Arms

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is opening both eyes, moving both legs and arms and is responding to friends and family. Her doctors call it a "major milestone" in her recovery. "We're hoping that she crosses through many more," said her neurosurgeon, Dr. Michael Lemole. Her remarkable recovery five days after being shot through the head has provided a much-needed dose of jubilation after a tragic week that left the nation in mourning. Giffords and 18 others were shot Saturday when a gunman opened fire at a meet-and-greet she was hosting outside a supermarket in her own hometown.

St. Maria Goretti High School will host guitar soloist and composer Tony Melendez today at 1:40 p.m. in The Gael Center. Born without arms, Melendez won recognition at an early age as a composer and musician using only his feet. He has made numerous TV appearances, including "Good Morning America" and NBC "Nightly News" and has performed for a multitude of high profile audiences, including Pope John Paul II. A victim of drugs (his birth defect was caused by Thalidomide) and an advocate for the disabled, he brings with him a powerful message and an inspiring story of achievement.

kauffman@herald-mail.com It's not very often that something in a story I'm editing makes me sit up in an outrage. One of those moments happened last week. While reading about a 9-10-year-old little league all-star game - one in which the losing team scored 10 runs - I noticed that the winning pitcher had thrown a complete game. Wait a minute. This kid's coaches let him pitch all six innings when the opponent scored 10 runs against him?! Based on my experience covering baseball, I know nobody gives up 10 runs - whether they were his fault or not - without throwing a whole ton of pitches.

My daughter talks with her hands. The night she was born, my sister and I watched, mesmerized, as she lay in the hospital bassinet, waving her tiny, lanky arms, into the air as though she was the world's littlest maestro, conducting her miniature orchestra. I am quite convinced that at less than 24 hours old, while being cradled across the room by my sister, she returned my wave. Before we left the hospital, she was able to grip my finger with her little hand, and continued to purposefully swing those teeny arms as she saw fit. During the next few months, she learned to shake her rattles and later, to pick them up on her own. Like most proud parents, I marveled as she also learned to grip my fingers without provocation.

By SHEILA HOTCHKIN / Staff Writer photo: RICHARD T. MEAGHER / staff photographer [ enlarge ] SHARPSBURG - When two broken arms put 81-year-old Florence Gossard back into the Western Maryland Hospital Center three years ago, she began taking craft classes as a way to pass the time. "I can't use my arms to lift anything, so it's the only thing I can do," she said. "It's right in front of me. " She proved a quick study. A copper rubbing she made of the Last Supper was named a grand champion in the Ag Expo's craft fair on Tuesday.

Cinnamon Apple Christmas Ornaments 1/2 cup cinnamon 1 cup applesauce 1 tablespoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon white glue Mix all ingredients together to form a stiff dough. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter. Use a straw to make a hole in each ornament for a ribbon hanger. Gently place dough cutouts on a rack to dry for several days. Turn occasionally to keep air circulating evenly and ornaments flat.

Hello Washington County, I'm feeling a bit blue today.  Early in the week of January 3, I submitted an article for publication to The Herald-Mail.   The point of that article, besides a little history about the Battle of Antietam, was my vow and a vow for each of you, to settle our differences in a bloodless manner.  Lo' and behold, at the end of that same week a deranged (my opinion and I hope it becomes a fact) young man tried to settle some as yet unspecified grievance with a gun.   The net result of that action, at the time I am writing this article, is six Americans dead, another 12 wounded and a state turned upside down.

It took Dot Canby 80 years to make her first batch of brownies, but less than a year to regain strength in her arms as a result of performing such tasks after health problems left her immobilized last June. On a recent morning, the Heartland of Martinsburg rehab patient worked at stirring a brownie mix, which was later passed along to another rehab patient, who - with help from a therapist -poured oil into the batter. "When I came in here, I couldn't move my arms," said Canby, who uses a wheelchair.

laurae@herald-mail.com BOONSBORO - Nancy Burral of Boonsboro heard her daughter's voice Monday for the first time since the U.S. Army specialist's five-ton truck was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq. "It was a bad connection and it was very scratchy, but I could hear her say, 'Mom, I'm OK,'" Nancy Burral said. "That was enough. " Mary Burral, 24, was recovering Monday at a hospital in Rota, Spain, from a broken leg and shrapnel wounds to her arms and legs.

By LISA GRAYBEAL Staff Writer, Chambersburg ST. THOMAS, Pa. - Five-year-old Shawn Guyer got to come home this weekend, the first time in two months since he was flown to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center with a blood infection that cost him his arms and legs. "He was very happy to see his cat," said Kay Guyer, Shawn's grandmother. Shawn returned to the hospital Sunday afternoon to continue rehabilitation, which is expected to last another three weeks, Kay Guyer said.

Hagerstown police said they believe the same person might have committed four armed robberies in the city this week. Police Chief Mark Holtzman said Friday that the robber matched the same description in all four cases - a Wednesday robbery and three on Thursday - and carried what appeared to be the same weapon in each case. He said the robber demanded cash or cigarettes in each of the four robberies. “They appear to be related,” Holtzman said. “He was seen leaving each location on foot.” The robber was described as a black male who has a thin build and is about 6 feet tall.

Police are investigating an armed robbery Thursday morning on Potomac Avenue, Hagerstown Police said in a news release. The robbery in the 1000 block of Potomac Avenue was reported at 4:04 a.m., police said. The victim was confronted by a male who displayed a handgun, the release said. The person, who was wearing a black mask and black hooded sweat shirt, stole a bicycle and sweat shirt before fleeing the area on another bicycle, according to police. Police estimated the loss at $200.

An armed robbery was reported at Universal Spirits at 33 E. Franklin St., Thursday night, according to a Washington County 911 spokesman. The robbery was reported at 10:36 p.m. and Hagerstown Police Department officers were investigating the incident, the spokesman said.

Hagerstown police are looking for a person who robbed a Sheetz convenience store at gunpoint Wednesday morning. The robbery at 700 Potomac Ave. was reported at 4:57 a.m., police said in a news release. A male wearing a ski mask and a dark sweat shirt or jacket brandished a handgun and demanded cigarettes. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cigarettes, he fled on foot, according to police. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Hagerstown Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 301-790-3700.

Two people kicked in the door at a home near Penn State Mont Alto on Monday morning and stole $5,000 from a woman, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release. One of the male suspects held a gun to the 24-year-old victim's head during the 8:30 a.m. robbery in the 7300 block of Slabtown Road, police said. The college campus issued a warning that individuals stay inside and lock their doors. That warning was later lifted, and classes were to be held as regularly scheduled, according to Penn State Mont Alto's website.

A Hagerstown man was arrested Saturday night after a man was robbed at knifepoint outside The Columbia Bank on Wesel Boulevard, according to city police. Dennis Udo Wagner-Smith, 41, of 314 Daycotah Ave., was charged with armed robbery, robbery, second-degree assault and theft, Hagerstown Police Sgt. John Lehman said in a news release. At about 7:30 p.m., police were dispatched to the bank branch at 1571 Wesel Boulevard for a reported armed robbery. Upon arrival, officers found a man with a laceration to his hand, Lehman said.

Two teenage boys have been charged in connection with an armed robbery Wednesday afternoon behind the Jonathan Hager House in Hagerstown City Park. The 15-year-old teenagers, whose names were not released, were charged with one count each of armed robbery, robbery, second-degree assault, theft and other related charges, according to a Hagerstown Police Department news release. One of the juveniles was picked up at his home Wednesday night, Lt. Tom Langston said. The second juvenile surrendered at Hagerstown police headquarters Thursday morning.

With arm surgeries behind them, Christian Binford and Josh Conway are taking the next steps toward their dreams of wearing a Major League Baseball uniform. Binford, a Mercersburg Academy graduate from Hagerstown, is a pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization after being drafted in the 30th round of the MLB draft in 2011. Conway, a Smithsburg High School graduate, was originally drafted by Atlanta, but chose instead to go to Coastal Carolina University. He was then drafted in the 4th round by the Chicago Cubs in 2012.

A Frederick, Md., man was found not guilty by a jury this week in Washington County Circuit Court of second-degree attempted murder, but guilty of the armed robbery of three women at Motel 6 last year. Judge Daniel P. Dwyer ordered a presentence report be prepared before sentencing for Tony Anthony Jones, 24, formerly of 1153 Orchard Terrace. In addition to three counts of armed robbery, Jones was also convicted of first-degree assault for stabbing one of the women during the May 21, 2012, incident.

The last of three teenagers charged in a robbery last summer - one of them a previous North Hagerstown High School football star - had his case transferred to juvenile court Thursday during a hearing in Washington County Circuit Court. Judge Dana Moylan Wright granted a request from the attorney for Iydae Anthony Bostic be transferred from adult to juvenile court, a recommendation in line with a report prepared by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. Bostic, 17, whose address was listed at Mount Vernon, N.Y., was charged as an adult with armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, assault, carrying a handgun and other offenses in a July 27, 2012, robbery near the North Hagerstown High School football field, according to charging documents filed by Hagerstown police.