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…

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…

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…

by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center Everyone experiences pain, but pain becomes a problem when it’s chronic. Millions of people in the United States are living with some form of chronic pain, including low back pain, chronic headaches and migraines, joint pain, digestive pain, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune conditions. Chronic pain…

by Jeff Yocum “A Change of Scenery” focuses on day trips from Thurmont that are within 150 miles (give or take). These trips will not include “Disney-level” destinations, but rather, lesser-known points of interest. The purpose of the article is to suggest venues for folks seeking a short, easily accessible change of scenery. In the…

 by Tara Miller Spring is in full swing at the Thurmont Senior Center, and May is packed with activities, events, and opportunities to connect, stay active, and have fun! We continue to offer a wide variety of weekly favorites, including Zumba Gold, Strength & Balance classes, Chair Yoga, cards and games, and creative gatherings like…

BY Caitlyn Kirby May is the perfect time to visit the Emmitsburg 50+ Community Center! Starting off the month on Friday, May 1, is Maryland Legal Aid Law Day. This is a time for you and the attorney to review your Advance Directive, which determines your health care and end-of-life decisions. Please call 301-600-6350 to…

Every Last Word | published in 2015 | Young Adult Fiction The book for this month was not a recent pick for my Book Club, although I may pick it for our next read! The book I chose for this month, Every Last Word, was first read by my daughter, who then gave it to…

By Joan Fry I was born in 1940, the youngest of five children, and lived my childhood during WWII near Fort Ritchie Military Base and the Maryland State Sanatorium for tuberculosis. I idolized my Daddy and would jump with glee when I heard him rumble across the wooden bridge in his old Ford sedan. That…

by Aditi Dhananjaya, High School Student There was a time when watching a television show meant just that. One would sit down, turn on the TV, and watch. It was as simple as that. Today, that same moment looks extremely different. The show plays in the background while a cellular device lights up with messages,…

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…

by Mitchell Tester, College Student Mercury Millions of miles away from our home here on Earth sits the smallest planet of our solar system, the planet Mercury. Mercury is incredibly hot, with it being only an average of 36 million miles away from the Sun. For reference, here on Earth, we are roughly 93 million…

by Tricia Bush, CPA, CFP® Owner, AAA Advisory LLC Why We Handle money the way we do Have you ever noticed how two people can earn similar incomes and still feel completely different about money? One person carefully watches every dollar, hesitating before making even small purchases. The other seems far more relaxed about spending…