Articles written by Rick Boston
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Conemaugh Nason Begins Vaccinating Staff, Prepares Public Rollout
COVID-19 is now the leading cause of death in the United States with nearly 3,000 fatalities a day being attributed to the virus. As of Monday, Jan. 11, the federal Centers for Disease Control...
'Butch' Giarth's Passing Leaves 'Unfillable Void' in Freedom Township
Freedom Township said goodbye on Friday, Jan. 8, to Daniel "Butch" Giarth Jr., a man who Pastor Ed Jeliff said "breathed life" into his community. Township officials, along with firefighters, family,...
Claysburg Man Jailed on Multiple Rape-Related Charges
A Claysburg man is in jail after police said he sexually assaulted a woman multiple times in his home. Kenneth L. Wells, 43, is accused of assaulting the woman over several days after picking her up in Tyrone and transporting her to Claysburg....
Freedom Township Fire Co. Mourns Loss of a Founding Member
A founding member of the Freedom Township Volunteer Fire Company has passed away at the age of 85. Raymond "Roger" Snowberger, died at UPMC Altoona on Dec. 18. Snowberger, a long-time East Freedom...
Roaring Spring Man Facing Sexual Assault Charges from PSP
A Roaring Spring man is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after police said he had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Bailey K. Musselman, 22, was charged by State Police, Bedford, on Dec. 29 after police received...
Roaring Spring Police Add Body Cameras
Law enforcement agencies across the country have come under increasing public scrutiny. With headline-grabbing incidents of police shootings, 2020 saw a rise in protests, both peaceful and violent, ag...
With Funds Low, Claysburg Fire Co. Looks to Community for Help
The Claysburg Volunteer Fire Company is down its main fire fighting truck and is asking the community for help getting a new one. The fire company's 1994 International pumper truck has been out of...
Police Chief, Local Eateries Praised for Help During President's Visit
President Donald J. Trump's visit to Martinsburg in October lasted just over an hour, but the day was much longer for the police and first responders who pulled together to make it a safe experience...
Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Charges for Queen Woman
A Queen woman pulled over in a traffic stop in Logan Township, Altoona, on Dec. 22, was jailed after police allegedly found drugs and paraphernalia in her vehicle. Lindsay M. Longenecker, 37, was pulled over at approximately 1:55 a.m. Dec. 22 along...
Pastor Recalls Larry Kulp's 'Selfless, Giving Nature'
A long-time local farmer is being remembered as a man of God who went out of his way to make people feel special. Francis Larry Kulp, who owned and operated the Lar-Ann Dairy Farm in Martinsburg for...
Santa and His Police Officer Elves Bring Holiday Cheer
Thanks to a community partnership between law enforcement and Professionals Auto Body of Altoona, four Martinsburg children got an early Christmas surprise when Santa showed up at their door bearing...
Blair County COVID-19 Deaths Reach Triple Digits
Blair County Coroner Patricia Ross reported last week that the death toll in Blair County due to COVID-19 reached 149. Ross said of those 149 deaths, 111 were Blair County residents. Ross said she...
Police Ask for Help in Hollidaysburg Homicide
Hollidaysburg Borough police are reaching out to the public for help as they continue to investigate the death of Tyler Richard Slippy, 27. Slippy's body was found in his residence, 515 Allegheny...
Some Cove Restaurants Staying Open to Stay Alive
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's recent mandate directing restaurants and bars to close for in-person dining is being met with resistance from some area eateries. Already running at half-capacity to...
Blair, Bedford Counties Release CARES ACT Funding
Blair and Bedford counties have released nearly $4 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) funds to help business affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Blair County allotted nearly $3.3 million while Bedford County...
Freedom Traffic Stop Lands Man Jail on Drug Charges
A traffic stop in Freedom Township has landed a Duncansville man behind bars facing multiple felony charges. According to the charges filed by Freedom Township Police, on Dec. 1, a Freedom Township...
Roaring Spring Man Jailed for Assault Nov. 30
An altercation at the Roaring Spring Commons apartment complex has landed a Roaring Spring man behind bars on multiple assault-related charges. According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 30,...
W-burg Man Charged With Forgery, Theft of Checks of Great-Grandmother
A Williamsburg man is facing charges after police said he stole, then forged checks belonging to his great-grandmother. According to charges filed by Hollidaysburg State Police, Brandon C. Breisacher, 23, stole numerous checks from his...
Rise in COVID-19 Cases Alter How Municipalities Conduct Meetings
As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise, local municipalities are again altering the way public meetings are held. Martinsburg Borough Manager Rich Brantner Jr., said he is going to ask council to conduct its next meeting, scheduled for...
Bedford Co. Suspends Warden, Deputy Warden Pending Investigation
Bedford County Correctional Facility Warden Troy Nelson and Deputy Warden Rocky Bernazzoli have been suspended with pay pending an investigation into prison operations by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Bedford County Commissioners Josh...
After Contracting COVID-19, RS Dept. Store Owners Ask Public to Protect Each Other
The coronavirus pandemic has put a squeeze on small businesses as those deemed nonessential were forced to close their doors while others had to alter the way they operate. Mandates passed down by...
COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise Statewide and in Region
As the winter months approach, COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout Pennsylvania. Statistics released Monday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health show 272,680 cases and 9,409 deaths in the commonwealth attributed to the virus since the...
Remembering a Friend on Veterans Day
In the Sept. 5, 2019, edition of the Herald you will find the story of John Fisher. John was a Navy veteran, serving on the submarine tender USS Fulton during World War II. When I met John, I was 51...
Lost Dog Tags Find Their Way Home to McKee After 52 Years
In August 1968, Lawrence "Wade" Rodland was on a "rat" patrol with the 198th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam when a booby trap exploded, breaking both legs, his left arm, and severing the index...
Thank You, Cove, For an Amazing Two Years
After two years, and I can honestly say they have been the best two years of my professional life, it is time for me to say goodbye to the Herald. I freely admit that before I started working here, I didn’t know much about the Herald. I knew it...
Trash Collector Hit by Car in Greenfield Township
A man collecting garbage along Ski Gap Road in Greenfield Township was struck by a car at around 9:20 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29. According to Greenfield Township Police Chief Ron Sharkey, 43-year-old Roger Musselman, of Duncansville, was collecting...
Roaring Spring Water Sold to DS Services
Roaring Spring Water, a fifth-generation family-owned company in Roaring Spring Borough, has been sold. Cott Corp., a provider of home and office bottled water delivery services in North America and Europe, announced last week that DS Services of...
Former Williamsburg Resident's First Book Helped Heal Familial Wounds
When familial relations fracture, it takes all sides to be willing to come together to heal the wounds. So, what happens if one of those sides passes away, taking any hope of reconciliation to the...
House Fire in Williamsburg Thursday Leaves two Homeless
A mid-morning fire in Williamsburg on Thursday, Jan. 23, left one couple homeless and claimed the lives of two pets. Williamsburg Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ted Hyle said the alarm came in...
Martinsburg Volunteer Firefighters Responded to 243 Calls in 2019
Members of the Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company responded to 243 calls, including 218 emergency calls, during 2019, according to a report filed by Randy Acker, fire chief. The total loss from fires in 2019 was $554,000. In Martinsburg Borough,...
RS Council Agrees to Zoning Hearing For Proposed Brewery Pub
The Roaring Spring Borough Council held its first meeting of the year on Monday evening, Jan. 13. Council discussed the ongoing issue with the wall on Main Street. Access has been restricted to traffic coming in town since a portion of the wall...
Former Appvion Employee Charged With Stealing From Spring Mill
A former Appvion employee is facing multiple charges in connection with the theft of thousands of dollars worth of equipment from the Roaring Spring plant. Chad G. Morningstar, 46, of Saxton, is accused of taking pieces of equipment from the plant an...
East Freedom Man Jailed on Drug and Fleeing Charges
An East Freedom man was jailed on drug charges and fleeing from police after police initiated a traffic stop along Plank Road in Allegheny Township at around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 16. According to charges...
East Freedom Woman, Two Others Charged With Theft from Hollidaysburg Business
An East Freedom woman and two former co-workers are facing multiple felony charges in the theft of nearly a quarter of a million dollars from their former employer. Stephanie D. Wyant, 52, of East Freedom; Jodie Potter Neely, 53, of Hollidaysburg;...
Historic Blair Co. Courthouse Room Dedicated to Former President Judge
Monday, Jan. 6, was a busy day at Blair County Courthouse. A packed Courtroom 1 saw the swearing-in of two new commissioners, one incumbent, and other county officials. But before anyone took the...
Freedom Township Fire Co. Reports 'Busy' 2019
The Freedom Township Volunteer Fire Company released its year-end report and 2019 was another busy year for the men and women who answer the whistle. The fire company responded to a total of 371...
Commissioners Must Continue Cohesiveness of Previous Board
On Monday, Jan. 6, Blair County swore in two new commissioners and one incumbent. Republican Amy Webster and Democrat Laura Burke joined second-term Commissioner Bruce Erb at the table to begin four years of leading county government. Once again the...
RS Swears in Officials for Another Year
The Roaring Spring Borough Council held its reorganization meeting on Monday evening, Jan. 6. Mayor Ron Glunt administered the oath of office to two new members as well as a sitting council member sta...
Claysburg Mourns Long-Time Fire Chief
The Claysburg Volunteer Fire Company and the entire firefighting community is mourning the loss of one of its own. Dennis L. Feathers, long-time chief and president of the Claysburg Volunteer Fire...
Bedford Man, 23, Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound
Blair County Coroner Patricia Ross has identified the man found dead in his car in a field along Cross Cove Road and Ellis Road near Martinsburg Friday morning, Jan. 3. According to Ross, an autopsy performed Friday at Forensic DX in Windber showed...
Blair County Welcomes Two New Commissioners As Two Say Goodbye
The newly renovated Courtroom 1 at the Blair County Courthouse was the scene for what Blair County Commissioner Bruce Erb called "one of our nation's most valued principals, the orderly transfer of...
Martinsburg Woman Dies in Trailer Fire
A Martinsburg woman died from injuries suffered in a trailer fire on Sunday evening, Dec. 29. Fire crews were called to 214 N. 3rd Alley in Martinsburg after Blair County 9-1-1 received a call from a...
Claysburg Education Foundation Pays off Student Lunch Debts
More than 11 million children, about one out of every seven living in the United States, lives with hunger. Often, a school lunch may be the only meal such a child receives on any given day, which...
'Wood Ministry' Warms Those in Need
Ideas can hit when you least expect them. For John Lawler of East Freedom, an afternoon of cutting wood 10 years ago produced an idea that has helped keep those in need warm through the cold winter...
For the Love of Axel
If you stand in front of the old Charlie's Barber Shop in Williamsburg on any given day, you will see people walking their dogs around town. During the summer months, the bench in front of Charlie's...
Williamsburg Ambulance Ceasing Service at Year-end
As Williamsburg struggles with the recent loss of its pharmacy, it was dealt another blow with the announcement that the Williamsburg Area Ambulance will be closing its doors at the end of the year....
Fire at Hollidaysburg Townhouse Complex Displaces 12 Families
At least a dozen families were left homeless after fire ripped through the Country Club Terrace Townhouses in Hollidaysburg on Friday, Dec. 13. Geeseytown Volunteer Fire Company initially responded to...
Stolen Jeep Found Burned in Freedom Township
A 2019 Jeep Wrangler reported stolen from Enterprise Rent-A Car in Altoona on Sept. 18, 2019, was found burned in a wooded area of Freedom Township. Freedom Township Police Chief Terry Dellinger said...
So His Name Lives On
Law enforcement and the Cove community came together on Friday, Dec. 6, to honor one of their own as a permanent memorial to fallen Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Landon E. Weaver was unveiled at...
Roaring Spring Council Says Goodbye to Two Long-Serving Members
Two long-time Roaring Spring Borough Council members presided over their last meeting on Monday evening, Dec. 9. William Brumbaugh and Dennis Igou narrowly lost bids to retain their seats in last...
