost revenue.

Freedom Township and Roaring Spring police arrested four people from New York for making fraudulent credit card purchases and driving a stolen vehicle. According to police reports, Freedom Township Police Chief Terry Dellinger was called to the Turkey Hill Mini Mart in East Freedom at around 11 p.m. on Aug. 23 for a report of suspicious activity by three males and one female. The store manager notified Dellinger that the individuals had been attempting to make purchases at the store using multiple credit and debit cards with different card numbers. The suspects had left by the time police arrived, but the store manager was able to take down the license plate of the car they were driving, along with seven receipts from the sales they made using the different cards.

A 27-point fourth-quarter outburst at Mount Union on Sept. 21 helped the Claysburg-Kimmel football team extend its winning streak to five. Trailing 21-14 through three quarters, the Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered points in the final 12 minutes en route to a 41-34 victory in an Inter-County Conference matchup. The win pushed C-K to 5-1 overall and in the ICC. Mount Union dropped to 0-6 overall, 0-5 in league play.

October

Cattle breeder David Burket of Burket Falls Farm in East Freedom was among five individuals who honored in October as recipients of the National Dairy Shrine’s Pioneer Award for their lifetime service. Burket received the 2018 Pioneer Recognition at the annual National Dairy Shrine Awards Banquet on Oct. 4 in Madison, Wisconsin. Burket has dedicated more than 60 years to the development and promotion of quality breeding, becoming an internationally recognized leader in developing both polled and Red and White Holsteins.

The Herald published a photo of a trip that 58 local veterans took to Washington, D.C., on July 30. They were transported by the Bollman Deluxe Motor Coach to view military memorials. Philip Waite organized the trip and was the tour guide for the group. The trip was open to all veterans including friends and family. Stops included guided tours of Arlington National Cemetery; President John F. Kennedy’s grave; the World War II, Vietnam and Koren War memorials; and the Air Force, Navy, Army Coast Guard and Iwo Jima Memorial.

The Herald reported that the long arm of the law has gotten longer over the past few years as local police departments joined departments across the country in turning to social media to help police in their work to keep communities safe. With social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter, law enforcement agencies across the country have a way of reaching out to the community to share information, and ask for help quicker than ever.

Two school districts in the Morrisons Cove area were awarded competitive Safe Schools Targeted grants to purchase safety and security-related equipment and to provide for the training and compensation of school resource and police officers. Equipment grants can be used for student, staff and visitor identification systems; metal detectors; protective lighting; surveillance equipment; special emergency communications equipment; electronic locksets; deadbolts and theft control devices; and training in the use of the security-related technology. Grants for school resource/police officers can be used for training and compensation of these officers.

“Our new gymnasium project at Central High School is well underway,” announced Spring Cove Superintendent Dr. Betsy Baker during her report at the Oct. 8 Spring Cove School District Committee of the Whole meeting. The 59-year-old gym floor was getting a new look. The board had previously agreed to install the new gym floor and bleachers at a cost not to exceed $275,000. Dr. Baker expressed appreciation to the maintenance staff for removing the bleachers, the athletic director for adjusting game schedules and the physical education teachers for revising lesson plans around the gym construction.

Blair County Sheriff James Ott asked the public for help with the county’s K-9 unit. Sheriff Ott said that the unit was formed with the understanding that it would be funded solely through donations and that no taxpayer dollars are used for the service. The K-9 service was in need of a new vehicle for canine officer Rik and his human partner, Cpl. Justin Bennett.

Blair County Commissioner Republican Commissioner Terry Tomassetti has announced that he will not seek re-election for a fourth term. In announcing his decision, Tomassetti said it has been a “distinct honor and privilege” to serve as commissioner.

Northern Bedford exploded for 20 second-period points in a 40-8 Homecoming victory over Williamsburg last Friday night, Oct. 5.

Central’s Lady Dragon soccer team won big Oct. 2 at Philipsburg-Osceola, scoring a season-high 15 goals while allowing just a single shot to rip the net. Central’s record improved to 6-5 on the season.

Ian Zimmerman, Ian Sherlock and Connor Laird finished 1-2-3 as the Northern Bedford High School boys’ cross country team beat Mount Union and Bellwood-Antis on Oct. 2. Northern Bedford defeated Mount Union, 17-37, and Bellwood-Antis, 15-40.

A falling tree knocked over a high-voltage line, crossing it with a low-voltage line, sending a power surge through homes in East Freedom early Friday morning, Oct. 12. According to Freedom Township Supervisor Ed Bender, the surge caused widespread damage in homes throughout the township with people reporting appliances and television sets blowing out. The traffic light at Dunnings Highway and Johnstown Road was also knocked out due to the surge.

The Roaring Spring Borough Council on Oct. 8 gave formal approval for the borough to purchase two properties on East Main Street from Mr. and Mrs. Brian Long – one property for $45,000 and the other for $30,000. Borough Solicitor Larry Lashinsky said the buildings might be torn down but noted that council has been debating what to do about the wall on East Main Street and that the purchase of these properties does not mean that council has decided a course of action.

The Greenfield Township Board of Supervisors approved the hiring of Ronald Sharkey as police chief of the township’s police department, effective Oct. 2. Sharkey has been an officer with the department since March 2018. He previously served as chief of the Hastings Police Department.

Nancy Barnett and her husband Ron of Curryville celebrated visiting every Pennsylvania state park. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, there are 120 state parks.

During the Oct. 10 meeting of the district’s school directors, board president Richard Gergely reported that the Claysburg Education Foundation will pay for 140 iPads to be distributed to all students in Grades 7 and 8, at a cost of around $50,000.

Thanks to the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education nominations from Pleasant View Farms (the Metzler Family) and Penn England LLC (the England Family), the Grow Rural Education program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, recognized Williamsburg Community School District with a $10,000 grant to enhance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs.

Emily Deanne Loose of Williamsburg, a local student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, served on IUP’s 2018 Homecoming Crimson Court Oct. 6. Loose, a communications media and journalism and public relations double major in the Cook Honors College, represented the College of Education and Communications.

Central senior Ashley Negley was all smiles after recording her 100th career goal Oct. 15 against Tyrone. Negley’s milestone helped the Lady Dragons earn a 4-3 victory.

The Claysburg-Kimmel High School volleyball team earned a four-set victory at Juniata Valley on Oct. 16. C-K won the match by the scores of 25-18, 25-15, 17-25, 25-12. Megan Hartman served for 15 points and added 10 kills to lead the Lady Bulldogs.

Northern Bedford had its share of down-to-the-wire games last season but the Panthers went above and beyond Oct. 19 when they visited West Branch. In fact, they went three overtimes beyond regulation to take a thrilling 41-40 victory over the Warriors. Dalton Smith got three overtime touchdown runs and Cadin Ebersole came up with a crucial blocked extra point to highlight the win.

The Northern Bedford High School boys’ cross-country team captured the team title at the Inter-County Conference championships Oct. 17 at Mount Union. The Black Panthers placed five runners in the top 10, led by Ian Zimmerman’s winning time of 16:07.

The Williamsburg High School football team played its best game of the year Oct. 19, at Everett. The Blue Pirates held an 18-14 lead with 2:08 to play in the third quarter. However, Everett avoided the upset by scoring the game’s final 28 points – including an interception and a punt return for touchdowns – to escape with a 42-18 victory. Everett improved to 6-3 overall, 5-3 in the Inter-County Conference. Williamsburg dropped to 0-9 overall, 0-8 in the league.

The morning of Oct. 27 started out like any typical morning for Amy Carpenter of Pittsburgh and her 15-year-old daughter Jane. A light rain coupled with cool temperatures kept most people indoors, making for a quiet morning in the neighborhood. And then, at approximately 11 a.m., the screams of emergency vehicle sirens pierced the air, shattering the morning tranquility in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood the former Cove resident has called home for 18 years.

“We got on social media and various news apps to try to find out what was going on,” she said. “I found one of our local news reporter’s Twitter feed that there was a shooting on Shady Avenue.”

According to police and news reports, a gunman shot and killed 11 people and wounded six, including four police officers, in a rampage at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Saturday, Oct. 27.

For the second time in as many months, Freedom Township and Roaring Spring police arrested a New Yorker for attempting to use fraudulent credit cards at the Turkey Hill Mini Mart’s in East Freedom and Roaring Spring. According to the charges, Jahlee L. Michaud, 24, of Brooklyn, N.Y., made purchases totalling $132.78 at Turkey Hill’s East Freedom location and purchases totalling $99.66 at the Turkey Hill in Roaring Spring.

The Claysburg Area Public Library held its seventh annual Fundraising Dinner Oct. 20 at the Freedom Township Fire Hall, East Freedom. A $20 ticket provided a turkey dinner by the fire company. According to Jane Knisely, library director, there were 95 items donated for silent auction, 54 baskets donated to be raffled and 18 door prizes. More than 200 tickets were sold, and the fundraising effort produced more than $13,000, she said.

The Scarlet Dragons closed their gridiron season at 3-7. Although the final score indicated a lopsided game, the battle between Mountain League rivals Central and Huntingdon Oct. 19 was a one-point game with seconds remaining in the first half. The visiting Dragons (3-6) held an 18-17 advantage before the Bearcats struck for two late touchdowns in the final seconds of the second quarter. Huntingdon rode the momentum to a 52-18 victory.

The Northern Bedford High School boys’ cross country team claimed the District 5 Class 1A team title Oct. 23 at the Bedford County Technical Center course in Bedford.

Northern Bedford fell to second-seeded Conemaugh Township, 3-0, Oct. 25 in the District 5 Class 1A volleyball quarterfinals.

The Williamsburg High School football team finished its 2018 campaign Oct. 26 with a 21-6 defeat to visiting Mount Union. Mount Union finished its season at 2-8, while the Blue Pirates concluded the year at 0-10.

It was a tough way for the Central Lady Dragon soccer team to finish their season. The seventh-seeded Lady Dragons took second-seeded Somerset into overtime before falling 2-1.

The Central Lady Dragon tennis team lost its District 6 team playoff to Bishop Guilfoyle by a score of 3-2. Both doubles teams were victorious, but the Lady Dragons lost all three singles matches.

Central’s cross-country teams recently competed at Philipsburg-Osceola with Bellefonte also involved. The girls lost to P-O 18-45 and to Bellefonte 23-32. The boys defeated P-O 23-38.

A minivan hit the back of a Spring Cove school bus carrying 29 students on Oct. 31, but no one was injured, according to police.

The Claysburg School District received more than $170,000 in grants from the Claysburg Education Foundation for the 2018-19 school year. The support will allow the district to become a leader in the area of STEM education and technology integration in kindergarten through 12th grade.

The Martinsburg Community Library’s fourth annual Taste of The Cove event was held Oct. 20 at the Givler Cultural Center at Homewood at Martinsburg, with 160 in attendance to support the library. The event featured the acoustic duo of Raining Blue, Community Novel Service Award presentations, a silent auction and raffles to benefit the library.

Long’s Outpost, outside of Martinsburg, held a free trapping seminar on Oct.13. Fourteen people participated in the event. Trapper Jerry Johnson, owner of Johnson’s Furs Inc., and friend and colleague Rob Wilbur taught the seminar.

Back in July, the Roaring Spring Municipal Authority began the process to paint and clean the borough’s one-million gallon water tank by voting to advertise for bids. Work began on the tank on Oct. 4 and finished on Oct. 26. The authority awarded the contract to L&T Painting of Michigan to sandblast, prime and paint the inside and outside of the tank, for $289,000.

November

Republican candidates gathered at the Altoona Grand Hotel on Election night, Tuesday, Nov. 6, for a watch party, and they were not disappointed. Dr. James Joyce, a political newcomer, defeated Democrat Brent Ottaway in the race for the U.S. Houses for the newly formed 13th Congressional District, while Judy Ward overcame a challenge from Democrat Emily Best to become the first female senator from the 30th District. Jim Gregory cruised to an easy victory over Democratic challenger Laura Burke in the race for the 80th District House seat being vacated by Ward.

The 2018 Spring Cove junior high football team finished the season 8-0 after a 38-8 win over Hollidaysburg. Throughout the season, the Junior Dragons outscored opponents 302-56. The eighth-grade team also had a successful season, going 8-0-1, and the seventh-grade team finished 7-1.

Senior linebacker Blayde Shawley helped keep Claysburg-Kimmel’s season alive in the District 6 Class 1A football playoffs Saturday, Nov. 3. Shawley returned a fumble recovery 70 yards for a third-quarter touchdown that carried the Bulldogs to a 12-6 hard-fought, come-from-behind victory over Conemaugh Valley. C-K, the seventh seed, improved to 7-4. Conemaugh Valley, seeded 10th, finished the season at 4-7.

The Northern Bedford Panthers won their third straight, a 29-7 win over visiting James Buchanan, to finish a 5-6 2018 football campaign.

The Oct. 27 shooting inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvania, that claimed the life of 11, prompted churches in the Cove area, some reluctantly, to take measures to ensure the safety of parishioners. But for some, there is only so far they were willing to go, pastors told the Herald.

After a nearly year-long investigation, police announced the arrest of two adults and one juvenile in connection with a series of church burglaries that occurred between October and December of 2017. James A. Shaulis, 20, and Chace P. Gable, 19, both of Alexandria, along with a 17-year-old juvenile, were arrested and charged in Huntingdon County with burglary, theft, criminal trespasss, criminal mischief and receiving stolen property. Police say the three burglarized churches in Blair and Huntingdon counties during overnight hours by forcing open doors or breaking windows and stealing cash.

The Freedom Township Supervisors held a public hearing before their regular monthly meeting on Nov. 6 to hear a request from Giant Eagle Inc., of Pittsburgh, to approve the inter-municipal transfer of a liquor license from Altoona, to the East Freedom GetGo.

Greenfield Township Supervisors Chairman Matt Treon and Vice Chairman Jordan Oldham accepted the resignation of Supervisor Ray Benton Nov. 7. In a letter to the board dated Oct. 30, Benton explained that he was resigning due to the hiring of his daughter to the township’s police department and wanted to comply with the township’s nepotism policy. Oldham thanked Benton for his service.

On Thursday, Nov. 15, winter showed up to a party it wasn’t invited to and hung around into the next day. As most people were waking up Thursday morning, the roads were dry and not as much as a flake of snow was falling from the sky, but by around 9 a.m. that all changed as a mixture of sleet and snow – which eventually gave way to heavy snowfall – began to blanket the area. Area schools had already cancelled classes for the day in anticipation of the weather, and as it became apparent that this was going to be a major event, businesses began locking their doors early to allow their employees to get home safely. Emergency personnel were kept busy throughout Blair County with minor accidents and cars sliding off the road into ditches. PennDOT reduced the speed on highways throughout the state to 45 m.p.h. until road crews could treat them enough to make them safe for normal speeds.

The Cove Cause for Cancer organization, or the CCC, has begun its grassroots effort as the area’s first non-profit organization with its only focus being to raise funds to help support members of local communities who are going through a “Cancer Journey” and need extra financial support.

Roaring Spring Borough officials, while maintaining they will continue their financial support of the library, said they wanted the building’s lease transferred from the borough to the library, eliminating any liability responsibility for the borough. The building that houses the Roaring Spring Community Library is owned by the borough, and one of the benefits the library enjoys, along with the monthly donations and borough-paid utility bills, is the use of the building rent-free. Borough Council President William Brumbaugh said council is trying to be “pro-active” in limiting the borough’s liability, and owning the library building “doesn’t make sense.”

A little sleet, a little rain and a little cold did not totally dampen the spirits of Claysburg people who attended Christmas in the Park 2018 on Nov. 24. The parade was cancelled, but the rest of the festivities were under roof and went on as planned.

December

Police departments from Altoona, Logan Township, Duncansville, Hollidaysburg, Greenfield Township, Penn State Altoona, along with the Pennsylvania State Police Troop G, Hollidaysburg, and the Blair County Sheriff’s Office were honored by AAA East Central for their efforts in promoting traffic safety. Officers from each department were presented plaques at a luncheon at Marzoni’s restaurant in Duncansville on Dec. 3.

About 20 years ago, Roaring Spring native Lowell Burket began photographing wildlife, a hobby he said he always wanted to do, but never had the time for. While pursuing his hobby, Burket, a lawyer who now lives in Pittsburgh, said he began to notice the very colorful birds that would fly out of a birdhole on his family’s farm when he walked past. Burket’s father-in-law, Larry Stump, had been sending bird observation data to Cornell University for its Project Feederwatch. With Stump’s help, and the gift of a bird book, Burket began learning about warblers and soon was reporting his own sightings to Cornell. Five years after he first began reporting his sightings, Burket’s love of photographing warblers has brought him sudden worldwide fame for discovering a previously unknown, three-species hybrid warbler on his family’s farm in Roaring Spring.

Chad Miller of Claysburg and Chase Kreider of Roaring Spring each shot a nine-point buck in Blair County. Miller’s buck, which had a 19-1/2-inch spread, was killed on the last day of archery season. Kreider’s buck, with 16.75-inch spread, was taken on the first day of rifle season.

The Claysburg-Kimmel School District said goodbye to one of its boardmembers who served for more than 18 years. Cathy Barnes, who was first sworn in as a boardmember on June 14, 2000, resigned from her position due to health reasons. Barnes submitted her resignation during the Dec. 5 board meeting.

Greenfield Township announced it had received a $40,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The DCNR Small Communities Grant will be used for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades in the playground and basketball areas at the Claysburg Area Community Park. The township will also utilize $20,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for the project.

A portion of the wall along East Main Street, Roaring Spring, across from Appvion, collapsed on Dec. 15, sending several large stones onto the street. The portion of the wall that gave out was in front of the Roaring Spring Mennonite Church.