Breaking News

Local Columns

Last week, the leader of the Pennsylvania House Democrats was sworn-in to office in a secret ceremony as part of an illegal and illegitimate power grab that redefined the term “majority” to claim that a 99-101 minority gives them control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Here is the problem: That claim is supported by neither the math, nor the law. On Nov. 8, 2022, all 203 House seats were up for election. Following that election, 102 seats were won by Democrats and 101 were won by Republicans. Here is where the problem for Democrats claiming the majority begins: One ...

A look at Christmas past, Part 2

After reminiscing with many of you after my last article, I decided there just had to be a part two. As you shared with me your experiences, it shook loose a lot of memories I had forgotten so, here goes. Let’s dive even deeper into our Christmas experiences focusing specifically on the danger level of most of our Christmas presents. Many would never be allowed on the market today. I am not sure if our parents were very trusting of us, or were trying to get rid of us, but either way, let’s explore a few examples. How many of you spent hours creating Creepy Crawlers? What could ...

Everyone has a Jim Shilling story

Just about every person in Mifflin County’s world of athletics has a Jim Shilling story. Jim, a long-time fixture first at Lewistown’s YMCA and later at the Juniata Valley YMCA in Burnham, passed away at the age of 85 back on Nov. 6. Jim possessed an unbelievable love of children and young adults, and he displayed an incredible willingness to help others. I can’t be totally serious, though! Jim loved to be a joker at times, too, and he was known to pull a prank or two. I was first exposed to Jim as a 7-year-old at the Lewistown YMCA. I recall watching in amazement as Jim ...

A look at Christmas past: the ’60s

I proudly admit, I was a child of the 1960s and I thought it might be fun to look back and remember what Christmases looked like as I was growing up. The kickoff to the holiday shopping season always began with the downtown Lewistown Christmas parade. Since I grew up in the country, we didn’t often venture into town, but this was one event we never missed. Lewistown was turned into a winter wonderland with beautiful decorations and the streets and sidewalks were packed with cars and people. No parade day was ever complete without a stop at Murphy’s 5 & 10 for a free goldfish. ...

How does one say goodbye without actually leaving?

After 24 years in the state Senate, I am stepping away from public life. But as a life-long resident of Centre County, I’m not going anywhere. Who could have guessed that nearly a half century ago when I walked on the floor for my father’s first swearing in to the Senate of Pennsylvania, it would begin a near five-decade relationship between the Corman family and the citizens of the 34th Senatorial District? My father and I had very different careers. He was much more community-focused, holding constant constituent hours and working closely with local governments. I took a ...

The champion turkey hunter

In 1824, a man by the name of John Jackson Gantz was born in Ferguson Valley. No one imagined that he would one day grow up to be the infamous “Daniel Boone of Mifflin County.” He also earned the title of “The Champion Turkey Hunter of the Alleghenies.” Knowing well his descendant, great-great-great grandson, Peter Ort of Lewistown, I am not surprised that this man was a colorful character in our Juniata River Valley history When John was 37 years old, the Civil War broke out and he decided to volunteer to serve in the Union Army. He walked 61 miles to Harrisburg only to be ...