Noise

"I'm calling regarding the complaint about the helicopters and the noise they make when entering and exiting the hospital. I work on an ambulance, and I have some food for thought when it's you or your loved one who needs to be rushed to the hospital. A helicopter takes less than five minutes after the ambulance has stabilized the patient on the scene. An ambulance could take up to 15 minutes, depending on where you are. I'd like you to think about that. I think we can tolerate a little noise.

HAGERSTOWN - Massacre of the Murder Scene could be considered the anti-band. At best, they sound like a raucous cacophony of instruments - on purpose. That's their MO. The seven-member "experimental noise" band said it functioned more like an art experiment than a serious musical venture. The band is less than a year old and has yet to do any major recordings, though they have played several local shows. "We're kind of, like, a parity of post-hard-core screamo, without all of the annoying stuff like lyrics," said Meighan Young, the group's 17-year-old keyboardist and toy piano player (FYI: she plays on a toddler-sized piano)

Buyers of Class A motor homes have been able to choose a Ford chassis as an option for many years now. Ford's F53 Super Duty Stripped chassis, as it's officially known, has developed a popular following and is available on many new motor homes on the market. A new five-speed TorqShift automatic transmission highlights the chassis for the 2006 model. While the company has made other improvements over the years, adding an extra gear selection is one way to dramatically improve a rig's powertrain.

CHAMBERSBURG, PA. Youngsters who happened to come to the Chambersburg Kmart on Saturday could get comfortable on a big pillow on the sidewalk out front, reach into the nearby bookcase, pull out a dog-themed book and read to a dog. The dogs loved it, and so did the youngsters. The dogs and their handlers all are members of Kindly Canines, a local group of volunteer therapy dog teams. While some dogs still are in training, the rest have been trained, tested and certified as therapy dogs.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The chimes of ice cream trucks will not be stifled under a new noise ordinance adopted Monday night by the Chambersburg Borough Council, but the owners of car stereos capable of rattling windows and eardrums as they pass could face a $50 fine for a violation. The council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance, which takes effect immediately, the one change being an exclusion specifically for ice cream trucks under "routine and customary ringing of bells and chimes.