Local Government

At their September 26 meeting, the Cumberland Township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $75,000 grant requested by the Gettysburg Area Recreation Authority (GARA) to fund various park activities in 2024.  In addition, it approved the purchase of a truck chassis in the amount of $118,127, as well as other various purchases, rentals, and contractor

Gettysburg Borough is sending letters of support to Adams County personnel and state legislators regarding the passage of PA House Bill 1519 regarding the repair and replacement of utility poles. Of concern is the increasing number of “ghost” utility poles in the borough. The poles occur when a utility installs a new pole next to

A public hearing was held prior to the Cumberland Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday to approve the amendment of various sections of Chapter 27 of the Cumberland Township zoning ordinance.  The amendment creates two new overlay districts, consisting of a Neighborhood Multi-Family Overlay Zone and a Mixed Multi-Family Overlay Zones which proscribe criteria

Gettysburg Municipal Authority (GMA) Board of Trustees Chair Dorothy Puhl and Utilities Manager Mark Guise announced at last Monday’s borough council meeting that GMA will change its rate structure for water use beginning in January. Guise said the average user will see an increase of about $20 per quarter as the authority moves from a

Between now and the end of the year, the monthly meetings of the Gettysburg Planning Commission will be focused on a major overhaul of the borough’s complicated zoning map. The revisions will be completed with the help of the Pittsburg Construction and Engineering Company Michael Baker International.  “The current zoning, from 2008, is outdated,” said

The Cumberland Township Board of Supervisors approved an application from BR Smith Properties seeking conditional use for a proposed campground in the Mixed Use (MX) zoning district located at 75 Cunningham Road. The site is the former home of Boyds Bears Country Barn, which is being developed into an upscale restaurant, hotel, and campground known

Cumberland Township has partnered with Savvy Citizen to keep our residents informed! Savvy Citizen is more than a notification system as it allows Cumberland Township to keep residents up-to-date on community events, helpful information, significant meetings, road closures, alerts, and much more. Available on Android, iPhone/iPad, and computers, residents of Cumberland Township can choose to

For more information, please see our accompanying story. The Gettysburg Planning Commission tonight considered, and expressed approval of, a proposed  mixed use residential/commercial project next to the Gettysburg Train Station. The proposed project, to be located between Carlisle and Stratton Streets, includes 186 apartments in 3 buildings, as well as 7,000 square feet of restaurant

After months of debate, the Carroll Valley Borough Council is still undecided about the issue of how many trailers can be parked on private properties in the borough. An amendment presented at Tuesday’s meeting was rejected and sent back for further tweaking. It would have permitted storage of three trailered vehicles per lot with a

At their April Board of Supervisors meeting, Cumberland Township Board members were introduced by MH-IDD Community Liaison Bruce Bartz to the new police co-responder McKenzie Johnson, a mental health clinician assigned to police departments to assist officers during emergency calls, helping to de-escalate crisis situations and connecting individuals to available resources. The crisis intervention co-responder

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.

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

After two months of discussion at planning commission meetings, Carroll Valley Borough may be near a resolution to what has become known as the “trailer ordinance.” “I hope to prepare an ordinance draft for the next meeting,” borough manager Dave Hazlett told the Carroll Valley council. At issue is how many non-motored vehicles may be

Gettysburg Mayor Frealing recognized the 197th anniversary of its founding and honored local resident Bob Mcilhenny for his work in creating the Gettysburg flag 20 years ago at its meeting yesterday. Read our story about the development of the flag here. Frealing declared March as “The official flag of the borough of Gettysburg month.” Frealing

It was twenty years ago when Gettysburg resident Bob Mcilhenny received a phone call from then borough manager Charlie Sterner. “Sterner said he thought it would be a great idea if we had a town flag,” said Micilhenny. “He called me because I ran a business that fabricated banners and flags.” Mcilhenny said he started

At their regular monthly meeting yesterday, the Cumberland Township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $25,000 Medical Marijuana Grant for the Cumberland Township Police Department. The grant had been awarded in December 2022 by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crimes and Delinquency (PCCD) as part of opening funding opportunities to all Pennsylvania municipal police departments to

It’s a sobering thought. According to the Adam’s County Coroner’s Office, 119 people have lost their lives in the county to opioid overdoses since 2015. Lisa Lindsey, data prevention specialist with the Center for Youth and Community Development, told the commissioners on Wednesday morning that the number of deaths in Adams County from overdoses in

The Gettysburg Planning Commission considered Tuesday evening a proposal from the Borough Council to create an ordinance that would allow event venues in several zoning districts across the borough. The commission acts in an advisory role to the Borough Council and will share its findings with it. Saying event venues with outdoor activities and events

The Gettysburg Borough council has authorized a public hearing to be held on Monday, March 27, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in the borough office at 59 E. High St. to consider its proposal to establish and regulate event venues in the borough. The borough has spent many months discussing the new ordinance which arose from

Gettysburg and Adams county residents will be receiving their annual tax bills in the next few weeks. Gettysburg Tax Collector Lisa Angstadt explains: The Occupation Tax is charged to every Gettysburg borough resident who is currently employed and the amount is based on the occupation reported to the County Tax Services office. If a resident is unemployed or

The week of Feb. 4 to 11 was proclaimed Court Reporting and Caption Week 2023 by the Adams County Commissioners at its Wednesday meeting. “Court reporting is essential to the health of the judicial system,” said Commissioner James Martin. “I wish there was some way to see how many miles of text these ladies put

The purchase of a new ballot sorting machine, at a cost of more than $200,000, was approved by the Adams County Board of Commissioners at today’s meeting. “We were given a lump sum by the state to help with the purchase and have utilized that,” said commissioner Randy Phiel. The Agilis Falcon ballot sorting machine

At their January Board of Supervisors meeting, the Cumberland Township Board of Supervisors welcomed newly elected Township Manager, David Blocher and appointed the following members to boards and commissions: Planning Commission: Stephen Tallman – Re-appointed Robert J Bunce – New Planning Commission Alternate Kathleen Heidecker – New Planning Commission Alternate  HARB (Historical Architectural Review Board): Marty Miller –

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

Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — In his first moments as Pennsylvania’s 48th governor, Democrat Josh Shapiro touted his

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

Gettysburg borough will keep its outdoor Christmas displays up, probably until mid-February, at the request of the producers of “The Gettysburg Christmas Story,” which will be shooting in town beginning Wednesday. The borough noted that the Trap, Neuter, and Release program for feral cats has been continued. Residents are encouraged to report cats that need

The Cumberland Township Board of Supervisors announced the hiring of David Blocher as the next Township Manager. Blocher follows Ben Thomas, Jr., who retired at the end of 2022 after twelve years of service with the Township. “After an extensive search, the Board of Supervisors are confident that Dave is the right person for the

“Christian Nationalism is a radical, fanatical departure from the teachings of Jesus and any faithful reading of either the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament, and it is also dangerously anti-democratic,” said Orrtanna resident Pamela Cooper-White, speaking on the second anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington by

There were multiple moments of applause and a standing ovation on Wednesday morning as the Adams County Commissioners bid farewell to Chief Public Defender Kristin Rice, who is retiring after serving for the past 19 years. “I want to say the last 19 years have been a joy. I’ve felt so supported by my attorneys

The Gettysburg Borough Council will apply for two major grants related to needed stormwater repairs. Borough Engineer Chad Clabaugh said the grants were directed toward repair of failing stormwater system infrastructure including channel walls on “The Tiber” (Stevens Run). Harbaugh said the Gettysburg Borough Storm Water Authority (GBSWA) would be responsible for matching funds, which

Gettysburg Borough will revise its employee complaint processes to make them more streamlined and more transparent. The goal is a standardized set of “progressive disciplinary actions” for potential infractions. The policy would help ensure all relevant parties, including employees, supervisors, and the borough council would be notified of the processes and outcomes of any complaints and

The national statistics are sobering. One in 4 women and 1 in 10 men experience sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Many victims experience concern for their safety, PTSD symptoms, physical injury, and the need to be counseled by by victim services. Showing support for victims of violence,

Gettysburg Mayor Rita Frealing and nearly 50 other community leaders from across Pennsylvania met with senior White House officials and President Biden yesterday at the Communities in Action: Building a Better Pennsylvania event at the White House. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Senior Advisor to the President Anita Dunn, Senior Advisor and Director of

Cumberland Township Supervisors tentatively denied approval of preliminary plans for a large apartment complex at the site of the closed Gettysburg Country Club at Rt. 30 and Country Club Lane last night. Opponents of the proposed Residences at Willoughby Run, an eight-building complex of 112 apartments, overflowed into the hallway of the meeting room. Supervisors

Over 50 demonstrators met on the Gettysburg Square on Friday evening to continue expressing their support for Democratic candidates Josh Shapiro, John Fetterman, and Marty Qually. The demonstrators brought signs and raised their voices in support of abortion rights, voting integrity, democracy, and freedom. The group meets on Friday afternoons to support their cause. The

Gubernatorial candidate Attorney General Josh Shapiro visited Gettysburg Saturday afternoon to rally county Democrats for his campaign to win governorship of Pennsylvania in November. More than 150 supporters filled the new county committee headquarters at 52 Chambersburg Street. Outside the venue, a handful of so-called MAGA supporters mounted a mini demonstration touting State Senator Doug

Over 40 concerned citizens attended last night’s Cumberland Township Planning Commission Meeting. The evening’s topic was a consideration of “The Residence at Willoughby Run”, a proposed 112 apartment unit on 14.5 acres at the corner of Chambersburg Road and Country Club Lane. The site is controversial because it is within the Gettysburg National Military Park’s

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

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin’s appearance at Gettysburg College drew approximately 100 people, roughly divided between seniors and college students. The event was sponsored by Gettysburg College Jewish Studies. Her topic was “Defending American Democracy: The Midterm Test.”  Rubin started by saying she had enjoyed her battlefield tour earlier in the day, and had just