Emmitsburg Community Heritage Day is a cherished event for residents and visitors alike. For some, the day’s highlight is the mouthwatering chicken BBQ, while others look forward to the early morning breakfast at the Vigilant Hose Company Activities Building. Children and grandchildren enjoy activities like the raw egg toss, pie eating contests, and a full […]
by Geraldine OtrembaCascade Resident, on Behalf of the Committee to Protect Our Mountain The Washington County Planning Commission held a public hearing on Monday, April 6, at 6:00 p.m. on a proposed Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) that would prohibit small box variety stores in the County’s Rural Village zone within 1,000 feet of a property […]
This image shows William McGill working with a group of younger students at Philip’s Delight School. He was the teacher and principal at the school, which was the last one-room school in Frederick County. It was located off an old lumber trail surrounded by thick woods on Catoctin Mountain. Before the school closed on February […]
Nominations for the 2026 Wertheimer Fellow for Excellence in Volunteerism and Youth in Action Awards will be accepted May 1 through May 31 The Community Foundation of Frederick County is inviting the community to help shine a light on those who quietly make a difference. Throughout the month of May, nominations will be accepted for […]
by Eric Wargotz, MD, FCAP MedChi President – The Maryland State Medical Society In rural parts of the state, including Western Maryland, patients face a persistent reality: the health care they access is often determined by geography, not by medical need. Some patients in rural communities must travel more than an hour just to see […]
Charles Rodman Myers April 9, 1934 – April 23, 2026 Charles Rodman Myers, 92, of Thurmont, Maryland, passed away on April 23, 2026, at Gettysburg Hospital. Rodman was the husband of the late Madeline Jean Ogle Myers, and they were married on August 27, 1955. They owned and operated, along with their children, Catoctin Mountain […]
The Mount St. Mary’s University (MSMU) Track & Field team recently competed in both the Messiah Invitational and the JMU Invitational in April. During the meets, Sophomore Camryn Jones-Howard broke the school record in the triple jump with a distance of 12.45 meters. She surpassed the previous mark held by her teammate, Madelyn Valpy, who […]
Taylor Smith, a former Catoctin High School softball player, pitched her first no-hitter of her collegiate career. Smith, a freshman at the University of Virginia, struck out three and walked three batters in the team’s 8-0 win over NC State on April 25. “She was executing on both sides of the plate and was super […]
The MPSSAA (Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association) Indoor State Track and Field Championship was held on February 17, 2026. Catoctin High School came home from the meet with two state champions! Freshman Kaila Jones won the shot put with a throw of 36 feet 11.75 inches. This was a personal best, and she broke […]
With Michael Betteridge This Team Is Fun Sports teams develop a personality. It develops as the challenges of the season unfold. Injuries, tough losses, big wins, and unexpected developments can mold the “vibe.” After a little over a month of softball, you can pretty much see and feel the personality of our Cougars softball team. […]
The Blue Ridge Sportsmen’s Association (BRSA) recently made a donation of $1,500 each to the Emmitsburg Elementary School (EES) and Thurmont Middle School Archery Teams. Both teams have students who will be advancing to the National Competition in May in Kentucky. BRSA President, Kevin Ditch, says it is important for the organization to support things […]
The Emmitsburg High School Alumni Association is accepting scholarship applications. Four $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in May to deserving students. Any Catoctin High School senior or graduate who is enrolled in an institution of higher learning is eligible if he/she resides in the Emmitsburg School District. This includes Emmitsburg 21727, Rocky Ridge 21778, and […]
The Distinguished Graduate Organization was established to recognize the graduates of Catoctin High School (CHS) who have made a difference locally, in the state, and/or in the nation. These men and women are nominated in five categories: Academics, Arts & Humanities, Athletics, Business, and Service (community, military, or public). Nominated graduates will be mailed an […]
Doing Our Part to Protect the Planet Earth Day is such an important holiday that falls on the 22nd of April every year. But not enough people celebrate it, or even know much about it! Everyone should do their part to save the Earth, not just on this special day, but every day. The first […]
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 scenes of what it takes to raise […]
Seeking A Second Opinion James Rada, Jr. Lou Preston set aside his great-grandfather’s leather-bound journal, its cracked spine and yellowed pages whispering of decades past. Harley Preston had plunged into a Civil War conspiracy so obscure that no historian had ever glimpsed it—secret peace negotiations between Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. That lack of recognition […]
by Mitchell Tester, College Student The evergreen state In April, I got the opportunity to go on a trip with my good friends to a place I had never been before, somewhere that I did not know much about. At four in the morning, we all wake up at my friend, Jake’s. We grab our […]
by Tricia Bush, CPA, CFP® Owner, AAA Advisory LLC Should i pay for my kid’s college? As a financial advisor, this is a question that comes up often. But interestingly, it doesn’t always start as a question. Sometimes, it begins as an assumption, something parents feel they’re supposed to do. Other times, it’s a vague […]
A Man Was Left To Drown by James Rada, Jr. At the end of March 1913, many people in Frederick County were watching the Midwest, where severe flooding was damaging property and taking lives. However, the county was not without its own devastating weather. “Blown by a strong wind, a downpour of rain such as […]
by Michele Tester The Second Time Around Since May celebrates mothers, I thought it was only fitting that I write about my life-altering, magical, heartfelt experience: The birth of my first grandchild and becoming a grandmother. The day my daughter and her husband came over to our house to tell us that she was pregnant […]
by Richard D. L. Fulton Henry B. Pecher First Adams’ Pacific POW Fairfield resident, Henry Benedict Pecher, was born on February 10, 1919, to parents Jacob Henry Pecher, who was 35, and Helen Grace Sanders, and they had nine children (in order of birth): Paul Lafayette, Anna Agatha, Henry Benedict, Miriam Magdalena, Alfonsus J., George […]
Thurmont AMVETS Post 7, located at 26 Apples Church Road inThurmont, is now open for lunch and dinner every Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, and Saturday, from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m., with weekly specialsWednesday through Saturday, from noon to 7:00 p.m. Check out theFriday Night Special, a “Bucket of Domestic Beer and an appetizer foronly $20.00! Follow them […]
We hope that everyone has been enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having. It is so nice to see the flowers and trees blooming, although some of them do not last long enough! The Easter Egg Hunt was a success again this year, even though the wind made it a bit chillier than it […]
James Rada, Jr. May 1926, 100 Years Ago Flames Unchecked As Fire Catoctin Mountain Rages The Catoctin Mountain in the region between Catoctin Furnace and Thurmont was still a huge mass of flames today. Despite the efforts of scores of men Sunday the fire is still raging in such proportions that little hope is held […]
Easy Cheddar Bay Chicken Cobbler After submitting sweet recipes for the last two months, I decided to submit a savory recipe this time. This recipe comes from grandmomsrecipe.com, and it is fairly easy to make by using Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix. I hope you enjoy it! Ingredients 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced 1 […]