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A Hagerstown man was sentenced Thursday in Berkeley County Circuit Court to at least one year in prison after he pleaded guilty to fleeing the scene of a fatal motorcycle crash in April 2011. Steven Edward Thompson, 47, was fined $500 by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge John C. Yoder and ordered to report to Eastern Regional Jail by 5 p.m. Friday to begin serving the sentence, which requires him to spend not less than one year nor more than five years in prison. Yoder denied the defendant's plea for home confinement Thursday after Thompson pleaded guilty to one felony count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence resulting in the April 12, 2011, death of Lorena Beth “Lori” Roberts of Bunker Hill, W.Va.

A 34-year-old man fell to his death from High Rock in northeastern Washington County on Monday. Michael Paul Liller of Thurmont, Md., was determined to be dead by medics who descended 100 feet to where he landed, officials on the scene said. Liller jumped from the rock formation's peak to a metal grate used by hang gliders at about 4 p.m. He then jumped to another rock, lost his balance and fell, according to Washington County (Md.) Sheriff's Office Sgt. Daryl Sanders. About 12 people were at the popular lookout spot when the fall occurred, Sanders said.

It is clear from its opening weekend that "Playing for Keeps" is one of the biggest bombs of the year, both critically and commercially. Review database Rotten Tomatoes has it at a 2-percent "Fresh" rating for its one positive review vs. 59 negative ones (and Leonard Maltin gives it only faint praise in his "positive" review). It has also flopped at the box office, opening in sixth place on a weekend when the top five films have all been out for at least three weeks. The film is almost as bad as its reputation.

Washington County liquor officials on Wednesday granted a liquor license to the owners of a new tavern in Leitersburg despite hearing opposition from several people. The Board of License Commissioners for Washington County, known as the liquor board, voted 3-0 to grant the license to Charles and Tammy Beachley. The Beachleys said they intend to open Dewey's Pub in about a month at the site of the former Leitersburg Hotel at 21400 Leiter St. “We're definitely there to help the community and not hurt it,” Charles Beachley said.

A Tomstown Road resident on Monday became the first person to receive permission to do metal detecting in Washington Township, Pa., parks since the township supervisors placed restrictions on the activity. Dave Shifflett told the Washington Township Supervisors he enjoys using his metal detector to search for coins he gives his grandson. Last week, the supervisors enacted a ban on metal detecting in municipal parks. That ban included a caveat that individuals wanting to do metal detecting could seek permission to do so for a year if they promise to follow certain guidelines.

Warrants issued Wednesday in Berkeley County Magistrate Court charge two men in the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old man at a Martinsburg-area sports bar in September, according to court records and police. Christopher R. Wyche, 22, and Rashaun R. Boyd, 29, are incarcerated on other charges in North Carolina and Maryland, respectively, according to court records and Berkeley County Sheriff's Department Lt. Gary Harmison. Samson Edmond of Columbus, Miss., was pronounced dead at City Hospital in Martinsburg on Sept.

A Hagerstown man was sentenced Monday in Washington County Circuit Court to serve 10 years in state prison after he entered an Alford plea to second-degree sex offense in the Oct. 19, 2004, sodomy of an 11-year-old girl, according to court documents. In entering an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but concedes that the prosecution has sufficient evidence to gain a conviction. Herman Avery Gundy, 31, whose last known address is listed in charging documents as 441 N. Potomac St., Apt. 7, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison, with all but 10 years suspended by Washington County Circuit Judge John H. McDowell, documents state.

FREDERICK, Md. - Chevy Chase Bank has entered into a binding agreement to sell its first credit card business to First USA, according to a press release. First USA will operate the Frederick facility and will offer employment to all credit card employees, according to the release. Under the terms of the agreement, First USA has agreed to offer the employees comparable positions with their compensation, benefits and seniority intact. Chevy Chase will retain the ability to provide credit card products to its local depositor base, according to the release.

Hagerstown resident David Benton started riding a scooter four months ago when his motorcycle broke down. He said he doesn't have insurance for the scooter, but supports a new Maryland law that will make having it a requirement after Oct. 1. “I believe there should be insurance,” Benton said. “Where's the liability if someone runs into somebody ... Who's going to pay for my hospital bills?” The law was passed by the Maryland General Assembly during the legislative session earlier this year.

Many high-ranking correctional system officials will tell you that the men and women who keep order within Maryland's prisons and detention centers are known as correctional officers - not guards. But a group of 20 new correctional officers also could be called trailblazers. With family members and friends looking on, a total of 17 men and three women received their service badges and certificates Friday afternoon, signifying their graduation from the Correctional Entrance Level Training Program during a ceremony at the Fairplay Volunteer Fire Co. This class is unique because it is the first to come through the recently revamped training program, which is longer than previous academies and more physically and mentally stringent, officials said.

WILLIAMSPORT - Maryland-based Preston Trucking Co. has closed after learning its lenders would no longer support the 67-year-old firm, a company statement said. Preston has 37 employees at its terminal next to the Interstate Industrial Park outside Williamsport, according to the 1999 Business & Industry Directory published by the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission. The privately owned firm employs 5,500 people nationwide, including 700 in Maryland, said Tom Riford, marketing director for the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission.

An Ellicott City, Md., man died Sunday at a Virginia hospital after participating in the Tough Mudder endurance series in Berkeley County on Saturday, police said. Avishek Sengupta, 28, was pronounced dead at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va., Berkeley County Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. Ted Snyder said Monday. Sengupta's death was ruled accidental by the Virginia medical examiner's office in Manassas, Va., which said Monday afternoon that drowning was the cause of death. Sengupta had to be removed from a fairly deep pool at the “Walk the Plank” aquatic obstacle where it appears he was submerged for too long, according to Snyder.