CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – At this week’s commissioners’ meeting, Franklin County awarded its final round of nursing scholarships Wednesday, providing $2,500 awards to six recent high school graduates as the county concludes a decade-long program that has distributed more than $148,000 to aspiring nurses.
Since the program began in 2017, the county has awarded scholarships to 60 students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in nursing using proceeds from the sale of the county nursing home.
This year’s recipients are Makenzie Brinkman of Chambersburg Area Career Magnet School, Tara Brown of Chambersburg Area Senior High School, Kinzee Hudson of Greencastle-Antrim High School, Madelyn Koons of Chambersburg Area Senior High School, Mariska Neff of Chambersburg Area Career Magnet School and Ava Zeigler of Chambersburg Area Senior High School.
Brinkman and Koons will attend Wilson College. Brown will attend Messiah University, while Hudson will attend the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Neff will attend Duquesne University and Zeigler will attend Bloomsburg Campus Commonwealth University.
County Human Resources Director Tiffany Boyer said demand for skilled nursing care remains high in Franklin County, noting that many nurses are expected to retire or leave the profession during the next five years.
“Nursing is a distinguished and demanding profession, and we’re extremely proud of this year’s recipients for choosing this path,” Commission Chairman Dean Horst said. “Our region continues to experience a strong need for qualified nurses, and we hope these scholarships help students build the skills they need to thrive.”
There were 12 applicants for the 2026 scholarships. Monica Diehl of Keystone Health and Jill Harshman of WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital assisted the county in selecting this year’s recipients.
Election officials highlight poll worker participation
Election officials told commissioners that Franklin County continues to see strong interest from residents willing to serve as poll workers.
According to the elections office, 492 poll workers staffed precincts during the May primary election. Elections Director Susan Christophel and Assistant Elections Director Logan Hykes said the county generally has more volunteers interested in serving than available positions.
Vice Chairman John Flannery noted that local and off-year elections often have the greatest impact on residents because they determine who serves in county, municipal and school district offices.
Officials also discussed the possibility of a future special election if a vacancy occurs in the state Senate seat currently held by Sen. Doug Mastriano, though no action was required at this time. Mastriano has been nominated for ambassador to the Slavik Republic.
