(12/8) Emmitsburg Mayor James E. Hoover has announced that another newspaper could be coming along to replace the twice-a-month publication that just closed its doors.

Hoover told the council, "I have heard some communication about the possibility of another individual creating a similar newspaper to cover Emmitsburg."

The mayor did not provide the council with a specific source of his information.

"If it all goes well, (the new effort) probably (would) come very early in the first of the year, January, February, or early time frame," he said. "Hopefully, we’ll get something back to take that place (of the now-folded local newspaper) there."

The mayor noted, "I was also disappointed that was the last of the Dispatch. We do have some other coverage by other newspapers, but the Emmitsburg Dispatch was our primary coverage here for the town and for the residents that covered in particular the town government. I think it will be a major loss for us."

The Emmitsburg Dispatch, published by Pennsylvania resident Raymond Buchheister, along with its sister publication, The Thurmont Dispatch, ceased publication with the distribution of its last issue in November.

A notice announcing the decision of the publisher to discontinue the newspaper was published on the front page of its last edition.

Dispatch management blamed dropping advertisement revenues and diminished local support as the chief causes of the operation’s demise.

Council President Christopher V. Staiger noted, "I was a little disappointed by the front page article and the characterization (of what caused the publication’s demise)."

"It seems that there was a lot of blame being thrown around and maybe not so much focus on the role of management (contributing to the publication’s failure)," he stated. "I was a little bit disappointed on the characterization."

Staiger did say, "I’d like to say I’m sorry to see the Emmitsburg Dispatch publish its last edition over the last couple of weeks. I think it’s unfortunate that we won’t have a local paper available to cover the news in the manner we were lucky to have for the last couple of years."

"Maybe we’ll be lucky enough for somebody else to take up the reins and bring us that service again," he said.