Print edition highlights July 18, 2024

Trump assassination attempt

Mary Lou Bytof/Staff Reporter

After the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler on Saturday, July 13, state and federal government officials are calling for political candidates to tone down the scathing rhetoric that has emanated from both the Trump and Biden camps as they vie for the presidency.

Although it is unclear whether the current political climate had motivated Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park to shoot the former president at the open-air rally at the Butler Fairgrounds, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called the shooting of the former president and three rally attendees, one of whom was killed, as “absolutely unacceptable and tragic”.

In his remarks following a briefing from the FBI and PA State Police on Sunday morning, the governor urged all leaders to “take down the temperature” of their political disagreements. He also praised the courageous actions of former firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, who lost his life as he threw himself over his wife and daughter to protect them from the volley of gunshots.

“Corey was the very best of us,” the governor said. “Corey died a hero. May his memory be a blessing,” he added.

At times, a spark of hope comes out of tragedy. Corey’s obituary reflects a light shining in the darkness of a divided nation.

For the rest of the story see the July 18, 2024 edition.

___________________________

Mission on the Mountain: Volunteers help with home repairs

Megan Ingraham/Intern Reporter

Curt Werner/Dillsburg Banner

Mt. Pleasant volunteers replace a handicapped ramp on Monday, July 15.

Over 50 volunteers from the Mt. Pleasant Church of God are serving the local area by helping with basic home repairs for those who are unable. The week-long project, titled Mission on the Mountain, will take place from July 14 through Saturday, July 20. Mt. Pleasant has been hosting the annual event since 2016.

Despite the temperatures in the nineties every day, the workers have been tasked with about 20 projects in the area, including fixing roof leaks, building handicapped ramps, installing accessible bathrooms and painting. All the labor and materials are provided to the homeowners free of charge.

The volunteers have been given an opportunity to work with new faces, by pairing the church youth and adults skilled in the trades. This teaches the importance of trade skills and gives the church youth a chance to have a hands-on experience to help others.

For the rest of the story see the July 18, 2024 edition.

___________________________

Warrington Township: Rossville to get new light

Megan Ingraham/Intern reporter

The main topic of discussion at the Warrington Township meeting was the Notice of Violation for Warrington Sporting Clays. The proposed land buyer, Lean Esch, is under an agreement to purchase the 500 Yeager Road property. The board is waiting for a final contract before approving the deal. The board does know for certain that the land will only be farmed, and the gun course and pigeon shoots will not continue. The paperwork will take another 45 days to get through the District Justice. The board also noted that Esch will be bound to the original land development plan, meaning that the only legal entrance to the property is through Yeager Road.

For the rest of the story see the July 18, 2024 edition.

___________________________

Franklin Township: Changes in the works for billing taxes

Mary Lou Bytof/Staff Reporter

Franklin Township is changing how it bills for per capita taxes, effective immediately. Most people will not be affected by the change, though people moving into the township or those with new household members will be.

Supervisors are also looking into adjusting who could be exonerated from the $5 per capita tax. Local municipalities have different standards for exoneration, ranging from active- duty military personnel, people with income under a certain level, disabled people, and college students, to name a few. Franklin will first investigate how other townships exonerate people from the tax before deciding how they may update their own exoneration rules.

For the rest of the story see the July 18, 2024 edition.

___________________________

Monaghan Township: Road repairs soon underway

Carolyn Hoffman/Dillsburg Banner

The winning bid for Monaghan's Fisher Run Road culvert came in at $267,200, lower than the estimate. The bid from Kinsley Construction was accepted pending an acceptable review of the bid and payment of the performance bond.

Monaghan has a grant of $265,000 for the work and had budgeted $380,000. Work will begin in November. Planning for the replacement took at least two years and involved applying for grants and performing a bog turtle study, though no bog turtles were found.

Work to reclaim Big Oak Road is planned to begin on July 24. Residents will be notified of the exact start date and will have local access every day. The reclamation is expected to take three days, beginning on a Wednesday. Paving will take one day and is planned for a week after the reclamation. Big Oak is a road where a good base was never created, so reclaiming the road essentially means starting over again from scratch. The new base will be created from the existing road material and concrete. Recon Construction Services, York, is the contractor.

For the rest of the story see the July 18, 2024 edition.