News Articles

West Virginia Division of Highways has once again postponed the repaving of Wilkes Street between Fairfax Street and Route 9 west. Work was originally scheduled to start on the street in mid-July, but was delayed and rescheduled for the beginning of next year.

In mid-September, Mayor Susan Webster was told by Highway Superintendent John Coleman that the project would be completed by April 30, 2008. Webster had asked the DOH to schedule a meeting with the town and Wilkes Street residents to discuss the project.

Maryland Highway officials have decided that a crack in a support of the U. S. 522 Bridge at Hancock does not create a danger to motorists using the bridge.

Engineers have inspected the crack and determined that it is not structural in nature, said Charles Gischlar, a spokesman for the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA).

Morgan County School Board president Laura Smith was one of three community leaders recognized as 2007 Women of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of the Shawnee Council.

Smith, Journal editor Maria Lorensen and Hospice of the Panhandle board member Barbara Pichot were honored at a September 27 luncheon at the Martinsburg Holiday Inn.

Dawn and Randy Beal appeared before Bath Town Council October 2 to discuss issues confronting residents of Rockwell Street and Rockwell Circle.

The Beals hosted a block party on Saturday, September 29 to get neighbors together to talk about community problems.

The Apple Butter Parade Committee has selected fifth generation farmer Philip W. (Phil) Harmison to be Grand Marshal of the parade in Berkeley Springs on Saturday, October 6.

Recently Harmison, dressed in his work clothes talked |about farming, his family, the land and life in Morgan County. He was supported by a cane due to an injury to his leg suffered while taking down a tree limb. "I still get up to feed the cows before the sun comes up over Sleepy Creek Mountain," Harmison, 72, said, as he leaned against a fence under a shade tree.

A Great Cacapon man is in police custody on charges of attempted murder and malicious wounding after allegedly stabbing his girlfriend multiple times in their home last Thursday, September 27.

According to police, Morgan County 911 got a call around 3:40 p.m. from a woman who had been stabbed, was losing a lot of blood and had managed to get away from her attacker. She was calling from a locked bedroom, and said her attacker was still in the house and trying to get to her, according to a police report.

Nearly a dozen county residents urged planners to exercise caution when considering Coolfont redevelopment plans and cluster housing rules during the September 25 meeting of the Morgan County Planning Commission.

The board took a second look at rules for mixed-type residential subdivisions at the Tuesday meeting.

The coverage area of a high-speed broadband wireless Internet access system being deployed in Morgan County is expanding. The system is being installed by World Airwaves of Winchester, which is a subsidiary of Visual Link of Winchester. The broadband system will operate primarily on the 2.4 gigahertz frequency.

The Morgan County Commission had contracted with World Airwaves more than a year ago to put in the broadband wireless system. The county will receive a 10% fee of the revenues to compensate for the use of public lands and equipment.

Morgan County Planning Commission president Jack Soronen opened the September 25 meeting by focusing attention on the 11 members of the volunteer board.

Soronen, who has served on the board for 10 years, briefly introduced each of the members.

The Town of Bath Streetscape Committee is sending out a request this week to potential bidders for the design of a comprehensive streetscape plan and specifications for work on Wilkes, Congress and Independence streets as the first part of the project.

Committee members received approval to begin the process from West Virginia Division of Highways last week. A legal advertisement for consultant services is also being placed in local newspapers.