Attack

The father of a Williamsport sailor who was killed aboard the USS Cole when terrorists detonated a bomb near the ship's hull in 2000 said he was glad to hear that a U.S. missile strike over the weekend killed one of the architects of the attack. Tom Wibberley, whose 19-year-old son, Seaman Craig Wibberley, died aboard the destroyer, said Monday that the death of al-Qaida operative Fahd al-Quso was long overdue. “The more (terrorists) they kill, the better,” Wibberley said.

Two men accused in the violent attack and armed robbery of former Berkeley County Commissioner Howard Strauss pleaded guilty Monday to three of five felony charges against them. Now convicted of first-degree robbery, conspiracy and malicious assault, Brian Lance Shamburg, 31, and Ronald Lee Shamburg, 23, both of Martinsburg, are scheduled to be sentenced April 3 by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Gray Silver III. Single felony counts of burglary and assault during the commission of a felony were dismissed against each defendant as part of a plea agreement reached with Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney Pamela Games-Neely's office.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A Berkeley County Sheriff's Department officer who suffered a heart attack while searching for two drug suspects in the Hedgesville, W.Va., area Tuesday was listed in fair condition on Wednesday. Capt. Richard Steerman, who has been with the sheriff's department for 25 years, was walking through a wooded area when he suffered the attack, said Capt. Curtis Keller. A Maryland State Police helicopter, which was being used in the search, took Steerman from the scene to City Hospital in Martinsburg, Keller said.

A year after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, The Herald-Mail asked some local residents how the events of that day had changed their lives. Marc Pierne, then 19, said that "It was our generation's version of Pearl Harbor. It's the first time our generation has seen terror, has seen an attack on the United States. " For a generation of U.S. citizens now in their 80s, "Remember Pearl Harbor" was a rallying cry for Americans determined not to allow that sneak attack of Dec. 7, 1941, to become a prelude to defeat and conquest by the Japanese.

4 recovering from stab wounds in attack Two brothers and a friend were recovering from stab wounds received Sunday night as they were stopped at a traffic light at Washington and Locust Streets. James Ollen Benedict, 18, of 17426 Rockdale Road, Clear Spring; Steven Scott Benedict, 23, of Conococheague Street, Williamsport; and Charles Edward Socks, 19, of 17127 W. Washington St., were listed in fair condition Monday night at Washington County Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

By MARLO BARNHART Staff Writer Photographs of the defendant as a Cub Scout leader and cards and drawings from his son didn't dissuade Washington County Circuit Judge Frederick C. Wright III from imposing a seven-year prison sentence Wednesday on a man accused of attacking his live-in girlfriend with a claw hammer last April. Levi Holman III, 34, of Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to one-count of second-degree assault halfway through a Sept. 18 trial in which the victim testified she was attacked with a claw hammer on April 27 in the home she shared with Holman.

WILLIAMSPORT - As war stories go, Maury Werth has the makings of one of the best. On Dec. 7, 1941, his Navy ship, the USS Raleigh, was the first to be struck by a Japanese torpedo in Pearl Harbor, and he was on the anti-aircraft gun crew that helped shoot down five Japanese planes. But to hear him tell it, the day that would live in infamy was just an inevitable event, and he just happened to be there. Werth, 90, of Williamsport, speaks with awe of the carefully coordinated Japanese attack and admiration for the level-headedness of his commander, who kept the Raleigh from capsizing as it took on 4,000 tons of water by ordering all topside weight thrown overboard.

It was Sunday morning shortly after 7:30 a.m. and Lee Soucy, a Pharmacist's Mate Second Class, had just finished breakfast. Stationed aboard the USS Utah in Hawaii, Soucy looked out a porthole and was surprised to see planes flying on a Sunday. Even when the first bombs fell, Soucy recalled, no one thought that it was an enemy attack. U.S. planes practiced with dummy bombs all the time. When the first explosion was heard, Soucy assumed there had been a terrible mistake, that someone had mistakenly loaded live weapons onto the planes.

Snoopy, the mixed breed dog that was attacked by a pit bull Saturday, is recovering. GeriLynn Kelbaugh of Spruce Street in Hagerstown said Tuesday that Snoopy suffered a deep puncture wound in her eye, which caused bleeding. Her eyelid was torn in five places, Kelbaugh said. Snoopy also had at least 10 puncture wounds on her face and deep bruises in her ear, Kelbaugh said. On Wednesday, Kelbaugh's daughter, Sarah, said Snoopy's eye was starting to swell shut. Snoopy was scheduled to see a veterinarian today.

dank@herald-mail.com A 6-year-old girl was playing in a field near her home south of Huyetts Crossroads last week when she was attacked by a part-pit bull dog, leaving her with wounds on her head and face that required more than 40 stitches, according to her parents and a Washington County Health Department animal bite report. While her parents are thankful the attack wasn't worse, they say the incident shows the need for stricter dog control laws. Hope Kurzawa turned 6 last week.

War Memorial Hospital and Valley Health Heart & Vascular Services will offer the Heart Attack Risk Program from 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday, May 23, in Education Room A at War Memorial Hospital located at 1 Healthy Way in Berkeley Springs.    Test results from a finger stick blood draw will provide participants with information on their total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol/HDL ratio, triglycerides, blood sugar, blood...

North Hagerstown's season and MVAL Antietam boys lacrosse opener against Brunswick became a showcase for the Hubs' multi-dimensional offensive attack on Tuesday night at Mike Callas Stadium. Drew Brooks scored four goals and Kyle Hewlett and Reggie Daniel each netted three as North steamed past the Railroaders, 12-5. The final score could have been an even bigger blowout. The Hubs (1-0, 1-0) took 32 shots in the first half, compared to just seven for Brunswick (0-3, 0-2). But 15 of North's shots went wide or high, and Railroaders goalie Anthony Malik made 11 saves to keep Brunswick within 6-3 at halftime.

How far can North Hagerstown go? That's the dominant question in Washington County girls lacrosse this season, because the Hubs are clearly the team to beat. North went 10-3 in 2012 and returns 10 starters. Five of them were Herald-Mail All-County First Team honorees, led by junior twins Leah Peterson - last year's county player of the year - and Kayla Peterson. They combined for 118 goals last year. The biggest change for the Hubs is the head coach, with Robert Compton taking over for Katie Eck, who was The Herald-Mail's Lacrosse Coach of the Year in 2012.

War Memorial Hospital and Valley Health Heart & Vascular Services will offer the Heart Attack Risk Program from 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, in Education Room A at War Memorial Hospital, 1 Healthy Way in Berkeley Springs.  Test results from a finger stick blood draw will provide participants with information on their total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol/HDL ratio, triglycerides, blood sugar, blood pressure and...

Tuesday, December 18, 2012 BOYS BASKETBALL THURMONT Md. - Nick Karlen had 11 points to lead North Hagerstown past Catoctin 58-38 on Tuesday night in the MVAL Antietam. Kenny McCrary had nine points, 14 rebounds and three steals, Andrew Yacyk had eight points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, Max Ober had six assists and four steals, Isaiah Keyes had eight points and four assists, and Will Peralta added eight points and nine rebounds for the Hubs (3-2, 2-1). NORTH HAGERSTOWN (3-2, 2-1)

The owner of two pit bulls who attacked a Hagerstown police officer and several other people on Sunday has been cited by the Humane Society of Washington County. Tonya Hall, of 141 East Ave. in Hagerstown, was cited with two violations of animal at large-prohibited; and one violation each of rabies-immunization of dogs, cats, and ferrets; and dog licenses generally, according to a humane society press release. “The citations are a result of complaints of two dogs running at large and allegedly biting multiple individuals in Hagerstown, the release said.

Crena Anderson wasn't at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. But the 88-year-old Halfway resident will be linked to that day for the rest of her life. She said her first and second husbands were stationed at Army bases in Hawaii during the attack, although the two young soldiers didn't know each other at the time. “I'm proud of what they did - very proud,” Crena said at her home earlier this week. “They must have been scared to death.” Crena said she married her first husband, Marvin Spencer, shortly after they met while he was home on leave in 1944.

A Hagerstown man has been charged by Maryland State Police with second-degree attempted murder after a man was attacked with a sledgehammer earlier this month near Clear Spring. Alton Martin Burke, 18, of 822 Washington Ave., also was charged with three counts each of first- and  second-degree assault and one count of reckless endangerment. The charges stem from an incident that occurred at about 1 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, in a wooded area off the 11600 block of Big Pool Road, the application for statement of charges said.

An anonymous letter-writing campaign against Washington County Board of Education President Wayne Ridenour picked up steam this week, days before the Nov. 6 election, with copies of the most recent letter sent to at least one teacher in at least three schools. Ridenour said Wednesday that since the fall of 2011 he had received three anonymous letters and one postcard.  “I'm upset,” Ridenour said Wednesday. He said he thinks sending the anonymous letters to teachers has “crossed a line.” In general, the letters have stated that a group is working toward removing Ridenour from the board and from his post as board president.

War Memorial Hospital's Center for Rehab & Wellness and Valley Health Heart & Vascular Services will offer a heart attack risk screening  from 8 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17,  at The Center for Rehab & Wellness at 261 Berkmore Place in Berkeley Springs.  Test results from a finger stick blood draw will provide participants with information on their total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol/HDL ratio, triglycerides, blood...