Kate Evans

From World War I to today, the Morgan County Chapter of the American Red Cross has served the community with the help of countless volunteers. The Morgan County Chapter of the American Red Cross was chartered on April 4, 1918.

The chapter became the Eastern Panhandle Chapter of the American Red Cross on August 22, 2007. It now serves a seven-county area of Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson, Hampshire, Grant, Hardy and Pendleton counties.

Two Paw Paw fires that occurred six hours apart last Thursday at the same apartment complex are under investigation by the state fire marshal's office.

The first fire call came in at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 13 for the Townhouse Apartments at 31 Dr. Randolph Spencer Lane, said Paw Paw Fire Chief Steve Moreland. A box alarm was set off and neighbors also called in the fire.

Denis Scott was named the new West Virginia University Extension agent for Morgan County. Scott began his duties as extension agent on February 29.

Scott has a master's degree in public administration from State University of New York at Binghamton, where he focused on education policy and community-building. He also holds double Bachelor of Science degrees in political science and socio-logy from Frostburg State University and has an associate degree in political science from Allegany College. Scott took forestry, botany and dendrology classes – the study of trees – at Allegany College.

The assessment fees for the proposed Coolfont Community Enhancement District won't affect county tax revenue or impact anything else, said Morgan County Commissioner Glen Stotler.

These assessed fees would only be paid by property owners living within the boundaries of the Coolfont Community Enhancement District or those who were buying property there, he said. Other county residents would not pay these additional fees.

A candidate for Morgan County Commission recently asked the county commissioners to conduct surveys to see how residents feel about the courthouse, zoning and other issues.

Morgan County Commissioner Brenda Hutchinson asked that the commission have a formal motion to adjourn their meetings.

Hutchinson said she wouldn't leave the Thursday, March 6 budget meeting until Commissioners Glen Stotler and Thomas Swaim formally acknowledged the meeting was over, put on their coats and walked out the door.

The Morgan County Commissioners are considering a slight hike in this year's county property tax rates due to increased costs of county government and lost revenue.

Commission President Glen Stotler said they used a slightly higher levy rate in their calculations at their budget workshop on Thursday, March 6.

Carl M. Freeman Company officials gave advance copies of their petition for a Coolfont Community Enhancement District to the Morgan County Commission on Friday.

Each commissioner received a copy of the 90-page document. One copy was earmarked for county attorney Richard Gay for legal review. Several copies will be made available for the public.

Victory Steel of Baltimore has purchased the 53,000 square-foot former Lippert Components building in the Morgan County Industrial Park in Berkeley Springs. Victory Steel is a subdivision of Re-Steel Supply Company, Inc. of Eddystone, Pennsylvania.

The new Berkeley Springs facility will be known as Re-Steel Supply Company, Inc.-West Virginia Division. The facility will make reinforced steel and will employ about 10 people initially. Equipment will include a table bender, an auto bender and a shear.

The Morgan County Commission adopted a policy at their February 7 meeting allowing county employees to be PASS program volunteers for Morgan County Schools.

If county employees choose to participate in the PASS program, they will be given an hour of paid time a week to do so, said commission administrative assistant Bette Hall. Employees' PASS program volunteer time must be coordinated with their immediate supervisor, Hall said.