by Jim Buzzerd   Tshiebwe returns In closing last week I mentioned that West Virginia University freshman basketball player, Oscar Tshiebwe, was testing the waters by declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft. Head coach Bob Huggins expected that announcement and it was never thought that the rising sophomore was leaving; that he was only […]

by Geoff Fox Since March, seniors in Washington County have been attending their classes via distance learning Hancock Middle-Senior High. instead of being in the classroom with their teachers and friends while preparing for graduation in June.   During the April 21 Washington County Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Boyd Michael touched on the status […]

by Kate Evans COVID-19 coronavirus testing began in all 17 Stonerise Healthcare skilled nursing centers around West Virginia on Friday, April 24. The testing was to be administered over the next several days. Testing here at the Berkeley Springs Center has been completed for both residents and staff, said a facility spokesperson. Tests were administered […]

by Kate Evans Numbers of positive novel coronavirus COVID-19 cases keep rising in the four-state region. As of Monday, April 27 some 36 West Virginia residents have died from the virus with 1,063 residents testing positive for the disease, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Morgan County’s positive COVID-19 cases […]

More than 11,000 self-employed workers have applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits since Friday, WorkForce West Virginia announced on Monday. While self-employed individuals now have the opportunity to apply for unemployment compensations, WorkForce is required to review and verify each application to determine eligibility based on federal guidelines outlined in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, […]

by Geoff Fox State environmental grants will pay for a large portion of Hancock’s long-planned wastewater treatment plant. Town Manager Joe Gilbert announced grants for construction of the future plant have been approved by the Maryland Department of Environment. Gilbert said the funding was for between $7.3 and $7.8 million for construction of the facility. […]

The Berkeley Springs Farmer’s Market opened their 2020 season on Sunday, April 25 undaunted by rain or new public health restrictions. Within the first two hours, market staff had already counted 150 market customers. A customer at Sunday’s Farmer’s Market settles on a plant selection.   Counting customers is part of a new set of […]

by KATE SHUNNEY Three days after Morgan County Commissioners rejected the idea of seeking looser state restrictions on social gatherings and business operations locally, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice took that step from Charleston. On Friday, April 24, Justice issued an Executive Order releasing Morgan County from a group of COVID-19 “hotspot” counties. The change […]

by Kate Evans The Morgan County School Board formally adopted the proposed Fiscal Year 2021 regular state school levy and special levy rates that they approved at their March 17 special meeting. The board has adopted the same levy rates for the last six fiscal years. The school board’s action took place at their reconvened […]

Gerald D. Hutchinson 1947-2020 Gerald Dean Hutchinson, age 72, of Great Cacapon, W.Va., died on Thursday, April 23, 2020 at his residence. Born October 27, 1947 at War Memorial Hospital in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., he was the son of Elizabeth Irene “Betty” Twigg Hutchinson of Great Cacapon and the late Lester Dean Hutchinson. He was […]