News Articles

FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE CITING THE OWNERS of a Berkeley Springs property for filling in about half an acre of wetland without a permit. Karen Auer, spokesperson for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh, told The Morgan Messenger on Monday that the notice of violation was to be sent soon.

The property at the northern edge of town is owned by Mayor Susan Webster and her husband, Peter Moss, according to West Virginia officials who took part in the investigation.

The Morgan County Commission took no action on their plans to redistrict the county magisterial districts. The redistricting issue was on the agenda for discussion and action at their Friday, May 4 meeting.

Commissioner Glen Stotler said that they needed to look at the polls, census maps and block maps before making any decision. They couldn't split a block or have more than 10% deviation between the smallest and largest district, he said.

A Town of Bath delegation asked the Morgan County Commission to revisit the possibility of combined county and municipal facilities in the future Morgan County Courthouse complex.

Town of Bath Mayor Susan Webster, Town Councilman and Finance Committee chairperson David Crosby, Town Councilwoman Nancy Harvey and Town Recorder and Finance Committee member Garnet Marsh were there to present the town's case for combined facilities.

When they met on Monday, May 7, the Bath Town Council scheduled two special meetings.

The first - on Monday, May 14 at 5:30 p.m. – is to discuss the possible inclusion of town offices in the new courthouse.

The Morgan County Commission will address plans to redistrict the county magisterial districts. The issue is on the agenda for discussion and action at their Friday, May 4 meeting.

The redistricting question arose when County Commissioner Tommy Swaim unknowingly moved out of Magisterial District 3, which he represents, and into Magisterial District 2 when he built a new home a few miles south of where he had previously lived. Swaim's new home is around 200 yards from his original district, he said.

A feud between two men turned violent on Tuesday evening, April 24, when one man kicked in an apartment door and beat the male occupant unconscious at the Wayside Inn, south of Berkeley Springs.

David Glenn "Hillbilly" Mayberry, 44, of Hedgesville was arrested and charged with felony counts of malicious assault and burglary.

An impassioned plea from a convicted felon may have convinced Circuit Judge David Sanders not to send the man to prison for life last week.

Steven Wayne Funt, 28, of Berkeley Springs had been facing a life sentence as a three-time loser when he went before the judge on Thursday, April 26.

The Jessee family from Great Cacapon lost their home in a pre-Christmas fire. Christy Terp, a friend of the Jessee

family, has started an online petition for the family to be considered by the Extreme Makeover TV show for a

The moratorium on new town water service will stay in place at least through the end of June.

Town Clerk Margie Allgyer said the moratorium would not be lifted until after the water line replacement project is completed and the town can reassess the water situation.

In a surprise move, the Morgan County School Board voted 5-0 to drop their special levy rate for the next fiscal year by an additional 5% on Tuesday evening, April 17.

The meeting was called to officially set the special levy rate at 90% of its original level. Instead, Board President Laura Smith opened the meeting by asking school officials to cut that rate back to 85% and save taxpayers $250,000.