Articles written by Thomas Schmitt
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NB Approves Wellness Building Construction
A long discussion on the construction of the Wellness Building on campus highlighted the Northern Bedford County School District November Board of Directors meeting. The board was asked to approve the Wellness Building construction bid as presented...
SCSB Reorganization Coming Up Next Month
The November regular meeting of the Spring Cove School District Board of Directors served as the last scheduled meeting for four of the sitting board members: President Brian Gahagan, Floyd Detterline, Kelly Marks and Samantha Snowberger. The new...
NBC Recognizes Students in Career Program
Administrators, school board members, parents, students, teachers, and members of the business community crowded into the Northern Bedford County High School Cafeteria for the bi annual Career Technical Education (CTE) Occupational Advisory...
Hollidaysburg Borough Going Forward With Pedestrian Bridge Project
Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) requested that the Hollidaysburg Borough submit a grant application for a Local Share Account Grant on behalf of the fire department. This grant would allow the department to purchase a new fire engine at...
HACP Looks Into Local Business Promotion Ideas
The Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP) is looking to promote member businesses through video promotion. A quote was received from Joe Glass for a promo video creation at a base price of $600 for an approximately one-minute video with...
McLaurin Temporarily Steps in as Superintendent
The motion to appoint Darren McLaurin as acting Superintendent of the Hollidaysburg Area School District was unanimously approved by the board of directors at the October committee of the whole/voting meeting. McLaurin will step into this role to fil...
Technology Grant for SCSD to Allow Ironwork Shop Projects
The Spring Cove School District took another step in ensuring safety for staff and students by hiring Gregory Sutton as a part-time school police officer for 16 hours per week with a starting rate of pay set at $25/hour. “We are fortunate to...
Space Heaters Put in Martinsburg Elementary To Heat Classrooms Until Boiler is Fixed
Superintendent Dr. Betsy Baker announced at the Monday, Oct. 9 Spring Cove School Board of Directors committee of the whole meeting that the new boiler purchased for Martinsburg Elementary School could not be operable until the flue liner, which was...
Fee Recipient of Community Service Award For Blair County Sports Hall of Fame
The Blair County Sports Hall of Fame will recognize Jim Fee as the Community Service Award winner at its banquet to be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Fee is receiving the award as a result of his...
HASD Begins Search for New Superintendent
The Hollidaysburg Area School District Board of Directors unanimously approved a contract with the Pa. School Board Association (PSBA) to begin a search to replace departing district Superintendent Dr. Robert Gildea. The PSBA will provide the...
Police Chief, Mayor Oppose Safety Clerk Position
Stormwater updates on grant money for the storm sewer project, the hiring of a part time safety clerk for the police department, and submitting a grant on behalf of Phoenix Fire Co. for a new engine dominated discussion in a packed meeting room at...
HACP Looking Forward to Pumpkinfest, Holiday Fun
The Marketing and Program & Development committees of the Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP) have been extremely active in the borough in the past month. The planned member mixer gathering involved a major effort for those involved....
Northern Bedford County School District Approves Bid for HVAC Work
The discussion at Northern Bedford County School District Board of Directors’ monthly meeting focused on which specific areas of the school were most in need of extensive HVAC work and approval of a bid to complete the job. The board had bids from...
Spring Cove Hires Math Teacher and PT Police Officer
The regular September meeting of the Spring Cove School District Board of Directors was highlighted by numerous hirings and resignations. Thad Albright was hired as a mathematics teacher at Central High School with a salary of $50,728. Albright was...
HASD Upgrades Energy
The Hollidaysburg Area School Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2023-24 school meal prices by a 6-0 vote. Board members Nicole Hartman, Manny Nichols, and Jennifer Costanza were absent for the meeting. Per the Pa. Dept. of Education (PDE),...
Hollidaysburg Still Looking for Ninth Police Officer
The process to hire the ninth police officer for the Hollidaysburg borough has proven difficult over the last several months. Only two applicants applied for the position and Ann Andrews of the Pa. Civil Service Commission said applicants for open...
HACP Works on Ad Opportunities
The Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP) Board of Directors monthly meeting outlined a number of marketing and program and development committee projects they have become invested in within the Hollidaysburg Borough. HACP will be sponsorin...
Girls Wrestling Could Be Added to Central's Winter Sports Schedule
Spring Cove School District Athletic Director Stacy Kuster is looking to bring a girls wrestling program to the district as an official sport. According to Kuster, girls wrestling is the fastest growing sport in the country. It has been approved by...
SCSD Continues Search For Paraprofessionals
Spring Cove School District is gearing up for the start of the 2023-24 school year. Superintendent Dr. Betsy Baker announced that eight newly hired teachers would be taking part in this year's induction sessions, which include one initial full day...
Partnership, Businesses Prepare for WJAC Commercial Promotion
There was a great deal of news from the Marketing Committee and the Planning and Development Committee from the Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP). HACP sponsors music for Third in the Burg every third Friday of the month from 5 p.m. to...
Hollidaysburg Borough Council Approves $2 Million for Presbyterian Home
During the July Borough Council meeting, Police Chief Christopher Storm stated there were two candidates for the opening of a ninth police officer in the borough, but neither candidate fit the bill for the position which has been vacant since October...
HASD Tables Discussion on Grants
The annual report presentation to the board was given by Superintendent Dr. Robert Gildea and Business Manager Autumn Fiscus. Gildea started by stating the Hollidaysburg Area School District vision statement, which says that the community is...
Work Release Program Presented at SCSD Meeting
Central High School Principal Stephanie Thompson gave a special presentation on the school's Work Release Program at the regular monthly meeting of the Spring Cove School District Board of Directors....
Hollidaysburg Borough Looks Over Stormwater Agreement
Approval of release of funds to the Phoenix Fire Co., renewal of the Intergovernmental Stormwater Committee agreement, an update on hiring of an additional police officer were primary items on the agenda at the Hollidaysburg Borough Council monthly...
HASD Hears Opposition to Tax Increase
The Hollidaysburg Area School District Board of Directors approved the 2023-24 final budget with a 5-percent tax increase by a 5-2 margin at the committee of the whole/budget adoption meeting on June 14. Board members Carmen Bilek and Ken Snyder were...
HACP Makes Deal with WJAC TV
The Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP) Board of Directors meeting for June was primarily focused on marketing committee issues. The May spring video for Hollidaysburg merchants is not going to happen with the team from Hollidaysburg...
Northern Bedford County School District Finalizes Budget
The Northern Bedford County School District Board of Directors approved a 3-percent tax increase with a tax millage of 9.28 in the final budget presentation for 2023-24. The district will be looking at revenues of $15,953,023 and expenditures of $16,...
SCSD Adopts 2023-24 Budget
Regular meeting A motion to adopt the final 2023-24 general fund budget of the Spring Cove School District for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024, in the amount of $30,655,322 was unanimously approved by the board. This...
HACP Details Past Two Months' Events
The Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP) Marketing and Program and Development committee was active in April and May. The Hello Social Workshop had 15 people participate on April 26 at the Community Room at the Hollidaysburg Area Public Li...
HASB At Odds For 2023-24 Budget
The Hollidaysburg Area School District Board of Directors passed the proposed budget for the 2023-24 school year with no tax increase or increase in millage. The budget passed by a 6-2 vote, with board members Nicole Hartman, Lonna Frye, Doug...
Borough Ready for Another Officer
The May Hollidaysburg Borough Council meeting focused on several key issues including the hiring of a ninth police officer, adopting stricter stormwater management policies, and the resignation of the planning/zoning/code enforcement officer. Police...
Central Cove FFA Banquet Honors Students, Retiring Advisor Tom Ritchey
Over 300 FFA student members, alumni, and parents packed the Central High School Auditorium to honor Tom Ritchey upon his retirement as ag instructor and Central Cove FFA Chapter advisor for the past...
Students Visit School Board to Show This Year's Advancements in Learning
Students from grades kindergarten through 12th in the Spring Cove School District demonstrated skills they had learned this past year in everything from science, technology, engineering, math, and...
Spring Cove School District Business Manager Details Proposed Budget
Spring Cove School District Business Manager Steven Foor did a formal budget presentation for the 2023-24 school year at the May 8 Board of Directors Committee of the Whole meeting. This final proposed budget will be voted on for adoption next...
Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership Discusses May, Summer Events
The Marketing/Planning and Development Committee of the Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP) was extremely active during the month of April with activities involving Hollidaysburg area businesses. The Window Easter Egg Hunt ended April...
Police, Fire Dept. Give Updates On Recent Reports
Hollidaysburg Mayor Joe Dodson called for Police Chief Chris Storm to be allowed to hire a ninth police officer to the department. Dodson wants Storm to be allowed to go through current list of three potential candidates already approved to present...
HASD Policy on Teacher Political Displays Brought Up Again
The issue of political activity and displays reflecting political opinions by teachers in the classroom was discussed by the board for months and was believed to be put to rest at the February meeting of the committee of the whole/voting meeting...
SCSD Looks at Budget; No Tax Increase Predicted
After a 14-year absence of an annual show, the district came back with a strong performance with this year’s production. The cast of Central High School’s production of Footloose received recognition from the board of directors of the Spring...
Special Education Plan Outlined at Spring Cove School Board Meeting
Spring Cove School District’s Director of Special Education Harry Gregg outlined the district’s special education plan for the upcoming year at the April 17 Board of Directors meeting. There are currently 278 students in the district receiving...
SCSD Finance, Legal Committee Hope for No Tax Increase
During the Spring Cove School District April finance and legal committee meeting, District Business Manager Steven Foor announced that there should be no tax increase for the district according to the preliminary budget for the 2023-24 school year....
Stormwater Issues Starting to be Resolved
Stormwater runoff and flooding issues in the borough have been the major topic of discussion at Hollidaysburg Borough Council meetings for months. Major action was taken at the March meeting when the council approved the purchase of 7.85 acres that...
HACP Window Easter Egg Hunt Ongoing
The marketing committee of the Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP) has been active in a number of events in March. The Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt ran March 1 through March 19. Promotions for the hunt were done on the Facebook page. The...
Hollidaysburg Parent Informs Council of Bullying Incident, Implores School District to Do More
During the public comment period of the Hollidaysburg Area School District Board of Directors committee of the whole meeting, parent Tony Luther spoke on school bullying. Luther said took him 11 months to be able to share his daughter’s story. He...
Spring Cove School District Looks into Textbooks, Resources For Multiple Courses
The regular March meeting of the Spring Cove School District Board of Directors opened with a special presentation on textbooks and resources for secondary social studies, foreign languages, and Central High School’s environmental science. The seco...
SCSD Looks to Further Improve Dual Enrollment
During the Spring Cove School District March committee of the whole meeting, Superintendent Dr. Betsy Baker announced that the district had submitted a dual enrollment grant. “If our application is approved by the Pa. Department of Education, it...
HACP Discusses Easter Egg Hunt
The upcoming marketing events highlighted the February Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP) meeting. The Marketing Directors report discussed the Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt with the contest scheduled to run from March 1 to 19. Members Pam...
Borough Revisits Flooding Issues
Flooding in the area and pursuing grant money to finally put an end to the problem were the primary areas of attention during the February Hollidaysburg Borough council meeting. A resolution was passed previously to apply for a grant for the...
HASD Approves Policy After Months of Discussion
After months of discussion and meetings, the Hollidaysburg Area School District approved a policy on social, political and religious activity and displays that would be allowed in the classroom. There was much discussion about Policy 321 as to what s...
Gender Identity Questions Cause Uproar at SCSD Meeting
During Recognition of Visitors portion of the Spring Cove School District Board of Directors Committee of the Whole February meeting, several representatives from a group of attendees came up to speak on issues of gender identification. Misty...
HACP to Update Website Platform
The initial meeting for 2023 of the Board of Directors for the Hollidaysburg Area Community Partnership (HACP) was held at the Hollidaysburg Public Library on Jan. 11. All officers and the marketing director plan to meet Fridays (virtually) before...