(1/29) As home base for FEMA and the National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg businesses seem to be suffering proportionally more than businesses in other communities due to the government shutdown. The loss of back-to-back paychecks of local Federal employees of FEMA resulted in them cutting back on everything from dining out to car repairs.

While many furloughed Federal employees suffered, the fact that they will be paid their lost wages does nothing for local government subcontractors who will never recoup the wages they lost, nor local businesses who lost business during the shutdown.

Billy Kuhn, of His Place car repair, said: "I’ve seen a 30% drop off in business since the shutdown began." "I’d always get a few students from the Fire Academy who drove in for their classes having problems with their cars and drop them off while they were in class. But since all classes were cancelled, that business went away. In addition, a lot of regulars who work in D.C. would hitch a ride with a friend and drop their cars off to be worked on in the morning, and pick them up on the way home. But since they did not go to work, that business dropped off as well."

For some businesses, the government shutdown formed the third leg of the "perfect band news trifecta." The shutdown happened at the same time Mount students headed home for their winter break, and the warm weather cut into the opening of the usually lucrative ski season traffic. As a result, businesses who usually rely upon student skiers, such as local gas stations and the bars and restaurants, have seen business drop off markedly.

Lori Ott, of the Ott House, said her lunchtime business, which usually consists of workers from FEMA and the Fire Academy, was off by half. However, Lori said the good news is, "locals are filling the void. Word is spreading that the Ott House is no longer jam packed with Fire Academy students on wing night, and locals are coming in to treat themselves in a more relaxed environment." That said, Lori was quick to say she will be "happy when the shutdown is over and things can get back to normal."

For those hit by the trifecta of bad news, the return of the Mount students and the cold weather of the last ten days has helped ease the pain. But that offers little solace to those who lost paychecks.

An estimated 4,000 Frederick County residents were furloughed by the federal government’s partial shutdown.

While everyone is happy that the shutdown is over, all bets are off on what will happen with the three-week "truce" ends.