Submitted photo
County officials made a proclamation for National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Pictured are Mifflin County Commissioner Kevin Kodish, Sgt. Matthew Lynch, of Lewistown Borough Police; Commissioner Noah Wise, Commissioner Robert Postal, Chief John Chester, of Mifflin County Regional Police and Copl. Chad Brehman, of Granville Township.

LEWISTOWN — When helicopters land in Kish Park and children go home with new backpacks and a mouthful of snow cones, it’s not an ordinary Tuesday in Mifflin County. But the first Tuesday in August is set aside for something different — a county-wide National Night Out.

This year, the event will be larger than ever, and it took center stage at Thursday’s meeting of the Mifflin County Commissioners, where new business moved from community celebrations and recognitions to key funding decisions and long-awaited infrastructure milestones.

National Night Out will bring together law enforcement, emergency responders, and over two dozen community organizations at Kish Park from 6 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 5. The commissioners approved an official proclamation marking the event, which is part of a nationwide effort to strengthen police-community partnerships and promote crime prevention.

New Chief John Chester of the Mifflin County Regional Police stepped to the podium to lay out the details. “The departments all again will join forces for National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Kish Park,” Chester said, joined by officers from Granville Township and Lewistown Borough. “National Night Out is designed to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. It provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances here in Mifflin County.”

Planned activities run the gamut from police and fire vehicle displays to a National Guard rock wall and helicopter landings by the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Pennsylvania State Police, and Hershey Medical Center’s Life Lion.

Community organizations will set up booths, offer demonstrations, and hand out free backpacks. “There’ll be crafts and games for children, a gift card raffle for adults, health screenings from Geisinger and Walmart Vision, and snow cones from Fame EMS,” Chester added. “And yes, there will be a tug-of-war between police officers and firefighters.” If that’s not enough, free hot dogs and fireworks will cap off the evening.

Chester emphasized the scale of the effort. “There is a committee that representatives from the agencies get together and basically planning for next year, probably starts the day after today,” he told the commissioners. “It takes a lot of work, and I commend these folks that are represented here as well as members of our department.”

After recognizing community engagement, the board shifted to honoring decades of individual service. The commissioners issued a proclamation for David E. Pennebaker, who has served the county in roles ranging from the Planning Commission and Brown Township Zoning Board to Explorer Scouts leader and local pastor.

Commissioner Kevin Kodish read the official recognition: “Volunteer community service is an integral part of the operation and core values of Mifflin County. David Pennebaker has been active in the community, serving as an original member and former president of the Big Valley Ambulance Services, and was instrumental in implementing the Big Valley Area Medical Center.” Pennebaker’s service includes over fifty years of involvement.

As the board continued with new business, Edward Mann was appointed to fill an unexpired term on the Planning Commission, keeping the roster steady after Pennebaker’s departure.

The board approved an application for $48,243 in RASA/VOJO grant funds to support services for crime victims, along with a modification to the existing VOCO grant, shifting money from salaries to consultant expenses while keeping the total amount the same.

History and tradition received a formal nod when commissioners designated the Mifflin County Historical Society as the official historical society for the county. The board’s resolution included a promise to strive for level funding to help the society with its operating costs.

Several funding measures followed. The board approved the allocation of liquid fuels aid for local infrastructure, granting Menno Township $3,200 for road resurfacing and Newton Hamilton Borough $1,000 for street lighting.

Social services were also addressed, with the board correcting the amount of the Homeless Assistance Program grant agreement to $7,368 for case management at Mifflin-Juniata Human Services.

A substantial portion of the meeting was devoted to infrastructure projects, particularly ongoing water and sewer work in the county. Madison Price, the county’s grants liaison, walked the board through multiple payment applications: $62,927.38 for the Hawstone Water Storage Tank Project, $130,848.65 for the Hawstone Sewer Extension Project (with $6,205 paid by Granville Township for ineligible expenses), and $98,772.78 for the Hawstone Water Extension Project.

Certificates of substantial completion were approved for both C&R Directional Boring and SE Construction Group, LLC; however, several final punch list items, including seeding, mulching, and some electrical hookups, remain.

Price also presented a final adjustment change order for the SR 333 Water Extension Project, which increased the contract price from $1,553,410.91 to $1,613,448.53. She explained, “The original contract was an estimate not to exceed certain levels. We didn’t know the final cost of the line items until the quantities and the time were complete.”