Area News
School board members, school superintendent sworn in
by KATE EVANS Re-elected Morgan County School Board members John Rowland and Pete Gordon were sworn in for their new four-year term on the school board at their June 30 morning meeting at the Morgan County Board of Education office. Morgan County Commissioner Joel Tuttle administered the oath of office to them. Gordon and Rowland were…
Read MoreBicentennial speeches touch on county history, promise
by KATE SHUNNEY Summer heat and public health restrictions kept crowds small at the “Morgan County Day” celebration in Berkeley Springs State Park on Monday. Morgan County Commissioners last year agreed to proclaim July 6 as the official day to celebrate the county’s 200th birthday. The county was officially formed in February of 1820. Bicentennial committee…
Read MoreMorgan County bicentennial quilt unveiled
A 35-panel handmade quilt created by the Delectable Mountains Quilt Guild to mark the occasion of Morgan County’s 200th birthday was unveiled during a public event at Berkeley Springs State Park on Monday, July 6. Monday was “Morgan County Day,” proclaimed by county officials late last year as the day to mark the county’s bicentennial.…
Read MoreLocal residents charged with drug dealing in Maryland
Two Berkeley Springs residents were arrested by Maryland police on June 26 off I-70 in the Mount Airy area and have been charged with drug dealing offenses there. According to news reports in the Carroll County Times, Randy W. Davis, 58, and Brenda L. Marsce, 54, both of Berkeley Springs, were involved in a rear-end…
Read MoreWest Virginia governor mandates masks starting at midnight
by Kate Shunney West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has issued an Executive Order that requires those in the state to wear a face covering while in buildings outside of their homes. The order takes effect at midnight and will be in force on Tuesday, July 7. Gov. Justice said he is making the move following several…
Read MoreCounty Expo won’t be held this year
The Morgan County Fair Board has voted not to hold the Morgan County Expo this year due to public health and economic concerns. Fair officials said they plan to hold the 20th county fair/expo event in July of 2021. West Virginia University Morgan County Extension Agent Cindy Smalley said this in an announcement: “[T]he new…
Read MoreNational Park Service seeks input on Paw Paw tunnel rock slide repairs
The National Park Service (NPS) invites public comment through July 25 on a proposal to improve visitor safety near the Paw Paw Tunnel Hollow in Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. This section of the park, between mile marker 155 and the downstream portal of the Paw Paw Tunnel, has experienced rockfalls and landslides…
Read MoreLocal agencies start to see federal funds for COVID-related efforts
by KATE SHUNNEY & KATE EVANS Federal funds authorized by the CARES Act to help offset expenses and economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made their way to Morgan County in several ways, from stimulus checks to business loans. Local government agencies have also gotten federal funds to cover the costs of adjusting their…
Read MoreMorgan County Day celebrations set for Monday
Morgan County’s Bicentennial celebrates Morgan County Day in Berkeley Springs State Park on Monday, July 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Beginning at noon is an hour of ceremonial speeches by state and local political figures from the park gazebo. Following the speeches, assembled public guests are invited to be part of a Bicentennial…
Read MoreSome itchy, sweet tales of summer berry-picking
by Kate Shunney Two things come to mind when I think of berry picking as a kid – chiggers and cobbler. No matter what clothes Mom made us put on before we headed out to the blackberry bushes – long-sleeved denim shirt, jeans, tall socks – I got attacked by chigger bugs. The bites itched…
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