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Looking back: It happened on June 22nd

County’s history Dec 4nd

Take a look back at news and photos that occurred 25, 50, and 100 years ago on June 22nd.

25 years Ago:

Wednesday , June 22, 1994

“Deaf Services to Expand”

Chambersburg –– Deaf Services and Support Group of Chambersburg is now a program of the Easter Seal Society of Franklin and Adams County.

Easter Seals will provide bookkeeping and administrative assistance while Deaf Services Ann Nutt of Carlisle will provide case manager and interpreter for the deaf.

Deaf Services provides educational classes and programs involving sign language, deaf culture, and deaf awareness.  Classes are available to anyone who wishes to become more closely associated with those who deaf and hearing impaired.

Deaf Services in Chambersburg is located at Easter Seal Treatment Center,  55 Hamilton Road, and they can be reached at 264-5864.

50 Years Ago:

Sunday , June 22, 1969

“ Stevens Project is New Venture for Area Schools”

Once geared to the three R’s – reading, writing, and arithmetic in the early grades, the philosophy of education is under constant change.

Today educators are leaning on the premise students who have not learned to read well will not learn well in other subject matters.  There’s also changing thoughts a Sixth grader isn’t necessarily a Sixth grader in all subjects.

Going along with this reasoning, the Chambersburg area school district has set the wheels in motion to a new concept in teaching for the area.  An experiment in education?  Not really.  This new program has been tried in other areas before and has been successful.

Dubbed the “Stevens Project” after the school in which this program is underway – Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School – school officials here say it is early too early to give a reading on its degree of success.  “The program isn’t fully developed yet,” says Stevens Principal William Cockley, one of the originators of the local project.  “The teachers have reacted favorably,” says Dr. Robert W. Kochenour, school superintendent.

Just what is the Stevens Project?  It is a program the school district helps will improve student achievement levels.  It places students in grade levels they are more apt to learn.    It is conceivable a student may be in Sixth grade for Home Room and in Fourth grade for reading, and in Fifth grade for math.

The project is financed completely with federal grants which amount to about $80,000, but if successful, there is a chance the program will be expanded.

To ensure students are successful in all areas, the emphasis is on remedial reading, an effort to have all students experience success in reading.  A house trailer purchased this month will be delivered to the Stevens school to provide two small classrooms where remedial help will be available for small groups.

What happens to the program?  The questions was raised at the regular January meeting of the school directors.  The board generally agreed it would continue the project, with or without federal funds.

100 years Ago:

Sunday , June 22, 1919

“Fireman Have Good Relief Fund”

Chambersburg –– The annual business meeting and banquet of the Firemen’s Relief Association took place last evening, the business meeting held here and the dinner at St. Thomas.  The reports at the business meeting showed the total being $3,115.57 in the treasury of the association, $400 of that being invested in borough bonds and $1450 in Liberty Bonds.  The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:  President, C.E. Bowers;   Vice President, A.M. Stager; Secretary, Bert Flack; Treasurer, J.F. Wingert.

After the meeting several automobiles carried the men of the association to St. Thomas where they enjoyed bounteous banquet at the McClain’s Hotel, the dinner being accompanied by toasts and several good speeches, chief among them of which was Isaac Wingert, Esc, who told the dangers of Bolshevism and how to successfully combat it.  A.M. Stager acted as toastmaster.

Found Property

On 9/1/2026 at 2:34 p.m., CPD officers were dispatched to the lobby to speak with an employee from the Hamilton Heights who brought in a wallet that was left at

Charles E. Hawk 1951-2026

Charles was a 1970 graduate of the Chambersburg Area Senior High School. He worked at Pet Inc. and Geodis warehouse in Chambersburg.

Franklin County Schedules Mosquito Spray For Hamilton Township

Residential and recreational areas in Hamilton Township will be sprayed for adult mosquitoes beginning around sunset on Sept. 8.  Areas to be sprayed include but are not limited to: Sollenberger Road, Johnson Road, Leedy Drive, Holly Lane, Hamilton

2026 Ben’s Pick Contest Winners

The contest is over and the winners have been chosen. See the complete list of winners below. Winners will have a framed certificate delivered in the upcoming weeks. Thank you

Who We Are

The Franklin County Free Press, established by Vicky Taylor in 2019, emerged as a beacon of local journalism for the residents of Franklin County. Under Vicky's leadership, it quickly became an essential source of news, particularly at a time when major newspaper publications were increasingly overlooking local coverage.

On January 1, 2022, the torch was passed to Nathan Neil and his firm, Neil Publishing, LLC. Neil, a local entrepreneur with multiple thriving businesses in Chambersburg, shares Vicky's fervent commitment to both the community and the world of local journalism.

Rooted in the heart of Franklin County and powered by its residents, the Franklin County Free Press continues to bridge the gap, ensuring that the local stories, events, and issues that matter most to the community remain in the spotlight.