David Abner

Berkeley Springs resident Ernie Schrider received the 2009 Spirit of the Panhandle award from the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation at a banquet held March 27 at the Clarion Hotel in Shepherdstown.

The foundation also awarded Rosabell Roman of Martinsburg and Betty Severson of Shepherdstown for their volunteerism and community service.

While the war in Iraq appears to be entering its new phase, American operations in Afghanistan will soon intensify, according to the new presidential administration.

More troops will head to that Middle Eastern nation in the near future to join the 38,000 troops already serving there.

Warm Springs Middle School students planted a redbud tree in North Berkeley Community Park at noon April 17 to celebrate Arbor Day in Berkeley Springs.

"When you rode down the road, you would hear the rockets go over your head. The base was attacked just about every day with mortars, rockets or gunfire,"

said State Police Senior Trooper Vince Branham about life in Anbar Province, Iraq.

Jim Bailey, representing the Berkeley Springs Train Station Committee, asked council to back the plans the committee has shaped for the train station. Bailey appeared before council at the April 7 meeting.

Bailey said in order to obtain federal and state grants for the work needed at the station, it was necessary to adhere to standards and guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Interior for historic buildings.

The Town of Bath Council unanimously voted to promote Corporal Craig Pearrell to police chief at the April 7 meeting.

Pearrell, who has worked as a

The Bath Town Council unanimously passed a new water rate ordinance raising rates for all customers.

The new rates will not take effect until the next water line replacement project is completed near the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011.

Attorney William B. Carey not only represents Morgan County residents with their legal issues, he has also worked overseas to help those in need.

Through the years, Carey has provided legal aid to people in such faroff places as Kenya, East Timor and Cambodia.

A May 1 hearing has been set in Magistrate Court for Michael Allen Sadlowski of Victory Lane, Hedgesville, the owner of two dogs that killed a Shetland pony and injured a donkey owned by Janice Jones of Morgan County.

Sadlowski is charged with unlawfully harboring the dogs after he allegedly refused an order from the Morgan County Sheriff on February 7 to have the dogs destroyed.

The Morgan County Commission meeting room was packed with people last Tuesday evening, March 24 for a Planning Commission meeting where developers unveiled preliminary plans for 434-unit housing development at the southern end of the county.

Along with nine planners and six representatives of developer Sovereign Homes, 22 county residents packed the meeting room for a hearing that was supposed to include a vote on the concept plan.