Smoke and particles hung in the air over the Panorama Overlook on Thursday, July 16 as smoke from Canadian wildfires moved into the region. The air quality remained in the dangerous zone until Sunday, when a cold front pushed the air mass through. photo by Elliot Jurick
Latest News
Paw Paw Fishing Derby premiers despite morning shower
by Lisa Schauer After a one-hour rain delay, Paw Paw held its first fishing derby on Saturday, July 18 at Paw Paw Volunteer Fire Department. Twenty-eight children and youth aged 0-14 were registered for the Paw Paw Fishing Derby. They were eligible to win awards and raffle prizes, get a[Read More…]
West Virginia health officials tracking rise in Cyclosporiasis cases
The West Virginia Department of Health’s Bureau for Public Health (BPH) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate a multi-state outbreak of a foodborne stomach parasite known as cyclosporiasis. As of Friday, July 17, West Virginia has identified[Read More…]
Energy Express mixes summer fun with tech-free classes
by Lisa Schauer Morgan County Schools’ six-week summer school program for first through third graders – called Energy Express – wraps up this week. Around 40 children participated in this summer’s Energy Express program, held at Warm Springs Intermediate School, according to director Meghan Powell, a teacher at Warm Springs[Read More…]
Phyllis Jean Dawson
Phyllis Jean Dawson 1940-2026 Phyllis Jean Dawson, 86, passed away peacefully on July 12, 2026, surrounded by her family. Born June 14, 1940, in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., Phyllis was the fourth of five siblings. She married her high school sweetheart, Emil, and together they built a life that lasted 66[Read More…]
Tick bite? Health Dept. offering antibiotics to prevent Lyme or other disease
by Kate Shunney With the very high prevalence of ticks and tick-borne disease like Lyme Disease in our area, careful protection against ticks and prevention of serious disease are high priorities for many residents and health officials. The Berkeley-Morgan Health Department has recently started offering a new service aimed at[Read More…]
Belvin Leroy Mann
Belvin Leroy Mann 1943-2026 Belvin Leroy Mann, 82, of Hancock, Md., passed away on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at his residence surrounded by his loving family. Born Sunday, August 1, 1943, in Washington County, Md., he was the son of the late Espey and Margaret Roman Flowers Mann. Belvin was[Read More…]
Camp Joy returns to area for 36th year, lending hands to locals
by Geoff Fox In 1990, members of the Hancock United Methodist Church recognized a need for helping hands for local residents, and met that need by beginning a ministry called Camp Joy. For these last 36 years, youth groups from all over Maryland have been serving in the Appalachian region[Read More…]
August is Quilt Month in Berkeley Springs
At the request of the Delectable Mountain Quilt Guild, the Morgan County Commission has declared August 2026 as Quilt Month in Berkeley Springs. The proclamation, passed on July 15, coincides with the group’s annual display of yard-square quilts around town and charity auction of the fabric artworks. Delectable Mountain Quilt[Read More…]
Norberta Wachter Schoene
Norberta Wachter Schoene 1943-2026 Norberta Wachter Schoene passed away peacefully on June 29, 2026, in Maryland, where she resided in College Park with her spouse, William E. M. Lands. She was born on July 9, 1943 in Kansas. She is survived by her spouse and two sisters, Melmarie Whitlow and[Read More…]
