Kristin Rice, Adams County’s Chief Public Defender for the past 11 years, will retire on Dec. 31 to return to her private law practice. Rice has been working at Adams County since 2003. Her office includes three assistants who together handle about 1,000 new cases every year. The team provides legal representation to people, including juveniles, who are facing potential jail time, who are incarcerated, or who are being involuntarily committed due to mental health issues. In this podcast I talk with Rice about how she got into law and criminal justice, the types of cases she normally handles, the joys she has experienced when she made a difference in someone’s life, and the important role that mental health services play in the process. If you enjoy the podcast, please take a few seconds to support us by signing up for our weekly mailing list. Our podcasts are always free, but we could use your support to keep them coming. Our memberships start at just $4.99 per month, about the price of a cup of coffee at one of our local coffee shops.  It takes 5 minutes to become a Gettysburg Connection member.  Would you help out? Please, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. Musical Introduction by Thane Pittman.

A new non-profit is focused on helping sexual assault victims in Adams County. Pennsylvania Coalition of Rape hired Atle Walter in September to open Adams County Sexual Assault Services. Walter and her colleague, Emily Uleau, are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to care for victims at any stage of their trauma. “We try to meet the client where they are at and provide the needs they want to be provided with,” Walter said. “We never force anything on anyone because everyone is always at different stages.” Walter and Uleau will accompany victims to the hospital or police station. They can also connect them with free legal information, counseling, food, and shelter. Services are available at any point in a victim’s recovery process, even a decade later. All services are free and confidential, Walter said. “We work with them and follow up with them to make sure they are getting everything they need,” Walter said. Walter encourages everyone to call her, even if they are unsure they want to report their assault to the police. “We are there to be a helping hand,” she said. Friends or family members of victims can also call Atle for advice. “The best thing you can do is just support them as much as possible,” she said. “Encourage them to talk to somebody, encourage them to seek professional help whether through us or a counselor. Just being a friend they can rely on day-to-day is super important.” PCAR is also working with local school districts to provide sexual assault prevention education. Walter said she was drawn to work with victims since she learned such a career existed and has been in the field since 2014. “I really like helping people. Every time I get to talk to somebody and help them with what they are going through, that really keeps me going,” she said. Anyone seeking help for themselves, a friend or a family member who is a victim of sexual assault can call PCAR’s 24/7 hotline at 1-888-772-7227. Learn more about Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape by listening to the entire 20-minute interview with Walter. Featured image caption: Atle Walter is the direct services supervisor for Adams County Sexual Assault Services.

Robert W. Iuliano was appointed the 15th president of Gettysburg College in 2019, coming from a position as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Harvard University. Iuliano came to Gettysburg at almost the same time as COVID and he has spent his first three years dealing with the pandemic. In this interview Iuliano talks about the stresses of the pandemic on students, faculty, parents, and administrators. He acknowledges there have been long-term effects on learning that the college is working to alleviate, but also says that new and effective methods of instruction have come out of the challenges COVID presented. Iuliano also talks about the financial health of the college and the way forward given declining college enrollments across the country. Iuliano outlines some of the ways the college interacts with the community. If you enjoy the podcast, please take a few seconds to support us by signing up for our weekly mailing list. Our podcasts are always free, but we could use your support to keep them coming. Our memberships start at just $4.99 per month, about the price of a cup of coffee at one of our local coffee shops.  It takes 5 minutes to become a Gettysburg Connection member.  Would you help out? Please like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. Musical Introduction by Thane Pittman.

Only eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael Cogliano Sr. accepted a challenging leadership position in our community as president of Gettysburg WellSpan Hospital. Cogliano is a community man who can be spotted frying Oreos at Biglerville High School football games and who will strut his stuff on the Majestic Theater stage in January during the Dancing with the Local Stars show which supports the YWCA Gettysburg & Adams County and the Adams County Arts Council. He has held several positions throughout his 24-year WellSpan career, including vice president of operations, administer of clinical operations, administrative director of surgical and emergency services, supervisor of cardiac catheterization lab, and invasive cardiovascular technologist. Cogliano recently sat down with the Connection to discuss COVID-19, monkeypox, telehealth and other relevant topics for this month’s Connection Podcast. “The past winter and spring were very challenging for everyone here,” Cogliano said. “I think we recovered well from the surge; however, the hospital has remained busy throughout the summer just with fewer COVID-19 patients.” Cogliano and his staff are excited to return to community activities. The hospital president recently chaired the American Heart Association Heart Walk, which raised about $100,000. Cogliano warns residents that even though the severity of COVID cases has lessened, the virus is still a concern. “I would encourage us all to continue the same precautions we are accustomed to,” he said.  Cogliano stressed COVID-19 and flu vaccines and the latest boosters are the best methods to prevent infection and illness. The hospital president said other health concerns, including mental health, are a big focus for WellSpan. He encouraged patients to use My Wellspan at www.wellspan.org to keep track of health records and make appointments. Cogliano is a user himself and trusts the site is a safe way to store sensitive information. Learn more about WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital by listening to the entire 17-minute interview with Cogliano.

PLEASE SPONSOR THIS PAGE This week's podcast is a reposting of an interview I did during the Fall of 2019.  It's relevant now as the summer rains fall. Warmer weather brings more mosquitoes and more West Nile Virus. Please stay safe and please enjoy the podcast. In this episode I talk with Stephanie Summers who is Adams County’s Mosquito Borne Disease Control & Conservation Technician. Her job is to keep an eye on disease-causing insects in the county, including mosquitoes and ticks. Stephanie talks about how to the county helps keep these insects under control and how you can stay safe from Lyme disease and West Nile Virus. Here are some web links you may find useful: Adams County Conservation District PA Department of Environmental Protection U.S. Center for Disease Control Information on Lyme Disease U.S. Center for Disease Control Information on West Nile Virus  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Information on Choosing an Appropriate Insect Repellent

Today Gettysburg Connection spotlights itself as we share a presentation given by owner and publisher Charles Stangor at a YWCA “Mission Moment” meeting on May 10, 2022. Stangor considers the state of news in the county and asks people to become more involved in being part of the local news community. How can local news further your personal mission?  You may find some answers in this podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, please take a few seconds to support us by signing up for our weekly mailing list. Our podcasts are always free, but we could use your support to keep them coming. Our memberships start at just $4.99 per month, about the price of a cup of coffee at one of our local coffee shops.  It takes 5 minutes to become a Gettysburg Connection member.  Would you help out? Please, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. Musical Introduction by Thane Pittman.

Adams County government has many programs with many different responsibilities, many of which we, as taxpayers, know little about. This week we focus on one of these county programs, the Adams County Victim Witness Assistance Program.  The program, which provides support services to over 1,000 victims every year, has the goal of providing U.S. and Pennsylvania mandated rights to people who are victims of crime. Our conversation is with Program Director Cindy Keeney who explains the many facets of the program, the difficulties crime victims experience, and the support services the county offers to them. The program is a huge benefit to many people. If you enjoy the podcast, please take a few seconds to support us by signing up for our weekly mailing list. Our podcasts are always free, but we could use your support to keep them coming. Our memberships start at just $4.99 per month, about the price of a cup of coffee at one of our local coffee shops.  It takes 5 minutes to become a Gettysburg Connection member.  Would you help out? Please, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. Musical Introduction by Thane Pittman.

As the Connection continues to publish weekly “behind the scenes” articles from the Adams County Library System, I had a chance this week to talk with the Library’s Development Director Erica Duffy. In the interview she talks about some of the operations of the library and her job as a fundraiser. Duffy points out the many programs the library offers and explains how people can get involved in the library system. You can find the library website here. If you enjoy the podcast, please take a few seconds to support us by signing up for our weekly mailing list. Our podcasts are always free, but we could use your support to keep them coming. Our memberships start at just $4.99 per month, about the price of a cup of coffee at one of our local coffee shops.  It takes 5 minutes to become a Gettysburg Connection member.  Would you help out? Please, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. Musical Introduction by Thane Pittman.

The four full-time employees at the Adams County Elections Office have their hands full all year long keeping the elections process running smoothly, but activities switch into high gear between now and May 17 when the 2022 primary election will be held. The list of contested offices this year includes state senator, governor, and lieutenant governor, as well as state representatives and local party committees. The situation became a bit clearer this week as the state supreme court selected a redistricting map. That decision allows candidates to submit their petitions and the election process to move forward. I got a chance to talk with elections office director Angie Crouse about the issues facing the preparations and the upcoming ballot counting.  I learned a lot about this important process, and the uncertainties that come with it in this election, and I hope you’ll enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Our podcasts are always free, but we could use your support to keep them coming. Our memberships start at just $4.99 per month, about the price of a cup of coffee at one of our local coffee shops.  It takes 5 minutes to become a Gettysburg Connection member.  Would you help out? Please, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. If you enjoy the podcast, please take a few seconds to support us by signing up for our weekly mailing list. Musical Introduction by Thane Pittman.

Gettysburg Connection recently awarded long-time Gettysburg Resident Jan Powers with our Outstanding Community Contribution Award for her work with the Mediation Services of Adams County and other organizations. In this episode I talk with Jan about her career at Gettysburg College and the many contributions she has made to our community. In her work with mediation alone, hundreds of people have been trained and even more people have been helped.  And that is just the beginning of her contributions. I was amazed by her productivity and generosity at so many levels and I think you will be too. If you enjoy the podcast, please take a few seconds to support us by signing up for our weekly mailing list. Our podcasts are always free, but we could use your support to keep them coming. Our memberships start at just $4.99 per month, about the price of a cup of coffee at one of our local coffee shops.  It takes 5 minutes to become a Gettysburg Connection member.  Would you help out? Please, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. Musical Introduction by Thane Pittman.