Breaking News

Outdoors

Paddle a string of islands in the lower Susquehanna River

WRIGHTSVILLE (AP) — Summer was fading into autumn as I glided into a labyrinth of wooded and grassy islands and exposed necks of mud — the Conejohela Flats in the lower Susquehanna River. There may be no other place on the Susquehanna that surrounds you by so much nature and history as this compact string of islands, accessible only by boat just off the opposing shores of Lancaster and York counties in Pennsylvania. The Conejohela Flats also are in the middle of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, one of 55 such sites across the U.S. I was joined on my morning paddle by ...

Giant City State Park lodge has unique history

MAKANDA, Ill. (AP) — The majestic Giant City Lodge sits at the highest point in Giant City State Park, but the park and lodge have a history of their own. One of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s programs, Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC, was started in 1933 and enrolled young men to work on outdoor projects and improvements. Three CCC units were assigned to Giant City State Park. Company 696, with nearly 200 men, remained at the park from 1933 until 1942. Company 1657 assisted for five months in 1934. Under the supervision of the National Park Service, the CCC undertook such ...

Outdoors calendar

Atkinson Mills Sportsmen’s Club ¯ Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The club is located at 55 Sportsmen Club Lane, McVeytown; email atkinsonmillssportsmensclub@gmail.com; online at http://atkinsonmills-sportsmensclub.weebly.com Blue Rock Sportsman Club ¯ Club meetings at 2 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month on the gun range, and at 7 p.m. in January and February in the barn. To east end Blue Rock: From Milroy, follow signs to Reeds Gap State Park. Free camping available and kitchen is open during all events except trap shoots. Decatur ...

Modified hunting system helps boy get first buck

INDIANA (AP) — Eleven-year-old Lucas McCormick didn’t want to get out of bed when his mom, Kayla McCormick, woke him up on the first day of rifle season in late November. Like most young hunters, this Marion Center sixth-grader was stuck choosing between the determination to shoot his first buck and the desire to sleep in on a Sunday. In the end, Lucas chose to bundle up in orange and set out into the snow-covered woods with his dad, Dan McCormick. “He was giggling as I got him dressed,” Kayla remembered. “He was half asleep and I kept asking him, ‘Are you tired?’. He ...

Diver takes you on his adventures in the Delaware River

EASTON (AP) — Matt Schade has crossed the iconic Easton-Phillipsburg free bridge hundreds of times, looked out at the Delaware River and wondered what was underneath the water’s surface. Many have wondered the same thing, curiosity piqued by rumors of what, or who, might be hidden in the river in between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. But most don’t have scuba gear like Schade, and fewer have the sense of discovery that pushes the Allentown man to suit up and dive in waterways around the Lehigh Valley. “I was always curious as a kid, looking out at water sources, or the ...

Outdoors calendar

Atkinson Mills Sportsmen’s Club ¯ Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The club is located at 55 Sportsmen Club Lane, McVeytown; email atkinsonmillssportsmensclub@gmail.com; online at http://atkinsonmills-sportsmensclub.weebly.com Blue Rock Sportsman Club ¯ Club meetings at 2 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month on the gun range, and at 7 p.m. in January and February in the barn. To east end Blue Rock: From Milroy, follow signs to Reeds Gap State Park. Free camping available and kitchen is open during all events except trap shoots. Decatur ...