A3

Johnny Peers & The Muttville Comix perform a stunt Friday in the variety show at The Maryland Theatre. See story, A3.

A photo caption on page A3 of the July 17 Herald-Mail contained incorrect information. Zacaiah Cooper and Kashaun Curtis are the children of Ranita Cooper.

The death of a Maryland man who participated in Tough Mudder in Berkeley County joins a growing number of fatalities linked to similar obstacle course challenge events held across the nation. Avishek Sengupta, 28, was pronounced dead at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va., on Sunday after participating in Tough Mudder's Mid-Atlantic Spring event on Saturday at Peacemaker National Training Center. Police have said Sengupta, of Ellicott City, Md., was submerged in a pool at one of the event's obstacles for too long.

Sometimes, circumstances make putting your best foot forward extremely difficult. Very few people know that quite as well as Boonsboro senior Britton Beard. Before Beard became a football standout for the Warriors - helping lead them to a 10-2 record and their first playoff victory in a decade - he had to overcome being born with two severe clubfeet. “I remember the second surgery,” Beard said Tuesday at the 31st True Grit Awards at Fountain Head County Club in Hagerstown.

You might not be used to seeing "entry-level" and "Audi" in the same sentence, but that hasn't stopped the company from heading down that path with the new A3. High-end - and exclusive - German builders that attempt to appeal to a broader audience haven't always fared well with their ideas. Driving a vehicle that's devoid of features, power and style is no way to trumpet to the world that you own an Audi, Mercedes or a BMW. That said, there appears to be a fine line where both image and cost-conscious buyers can co-exist, and Audi appears ready to walk it. It's no secret that, as a manufacturer, if you can get younger buyers into your showrooms now, chances are good they'll be buying A6s and A8s when they get a little older.

Between 12,000 and 16,000 cars a day pass through the intersection of Maugans Avenue and U.S. 11, many on their way to or from a nearby Interstate 81 exit. Washington County officials have talked about an upgrade to the road for the past five years, in part because between 1999 and 2004, there were 85 accidents there. But after all the design work was done and the bids came back, the lowest of the two submitted was nearly $3 million more than the county's estimate. Why did it happen and what can be done to prevent such a thing from happening again?

On paper, the 2009-10 MVAL Antietam girls basketball race looks like a three-team showdown between North Hagerstown, Smithsburg and South Hagerstown. The Hubs -- who went 23-3 last season, shared the MVAL Piedmont title with Middletown and won the Class 2A West title to reach the state semifinals -- have a new coach in Cynthia Benjamin. She replaces Barry Brown, now the men's coach at Hagerstown Community College. While North lost some top talent -- including Herald-Mail Washington County Player of the Year Kirksten Mitchell, All-County First Team selection LaRae Allen and All-County Second Team honoree Kishia Jackson -- the Hubs return All-County Second Team guard Quielanna Scott and several other contributors from last season.

Aaron Staley has added his name to a list of dominant prep golfers in Washington County. In recent years, there was Seiji Hirai and Chris Bushey among the boys, and Ashley Grier, Haeun Lee and Angela Wacker among the girls. And then, along came Staley. The North Hagerstown senior has been the “medalist” golfer during his career at North, winning The Herald-Mail's Washington County Player of the Year honors in 2010 and 2011. Despite personal disappointment at not making a stronger run at winning the Maryland state championship, Staley can find solace in the fact he qualified four consecutive years - finishing his prep career with a 39th-place finish at the University of Maryland in October.

Saturday, February 26, 2011 PREP WRESTLING BALTIMORE — South Hagerstown’s Aaron Rowland was the champion at 285 pounds Saturday at the Maryland Class 4A-3A North region championships at Patapsco High School. In the finals, Rowland, the No. 3 seed, edged top-seeded Jonathan Finnerty of Towson 2-1. “He wrestled great this weekend,” said South coach Donnie Rowland, Aaron’s father. “He beat the No. 2 seed 9-2 in the semifinals.

Four people, including a Hagerstown man, have been charged in a two-county drug investigation that involved more than 3,000 grams of cocaine and nearly $40,000 in cash, police said Wednesday. Geoffrey Roderick Venkus, of Hagerstown, was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of paraphernalia, according to a Frederick County Narcotics Task Force news release. Police armed with a warrant on Monday searched a hotel room where Venkus was staying in the Buckeystown Pike area of Frederick and found 700 grams of cocaine, a small amount of marijuana and $12,385, the release said.

A Sharpsburg man planting trees at his Powell Road home Thursday unearthed a live Civil War-era shell that authorities later disposed of by setting it off at a neighboring farm. “When I saw it I knew what it was,” J.D. Taylor Jr. said. “It was the second one I found here. “It was some kind of experience.” Taylor said he at first thought he hit a rock with his steel shovel while digging in his yard about a mile from Antietam National Battlefield sometime between 8:30 to 9 a.m. He pushed the shovel under the object, which was five or six inches deep, and knelt to pry it out. The Maryland State Fire Marshal's office said in a news release that the object was a 3-inch Federal Navy Schenkl that had not been fired and had an intact fusing mechanism.

Four wrestlers from North Hagerstown and South Hagerstown qualified for the Maryland Class 4A-3A state tournament during the second day of the West regional tournament Saturday. Amont Hawkins (182 pounds) and Gene Balcita (138) finished third in their weight classes for the Hubs. Hawkins defeated Matt Roberts of Sherwood 9-1 in the first round of the consolation bracket and Byron Johnson of Northwest 10-2 in the second round before pinning James Kalavritinos in 5:34 to take third.

Just two of the 10 wrestlers representing North Hagerstown and South Hagerstown at the Maryland Class 4A-3A West region championships advanced to the semifinals on the first day of the tournament Friday at Sherwood High School. North's Gene Balcita advanced in the 138-pound class with a pin over Thomas Wooton's Garrett Ruderman in 2:26 in the quarterfinals. South's Marquil Holt advanced at 220 with a 4-0 decision over Dalonte Taylor of Northwood in the quarters. The shocker of Friday was the forfeit by North junior Brendon Colbert, who did not make weight.

Aaron Staley has added his name to a list of dominant prep golfers in Washington County. In recent years, there was Seiji Hirai and Chris Bushey among the boys, and Ashley Grier, Haeun Lee and Angela Wacker among the girls. And then, along came Staley. The North Hagerstown senior has been the “medalist” golfer during his career at North, winning The Herald-Mail's Washington County Player of the Year honors in 2010 and 2011. Despite personal disappointment at not making a stronger run at winning the Maryland state championship, Staley can find solace in the fact he qualified four consecutive years - finishing his prep career with a 39th-place finish at the University of Maryland in October.

Thursday, May 17, 2012 PREP TRACK & FIELD WESTMINSTER, Md. - Williamsport senior Evan Hardy held off Poolesville's Chase Weaverling by 1.92 seconds to win the boys 3,200-meter run in 9:33.04 during the first day of the Maryland Class 2A West championships at Winters Mill High School on Thursday. Through six events, the Williamsport boys lead the 12-team field with 29 points. Winters Mill is second with 27. The top four finishers in each event automatically qualified for next week's state meet, as did those who met certain advancement standards.

Saturday, February 26, 2011 PREP WRESTLING BALTIMORE — South Hagerstown’s Aaron Rowland was the champion at 285 pounds Saturday at the Maryland Class 4A-3A North region championships at Patapsco High School. In the finals, Rowland, the No. 3 seed, edged top-seeded Jonathan Finnerty of Towson 2-1. “He wrestled great this weekend,” said South coach Donnie Rowland, Aaron’s father. “He beat the No. 2 seed 9-2 in the semifinals.

The Hagerstown Planning Commission Wednesday approved sketch plans for a new McDonald's restaurant at the Longmeadow Shopping Center. Commission members voted 6-1 in favor of the plan, with the only opposition coming from member David S. Gysberts. Gysberts said he voted against the plan on principle. The fast-food giant has proposed building a 3,905-square-foot restaurant in what is now a parking area at the corner of Northern and Oak Hill avenues as an outlying parcel to the shopping center.

On paper, the 2009-10 MVAL Antietam girls basketball race looks like a three-team showdown between North Hagerstown, Smithsburg and South Hagerstown. The Hubs -- who went 23-3 last season, shared the MVAL Piedmont title with Middletown and won the Class 2A West title to reach the state semifinals -- have a new coach in Cynthia Benjamin. She replaces Barry Brown, now the men's coach at Hagerstown Community College. While North lost some top talent -- including Herald-Mail Washington County Player of the Year Kirksten Mitchell, All-County First Team selection LaRae Allen and All-County Second Team honoree Kishia Jackson -- the Hubs return All-County Second Team guard Quielanna Scott and several other contributors from last season.

Between 12,000 and 16,000 cars a day pass through the intersection of Maugans Avenue and U.S. 11, many on their way to or from a nearby Interstate 81 exit. Washington County officials have talked about an upgrade to the road for the past five years, in part because between 1999 and 2004, there were 85 accidents there. But after all the design work was done and the bids came back, the lowest of the two submitted was nearly $3 million more than the county's estimate. Why did it happen and what can be done to prevent such a thing from happening again?

Johnny Peers & The Muttville Comix perform a stunt Friday in the variety show at The Maryland Theatre. See story, A3.