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Adams moves forward on broadband update

With billions of dollars available from federal and state funds for broadband improvement in rural areas, a recent presentation at the Commissioners’ meeting indicates the Adams County Broadband Task Force has the data, expertise, and enthusiasm to move forward to the next stage of securing broadband for unserved and underserved residents. “I want to thank …

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County honors Library Card Signup Month, Latino Heritage Month, Suicide Awareness Month, and 32nd Annual Heritage Festival

It was a morning for proclamations at Wednesday’s Adams County Commissioners meeting as the commissioners gave tribute to the Adams County Library System, Hispanic Heritage Month, Heritage Festival Day, Suicide Prevention Month, and Hunger Action Month. Laura Goss, Executive Director of the Adams County Library, and Erica Duffy, Development Director, asked Adams County residents to …

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Bigger says farewell to LASD

Littlestown Area School District Superintendent Chris Bigger spoke with emotion about how hard it will be to leave the community he has served for eight years. “It’s really hard, harder than I thought,” Bigger said. “But it was a calling to try to help more students.” He was referring to his new post as Superintendent …

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Fifth Annual Overdose Awareness Walk

Community members gathered in support Thursday Aug. 31 as they participated in the fifth annual Overdose Awareness walk to remember loved ones lost and those who still mourn. Sponsored by the Coalition for Overdose Awareness and Recovery, the group gathered at the Adams County Courthouse and proceeded to the Gettysburg Rec Park, where several speakers …

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Two Adams County Children and Youth Services employees charged with felonies

Two current and one former Adams County Children and Youth Services (ACCYS) employees were charged yesterday with felony counts of endangering the welfare of a child. The indictments came after a three-year investigation into the death of a 15-month-old girl on May 31, 2020. The child’s mother was charged with the death of her daughter …

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Adams Commissioners approve a facelift for Sachs Covered Bridge’ invite Comcast to upgrade broadband services

More than $15,000 worth of wood, paint, fire retardant, and elbow grease will be applied to Sachs Covered Bridge in early August, thanks to the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania. Theodore Burr (1771-1822) was an inventor who created the arch truss bridge design, familiarly known today as the Burr truss. The National Society …

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Seven-story mixed-use apartment complex in Gettysburg clears zoning hurdles

The Gettysburg Zoning Hearing Board approved a height ordinance and three variances sought by developer Tim Harrison at Wednesday’s continuation of a meeting that began in June. The approvals will allow 501 Richardson Acquisition LLC to move one step forward in creating a seven-story 186-unit apartment building, including retail space and a restaurant. Located between …

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Gettysburg Zoning Hearing Board hears public comments

Local residents were given the podium yesterday as the Borough Zoning Hearing Board met to consider three variances on the proposed multi-use, three-building restaurant, apartment building, and retail space on Carlisle and North Stratton Streets. The proposed development, consisting of an 8,000-square-foot retail area, a restaurant, and a 186-unit apartment building, is a 501 Richardson …

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Carroll Valley passes trailer ordinance

After months of debate and discussion, Carroll Valley passed Ordinance 3-23 regarding trailers at Tuesday’s borough council meeting. Nicknamed the “trailer ordinance,” at issue was the number of trailers that could be parked on a lot and the definition of trailered vehicles versus self-powered recreational vehicles. Section 201 covers the parking and storage of recreational …

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Gettysburg most welcoming city in U.S.

Gettysburg has just been recognized as the “most welcoming city in the United States” by Booking.com, the third-largest travel website in the world. The honor was announced at Thursday’s Adams County Council of Government (ACCOG) meeting. “This is the result of over 240 million traveler reviews on Booking.com that led to naming Gettysburg at the …

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Carroll Valley Council explains borough lot sales; honors Patrolman Seth Reed

At Tuesday’s meeting, some Carroll Valley Borough council members expressed concerns that residents didn’t get preferential treatment regarding purchasing lots being sold by the borough. “This whole thing is crazy for the people of Carroll Valley,” said council member Kari Buterbaugh. “I’ve been waiting for borough lots which I was told would not come up …

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Public hearing for Community Development Block Grant program

The Adams County Commissioners held a public hearing prior to their regular meeting yesterday regarding the 2023 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Applications are available for funds that may be used to benefit a variety of activities, including water and sewer systems, streets, housing rehabilitation, emergency housing assistance, recreation and community facilities, new public …

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LASD moves forward on 2.75 percent tax increase; High school lunch opportunities upgraded

The Littlestown Area School District Board of Directors finalized the agenda for their June 19 meeting, including seeking approval of the proposed 2023-2024 school year budget. The proposed budget includes revenues of $37,997,336 and expenditures of $39,168,514, which would pull $1,171,178 from the fund balance. The budget includes a 2.75% local tax increase, with 2.2% …

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Sach’s Covered Bridge slated for some TLC

The Adams County Commissioners learned at Wednesday’s meeting that Sach’s Covered Bridge will receive a coat of paint and some fire retardant free of charge. The Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania will perform the work. The Society is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of covered bridges in Pennsylvania. Society president Robert Kuether …

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LASD Seniors bid farewell to K12 years

Bethany Shifflett and Aydan Fitzgerald met in middle school and have been best friends since. Now the two are going their separate ways – Shifflett will stay in the area while Aydan will travel to the next state south. But the Littlestown Area High School seniors said they were not worried about staying in touch, …

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New tractor purchased by Littlestown FFA

Nearly one million dollars in agriculture and youth grants were awarded recently, making Jesse Brant and the Littlestown Area School District very happy. Last fall, he applied for a grant from the PA Department of Agriculture to purchase a new tractor for the Littlestown FFA. The group received a matching grant of $25,000. The other …

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Ecker apologizes; Mercy House to reopen; County elections office will move

State Representative Torren Ecker, who was arrested in an alcohol-related crash in the county on April 20, visited the Adams County Council of Governments monthly meeting on Wednesday morning. Addressing what he called “the elephant in the room,” Ecker told the gathered municipal and school district representatives that he apologized for his actions. “I am …

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The “Living Library” – Volume 1:  Jenine Weaver and Judy Leslie

We have much wisdom to gain by learning to understand other people’s cultures and permitting ourselves to accept that there is more than one version of reality. — Louis Menand, Pulitzer Prize-winning author. The YWCA Gettysburg and Adams County Library System provided human books for checkout during National Library Week, April 24 to 29, allowing participants …

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New LASD board member to be elected May 8

Some confusion over the wording of a motion to accept a recent resignation from the Littlestown Area School District Board of Directors resulted in procedural scrambling at Monday’s board meeting to allow enough time for a replacement. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to accept the resignation of board member Nicki Kenny “retroactive” to …

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April is child abuse prevention month

A proclamation from the Adams County’s Commissioners office proclaimed April as child abuse prevention month and paid tribute to Adams County Children Youth Services (CYS) for their work toward that end. The proclamation highlights the dedicated staff who continually protect children against the pain that plagues many victims of abuse and neglect, frequently at the …

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LASD board focuses on taxes and health

Littlestown Area School District has proposed a 2.75 percent tax increase as part of the 2023-2024 budget. Of the increase, 2.2 percent of the tax increase will fund the new building project, and .55 percent will be used for operational expenses. “We’ve done it with minimal tax raises overall,” Superintendent Bigger said, referring to the …

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Kenny resigns from LASD board

The Littlestown Area School District Board of DIrectors is looking to fill a temporary board position created by the sudden resignation of Nicki Kenny on March 24. Elected in 2020, Kenny had served only two years out of her four-year term. The board hopes to find a temporary replacement who will fill the vacancy until …

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LASD approves math program amid controversy

After a month-long debate, Littlestown Area School District’s Board of Directors approved using McGraw Hill’s Reveal Math program for elementary students at their meeting on Monday, with three members voting “no.” Board member Nicki Kenny said she believed more research was needed regarding the success rate of Reveal Math before a decision was made. “I …

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Council of Governments focuses on cybersecurity

The threat of cyber-attacks loomed large at Thursday’s meeting of the Adams County Council of Governments (ACCOG). “A municipality is an enticing target,” said ACCOG member Ron Harris, who presented information to educate municipal leaders about the many online scams that threaten cybersecurity and outlined best practices that leaders can use to prevent those threats. …

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Adams awards $5 million for development and safety projects

Five million dollars from the Adams Response & Recovery Fund (ARRF) was awarded to 14 projects impacting economic development and public safety priorities at Wednesday’s Adams County Commissioners meeting. Top awards included one million dollars to the East Berlin Area Joint Authority to support regional economic development, $500,000 to Adams County Technical Institute for land …

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County Commissioners conserve new properties; honor Land Conservancy and 4H

Wednesday was a day to appreciate preserving Adams County’s rural landscape as the commissioners approved the purchase of new land for preservation and honored two conservation agencies at their meeting. The commissioners approved a proposal from Ellen Dayhoff, AG Land Conservation Board Program administrator, to purchase five agricultural conservation easements in Conewago and Union Townships. The …

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Black Balloon Day memorializes opioid overdose deaths

An archway of purple and black balloons created a solemn memorial for victims of opioid overdose deaths as part of National Black Balloon Day Monday afternoon in Gettysburg’s Lincoln Square. About 50 visitors stopped by, and 25 Naloxone kits and spray applications were distributed to help prevent some of those deaths. Naloxone, a prescription drug …

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LASD discusses Social-Emotional Learning

Critical Race Theory (CRT) raised its controversial head at the Monday meeting of the Littlestown Area School District (LASD) Board of Supervisors. At issue is the “Reveal Math” program from textbook publisher McGraw Hill, a proposed elementary math curriculum that includes social-emotional learning (SEL) goals. According to the McGraw Hill website, Reveal Math is designed …

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ACCOG elects new officers and shares action priorities

The Adams County Council of Governments (ACCOG), which includes representatives from boroughs, townships, and school districts around the county who work together to identify, discuss, and study regional issues and opportunities, has elected new officers. Mount Joy Township Supervisor Terry Scholle was elected president and Carroll Valley Mayor Ron Harris was elected vice president. Patricia …

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Commissioners seek tax collectors; welcome therapy dogs for children

As local townships struggle to find candidates to fill their open tax collection positions, collecting taxes seems to be unappealing as paying them. The problem became more acute last week as the Adams County Board of Commissioners accepted the resignation of tax collectors from Hamiltonban Township and Bendersville Borough . “Small municipalities are having a …

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LASD school lunch deficits approach $22,000; Board welcomes new member Chris Paul

With a looming January deficit of nearly $22,000 for cafeteria lunches, Littlestown Area School District (LASD) Superintendent Chris Bigger reminded parents to bring their accounts current. “We have a lot of people who have account balances in the $50 range,” he said about the more than 500 delinquent accounts. This number accounts for nearly half …

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Commissioners support highway safety; review candidates for Chief Public Defender

The Adams County Commissioners have approved a program that will provide Adams County Adult Correctional Center referred inmates with online Alcohol Highway Safety School classes. Twelve hours in length, the cost to the County for the classes is $175 per student per month. The classes will be funded by Probation’s 2022-2023 Intermediate Punishment Treatment Program …

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Adams improves 911 response system

The Adams County Commissioners have approved a $46,000 quote from Priority Dispatch Corporation that could improve how 911 calls are processed and ensure that the proper response is given to each emergency. Warren Bladen, Director of Adams County Emergency Management Systems, described the three types of responses to emergency calls – fire, police, and medical …

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No county tax increases predicted in 2023 as federal Covid-19 funds roll out

The Adams County commissioners said they projected no tax increases for the 2023 fiscal year. “No tax increase and not cutting services” are solid positives for the budget, said Commissioner Randy Phiel. The county said it had received $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that will be dispersed in several ways …

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HUD Community Development Block Grant Awarded to Adams County Recipients

The Adams County Commissioners approved the submission of more than $320,000 for the 2022 Community Development Block Grant, awarding funding to Biglerville Borough and Hoffman Homes, as well as covering the county’s administrative fees, at its meeting yesterday. The $100,000 awarded to Biglerville Borough is the second grant in a multi-year project that will replace …

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Commissioners commit $150,000 in hotel tax money for farm center feasibility study

A feasibility study that may result in a future PA Agricultural Discovery Center in Straban Township was approved by the Adams County Board of Commissioners at its meeting yesterday. As part of the hotel tax fund, $150,000 will be used to hire a yet-as-unknown consultant who will determine the suitability of several county sites for …

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Adams Council of Governments addresses financial ratings, Covid grants, school challenges

Adams County Treasurer Chris Redding addressed community leaders at the Sep. 22 Adams County Council of Governments (ACCOG) meeting, saying the county’s healthy A2+ rating for financial status reflects a joint effort of community sectors working together in a complex office with many moving parts. Redding said the treasurer’s office works with the 34 township …

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Adams Invites Applications for $5 Million in Covid Grants

Adams County has been given a Covid relief shot in the arm with a $5 million dollar grant that Commissioner Marty Qually called the “most significant grant program in the county’s history.” The Board of Commissioners approved guidelines for applications for the funds at its monthly yesterday. Before submitting projects for consideration, potential applicants can …

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Adams County Commissioners Proclaim Suicide Prevention Month, Hispanic Month, and the Heritage Festival

The Adams County Commissioners addressed a serious problem for county residents today as they proclaimed September 2022 as Suicide Prevention Month.   Healthy Adams County Executive Director Kathy Gaskin said that in the past the focus had been on youth, but that there now was a greater need for focus on middle-aged males, who are …

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