Kate Shunney

Students in the Health Sciences and Technology Academy at Berkeley Springs High School opened the November 6 meeting of the Morgan County school board with a presentation about their quest to earn college scholarships.

Members of the Morgan County Planning Commission set aside consideration of two residential subdivisions and gave the okay for two new commercial buildings along U.S. 522 south of Berkeley Springs.

Ancora Estates, a 20-acre proposed development with eight lots along Sir Johns Run Road, was tabled at the request of developer George Brent. Planners may consider changes to the original subdivision designs at their December meeting.

School officials cleared up their policy on accepting donations for sports uniforms and activities at their October 16 meeting.

The long-awaited and much debated $15.7 million sewer system upgrade in Berkeley Springs is more than half-way done, and should be wrapped up by early spring 2008, according to Rodney Hovermale of the Warm Springs Public Service District.

School officials fielded complaints from parents at the October 16 board meeting about the treatment of their daughter, a Warm Springs Middle School student.

Members of the Morgan County Planning Commission continued to refine changes to the county's subdivision rules at a workshop session last Tuesday, October 9.

Morgan County first responders and public health officials participated last week in a mock disaster that spread the length of the Shenandoah Valley.

Two new school nurses were hired at the October 2 meeting, following last month's board approval of additional nursing posts to be paid through Medicaid funding.

Gina Mellott and Sherry Ambrose were hired as full-time nurses for county schools, effective at the end of October.

The Morgan County school board held a reception for retired school staff before last Tuesday's board meeting. School officials honored seven former employees for their collective years of service to the schoolchildren of Morgan County.

Logging the longest career with Morgan County schools was Beth Duvall, who spent 35 years as executive secretary to the various superintendents of schools.

Nearly a dozen county residents urged planners to exercise caution when considering Coolfont redevelopment plans and cluster housing rules during the September 25 meeting of the Morgan County Planning Commission.

The board took a second look at rules for mixed-type residential subdivisions at the Tuesday meeting.