Richard D. L. Fulton Together We Will Touch the Sky– Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum Foundation Etruscan artifacts from around 630 B.C. have been recovered, which depict the legend of man’s first attempt to become airborne, the Greek story of Daedalus and Icarus (the son of Daedalus). According to the legend, Daedalus had designed a…

Thank you to all our readers who submitted entries to our very first Catoctin Banner Photography Contest! This year’s theme, Local Landscapes, invited photographers to capture the beauty of our region in a vertical format. We received many submissions from across the tri-state area, showcasing the incredible scenery right in our own backyard. Narrowing the…

Richard D. L. Fulton Frederick Douglass “A man’s rights rest in three boxes. The ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.”   ~Frederick Douglass The United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a 25-cent stamp on February 14, 1967, and a 32-cent stamp on June 29, 1995, commemorating Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, better known as…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird As I write this article, we are in the beginning stages of our first major snowstorm of the year, and probably our biggest storm in several years. It looks like we may be headed into an exceptionally cold and snowy winter. There are steps we should all take when faced with this…

Frederick County’s Woodsboro Bank has appointed Dwayne Myers, CEO of Dynamic Automotive, to its Board of Directors. Myers brings more than 30 years of experience in the local business community. As CEO of Dynamic Automotive, a full-service auto repair and maintenance company, he has overseen the growth of the business to seven locations across Frederick…

Alisha Yocum Carissa Kijowski boot-scooted and boogied her way into her new business, FIBE Dance, back in December 2024, and it has been growing ever since. The company offers line dancing lessons throughout the local area. Kijowski says FIBE stands for Feel Inspired Become Empowered, something she hopes people feel after taking one of her…

Alisha Yocum Jonathan Barton has been a familiar face at the Thurmont Roy Rogers for many years. After serving as assistant manager for three years, Barton stepped into the role of general manager, a position he held for nine years. Recently, Barton was promoted to district manager, where he will now oversee several locations, including…

Emmitsburg New Business and Development Briefs The following are the statuses of new businesses and development coming to Emmitsburg from the town planner’s report: Federal Stone (Creamery Road, east side of U.S. 15) — As-builts for water, sewer, lighting, and landscaping were reviewed. The town engineer inspection took place on December 4, 2025. The bond…

As winter settles across our area, many small businesses face one of the most challenging stretches of the year. Shorter days, unpredictable weather, and tighter household budgets can slow foot traffic and sales, especially for locally owned shops, restaurants, and service providers that form the backbone of our communities. Despite these challenges, community support can…

by Richard D. L. Fulton Gettysburg National Tower The Gettysburg National Tower was previously located near the current Evergreen Cemetery and Taneytown Road private property, adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park. Access to the site was attained via an access road that had branched off of Taneytown Road. The proposal to build the Gettysburg…

Alisha Yocum This is the time of the year when many of our local rescue services honor their volunteers during their annual award banquet. This was a special year for Emmitsburg’s Vigilant Hose Company (VHC) Auxiliary, as they celebrated 50 years! It all started back in 1975 with a small meeting at the fire hall…

James rada Have you ever thought about what life in Emmitsburg was like in 1976? Some of you may have lived here then, but chances are you’ve moved in since then, or you weren’t even born. Now think about how residents in 2076 will look back on life in town now. Well, the Town of…

Adult Category: Megan Zais (Stained Glass Cookies) — 1st place; Jim Riffle (Spiced Gingerbread Cookies) — 2nd place; Jack Fordham (Chewy Gingerbread with butter cream icing) — 3rd place. Children’s Category: Kara Shearer (Sugar Cookies) — 1st place; Polly Dayhoff (Peanut Butter Blossoms) — 2nd place; Kinsley Main (Iced Sugar Cookies) — 3rd place.

On Saturday, December 20, 2025, members of Squadron 239 Sons of the American Legion in Cascade visited Heroes Ridge at Raven Rock to present a donation to Operation Second Chance. Squadron 239 is very active in the community, annually raising more than $50,000 to donate to veterans and various community organizations. To raise this money,…

Curtis L. Powell Jr. February 23, 1964 – December 28, 2025 Curtis L. Powell, Jr., age 61, peacefully entered into eternal rest on December 28, 2025, at Autumn Lake Healthcare of Ballenger Creek, Frederick, MD, where he had been a resident since February 2021. Curtis was born on February 23, 1964, in Waynesboro, PA. He…

Remembering Catoctin’s Championship Season Alisha Yocum Twenty years ago, the Catoctin Girls Basketball team was finishing its regular season and preparing for the postseason. It was a team with no expectations to make a deep run. Coach Amy (Murray) Entwistle, just 22 years old at the time, was still finding her way. That season, Catoctin…

With Michael Betteridge Go West Young Man! Last year at this time, I wrote about skiing and snow conditions. I lamented how we hadn’t had any truly cold winters or snow since 2021. The last really big winter was 2010 and the Snowpocalypse! We had 70 inches of snow that year—44 inches in February alone.…

Alisha Yocum Each year, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr through a ceremony at Thomas Johnson High School. Dr. King, a minister and civil rights leader, devoted his life to the fight for equality and justice, advocating for social change through nonviolent protest. His leadership played a…

An FFA Project Series For my 2026 market and breeding projects, all animals were born and bred on my farm. The steer I plan to take to the Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show in September is a Maintainer named Fort Worth. Fort Worth was born on March 25, 2025, and was the last calf born…

James Rada, Jr. 2: Peace Negotiations Lou Preston perched on the creaking attic floorboards of his family’s weathered house, just south of Gettysburg. Sunlight slanted through a dusty dormer window and illuminated the motes dancing in the stale air. He swept his gaze over the tangle of moth-eaten furniture, battered cardboard boxes, and heaps of…