180 Bands Set To Rock Gettysburg This Weekend

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Adams County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A three-day music festival will kick off Aug. 8 in Adams County, bringing 180 bands to Gettysburg from 14 states and Washington.

Gettysburg Rocks will feature multiple genres of music including rock, country, blues, folk, ska and reggae, according to Rob Simon, the brainchild of the upcoming festival.

Simon, host of “Under The Radar” on 105.7 The X in Harrisburg, said he got the idea for Gettysburg Rocks from his daughter, Ashley, who was planning a fundraiser for Penn State Mont Alto’s THON group.

Read more: http://www.flipsidepa.com/concerts/ci_26215565/180-bands-set-rock-gettysburg

Controlled Deer Kill To Be Conducted At Gettysburg Battlefield

Image via Wikipedia

A controlled hunt will be conducted in the next six months by the Park Service staff at Gettysburg Battlefield and the Eisenhower National Historic Site to thin the deer herd by about 150 animals.  The population spiked recently to 80 animals per square mile.  The goal is 25 animals per square mile.

The hunt will be conducted at night and in areas closed to the public.  The venison will be donated to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg.  A portion of that will return to Adams County.  Last year 17,000 pounds of venison was donated to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

An overabundance in the deer population can prevent forest regeneration and stress the ecosystem.  They cause damage to private property, farms, fields and can interfere with overall park management.

Harrisburg Area Community College Scores Home Run With York County Branch

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When Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) opened their York County branch in 2003, I wonder if anyone could have predicted the rapid growth that followed.

Community Colleges are a great alternative to four-year institutions because of the price differential and flexibility they offer.  For a fraction of the cost associated with traditional four-year institutions, students can work full-time and attend classes around their busy schedules for a substantially lower cost per credit hour.

HACC’s York College branch has seen tremendous growth.  The York campus saw a 34% increase in enrollment between 2008 and 2009.  Enrollment stands and 2,900 students, which is up 5% since the Spring 2010 semester.  There is competition in the York market for college students.  York College, Penn State York and nearby Millersville University already compete for students.  To have the student body swell to nearly 3,000 students in only 8 years demonstrates a need in the York market for affordable education.

The York branch is the fastest growing campus in the HACC family.  HACC has campuses in Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Lebanon, Lancaster and York as well as a Virtual Campus.  There are more than 23,000 students are enrolled at HAAC’S five brick and mortar campuses and over 5,300 at the Virtual Campus (online courses).

For more information:  http://www.hacc.edu/