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Gettysburg Borough Council talks trees

The Gettysburg Borough Council hopes to increase communication with the group that plants Gettysburg’s trees. The Shade Tree Commission is responsible for the planting, replanting, pruning, health, and removal of plants, shrubs, and trees within the borough. The commission has been inactive for several years, but Chair David Rice and his team are eager to …

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Gettysburg Borough OKs longer rec park lease

GARA operates the Gettysburg Rec Park.

The Gettysburg Area Recreation Authority (GARA) is here to stay. At its meeting on Monday, the Gettysburg Borough Council unanimously approved a 25-year lease of the Gettysburg Rec Park between the borough and GARA. The Borough of Gettysburg and Cumberland Township formed GARA in 2013 as an intermunicipal authority with a primary purpose of managing …

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Gettysburg plans changes to parking department

The Gettysburg Parking Department is seeking increases to its residential parking permit program.

The Gettysburg Borough Council continues to take a deep dive into its proposed 2024 budget, having spent about 4 hours and 45 minutes on the topic in the past two weeks. The council made no decisions but is leaning towards approving several changes to the Gettysburg Parking department. Parking fees The seven-member body informally agreed …

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Gettysburg Area School District to adopt Warrior logo

Gettysburg Warrior logo

Gettysburg Area School District will soon have an official Warrior logo. At the school board meeting on Monday, Board President Kenny Hassinger announced the board plans to officially adopt the arrowhead logo it has been using for several years at its Nov. 6 meeting.  The resolution was created in response to Kierstan Belle’s announcement on …

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2024 Gettysburg Borough budget talks set to begin

2024 Gettysburg Borough Budget

Manager Charles Gable presented to the council on Monday a 2024 Gettysburg Borough budget proposal that includes a $711,489 deficit. To fill the fiscal hole, Gable suggests elected officials consider a combination of options. Those suggestions include raising property taxes, increasing overnight parking rates, increasing fees, or using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds. Gable …

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GASD moves forward with elementary renovations 

Lincoln Elementary school renovations will begin next spring.

Gettysburg Area School District will begin elementary school renovations in the coming months at a total cost of $30 million. Improvements to James Gettys Elementary School will begin in March, Dennis Rumsey, senior complex solutions manager of Trane Technologies, told the board during its Oct. 2 meeting. Crews will begin “behind-the-scenes work” after school throughout …

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Gettysburg council pauses oversized parking study

RVs parking in downtown Gettysburg are causing the council to explore oversized parking spaces.

Oversized parking spaces in the Borough of Gettysburg will disappear after Oct. 8. In July, the borough council approved a 90-day pilot program that set aside some spaces for large vehicles. Council members believe more busses are visiting downtown businesses since General Pickett’s Buffet on Steinwehr Avenue closed earlier this year. The busses are welcome, …

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FASD asks for public input on its educational program

Fairfield School District

The Fairfield Area School District (FASD) is forming its “Profile of a Graduate” to determine what skills a FASD graduate should have in order to succeed in today’s world. To create that profile, Superintendent Thomas J. Haupt asks parents, citizens, and business owners to complete a survey that will be available on the district website. …

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Gettysburg Area School District opens coaching positions

Gettysburg Warrior logo

The Gettysburg Area School District will open all head coaching positions each season. Currently, the district has all winter coaching positions posted on its website. Superintendent Jason Perrin wrote in an email Friday that district and board leadership made the decision. Previously, the board approved coaches for one year and renewed the agreement annually.  “The …

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Board retains Gettysburg Area High School tennis coach

A large crowd gathers to share thoughts on the Gettysburg Area High School tennis coach.

The Gettysburg Area School Board voted 6-2 Tuesday to retain a high school tennis coach whose employment has been the focal point of three meetings. At their meeting on Aug. 21, the Gettysburg Area School District’s Board of Directors voted to remove David Yates from the administration’s list of recommended hires. Yates, who is transgender …

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Fairfield Area School District to alter policy focused on unstable students

Fairfield Area School District logo

Fairfield Area School District’s Board of Directors is closer to making it easier for pupils who face hardships to graduate from high school. At their work session in August, Superintendent Thomas J. Haupt presented an updated policy on how to care for unstable students. Pennsylvania General Assembly’s Act 1 of 2022 necessitated Fairfield’s changes. The …

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Gettysburg Goods brings artists together

Timbrel Wallace and sign artist Marty Mummert stand near some of Mummert's signs that are for sale in Gettysburg Goods. (Photo by Alex J. Hayes)

Gettysburg will forever be known as the town that changed the course of the American Civil War, but an emerging group of artisans also desire to grow its reputation as a cultural mecca. A local businesswoman, Timbrel Wallace, is helping them to achieve their dream. Wallace’s new store, Gettysburg Goods, solely features items made by …

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Fairfield school district approves tax hike

Fairfield Area School District logo

Fairfield Area School District property owners will incur a 4 percent tax increase this year. The school board unanimously voted 8-0 to approve the 2023-24 budget. Board member Kelly Christiano was absent. The plan includes $21.2 million in revenue and $22.9 million in expenditures. During May’s workshop, Business Manager Tim A. Stanton told the board …

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Rotary celebrates a successful year

Rotary Club of Gettysburg officers for the 2023-24 Rotary year.

The Rotary Club of Gettysburg celebrated another year of service to the community during its annual picnic Monday, June 26, at the Lake Heritage Community Center. Rotary is an international service organization with more than 46,000 clubs across the globe. The Gettysburg club, founded in 1920, has more than 70 members.  President David Kushner told …

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Ukrainian native connects homeland to Gettysburg

Natalie Raymond, right, packs items collected for Ukraine aid.

Boxes full of clothes, blankets, sheets, scarves, and gloves fill Natalie Raymond’s garage in Cumberland Township. The items are also filling her heart. About a year after the Ukraine native’s mother died in a Polish nursing home, Raymond channels her grief into energy to aid her homeland. When Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, …

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Fairfield football program’s future concerns parents

Fairfield Area School District logo

The future of the Fairfield football program was in the spotlight during June’s board of education study session. Several program supporters told the board that the district’s new coach, Jake Johnson, had announced at a meeting the night before the board meeting that he would recommend the district end the program.  The district hired Johnson …

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Fairfield commencement highlights students’ plans

Fairfield Area High School graduation

The uniqueness of attending Adams County’s smallest public secondary school was on full display during the Fairfield Area High School graduation ceremony on Wednesday.  Every commencement is about the future. Most have speeches from the valedictorian, salutatorian, and high school principal.  Fairfield’s followed suit.  It also ended with the reading of names and graduates moving …

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Beer fest, trail run to benefit preservation

Mark Clowney and his son run the Gettysburg Brew Fest and Trail 5K's course.

A brew fest and trail run scheduled will benefit the preservation of a farm that served as a staging area and headquarters for Confederate Major General Edward “Allegheny” Johnson’s preparation and attack of the Union right flank on Culp’s Hill. The 2023 Gettysburg Brewfest & Trail 5K is scheduled for Aug. 19, 2023 at the …

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Heart attack victim thanks Adams Electric life savers

Adams Electric Director Thomas J. Knaub stands with the life savers who came to his aid during a March heart attack.

Adams Electric’s Member Meeting on March 21 started off as a fun affair. Hundreds of people packed into the Wyndham, Gettysburg ballroom and heard updates about their rural electric cooperative.  Director Thomas J. Knaub greeted many friends that evening, much like he had at many other member meetings since first taking office in 1999. Towards …

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United Way appreciates many volunteers

Megan Cellucci received the United Way Award for volunteerism.

 The United Way of Adams County celebrated the community’s many volunteers during its annual With Heart in Hand Awards Ceremony on April 24 at Gettysburg College. “It’s awe-inspiring to see the extent and breadth of volunteerism in Adams County and the amount of good that is done in our community,” Mike Jackman, United Way board …

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Savorhood opens on Baltimore Pike

Customers enjoy Savorhood during the business's opening night on April 26.

Gettysburg’s first-ever food hall, Savorhood, opened its doors to the public April 28. Located at 985 Baltimore Pike, SavorHood is home to 11 Eateries and a brewery. The food hall offers an array of options including barbecue, pizza, Mexican, wings, and seafood. “We are so excited to bring this new dining concept to Gettysburg,” owner …

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Fairfield approves new district logo

The Fairfield Area School Board recently approved a new Knights logo.

The Fairfield Area School District Knights logo confusion has been settled. Superintendent Thomas J. Haupt told the district’s board of directors recently that more than a half dozen logos are used to represent the school’s mascot, The Knights. Haupt encouraged the board to choose one logo to ensure uniformity throughout the district.  The board was …

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McDonald’s owner ends lifelong career under the golden arches

Emmett Patterson is retiring as owner of nine Gettysburg-area McDonald's.

In 1964, as President Lyndon Baines Johnson led the country and war raged in Vietnam, a 16-year-old Emmett Patterson poured his first McDonald’s milkshake as a young crew member in Binghamton, New York. Fifty-nine years later, the owner of nine Gettysburg-area restaurants known for their hamburgers and iconic big arches has sold his stores and …

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Biglerville councilman seeks county commissioner seat

Rob Smith is seeking the Democratic nomination for Adams County commissioner.

Biglerville Borough Council Member Rob Smith hopes to advance his community service by becoming an Adams County Commissioner. Smith is seeking a Democratic nomination for one of three seats available on the board. Smith is adamant that he is not running against any of the three incumbents – Republicans Randy Phiel and Jim Martin and …

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Sneak peek into Historical Society’s new home

Adams County Historical Society Executive Director Andrew Dalton conducts a tour of the new facility.

Adams County is best known for apples and the three-day 1863 Civil War battle. Both are essential components of the rural southcentral Pennsylvania county’s history, but its story includes many more chapters. The Adams County Historical Society built a new museum, Gettysburg Beyond the Battle, to share the complete narrative. Beyond the Battle The museum, …

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Gettysburg Tour Center demolished

The Gettysburg Tour Center is now a pile of rubble.

A building that has stood at Gettysburg’s southern gateway for about 60 years is gone. Demolition crews destroyed the Gettysburg Tour Center store and ticket counter on Baltimore Street Thursday so construction can begin on a new facility. The Gettysburg Tour Center has operated in the same spot since the 1950s. The current building was …

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Gettysburg High to present ‘Pippin’

Gettysburg Area High School thespians are excited for the public to attend its spring musical, “Pippin,” this weekend. As told by a traveling troupe of actors led by the cunning and charming Leading Player (played by Emma Kirk), the show is the story of a young prince (played by Connor Peterman) who is searching for his own …

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Fairfield looks for new school logo

Fairfield School District

The Fairfield Area School District Knights are experiencing an identity crisis. Superintendent Thomas J. Haupt told the district’s board of directors at its Feb. 13 study session that more than a half dozen logos are used to represent the school’s mascot, The Knights. Haupt encouraged the board to choose one logo to ensure uniformity throughout …

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Purse auction to aid United Way programs

The United Way of Adams County's Annual Women's Purse Auction is Thursday, March 2.

The United Way of Adams County invites supporters to bid for a good cause at its annual purse auction. The organization’s 16th Annual Women’s Purse Auction returns to an in-person event Thursday, March 2 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Wyndham, Gettysburg. “Run for the Purses” will take on a Kentucky Derby theme so …

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Kiwanis Club learns about suicide prevention

WellSpan Community Heath Education Coordinator Jayne Miller recently spoke to the Kiwanis Club about suicide prevention.

Everyone has the power to prevent suicide, WellSpan Community Heath Education Coordinator Jayne Miller told the Kiwanis Club of Gettysburg Adams County Monday, Feb. 13. Sixty percent of people know someone who died by suicide, Miller said, and 20 percent will lose a family member by suicide. WellSpan provides several training sessions to help people …

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Burns highlights nation’s lows during festival

Filmmaker Ken Burns discusses his work with fellow filmmaker, Gettysburg native and festival director Jake Borritt during the Ken Burns Film Festival at The Majestic Theater Saturday., Feb. 11.

History is a tragedy, not a melodrama, a packed house at Gettysburg’s Majestic Theater learned Saturday morning at The Ken Burns Film Festival. “People are complicated,” Burns said during his first-ever film festival.  Burns discussed his work with fellow filmmaker, Gettysburg native and festival director Jake Borritt after a thematic clip reel titled “A Nation …

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Tour center to be demoed in February

Pictured is an artist's rendering of the new Gettysburg Tour Center building, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

Gettysburg will have a new tour center in 2024. Demolition crews will destroy Gettysburg Tour Center’s store and ticket counter on Baltimore Street in February so construction can begin on a new facility, Felty Investments Owner Max Felty said Friday. The Gettysburg Tour Center has operated in the same spot since the 1950s. The current …

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HAPBI honors Jolin’s dedication

Healthy Adams Bicycle Pedestrian Inc. Board Member Eric Meyer, right, honors outgoing board member Tom Jolin for his work on the Gettysburg Inner Loop.

Tom Jolin advocates for the Gettysburg Inner Loop with patience, kindness and a smile. If you have spoken to Jolin in the last 18 years, he undoubtedly mentioned the project. The loop is a bicycle and pedestrian path that surrounds Gettysburg with signage, bike racks and road markings. Healthy Adams County Bicycle Pedestrian Inc. (HAPBI) …

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Beauchat seeks re-election to the bench

District Magistrate Mark Beauchat

Mark Beauchat believes he is a better judge than he was when he took office in 2000. A previous law career mixed with life experiences prepared him to know the law but sitting on the bench for 22 years taught him how to talk to anyone who walks into his courtroom, he said recently in …

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Racists defile historic Cumberland Twp. bridge

Racist language covers a historic bridge in Cumberland Township. A cyclist riding over the John Eisenhower Bridge on Water Works Road in Cumberland Township recently found several racist words and a Nazi symbol painted on the structure, Patrolman Ryan Eiker wrote in a press release. The graffiti was reported Tuesday, Eiker reported, and discovered last …

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Local stars to dance for YWCA, Arts Council

Local stars will shine on the Majestic stage on Fri., Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. during Dancing with the Local Stars presented by WellSpan Health. The annual event is a fundraiser for the YWCA Gettysburg & Adams County and Adams County Arts Council. Local stars have worked with professional choreographers for months to learn two …

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County controller not seeking re-election

Adams County Controller John Phillips will not seek re-election in 2023. Phillips became the county’s second controller in 2020. The office was first created in 2012 as Adams County became a fifth-class county. Phillips said he and his wife Kim will relocate to New England after his term ends to be closer to their son, …

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County loses addiction recovery house operator

Residential addiction treatment services will soon be on hold in Adams County. The Recovery Advocacy Service Empowerment (RASE) Project, which was operating the county-owned Mercy House, will stop providing services at the end of this month, County Manager Steve Nevada said Wednesday. The county is seeking another provider, Nevada said. “We didn’t anticipate them ending …

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Slideshow: Low temps don’t stop Santa runners

Christmas is centered on traditions, so the thermometer reading 6 degrees at 8 a.m. on Dec. 24 could not stop dozens of people from gathering at the Gettysburg Area Middle School for the town’s annual Santa Run. The run, organized by local resident Jen Daniels, is designed to bring people together and help others. Participants …

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Commissioners Phiel, Martin seek fourth term

A large crowd gathered in the Dobbin House’s Abigail Adams Ballroom Friday morning to listen to what has become quadrennial Adams County tradition – Jim Martin and Randy Phiel announcing their candidacies for Adams County commissioner. The pair of Republicans first took office in 2012; if successful, the term that begins in 2024 will be …

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Fairfield school board changes meeting structure

Fairfield School District

The Fairfield Area School District Board of Directors is changing how it does business. Beginning in January, the board will hold one study session and one business meeting each month. The board previously held two business meetings each month. Board President Jennifer Holz said the change will “allow the board more time to absorb and …

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Slideshow: Sgt. Mac Foundation preps wreaths for graves

More than 100 volunteers gathered in the Giant parking lot Friday morning to assemble 16,000 wreaths which will be placed on veterans’ graves at Quantico National Cemetery on Saturday. The Sgt. Mac Foundation Wreath placement began in 2006 shortly after Gettysburg native Sgt. Eric McColley was killed in February 2006 along with seven fellow Marines …

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Toys for Tots short of gifts

Toys for Tots needs everyone’s help to fulfill Christmas wishes. The Adams/Hanover chapter is short of gifts for newborns to 2 years old and children 10 to 14 years old, coordinator Chris Bunty said. Bunty said Toys for Tots supports 760 families directly and 12 organizations.  “Last we served about 600 families, so we are …

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Choral Society to perform at Seminary Friday

The United Lutheran Seminary’s Church of the Abiding Presence will fill with holiday sounds Friday evening during the Gettysburg Choral Society’s annual Christmas concert. Thirty-two auditioned singers under the direction of John McKay will present “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” at 8 p.m. in the chapel on the United Lutheran Seminary campus. Performing in the …

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Mary Furlong, activist and educator, dies

Rukhsana Rahman once asked a Peace Corps volunteer why there were so many former Corps volunteers from Gettysburg. “Mary Furlong,” was his answer. Diocese of Harrisburg Speech and Debate judges asked each other during an April competition how they got involved with the program. “Mary Furlong,” was almost everyone’s response. Furlong was a great connector, …

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Volunteers hope to enhance FASD football program.

Fairfield School District

Fairfield Youth Football Coach Jake Johnson told the district’s board of directors at its Nov. 14 meeting there are a large number of youngsters living in the district who are interested in the sport. Johnson fears the students’ enthusiasm could diminish if the district does not incorporate a middle school program. “The majority of those …

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Battlefield Preservation Association purchases land, will gift to Park Service

The Gettysburg National Military Park will soon have more land thanks to the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association. The association recently purchased 50 acres of land across the road from the Historic Daniel Lady Farm on Route 116, Hanover Road, in Straban Township. Melvin Crouse, the land’s previous owner, valued preservation over development. “I didn’t want …

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Phiel: No issues at Adams County polls

Election Day went “very smoothly” in Adams County, Commissioner Randy Phiel said Tuesday evening after polls closed. Phiel serves as chairman of the Adams County Board of Elections. Commissioner Jim Martin and Franklin Township citizen Vickie Corbett also comprise the board. Corbett is sitting in for Commissioner Marty Qually, who is unable to serve due …

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Historians invite community to all-nighter

Rob Williams and Pete Miele of the Seminary Ridge Museum

Do you want to spend time in a historic building with sleep-deprived museum professionals? If the answer is yes, you might be craving Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center’s 24 Hours on the Ridge. The center in Gettysburg’s historic Schmucker Hall will be open from 5 p.m., Nov. 2 to 5 p.m., Nov. 3 for …

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Vibe captures Best of Show at Gettysburg Halloween Parade

Vibe Performing Arts Studio dances in the Gettysburg Halloween Parade

Click here to see more photos in the Slideshow. Vibe Performing Arts captured Best of Show in the annual Gettysburg Halloween Parade, hosted by Businesswomen Influencing Gettysburg and presented by Gettysburg Trading Post. Hundreds of people packed borough streets to watch more than 60 entries travel west on York Street, through Lincoln Square and south …

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People-centric approach successful for father/daughter car team

John Burdis and Loni Smith

Hanover Auto Team Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Loni Smith told those gathered Tuesday morning at The Chamber of Gettysburg and Adams County’s Annual Community Prayer Breakfast co-sponsored by the Christian Men’s Business Connection that even the most challenging customer deserves a warm welcome. “You don’t know what is going on in there so just remember …

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Rotary honors Ricker for volunteer work

Habitat for Humanity builds homes for those in need and helps guide new owners through the often-complicated process. Habitat needs strong board leadership to be successful. Pete Ricker has been a support beam for the local chapter and the Rotary Club of Gettysburg recognized his work Monday during its annual Dwight David Eisenhower Humanitarian Award …

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Superintendent updates Rotary Club on National Park

The National Park Service must balance land use with preservation, Gettysburg National Military Park Superintendent Steve Sims told the Rotary Club of Gettysburg Monday. Sims took charge of the historic park in January 2019 after a tumultuous few years that included the reassignment of former Superintendent Ed Clark and numerous acting or substitutes filling the …

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Community Foundation announces $4 million Giving Spree goal

Adams County Community Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Serpe has faith in people’s philanthropy. Last year, Giving Spree donors raised $3.08 million for county non-profit organizations. He was thrilled with the result, which made the Adams County Giving Spree the largest per-capita giving day in the country. But he thinks we can do …

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Stricklands to sell lot where gift shop stood

A decades-old photo shows a diaper-wearing Julie Strickland wrapped in her father Tony’s arms in the family’s Baltimore Street, Gettysburg souvenir store with a rack of t-shirts behind them. Strickland Enterprises has grown into several stores since then, but their flagship Blue and Gray Gift Shop at 531 Baltimore Street remained the business’ headquarters until …

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United Way kicks off annual food drive

Everyone is feeling the pinch at the grocery store, but some Adams County residents are in extra pain. United Way of Adams County Executive Director Laura McMahon hopes the 16th Annual Bag the Bounty Food Drive will provide some relief. United Way and its partners ACNB Bank, Kennie’s Marketplace, and the Gettysburg Times aim to …

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Former Pike building to transform into food hall

One of the most frequent questions in any relationship is “where do you want to eat tonight?” Husband and wife business owners Judy Morley and Steve Burton aim to cut the tension by transforming the former Pike building on Baltimore Pike, Cumberland Township, into a food hall. The couple became official owners of the property …

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Hollabaugh Bros. Peach Fest big boost to United Way

Plump Hollabaugh Bros. peaches made United Way of Adams County’s contributions to the community even juicier this past weekend. Thousands of people flocked to the fourth-generation family farm north of Biglerville on Aug. 13 and 14 to enjoy everything peachy – peach sundaes, peach sundaes, peach pies, peach bread, peach muffins, peach scones, peach sugar …

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