Kate Shunney

Circuit Court Judge Gina Groh denied motions for a new trial for Jason Payne, 26, who faced sentencing Monday morning for the second-degree murder of Keese Bare in 2004 and multiple counts of breaking and entering in 2007.

What do you do with a fourth grader who already knows the names of every human body part, and has authored a National Anthem of the Body?

The Morgan County Planning Commission approved the creation of a lot that may become home to a Dollar General store at the corner of U.S. 522 and Myers Road across from Widmyer School.

Tri-State Community Health's Medical Director Matt Hahn was notified last last week that he wouldn't be seeing any more patients at Tri-State's Hancock clinic.

Berkeley Springs High School junior Jason Fonck has a busy summer ahead of him.

In the space of one week in June, Fonck will compete in two national emergency response competitions – one for firefighting, the other for emergency response. A few weeks after that, he'll become a full member of the Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Company.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking public comments until June 15 about the impact of the proposed redevelopment of Coolfont on water and natural resources in the Cold Run Valley and Sir Johns areas.

Cheryl Durst had a little trouble finding fourth grader Kelsey Morrison after the girl moved from Berkeley County to eastern Morgan County. Durst had been Morrison's PASS mentor for three years at Tuscarora Elementary, and wondered how she could stay in touch.

At their May 5 meeting, the Morgan County School Board unanimously approved the purchase of four new school buses for the 2008-2009 school year, at the cost of $320,115. Three of the new vehicles are 77-passenger conventional buses and one is a 65-passenger bus equipped for special education students.

Next year's Morgan County Schools calendar was unanimously approved by the school board at their April 15 meeting.

Judge Gina Groh presided over an extensive Morgan County Circuit Court docket last week, handing down sentences and considering pleas in cases that dated back as far as 2004.