What Was Making Herald Headlines July-September 2021?

JULY

The Smith family was named as the honorees of the 39th Ag Parade. According to Doug Smith, the current owner of the farm, the focus was on his parents, Dennis and Margaret Smith, who are being honored as a couple. Dry Creek Farm has been in the Smith family for three generations.

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As Dairy Month came to an end, Blair County Dairy Princess Madison Benfer and Dairy Princess Alternate Darcy Heltzel started their reigns.

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Snowberger's Poured Walls defeated True Value Hardware 10-9 to be crowned the 2021 Spring Cove Youth Baseball League 12 U champions.

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Luke Williams of Martinsburg won the annual Father's Day Derby held on Lake Champlain in Vermont. The Northern Pike William caught weighed 13.6 pounds and was 38 inches long. The Central alum won $3,000 for first place in the Northern Pike category.

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More than 150 more Hometown Hero banners were hung around Williamsburg in July, making the 2021 Hometown Hero Banner project complete. There are a total of 205 Hometown Hero banners posted.

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An early evening fire on Sunday, July 4, destroyed the Woodbury Post Office and claimed the life of a woman. Fire crews were called to the post office, located at 143 Main St. Woodbury, Bedford County, at around 6:30 p.m. and arrived to find flames reported to be at least 20 feet high coming from the building. SCynthia L. Albright, 64, died of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries in the fire.

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Merchants were warned to be alert to the possibility of fake money. A counterfeit $100 dollar bill was found on the ground during the Agriculture Parade.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded a grant to the Altoona-Blair County Airport Authority to enhance its runway. The grant is for a total of $423,741. The airport received a grant for the same purpose last year. The approximately $1.1 million grant completed two-thirds of the runway project, according to Tracy Plessinger, manager of the Altoona-Blair County Airport.

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Roaring Spring Borough received a $263,200 grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT's) Green Light-Go program, provided as reimbursement to municipalities to improve efficiency and operations of existing traffic signals. The grant will be used to upgrade the traffic lights at the Five Points and improve the sidewalks and curbs around the area to make it handicap-accessible.

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The Claysburg Area Hall of Fame held its 2020 induction event, which was postponed due to COVID-19, on July 17 in the Claysburg-Kimmel High School auditorium. Inducted were Richard E. Allison, Dale L. Feathers, Ray J. McDonald and Steven W. Walter. Burket Falls Farms was given the Pioneer Award.

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Macy Walason of Green Slopes Farm in Imler was awarded the National Outstanding Youth Award at the National Junior Guernsey Breeders Awards Breakfast.

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First a church, then a cafe, then a church again. Plans were for Woodbury Borough's 134 Main Street to change hands. The Woodbury Cafe was to become Grace Communion Woodbury, a congregation of Grace Communion International.

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News that the former Appvion plant in Roaring Spring had been sold was met with cautious optimism by borough officials. It was announced that a group of four buyers, collectively known as Roaring Spring Park LLC, purchased the plant with plans to find a buyer and identify potential uses for the plant that could breathe new life into the facility that closed for good in April.

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Herald Publisher Allan J. Bassler announced a tour of the Herald's coverage area to talk to subscribers, readers and advertisers. The goal of the tour is to gather information about what the community wants the Herald to be and what services it wants from the Herald.

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County-level data published on the Pennsylvania State Data Center's website indicated that the overall population in Bedford County decreased by 1,888, or 3.8 percent, from 2010 to 2020.By comparison, Blair County's population decreased by 5,288, or 4.2 percent, during the same time period.

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Local bus companies were reporting a driver shortage. Maxwell Transit, a bus company that services part of Spring Cove School District reported that there is always a shortage on school bus drivers, but 2021 had been particularly hard. Likewise, Raystown Transit, which provides busing for Williamsburg Community School District, has had drivers retiring the past few years, and the rate of new hires has not been where it used to be.

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Mary and Bill Burket celebrated their great-niece Emma Weyant's success at the Olymics. Weyant is the granddaughter of Kay Weyant of Martinsburg. The 19-year-old finished with a silver medal in the 400 IM final on July 24.

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The Claysburg Education Foundation announced the awarding of $75,000 to assist in improvements to education to the Claysburg-Kimmel School District and the Claysburg Area Public Library.

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Following a decision made by the Juniata Valley School Board on Wednesday, July 28, the Williamsburg Community School District voted for a co-op agreement between the Hornets and the Blue Pirates for the upcoming varsity football season during a special meeting the following day.

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AUGUST

Operation Our Town gave the Roaring Spring Community Library a grant for the library to start "Curiosity Creates Open Art Studio." The purpose of this project is to provide children with a safe place to express themselves using art.

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The Martinsburg Municipal Authority proposed the replacement of 9,500 feet of waterline in Martinsburg.

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The Williamsburg Blue Pirates (Yellow Springs Hardwood) won a hard-fought battle in the finals of the Dean Patterson Tournament.

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For David and Cathy Mock, opening a dog kennel was always a dream. That dream came true with the opening of Mock’s Bridge Pet Resort, located in Williamsburg.

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The lot formerly occupied by Bickel’s Surplus in front of Conemaugh Nason hospital will offer Cove residents Arby’s and Dunkin’ dine-in restaurants, according to information provided by Roaring Spring borough.

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“What are we supposed to do when these walk-offs come to our property and they don’t listen when we say to keep walking?” This was one of many complaints brought up to Cove Forge employees during Aug. 4’s town hall meeting at the Grace Pointe Community Church of God.

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The Williamsburg Municipal Authority announced that it would pay off the original PennVEST loan of $181,000 by cashing in a certificate of deposit.

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The push to make Blair County and its 24 municipalities a second amendment sanctuary took a step to reality when volunteers collected enough signatures to get two referendums on November’s general election ballot.

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The Altoona-Blair County Airport in North Woodbury Township received the third installment of a three-part grant from the federal government designed to help the airport offset COVID-19 related expenses and losses. Airport Manager Tracy Plessinger said the funds can be used to offset any expenses that the airport incurred as part of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The 70th Anniversary Morrisons Cove Dairy Show was held Wednesday, Aug. 4, and Thursday, Aug. 5, at the Morrisons Cove Memorial Park.

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On Aug. 14, at the 26th annual Little Miss Claysburg Pageant, Alaina Musselman won the title of Little Miss Claysburg Queen. She is the daughter of Terri and Christopher Musselman.

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Nic’s Grab N Go District Manager Angie Kipe suggested that area stores do a “round-up” change campaign. Manager Kristin Bigelow of Williamsburg decided the Williamsburg’s store would benefit the Williamsburg Volunteer Fire Department. The campaign raised $6,165.43 between July 2020 and Aug. 12, 2021.

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On Aug. 16, Conemaugh Nason Medical Center implemented visitor restrictions in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the community. Visiting hours were reduced and restricted.

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The year’s Friends of the Martinsburg Community summer reading program, Tales and Tails, ended on Aug. 13, 2021, with a total of 51 children in preschool through eighth grade registered for the program, and 33 of the children completing the program, reading for a total of 21,218 minutes.

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A storm that dropped almost four inches of rain in less than an hour left parts of Williamsburg underwater and officials working on plans to upgrade its stormwater system.

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A day of fun, entertainment and food helped support cancer patients in the area. Cove Cause for Cancer held “Party in the Park” Aug. 21 in Morrisons Cove Memorial Park, not only to raise money for cancer patients, but to also bring the community together.

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The Morrisons Cove Herald purchased “Lance,” a 120-pound goat entered in the 2021 Blair County Junior Livestock Sale, and donated it back. Lance was raised by Layne Carpenter, 11, of Dn’D Family Farms, the son of Dessie and Derrick Carpenter. He lives in Bakers Summit with his parents and four brothers.

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The Blair County Farm Bureau held a legislative Farm/Agribusiness Tour at Clover Creek Cheese Cellar in Williamsburg on Aug. 20. Discussion included the expansion of high-speed broadband infrastructure in rural areas.

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The Cove would really, really like the Herald to resume publishing the Cove Calendar in our print edition. That was the main takeaway from the Herald’s first Town Hall meeting held at Morrisons Cove Memorial Park on Aug. 18.

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Ashley Brubaker, 18, of Williamsburg was crowned the 2021-22 Williamsburg Farm Show Queen on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 22. Brubaker is the daughter of Shawn and Kendra Brubaker of Williamsburg. Alternate Queen is Abigail England, 19, of Williamsburg.

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The 2021 Valley Rural Electric Annual Benefit Golf Outing raised money for an area teenager battling lymphoma and an infant with a congenital heart condition. The cooperative’s 10th annual tournament saw the return of a morning and afternoon flight of golfers to the Huntingdon Country Club on Aug. 12.

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The Roaring Spring Community Library was able to refresh its learning environment with 20 gallons of donated paint. The Roaring Spring Community Library was selected as the winner of a paint grant through Roaring Spring True Value’s partnership with True Value Foundation’s Painting a Brighter Future program.

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On Aug. 17, the Bedford County Commissioners, in cooperation with Alleghenies Broadband, Inc. (ABI), launched Phase One of the master plan to expand internet services to unserved and underserved areas throughout Bedford County. Following a solicitation for proposals, Crowsnest Broadband was selected as the provider of Phase One services.

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Williamsburg’s annual Farm Show Parade took place on Aug. 26. The parade featured many local faces.

SEPTEMBER

School districts across the commonwealth grappled with the fallout of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s mask mandate. The mandate, requiring all students and staff in public and private schools to wear face coverings went into effect on Sept. 7, setting off a wave of protests from some parents and students.

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Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Ida kept Cove area crews busy closing roads and pumping basements. More than six inches of rain fell on the Cove Sept. 1, once again overwhelming storm drains and causing wide-spread flooding throughout the area.

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The Northern Bedford community mourned the loss of longtime assistant football coach Robert B. “Rob” Reed, who passed away Sept. 8 at the age of 56 from complications of COVID-19. For more than a decade, Reed worked with the Northern Bedford football program and junior high baseball and basketball.

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Martinsburg Borough Police Chief Kerry Hoover and his wife put up 13 flags in the lot beside the borough building in honor of Sept. 11 and the 13 soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan. Hoover said it was a “team effort,” and multiple people came to help them.

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On Sept. 7, 10 veterans were awarded with Quilts of Valor. The ceremony took place at Memorial Church of the Brethren in Martinsburg. Local veterans honored at the Quilt of Valor ceremony were Robert L. Hampton, Sr. Air Force, 1962-90; Richard Brantner, Navy, 1964-70; and Robert Dickson, Army, 1968-70.

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Pastor Gordon Trimer of the Mines/Royer United Methodist Church, Williamsburg, led a 9/11 service of remembrance on Saturday, Sept. 11, in Riverside Park.

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The annual Clinic For Special Children Auction was held Sept. 11. There was a total of 23 quilts offered for sale, including quilt tops.

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Joe Logan came to the After 3 program on Sept. 14 at Northern Bedford to share his 9/11 presentation with students.

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The Southern Cove Power Reunion’s Annual Show took place on Sept. 17, 18 and 19 at 145 West Cave Road, New Enterprise.

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After receiving the Blair County Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence in 2020, Mark Barnhart was to be honored at the 2021 award ceremony. Barnhart is the owner and chairman of the board at NPC in Claysburg.

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A resident of Cove Forge was charged with stealing a vehicle after walking away from the facility on Sept. 13.

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Martinsburg Fire Company held a chicken barbecue on Sept. 25, 2021, at Morrisons Cove Memorial Park. Half of the proceeds from this event went to the W. Gene Henry Memorial plaque.

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Patricia “Pat” Horner retired from volunteering at Conemaugh Nason Medical Center on Sept. 16, 2021, after more than 40 years of service to the hospital. Horner volunteered in the Nason Gift Shop and also volunteered her time as a buyer for the shop.

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About 90 alumni of Replogle, Woodbury, and NBC high schools gathered for a reunion on Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Southern Cove Fire Company building in New Enterprise.

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Williamsburg wants more local sports news. That was the message we heard from the third Herald “Tell Us What You Think” town meeting, which was held at the Zion Lutheran Church in Williamsburg on Monday, Sept. 27. The Herald’s meeting in Williamsburg was part of the regular meeting of the Women’s Civic Club of Williamsburg.

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The Blair County Chamber of Commerce held its “Down on the Farm” event at Kulp Family Dairy LLC on Sept. 30.

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Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases and the increased rate of transmission in the region, Conemaugh Nason Medical Center imposed a “no-visitor” policy for all inpatient and outpatient areas and the Emergency Department.

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