by Joan Bittner Fry Mr. Billy R. Hodge, Sr., passed away October 11, 2025, at the age of 94. He was born in Ashland, West Virginia, and after graduating from Elkhorn High School in 1948, he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in education from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. Early on, Billy […]
Alisha Yocum Volunteers once again gathered at the Vigilant Hose Company Activities Building in Emmitsburg on Thanksgiving Day to serve up a free meal, with all the holiday fixings, to anyone in the community. Seton Center, a nonprofit whose mission is to offer resources for emergency support services and skill development, catalyzing systemic change for […]
The Thurmont Lions Club and the Lions Clubs of District 22-W know how important it is to share our American Heritage and how to use that knowledge to inspire volunteerism. July 4, 2026, marks 250 years of American independence from Great Britain since July 4, 1776. As we reflect and celebrate this important milestone for […]
James Rada Jr. In what has been a contentious development project and annexation process, the Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners approved the annexation of the 16.7-acre Simmers property for the development of 61 single-family homes after a public hearing. The parcel is currently zoned for agricultural use. Following the end of the public hearing […]
Alisha Yocum Sheetz, along with the partnership of Thurmont American Legion and the Thurmont Lions Club, came together to honor and remember Veterans through the annual Wreaths Across America program in December. Over 5,200 locations nationally gathered to lay fresh evergreen wreaths at the headstones of U.S. Veterans. “For the past two years, I have […]
Alisha Yocum The bell of the newly completed St. Joseph’s Chapel rang out through the crisp December air on December 3, as Mother Seton School (MSS) in Emmitsburg celebrated the chapel’s completion with Mass and a dedication ceremony. The latest addition to the school was made possible through the donation of TJ and Donna (Fitzgerald) […]
The Town of Emmitsburg donated $2,304 to the Emmitsburg Food Bank from registration fees collected during the Turkey Trot in November. This is the largest donation made to an organization to date and the town is excited to keep growing the event to raise even more money in the future. Jessica Housaman (Town Employee), Julie […]
Alisha Yocum One might be hard-pressed to find another small town that rallies with such strong support for a great cause. From pink house lights to community members and businesses sporting pink shirts and displays, it is clear that Thurmont is on a mission to help fight breast cancer. At a recent Town of Thurmont […]
by Aditi Dhananjaya, High School Student Imagine being locked up in a cell, stripped of your identity, and told to obey a group of strangers who hold complete authority over you. Every move you make is watched. Every mistake is punished. This was not a scene from a dystopian novel; it was the reality of […]
With Michael Betteridge Never Say Anything Bad About Someone January is always the time of the year during which we reflect on the past year and prepare for the new year. We use the successes and failures of 2025 to shape our plan to increase the former and limit the latter. We take stock of […]
Catoctin High School(CHS) students and staff participated in a very special Bocce Tournament on Wednesday, December 17, held in memory of CHS Special Education Teacher Kelle Brumley. Ms. Brumley was not only a teacher but also a co-coach of the many Unified Sports teams at Catoctin High School. The tournament was held to raise funds […]
Several students from Catoctin High School who attend the Frederick County Public Schools Career and Technology program recently showed off the skills they learned during the annual SkillsUSA local competition. Students from across all Fredrick County Public Schools who finished in the top five of their competition were recognized during an award ceremony on December […]
Six Catoctin High School Spanish Honor Society students and advisor/teacher Lynne Griffin spent the evening of Monday, December 1, serving as Spanish translators for a Christmas event at the Thurmont Community Closet. The event is held annually at the start of the Christmas season. The purpose of the event is to serve families in need […]
An FFA Project Series by Makayla Comer Makayla Comer is a junior at Catoctin High School and a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). She is serving as the 2025-2026 Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show Ambassador and currently serves as Social Media Coordinator. In this monthly series, Comer will take readers behind the […]
1: Inheritance Armies had marched past the simple large two-story home in Gettysburg, their boots trampling the grass into dirt and then mud on the third day of the battle. Soldiers, both Union and Confederate, had died in the back yard and the front yard, their final breaths drawn beneath the shade of ancient oaks. […]
by Mitchell Tester, College Student The North Star If you go outside any night with the sky clear and look directly above, you’ll notice a “fixed star.” That star is what we call the North Star, or its official name, Polaris. This star is in the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper. […]
by Tricia Bush, CPA, CFP® Owner, AAA Advisory LLC Part 1: Getting Started with Investing When to Begin and Where to Start For many people, investing feels overwhelming before it ever begins. The terminology can sound intimidating, the decisions feel permanent, and there’s often a fear of “doing it wrong.” I remember when I was […]
A Woman’s Curse on Site R Although construction of Site R under Raven Rock Mountain used advanced construction techniques to protect the lives of essential members of the federal government, it couldn’t avoid the superstitions of the men who built it and the lives those superstitions cost. In 1951, when Dennis Koontz was a young […]
July 12, 1933 – December 9, 2025 Harold “Cap” Lowell Long, 92, passed peacefully at his home on Tuesday, December 9, surrounded by loved ones. He was born in Thurmont, Maryland, on July 12, 1933, the eighth of ten children born to the late Franklin and Ruth (Troxell) Long. He grew up active in 4-H […]
Horace Mann Bushman The First to Fall Horace “Bush” Bushman was born on August 6, 1916, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to parents Rufus Howard and Hattie R. Bushman, and had one brother, George Levi Bushman, whom his parents had given birth to three years earlier. Bushman graduated from Gettysburg High School in 1935, where he had […]
Thurmont AMVETS Post 7, located at 26 Apples Church Road in Thurmont, is now open for lunch and dinner every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m., with weekly specials on Thursdays and Fridays. They also offer a bucket of domestic beer for only $13.00! Check out their advertisement below and on page […]
We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. If you didn’t pay your membership dues by December 31, 2025, your key card has been deactivated. Please stop by or mail your dues to the Legion as soon as possible. Any questions, please contact the Post at 301-271-4411 or […]
James Rada, Jr. January 1926, 100 Years Ago entennial Of Apple’s Church, One Of State’s Oldest, Planned April 13 All Thurmont is eagerly looking forward to April 13, for on that day, the citizenry will commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of one of Maryland’s oldest churches. Apple’s Reformed church, […]
Winter has officially arrived, and the cold weather is here for another three to four months. I am not a winter person, so I want to have something that is warm and comforting to eat on those cold and wind-chilling days. I can remember my mother making chicken and dumplings or slippery pot pie many […]
New Year, New Diet, New You! Part 1 by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center r! Many of us make New Year’s resolutions, and many of us fail to make them stick. My suggestion is to figure out what the best eating plan is for you to follow and start there. […]