By Alisha Yocum Students at Thurmont Middle School recently brought laughter, music, and beloved fairy tale characters to the stage with their production of Shrek The Musical, based on the Oscar-winning animated film Shrek. The students performed three shows during the weekend of May 15-17, entertaining crowds of family members, friends, and community supporters. Audience…

Past and Present by Richard D. L Fulton The first feline, Proailurus, evolved some 25 million years ago and lived in Europe and Asia. Its Latin name, Proailurus, means “before cats,” but it has since become recognized as the earliest true cat, and was about the size of the modern house cat.  But an evolutionary…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Thurmont Approves FY2027 Budget The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners approved the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. The budget includes a $6 million general fund, a $12.2 million electric fund budget, a $2 million sewer fund budget, and a $1.2 million water fund budget. The town’s tax rate will remain…

SS Frederick Victory By Richard D. Fulton The United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a series of commemorative covers on April 18, 2008, in recognition of the Victory ships launched during World War II, which were employed with the task of transporting supplies and troops to overseas ports during the war. One of the covers…

Mike’s Auto Body & Towing of Thurmont is celebrating 35 years in business this year. Owner Mike Jensen said he found his passion for the industry when he began auto body classes at Linganore High School. “It was there I discovered a love for craftsmanship and automotive restoration. There is no feeling quite like restoring…

Country Plumbing owner Josh Lessner, a master plumber with more than 25 years of experience, recently opened his new business in Thurmont. After spending decades traveling to larger cities for plumbing jobs, Lessner said he was looking for an opportunity to stay closer to home—inspiring the name “Country Plumbing” as a reflection of his local…

The following are the statuses of new businesses and development coming to Emmitsburg from the town planner’s report: Christ Community Church (Creamery Road) — Awaiting the submission of updated improvement plans. Emmit Ridge — Road closure and street cut plans have been received and reviewed. Improvement Plan is currently being reviewed by the Catoctin Soil…

The following are the statuses of new businesses and development coming to Thurmont from the town planner’s report: Subdivisions: Hammaker Hill, Phase 2 (Westview Drive) — 22 single-family lots in R-2; No lots remaining. Mechanicstown, LLC (Emmitsburg Road) — Final Plat conditionally approved for 31 single-family lots in R-2/ ARP. Mountain Brooke (Emmitsburg Road) —…

Cliff Arquette’s Soldiers Museum by Richard D. L. Fulton Cliff Arquette’s Soldiers Museum was established in 1959 by its namesake at 777 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, in a building previously known as the Soldiers’ Orphans Home, located near the entrance to the National Cemetery. The former Soldiers’ Orphans Home, which had acquired an infamous reputation before…

Catoctin Banner editor James Rada Jr. won an award for his column writing at the the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press (MDDC) Association on May 8. Rada is also a columnist for the Frederick News-Post, writing a weekly history column called “Frederick County Rewind.” His column “Thurmont Cat Lady lived in a bus” won 2nd place in the…

Tara Miller Nominated by Linda Reed by Alisha Yocum With her warm smile and welcoming demeanor, it is easy to see how Tara Miller is making an impact on the community. Over the years, Miller has worked in a variety of careers, including serving as a kindergarten teacher and working in both a veterinary clinic…

The Fort Ritchie Community Center recently hosted a Fun Run/Walk along with a Health & Wellness on May 16.  The 5K winners were: 1st Place—Dave and Rosie Lehr (center), 2nd Place—James Summers (left), and 3rd Place—Dean Petersen (right).

VFW John R. Webb Post 3285 conducted its 2026 VFW National Day of Service by participating in a stream cleanup on May 9 (pictured above) with The City of Frederick Sustainability Department. The group collected 1,500-plus pounds of trash from the Rock Creek stream in Frederick. A team of 34 volunteers came together to make…

Nicholas Miller (pictured right) of Thurmont was recognized for academic excellence during Hamilton College’s annual Class & Charter Day ceremony on May 12. Miller received The Holbrook Prize in Biology, an award presented to seniors who achieve the strongest academic records in six biology courses. The honor is one of several academic and scholarly achievement…

By Alisha Yocum Richard Troxell grew up in Thurmont before attending the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, where he graduated and went on to build a career as a tenor opera singer performing around the world. Troxell, who had recently finished his role as Dr. Caius in Falstaff in Philadelphia, was back in Thurmont…

by Alisha Yocum Members of the Thurmont Top Shots, part of the Thurmont Conservation and Sportsman’s Club, recently competed in several local and regional trapshooting tournaments. Trapshooting is a shooting sport in which participants use shotguns to shoot at clay targets, often called “clay pigeons,” that are launched into the air from a single machine…

With Michael Betteridge One Tiny Spark Every year at the end of the high school sports season, I traditionally like to wrap up the Catoctin spring sports season in this column on a high note and thank our seniors who are heading out for larger pastures and broader horizons. The big news this spring season…

Sabillasville Environmental School (SES) recently had two students advance in local essay contests. Ruby Jones, an 8th grader, placed first in the Thurmont American Legion Americanism, and then went on to win both the Regional and State competitions. Julia Marl, also an 8th grader, place first in the Thurmont Lions Club Patriotism Essay Contest, advancing…

By Zo Wetzel, Catoctin High School Student On June 6, the 3rd Annual Catoctin Community 5K will commence at Catoctin High School, down at the Cougar Stadium. Catoctin High’s Student Government Association has been reaching out to local businesses for several months, collecting donations and general public support in order to bring this event to…

Mother Seton School Student, 7th Grade Each month, students from Mother Seton School’s Newspaper Club will be submitting articles from their perspective as a student. Mother Seton School’s Annual Trout Release Field Trip On Wednesday, April 29, the seventh-grade class from Mother Seton School went on the annual trout release field trip at the Roddy…