Child Safety

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - The state has changed its child safety seat law and J.C. Tennant said a lot of people are unaware of it. The law used to center around a child's weight, said Tennant, a deputy with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. A child who was in a certain weight range was required to be secured in a car safety seat, Tennant said. What officials eventually realized is that while a child might have exceeded the weight which required a safety seat, that child might have been too short for a car seat belt to work properly, said Del. Bob Tabb, D-Jefferson.

Welcome fall! How spectacular has the weather been lately? Nothing short of Norman Rockwell-ish. Days are glorious and evenings are cool and perfect for sleeping. There is a bounty of football and other fall sports to occupy weekends and the leaves that are sure to start their descent will soon gobble up the remainder of our free time. The windows are open and meals are more pleasurable and heartier. Yes, I do believe that fall might just be my favorite season of all. Now don't quote me on that because after a few months of this I might have to amend my opinion and embrace the next of Mother Nature's chapters in life.

HAGERSTOWN -- Sixteen girls from Girls Inc. moved from station to station at the Spring into Safety event Wednesday afternoon, learning about bicycle safety, nutrition and fire safety. Their fire safety lesson in the Walmart parking lot at Centre at Hagerstown came inside a "Safety House," a trailer set up like a house to teach children about fire dangers that can lurk in a home. "Firefighter Rick is very, very scared of these things," Hagerstown Fire Department firefighter Rick Conrad told the girls as he turned their attention to a space heater in a living room area.

Tri-State area state police will be out in force this weekend in an effort to make the roads safer over Memorial Day weekend. Lt. Donnie Knott of the Maryland State Police in Hagerstown said extra troopers will be on the road in Washington County from midnight Thursday to midnight Monday. They will be part of Operation Care, a statewide state police effort to reduce accidents over the weekend. "The troopers will be concentrating on speed, driving while intoxicated, seatbelt violations and aggressive driving," Knott said.

The sun was shining on April 10, 1998, when Victoria and Christopher Glasow, left their Falls Church, Va., home, on their way to visit relatives in Ohio. They never reached their destination. [cont. from news page ] A car crash at a Hagerstown exit off Interstate 70 injured both and totaled their 1995 Honda Accord. The Glasows and law enforcement officials attribute their survival to their seat belt use. "If I wasn't wearing my seat belt, I would have been shot out of the car," said Virginia Glasow, 42. Maryland State Police have been stepping up seat belt law enforcement and education in April and May as part of the Chief's Challenge.

Two deer jump off railroad bridge Traffic on U.S. 40 by the Hagerstown Police Department headquarters was held up Tuesday morning after two deer jumped off a railroad bridge, Sgt. Fred Wolford said. At about 7:30 a.m., five deer were running across the railroad tracks when two of them jumped off the bridge - apparantly scared by a train - and landed on U.S 40 near its intersection with Burhans Boulevard, Wolford said. "One died and another had to be put down," he said.

Health Notes page 2 Fire prevention, child safety program set for Tuesday Shoney's and Volunteer Fire Company of Halfway will sponsor a fire prevention and child safety awareness program Tuesday, June 8, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Shoney's restaurant, 17301 Valley Mall in Hagerstown. The event will feature child safety car seat checks, children's bicycle helmet safety checks, blood pressure checks and information on fire prevention. A fire truck and ambulance will be on display for tours, and WYII-FM 95.9 radio personalities will do a live radio remote.

Would-be robber quits before attempt MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A gunman who tried to steal money from a drug store Saturday morning aborted the robbery and took off, Martinsburg Police said. The man walked into the Rite Aid Pharmacy on Winchester Avenue about 9 a.m. holding a gun, police said. The store manager saw the gun and called out to employees in another part of the store. Hearing this, the man quickly left the store and rode off on a black bicycle. Police described the gunman as a thin black man, about 40 years old. He was wearing blue sweat pants, a light green hooded jacket and sneakers.

In 2007, Community Rescue Service Inc. (CRS) was dispatched by 911 operations to 10,328 calls. From the center of operations at 110 Eastern Blvd. in Hagerstown, CRS ambulances responded to 7,820 emergency medical service calls, according to Terry Trovinger, chief financial officer. The CRS ambulance stationed at the Maugansville Fire Station was dispatched 1,700 times. With an increase of 26 percent in responses to emergency medical calls in 2007, CRS expanded its coverage by placing an additional ambulance in service at Western Enterprise Fire Station of Hagerstown.

Medications resource guide now available The Washington County Mental Health Authority has developed and produced its medications resource guide for Washington County. The guide provides information on available medication resources for residents of Washington County, and lists the eligibility criteria, available medications and copay requirements for 11 community agencies. The guide is available as a brochure, on the authority's Web site at www.wcmha.org or by calling 301-739-2490.