ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird School is back in session. Please be aware of children crossing the streets and intersections, because they may not be watching for traffic as they should. Children will be walking, riding bikes, and possibly riding scooters. Also, keep in mind Maryland laws regarding passing school buses. In almost every instance, when a…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont New Police Officer Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird swore in Thurmont Police Department’s newest officer, Jaymes Phillips, at a recent meeting. Thurmont Police Chief Dave Armstrong also announced at the same meeting that Officer Mike Sutton had been promoted to corporal. He is now the first-line supervisor over the department’s specialty…

Woodsboro Burgess Heath Barnes Greetings, Happy Labor Day. Labor Day weekend always signals the end of summer, which I personally hate to see go. But all of you wanting cooler weather, Happy Fall. To all the students who have headed back to class, I hope you all have a wonderful school year. Drive safely out…

Owners of eligible historic properties in rural Frederick County will soon have the opportunity to apply for funding to help preserve and restore their historic buildings. Frederick County’s Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program will begin accepting applications September 1 through November 30, 2026. Grant awards are expected to be announced in early spring 2027. The…

After two beaver attacks were reported in Cunningham Falls State Park recently, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources closed sections of the park to investigate a “possible rabies outbreak within the local beaver population,” according to the DNR website. It remained closed for two-and-a-half weeks. The first attack occurred on July 26. A beaver bit…

by Richard D. L Fulton Now, therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the aforesaid Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, do hereby proclaim the existence of a state of Civil Defense emergency. – President Dwight D. Eisenhower The Cold War…

Baltimore Cathedral by Richard D. L. Fulton The United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a series of 15-cent stamps, featuring examples of early “architecture of enduring beauty, strength and usefulness,” according to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, on June 4, 1979. The first set of four different stamps was issued on June 4, 1979, and…

James Rada, Jr. While the United States celebrated its 250th anniversary this year, Thurmont is celebrating its 275th anniversary. Mechanicstown, as Thurmont was originally known, considers 1751 its founding year. This is when the first permanent group of Pennsylvania German settlers, who established a community along Hunting Creek, set down roots. The first families—the Kriegers…

Submitted by Joab Bittner Fry The following report of the shooting of Edward O. Smith is taken from the Waynesboro Herald, August 9, 1906. Man Shot through the Heart Bloody murder has spread its lurid mantle over the little, quiet region between the ranges of South Mountain, known as Harbaugh’s Valley. There in the mountain,…

by Richard D. L Fulton The appearance of the ancestor of all canines, or canids, may not have occurred had it not been for an immense meteor which struck the earth some 66 million years ago, triggering a “nuclear winter,” lasting for more than 25 years, during a time frame known as being the Cretaceous…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird This year, the Town of Thurmont celebrates its 275th anniversary; and, yes, we are 25 years older than the United States of America. Way back in 1751, our forefathers decided to settle here because of the running streams, ample wildlife, and rich soils. After several years, the community adopted the name Mechanicstown…

by James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg . Town Moving Toward Property Purchase The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners recently approved a resolution to make an application of the Strategic Demolition Fund to get funds to purchase 304 East Main Street. The property has been considered an eyesore on East Main Street for years, detracting from the town’s…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Municipal Parking Lot to be Improved The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved a bid of $170,995 to make improvements to the municipal parking lot. Huntzberry Brothers of Smithsburg will remove and replace the current asphalt; make street improvements to the surrounding streets and alleys; and add landscaping, benches, and trash…

Woodsboro Burgess Heath Barnes Summer is quickly passing by, and I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far. With the end of summer approaching, it means schools in Frederick County will be back in session by the middle of this month. I encourage you to take caution on the streets and roads as the children…

By Joan Bittner Fry “The eyes are the lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light of you is in darkness, how terribly dark it will be!”  – Matthew…

by Richard D. L. Fulton 50th Anniversary Lindbergh Flight “Our messenger of peace and goodwill has broken down another barrier of time and space.”  ~President Calvin Coolidge, regarding Charles A. Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight in 1927 A full-scale operative replica of Charles Lindbergh’s The Spirit of St. Louis landed at College Park on October 24,…

By Alisha Yocum The Catoctin Banner was excited to partner with the Town of Thurmont and the Town of Emmitsburg for our first-ever youth art contest! As our nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary, young artists were invited to showcase their creativity and patriotism through artwork celebrating the United States. The judges were impressed…

The Maryland 400 by Richard D. L Fulton “Here … two hundred and fifty out of four hundred brave Maryland soldiers … were killed in combat.” –1897 plaque placed near the Vechten Stone Farmhouse On August 27, 1776, a torrential thunderstorm and heavy rain,  followed by cold from a nor’easter and a thick morning fog,…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Changes to Municipal Parking Lot Plan Economic Development Manager Vickie Grinder provided updates on some issues that had arisen with the plan to make improvements to the municipal parking lot. The engineer working on the original plan left out stormwater management from the plan, which will add $75,000-$100,000 to the…

Woodsboro Burgess Heath Barnes Happy 250th birthday, America. I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July weekend celebrating 250 years of American independence, the land of the free, and the home of the brave. June’s two food truck events in the park were very successful, with a lot of the community out…