Print edition highlights July 24, 2025
Paige Loudenslager credits a lot of her success to her stepdad Ryan Whipperman.
By Chanty Webb
July 3 was Northern High School graduate Paige Loudenslager's birthday--but she'd already set off the fireworks.
This past spring Loudenslager ended her collegiate softball career with numerous accolades. During her final softball season at Penn State Mont Alto she was named the Second Team All- American for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. Additionally, Loudenslager was named Player of the Year for the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference, being selected as First Team third-baseman and Honorable Mention pitcher. Even though these awards bear her name, she makes it clear that this was no solo effort.
For the rest of the story see the July 24, 2025 edition.
By Carolyn Hoffman
Franklin Township residents whose properties adjoin the proposed Lexington Fields development off Bypass Road or Route 194 expressed their concerns to supervisors about letters from the developer that they said made it seem as though the township or PennDOT will use eminent domain to take portions of their land.
Supervisors reiterated their stance that they will not take any land by eminent domain for the development. They also urged the residents not to agree to give or sell their land to the developer if they didn't want to. Apparently, the developers want the land for turn lanes off Route 194 into the planned development.
For the rest of the story see the July 24, 2025 edition.
By Jeffery Alan Helt
The small rural community of Benton, with a population of less than 1,000 year-round residents, is tucked within the rolling hillsides and woodlands of Columbia County. Founded in the late 1700s, the original two-family settlement became a hub of activity as many Pennsylvania homesteaders migrated to the area providing manpower for the growing lumber and tanning industries of the mid-19th century. Its history, mostly quiet and uneventful, has at times been accented by untimely devastation and natural disaster.
A ravishing fire, caused by the mishandling of fire- works in 1910, consumed nearly all Benton area homes and businesses. 52 years later, extensive damage was suffered from the whiskey distillery blaze of 1962. Raging flood waters from the normally tranquil waters of Fishing Creek overwhelmed the area during Hurricane Agnes in 1972, as well as more recently from flash flooding in 2011 and 2018. The little hamlet even suffered the wrath of a tornado in 2019.
Just north of the peaceful limits of the borough, a little over half an hour from the aromatic scent of Berwick's famous Wise Potato Chips, lies the serenity and beauty of Ricketts Glen State Park.
For the rest of the story see the July 24, 2025 edition.
By Kristen Stagg
At the Carroll Township board of supervisors work session on July 14, supervisors unanimously moved to table action on the proposed Stony Run Village (SRV) development until the August meeting, in order to give township attorney Michael Pykosh time to review all the deeds and provide legal input. In the absence of chairman Brent Sailhamer, Libby Loudenslager chaired the meeting; Dave Bush, Tim Kelly, and Kelly Wall were all present.
Steven Ahlbrandt of McNees, Wallace & Nurick, the legal firm representing developer Bryan Golden of BLG Construction, LLC, challenged Loudenslager on the requested time extension. However, Loudenslager pointed out that if supervi- sors were divided in their vote, case law suggests it could be equated with a denial. Wall added that the vote could well be split. Ahlbrandt then agreed to the month-long extension.
For the rest of the story see the July 24, 2025 edition.
